nano aquarium requirements

[clownfish29]

Hello everyone,
I´m a new member here and this is my first post. I have been successful at freshwater aquariums and it has been my hobby for a long time. Though i first started with freshwater fish because everyone said, its better for a beginner than a saltwater aquarium. But that was more than 15 years ago.
I have read alot of books and alot of stuff online about clownfish and seahorses, my 2 favorite saltwater creatures.
Well I´m planning on having a nano tank setup with a just a pair of clownfish. That is I dont intend to have any other fish or crabs or anything else in there with the fish. I have read that an anemone is not an absolute requirement but rather a burden on the system. So I´ve decided to do without it.
I know everybody is going to say, go big, especially when you are a beginner, but I really want it to be small and not take up too much space. Plus if people can breed clownfish in a 10 gallon tank, ít shouldnt be too hard to keep them happy in a nano setup. Rite?
Now for a basic aquarium, say about 10 or 15 gallons, with 2 clownfish about 5 weeks of age, what do you guys think i would need? Oh yes, i plan on using an undergravel filter, but I´m not sure. I am not from the States and some of the technical abbreviations are a little bit confusing to me

, so....
Thanks in advance

 

[catfishcity]

no undergravel filter!!! just use live rock and sand!!! you may need to run some carbon through your filter but if you really want a top-knotch filter, just use a refugium. you should have about 1-2 pounds of rock per gallon. u will also need a light but not the powerful of one if you are not going to keep corals. clownfish will make an excellent first SW fish, they are probably one of the easiest and coolest fish out there. good luck!

 

[oceansidefish]

You will need a good hang on back filter, I would go with one rated for at least 30g, you need more flow than with freshwater fish. You will also need a heater. about 10 pounds of live rock and the same of live sand. In my opinion the clowns will do much better in a 15g tank in the long run. 10g would be a bit of a squeeze for 2 adult clowns depending on the type of clown you go with.

 

[hlcroghan]

Agreed. Honestly a 15 gallon might be a bit small for the long term clowns. I think that 20 to 25 gallons is the best. I would also rethink inverts because they make keeping you tank clean much much easier.....

 

[spanko]

I would suggest getting a copy of The Nano-Reef Handbook by Chris R. Brightwell and doing some research first.

 

[dankbardy31]

I'm not sure where you are living now but there are usually some cheap all in one tanks available on craigslist or on forums in the classified sections. nanocube aquapod etc. are all real clean looking and have everything you need for a fish only system. Even if you don't get crabs get snails in there after your cycle is finished. One caution about clowns is that they are pretty prone to brooklynella and ich so just be cautious with them. Sometimes fish stores will let you put them on hold for a while to make sure you don't take home a sick fish. Good luck and have fun. Welcome to saltwaterfish.com

 

[clownfish29]

Thanks alot for all those replies guys!
I do not intend on getting a setup right this instant but soon. So basically its live sand, live rock and some snails and a carbon filter would do a good job?? What about a protein skimmer? I´ve had no experience with using one and i was just wondering if it was necessary in such a small tank.
Well i plan on getting a pair of Ocellaris (if thats spelt correctly). I live near the beach and not to save costs or anything, but what do you guys think of running a couple of cycles with just the sea water and the sand from the sea? Would that make it more natural or would that pose other dangers? I have read about the dangers of pollutants when doing that...but I´m just pondering.

 

[woody189]

Originally Posted by clownfish29
http:///forum/post/3060735
Thanks alot for all those replies guys!
I do not intend on getting a setup right this instant but soon. So basically its live sand, live rock and some snails and a carbon filter would do a good job?? What about a protein skimmer? I´ve had no experience with using one and i was just wondering if it was necessary in such a small tank.
Well i plan on getting a pair of Ocellaris (if thats spelt correctly). I live near the beach and not to save costs or anything, but what do you guys think of running a couple of cycles with just the sea water and the sand from the sea? Would that make it more natural or would that pose other dangers? I have read about the dangers of pollutants when doing that...but I´m just pondering.
I think that's supposed to be a bad idea. The water that you can collect near by the shore is dirty, contaminated, and has unwanted organisms. I think the only way you can use sea water is if you have a boat and collect it a few hundred feet away from shore. Even then, I think you have to collect it from below the surface. Not worth the trouble, but in a nano, you don't need too much water so maybe a trip or two a month will suffice. But still not worth it. You also risk adding something into the tank that you don't want.
I don't think the sand is a good idea either. Kajillions of people walking all over the sand doing God knows what to it. No thank you.
You can get sea shells and decoration I believe, but I think that's illegal, as well as taking sand.

