Just got an Eclipse 12 gallon saltwater aquarium kit ...

valori76

valori76

New Member
... and I've never done saltwater before. I'm a bit nervous, and I've had a lot of conflicting information given to me. Some people say a small tank is just the way to start, whereas others say you should never even consider starting with less than a 24 gallon.. anyway, seeing as this is the tank I have, I plan on buying some live rock and starting the aquarium cycling soon.
I was thinking about perhaps buying a neon goby, an aquacultured false percula clownfish, a sexy shrimp or two and possibly an urchin or an anemone would live together nicely and not be too crowded or too lonely.
I was hoping some actual experienced people (who aren't standing behind a cash register LOL) could give me their opinions on if this setup would be okay or not. Thanks alot. :)
 
fishyfrenzy

fishyfrenzy

Member
Are you planning on have metal halide lighting or t5? If not, just forget the anenome. They require perfect water conditions(mostly). Small tanks are harder. Do not use fish to cycle with. Espicially DAMNsels!
Stay away from urchins.
A pair of clowns and some shrimp would look nice, with a clean up crew. Probably an emerald crab with some snails.
Have about 10-15 pounds of live rock in your tank.
LIVE SAND ONLY!
I don't have any experience with neon goby's. I hope someone can help you with that. I do believe it would be OK, though. If I were you, to cycle the tank, I would "ghost feed" it, or feeding a moderate amount of fish food everyday, until the bacteria starts. What light comes with that kit? What filter?
 
valori76

valori76

New Member
According to the box... "the Eclipse System 12 Instant Ocean Aquarium Kit comes with the full hood integrated filtration and lighting system, that includes full 3-stage aquarium filtration and features a Bio Wheel as well as complete fluorescent lighting"
Not very helpful, is it? It was a gift because we lost our freshwater aquarium a few months back when it got cracked during a power outage after a tornado came through town. The neons and weather loach made it safely to my mom's tank via large mixing bowl, but alas our frogs did not. The kids and I were really broken up about it, and I really want to make sure that if I bring a little Nemo and company home they are going to be around for a long time.
 
nycbob

nycbob

Active Member
why a neon goby? they dont live that long in captivity. average about 1-2 years at most. no anemone w that light. but u can get leather, mushrooms or polyps. 2 clowns of the same species is ok. wait 2 weeks after cycling to add any inverts. good luck!
 
valori76

valori76

New Member
Well, I wanted a Dory style fish (blue tang), but found out that not only do they get HUGE (at least for the tank I have) but are also sort of aggressive so I just started looking for brightly colored, small, peaceful fish, and the goby came up. The articles said they were good at cleaning up tank crud and they remain small, so I won't need to upgrade too soon and I won't feel guilty about it.
I'm one of those that have to restrain my urges to free all the betta fish from their tiny round prisons ...
 
rad

rad

Member
Id say you would be fine with an anemone. But opinions are like farts....you know the saying. Only mine isnt wholly an opinion. Ive seen many people keep an anemone in a stock JBJ and it does just fine. *note* an anemone will make your clowns extremely territorial. *end of note* Live sand is preferred, but not a necessity. But for the extra ten bucks you'll save buying dry, its not really worth it. Unless you actually do need that ten bucks for other things. As far as the urchin would go, I dont see why not. And your shrimp: just make sure they're of good size. I realize you have a small tank (I do too) but dont get the really small shrimp. They can be bullied alot easier.
good luck on your endeavors!
 
valori76

valori76

New Member
Thanks alot.
I do plan on getting live sand and rock - though I'm thinking that the 10-20 pounds they seem to be sold in might be a bit more than I need in a 12 gallon, which will essentially be like a 9 or 10 after sand and rocks and wanna-be coral decoration.
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
if you go to the side of this board, under live rock and live sand, there is a sand calculator. for your tank 20 lbs would give you a 2 inch sand bed
How much sand do you need?
Length of Tank: 21 inches
Width of Tank: 11.5 inches
Desired Sand Depth: 2 inches
Click to see result:
Result: 19.57lb(s).
I wouldnt do an anemonie is such a small tank. if it were to die in such a small area, it would wipe everything out. colorful mushrooms would make your tank look better anyway.
 
