I have a 10 gal that has been going for just about 4 yrs now.
If your tank is like mine and came with the incandescent bulbs they will not work for saltwater tanks. But.....Coralife has the power compact bulbs in 10watt and 20 watt 50/50 that fit into these hoods very nicely.
When you go to put these bulbs into your hood they can be snug fitting but they will work, I have used them. I prefer the 20 watt ones myself and would recommend 2 of them.
With these lights you can keep most mushrooms and leathers very well. I am currently using some different bulbs and keep mushrooms, toadstool leathers and a BTA just fine. Things are getting quite large in my tank and I have one type of mushroom that is the size of a mans hand, it is huge.
I cannot comment on SPS frags as I have never kept them. But do your homework first before buying any corals for your tank.
I use an Aqua Clear HOB filter and it works well for me.
2 fish would be perfect, like recommended get the small clowns. Don't do a Maroon Clown, I just had to give mine up. She would create a sandstorm everyday. They do get big and they are aggressive but oh so beautiful. I would recommend a bigger tank for them. The false percs (nemo type) are very cute and entertaining.
If you don't want clowns then there are: firefish ( very beautiful), the goby family, the blenny family, I love the orchid dottyback but are aggressive so be careful what you put with them. Go and see what there is to choose from in your LFS, write down the names and then post them here on this board and you will get all the info you need about them before you buy them.
Shrimps are another fun addition. The Skunk Cleaner shrimp is very neat to have. I have a coral banded shrimp in mine and he is really neat to watch but you can only have them in your tank and no other shrimp in this size of tank. I have also been told they will prey on crabs in the tank, so this is another thing to remember about this kind of shrimp. But I think the Skunk Cleaner is just fine with other inverts.
There are some nice choices to choose from out there when creating that "mini ocean" as I call it.
Take your time doing this tank and have fun. Patience is the key to this type of hobby.....