 

[clownfish29]

Alritey then, I guess it would be a bad idea to use anything straight from the sea. I think besides what you have said Woody another reason would be that the clownfish are rared in farms and i dont think that they´re quite exposed to the microorganisms from the sea. Well what do i know...I´m just a beginner haha
The shells thing is a good idea since they´re not illegal over here

 

[jemshores]

And IMO USE RO/DI ...if there's one thing I have learned in this hobby, its the use of that water. I too was a non-believer for a long time (water is water) but having gone from -2 large tanks, a 55 & 75 to 2 smalls, a 12 and 24 nano, I can SEE a huge difference in keeping paramenters perfect, no algae, healthy fish, and less problems. Keeping smaller tanks is usualyl a greater challenge and with the use of RO, it has been nothing but a joy this time! Research these boards and you will enjoy a hassle-free journey to your personal reef! Good Luck and welcome to the best board out there!

PS stay away from "free" beach stuff-maybe a few shells for calcium only. JMO (I too live on the Gulf and don't use anything from it, especial wth the oil rigs coming)

 

[woody189]

Originally Posted by clownfish29
http:///forum/post/3060752
Well what do i know...I´m just a beginner haha
The shells thing is a good idea since they´re not illegal over here
I'm a beginner too. I started my tank last february. Just keep reading up on here and you'll be fine.
IDK where I got that whole illegal thing. I think I heard it somewhere, but I probably just made it up... LOL

 

[woody189]

and yea, RODI is a good idea. I was using tap water when I started, treating it w/ prime dechlorinator or something and I was having problems. Then I started buying RO from LFS, and now I'm looking into buying a RO/DI unit.
It's worth the cost if you buy it now. IF I would have bought it from the beginning, I would have already paid for it considerign how much I've spent at the LFS for the water, gas to get there, hassle of carrying heavy buckets, etc...
Now I don't really have 200$ to spare to buy one.

 

[dankbardy31]

Woody,
Your not that off base. A lot of places strictly forbid the taking of any organisms live or dead from beaches.
Shells isn't too big of a problem but live rock/anemones/urchins could probably get you into a bit of trouble though.
Clownfish 29,
Definitely use RO water because ocean water may include microorganisms that won't survive in the temperature conditions that you will have in your tank thus causing die off and your levels to rise. IF you can though get the live sand that is running in the lfs system not the bagged stuff.

 

[clownfish29]

Hey guys and thanks again for all your replies.
What is RO DI?? I think RO stands for reverse osmosis rite? I´m sorry, just not used to all the abbreviations.
Other than that, I have a pretty good idea now what to start with. This is a very helpful forum indeed. One of the admins or users put out a whole list of pages to read for the newbies and I have been reading up on all that info. I think it offers a great deal of insight.

 

[king_neptune]

1.
dont take sand/water/organisms from your local beach. bad idea. disease is amongst the chief concern. bacteria. parasites ect. also it is likely illegal. I know hear in washington it is illeagle to take anything off the beach without a licence, and even that is strictly regulated.
a 20 lb bag of live sand wont set you back too bad..about $40-50 if you do your shopping. Live rock? hear on Saltwaterfish.com they got pretty good prices. $4lb is really good price. 1.5lbs of rock per gallon of water in your system is a good number to calculate. altogether $200 give or take a little for your nano tank
the inital costs are the hardest, this hobby aint cheap. So if you have to take your time and buy it one piece at a time....that's what you gotta do. Believe me Ive been collecting parts for my up and coming system for almost a year now...so I know what it means to wait.
2. I will respectfully disagree that you need 20-30 gallons for a pair of clowns. Im not trying to play tang police or nothing, but they can do fine in 10-15. (go to the nano section, im sure you can find them in the mini pico's...5-8 gal tanks).
3. RO-DI means: Revers osmosis- De Ionization.
Its kind of filtration system that pretty much gives you perfect clear water. 0 parts per million (ppm). These kits range from $99-$500+, do your homework on these, because we cant link you to them. I got mine for $99 and it had a 0ppm money-back guarantee.
4. filtration....ok this can get really really expensive, or you can Do it yourself(DIY) and save a bundle. For example: you can turn a 5 gallon bucket into a sump. your imagination will definitely come into play, and you can come up with designs and ideas just from the time you spend hear on the forums.
it sounds to me like your going to have a really light bio load,
so...i would agree with people who say a Hang on back filter(HOB). are they the best? no, in fact I personally don't like them...mainly because of priming reasons. carbon is a good option, or an algae scrubber as well. a nice skimmer shouldn't set you back too bad, and that will probably be the single best piece of filtration you add, are they a must? no of course not...people survived decades in this hobby without them, but that doesn't mean they aren't a good thing to have. prices for a system your size range from $30-$200 bucks. obviously you get what you pay for...but I would do my research and ask ask ask people what they recommend. The best place to ask about various filter systems for a smaller tank is the nano tank forums hear on saltwaterfish.com
I'm not a freshwater expert, in fact I'm not a saltwater expert either. Best thing I can advise...double check anything I tell you, or anyone else for that matter, its the safest bet. Ive had people give me bad advice and Ive taken them at face value, only to do my research later and find out they are wrong, in this hobby, always confirm what anyone tells you.
welcome to the hobby. oh and one word of warning...seahorses are the big leagues in this hobby, kudos on your desire to have them, i personally am intimidated by the tender care they require.