flricordia

flricordia

Active Member
Just got an Eclipse 12 gallon saltwater aquarium kit
Sorry to hear it. I know I am going to get bashed but I wish you would have gotten a Nanocube or Aquapod, even a Biocube before you wasted money on a plastic tank that slants toward the back and lighting is %$#@.
Well, I personally have wasted so much money witrh this hobby that my brain goes into lockup if I think about it so welcome to saltwater/reef keeping.
 
autofreak44

autofreak44

Active Member
i have an eclipse 12 gallon that i now use as a quarantine tank. Honestly its not the way to go because of the odd shape of the tank (tall which means less surface area and less gas transfer), its bad filtration and lighting, and the fact that you cant upgrade either. honestly i would go get a 10 gallon glass tank with a lid and 24" coralife t-5 lights. also get a aquaclear 30 filter. the reason you would get a 30 (instead of a 10) is because it is always good to overfilter in this hobby. go with live sand and 10 pounds of live rock.
honestly i love my 20gallon long tank and think it is the perfect size for the tight budget. my tank is fine on 20 bucks a week and i am improving it with more corals and filter and light upgrades etc.
the eclipse 12 is good for freshwater but is not suitable to maintain a stable, healthy saltwater environment
tell me what you think (like if you want a 10 or a 20 gallon tank) and once you decide i can help you with a shopping and stock list.
for a 10 gallon up and running with coral and fish will probably be $400 with coral, fish, test kits, water, live rock and live sand, tank, heater, lights, and filters
for a 20 gallon tank is probably going to be $600.
the larger tank size will be more stable and is what i suggest
tell me what you think
 
valori76

valori76

New Member

I didn't buy the system, it was a gift. It is still in the box, actually. I wanted to find out everything I could and have a good plan before I risked any live animals.
I guess if the consensus is that this aquarium is no good I could always sell it on ----.....
 
valori76

valori76

New Member
As for the sand ... thank you! It really seemed like 20 lbs would be way more than I would need, but that's probably just because I'm used to gravel which takes up so much more room than sand does.
I appreciate all the really good advice and hints here.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Play the hand you were dealt don’t invest to much money in your 12 its really not a great set up I used one for a HT/QT for a while until I went to a 20g but get your feet wet with it you can always go bigger when the time is right and you will get all the help you need here
 
oceansidefish

oceansidefish

Active Member
The eclipse systems are not really suited for long term positive saltwater fish keeping. Personally I would see if a mom and pop store will trade you for it and buy a regular tank. I too kept freshwater fish for years and years before diving into saltwater, now my house is full of fish and corals. The best advise anyone can give you is to do as much research as humanly possible. There is a great book out there called the "Marine Aquarist" I would say read that before you even start. Saltwater tanks take lots and lots and lots of patience. They are time consuming and should be heavily researched.
If you do decide to go with using the tank this is what I would suggest.
1. Buy an additional powehead, your going to need it (Hydors are great)
2. Use 20 pnds of sand and at least 10 pnds of live rock.
3. Keep the occupants of the tank very very minimal the lower the bioload the less potential for disasterous problems. Plus the filter in that thing wont keep up.
4. I would possibly consider and going with a goby/pistol shrimp pair and MAYBE a small dottyback or something
Good luck and have fun!
 
uberlink

uberlink

Active Member
Sell it. I would check your local craigslist listings and see if there are any good deals on a complete 55 gallon (or more) setup. You can often get a complete setup on craigslist where I live for a couple hundred dollars or so, even including animals. That may seem like a lot compared to the free-gift Eclipse, but you'll wind up spending that EASILY in time in this hobby. And you'll regret starting with a tank as small as 12 gallons. It will not be stable, and you'll very quickly wish you had something bigger that could support more interesting animals.
 
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