Not so newbie!

[swf luvr]

Hey Guys!
This is my very post and I actually came across this site by accident. I really wish I came across this site years ago when I was trying to make my 60 gal Salt Water Reef tank work. I went at it all wrong and blindly I might add. I trusted my LFS and of course it didn't work. I tried to successfully keep a salt water tank three times but to no avail.
I am a bit knowledgeable about most of the stuff through that bad experience. I've had experience with skimmers, wet/dry filter, UV light sterilizer, PH, powerheads and overflows. I also had two flourescent lights which was white and blue. I don't know the lingo for that yet.
I've had spent BUNDLES of money trying to make it work. I've tried corals such as mushrooms, star polyps, anemone, brains. That's just the the beginning...i've also had powder blue tangs, blue tangs, yellow tangs, flame angel, mandarin gobe, cleaner shrimp, fire shrimp, snails, majestic angel, moorish idol, damsels, perculas, maroons...tried them all and lost them all.
Reading from this thread has really intrigued me to start again. I read on this forum with people only having 10 gal tanks who are successful in keeping such beautiful reef/nanos.
Can someone give me the breakdown of what I need to start only with a 10 gal. I look at most of the specs that these successful guys have and they don't even have wet/dry or skimmers on their tanks and it still works.
Please advice!
SWF luver

 

[cprdnick]

Ten gallons are in the classification of Nano tanks. You may go to the Nano forum to get the information you need on the smaller tanks. All I own for the moment are classified as nanos. I also have a sucessful ten gallon, though I don't have any coral or good lights. The reason we can get by without wet/dry filters and skimmer (though most of us have skimmers) is because we do not overload our biological filter. The biological filter is what also helps us keep these tanks running smoothly. With proper amounts of LR and LS or some other form of biological filtration water quality can be kept in par. I do have to warn you though that small tanks are not really intended for beginners.
I am curious, when you said you tried a Moorish Idol my eyes popped out of my head. Who told you that a MI would be alright in a 60 gallon?
Clint

 

[swf luvr]

Thanks Clint for your response. I really appreciate it. But for the first question, when you talk about biological filters do you mean Penguins with Bio wheels?
About the MI, that's the problem, no one told me its not ok to put one in a 60gal tank. My LFS is more concerned about making a buck than helping a customer make right decisions in what to purchase. Sad as it is...that is why I wish Trisha who's a member of this forum lives in CA since she opened up her new fish store. I can definitely learn alot from her.
Second question is why are small tanks not recommended for beginners? Isn't that better that they learn from small and upgrade to bigger tanks?
Please enlighten me o wise one... :notsure:
SWF Luver

 

[swf luvr]

Thanks Clint and jwtrojan44 for the advice. I sure still have a long way to go in understanding the whole process.
SWF Luvr

 

[cprdnick]

Originally posted by SWF Luvr
Thanks Clint for your response. I really appreciate it. But for the first question, when you talk about biological filters do you mean Penguins with Bio wheels?

When I say biological filter, I'm talking about any filter, mechanical or otherwise which uses an increased surface area to house colonies of nitrifying bacteria. The more surface area the more bacteria can be held. LR and LS is considered a form of biological filtration as long as there is water flowing over each.
Clint