 

[clownfish29]

Hey there King Neptune and thanks for your detailed advice.
At least now i know what RO DI stands for. I´ve scouted around and I think if I want an entirely brand new system, it would cost me about 200 Euros. However, if i get a nano tank, lighting and filtration system 2nd Hand, that would cut that figure down alot. For example, there was a guy selling his whole aquarium, lighting, filter etc for only 10 euros. It was only used for 6 months or something. I saw pretty cheap skimmers for about 11Euros, pretty small ones but i guess they could do the job on a nano rite? As for the hang on back filter or RO DI system, i´ll have to translate RO DI and do some looking up on the prices.
Well, I thought i´ll start of with clownfish and then move on to seahorses after a year or 2. Seahorses cost anything from 50 Euros and up here and considering that they need a deeper aquarium and more than just 2, i´ll wait awhile. I dont want to risk killing them. I would like to keep them together with the clowns, but i´ve read that is unadvisable.
Well thanks again, i´ll do some more looking up and see how it goes

 

[king_neptune]

RO-DI isnt really considered filtration. All it does is filter your water that your going to mix, basicly your using pristine water for all your future water changes...which adds up in savings over long term...if you already buy it pre-made from the local store its like $1 a gallon, well imagine doing 5 gallons a week. doesnt sound like much cost...but over time it adds up.
enter the RO-DI systems.
hook it up under your sink or wherever...the garage even. have it dribbling into a collection bin(they only produce a slow amount of waterflow..50-100GPD is an avarage one), use that water to mix in your salt...add to tank. you save a bundle in the long run, plus all the trips to the pet store.

 

[clownfish29]

So basically its kinda like the systems used for home water filtration. Well i saw some pretty cheap ones and some really expensive ones, on ----. I dont think theres anyway of deciding which one is perfect without doing some research on it first. So, I´m trying to read up on that.
Thanks again

 

[locoyo386]

Originally Posted by clownfish29
http:///forum/post/3065008
Hey there King Neptune and thanks for your detailed advice.
At least now i know what RO DI stands for. I´ve scouted around and I think if I want an entirely brand new system, it would cost me about 200 Euros. However, if i get a nano tank, lighting and filtration system 2nd Hand, that would cut that figure down alot. For example, there was a guy selling his whole aquarium, lighting, filter etc for only 10 euros. It was only used for 6 months or something. I saw pretty cheap skimmers for about 11Euros, pretty small ones but i guess they could do the job on a nano rite? As for the hang on back filter or RO DI system, i´ll have to translate RO DI and do some looking up on the prices.
Well, I thought i´ll start of with clownfish and then move on to seahorses after a year or 2. Seahorses cost anything from 50 Euros and up here and considering that they need a deeper aquarium and more than just 2, i´ll wait awhile. I dont want to risk killing them. I would like to keep them together with the clowns, but i´ve read that is unadvisable.
Well thanks again, i´ll do some more looking up and see how it goes
Hi there,
I keep 10 gallon tanks (currently I have 9) with no more than 3-4 fish in each. 2 clownfish will be fine in a 10 gallon tank. The basic set up will be fine, the 10 euro set will work. Just make sure that the filter is rated for at least 100 gallon (US gallons) per hour flow rate. I use 150 g/hr on mine. Also the filter only has mechanical filter pad and carbon. If you are not going to keep any type or coral or anemones (as you stated above), than the normal lighting that comes with the set up should be fine. The lighting will only have to coply with your liking. No protein skimmer is needed for the fish only set up. I have not yet used one. The water quality will be important in small tank. Using reverse osmosis filtered water is best, I buy mine by the gallon and it's around 1/2 a euro (in the states anyways). The only things that I have to watch for is the pH lelev and the nitrates occumulating to high.
Here is the basic summary;
1.) 10 gallon tank
2.) lighting, basic set up (I keep mine with outo turn on/off)
3.) hang on the back filter rated for 100 g/hr or up to 200 g/hr
4.) heater rated for 50-100 watt (I use 50 watt heaters)
4.) 10-15 pounds (US) of "live sand"
5.) 5-10 pounds (US) of "live rock"
6.) 2-clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

 

[clownfish29]

Hello locoyo and thanks for your reply.
Well if a skimmer is not necessary that will save on the cost. I do not know if I can purchase RO DI water like you guys in the states. I have not seen any in the pet shops but I will ask the next time I´m there.
So you do not use anything other than the parts you mentioned above? No other organisms like snails or anything else? Do you do a partial water change from time to time? If so it would be helpful to know how frequently?