live rock tank setup

byrns

byrns

New Member
hey, Im really new to the fish world. Im an avid fisherman and i keep reptiles and have been wanting to get into this hobby for years. I want to get a 10 or 20 gallon tank with some live rock. I want to have clownfish or tangs. I was going to do corals but I really dont want to go through the trouble of making a sump(Which i heard is necessary).If i just have live rock and no sump can i add things such as anenomes, sea cucumbers, inverts, others? I work at a pet store that carries everything i would need. I have both 10 and 20 gallon tanks at my disposal already. Im figuring i need:
Instant ocean
RO water
sand
protein skimmer(?)
some type of heater
some type of filter
powerhead(?)

Also, What are some good books for beginners?

Thankyou
 
shista

shista

Member
Its always the best feeling when starting a new tank. But there is alot to learn. You wont be able to have tangs in a tank that small (u need at LEAST 75 gal). And you dont need a sump for corals even though it is very helpful. RO water is the way to go and in my opinion I would get better salt than instant ocean but that is all preference. I would get a powerhead too for flow. On powerheads and filters it tells u gph (gallon per hour), and you are looking for 10 to 20x the gph compared to gallons of tank. A protein skimmer Iis not necessary either but it is a lifesaver and very important tool. There are many filters you can get, but in a tank that small I would personally get a HOB filter and a protein skimmer. Anemonies and cucumbers are pretty difficult for begginers but many soft corals could do.
 
byrns

byrns

New Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by shista http:///t/397213/live-rock-tank-setup#post_3539684
Its always the best feeling when starting a new tank. But there is alot to learn. You wont be able to have tangs in a tank that small (u need at LEAST 75 gal). And you dont need a sump for corals even though it is very helpful. RO water is the way to go and in my opinion I would get better salt than instant ocean but that is all preference. I would get a powerhead too for flow. On powerheads and filters it tells u gph (gallon per hour), and you are looking for 10 to 20x the gph compared to gallons of tank. A protein skimmer Iis not necessary either but it is a lifesaver and very important tool. There are many filters you can get, but in a tank that small I would personally get a HOB filter and a protein skimmer. Anemonies and cucumbers are pretty difficult for begginers but many soft corals could do.
What lighting will i need for a 10 gallon? I plan on just getting one or two clowns, small cleanup crew, some live rock and eventually some soft corals. Im going to take this very slow and talk to the people in the fish department in the store i work at. Would a koralia 245gph suffice as a powerhead? Also what type of heater should i be looking for. Thankyou
 
shista

shista

Member
I dont have too much experience with light.. power compact lights could work for a tank that small but I have tried many lights and LED lights seem to work good and I know T5s and metal halides do too but for a tank that small I think MH would get too hot. And as for a heater I have a eheim jager and have heard it is one of the best, heaters dont matter too much from my experience just make sure that it is not easily breakable and enough watts. 25-60 watts should be enough for your tank. And that powerhead is fine because your filters will create flow too. But as a tip I would get the 20 gal because ime when u start getting into the hobby u start wishing u had a bigger tank. I have 60 watt LED on my 44 gal and I can pretty much house any coral with that
 
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