new saltwater tank questions

[DarrylR]

I am getting help on setting up my 5.5 gallon saltwater tank. I am either getting a breeding pair of ocellarus clowns or dwarf seahorses.

Having read about dwarf seahorses I read they can be happy even in a 1 gallon tank so my 5.5 gallon should be more than enough. Thus my question was if ocellaris clowns would be fine in a 5.5 tank.

Also any salt water tips and tricks and basic information. The person helping me is my manager at my job at Petsmart, and is the Pet Care Manager, and soon to be running his own breeding shop. So he is very well qualified in helping me with this and is the one who kept on persuading me to start a saltwater tank.

And now I am still pondering that if I don't do the 5.5 salt water tank, I could keep it as a:

5.5 nano
HC,mosses
few small species fish
CO2.
panda corys


BUT, if a salt water tank:

first salt water tank and experience
ocellaris clowns or dwarf seahorses
live rock
and a whole new range of the fish hobby

I am just trying to weigh my decisions out and see what's the best course to take by hearing other people's opinions on each species and the saltwater hobby itself.

How do you do water changes? Do you have to pre-mix saltwater before water changing? Also what is the main differences from salt to freshwater? I know the dwarf seahorses will be fine it in, but what about breeding pair of occellarus clowns? Also I don't think you can hook up a C02 in a salt water tank?

 

[spllouder]

the internet can help alot and this website ask alot questions and post a thread all about your tank so you can get help when you need it . just dont take all your advise from one persone get many 2nd opions .


how to do a water change : Its simple . get your favorite salt mix , and get RO/DI water . you probaly just wanna do 1 gallon water changes . so what i would do is get a clean 1 gallon water jug with top . fill with ro/di and then enought salt mix to match your display S/G . mix it for at leat 12-24 houts ! .

just shake it thorgh out the day . then syphon out 1 gallon in a spare 1 gallon jug . use a 1/4 hose viynl . and then pour new water in .


p.s. you wana get a hydometer and a temp mointer of some sort . the key is to match your display water pram's . *thumbsups

 

[Lotus]

The setup for either fish or seahorses would be quite different.

A pair of ocellaris would be too much for that size tank, unfortunately. Even one would probably be miserable in there. Saltwater stocking needs to be much lighter than freshwater stocking. You could do a small goby or goby/pistol shrimp pair in there.

Dwarf seahorses are possible, but they're very sensitive creatures and do require quite a bit of daily care. They're not suggested for those new to saltwater, but if you do plenty of reading, it's possible. There's a great book out there on dwarf seahorses that would help you decide if they're for you.

New saltwater needs to be mixed ouside the tank. Dry salt is caustic, and should never be added to a tank with living creatures in it. All you need is a powerhead, a heater and a hydrometer (or preferably a refractometer).

There's no need for CO2 in a saltwater tank (other than if you're running a calcium reactor on a large reef tank). Saltwater tanks should be kept at a high pH (8.2 or so).

Testing is extremely important in saltwater. You'll need a good set of saltwater tests (not strips).

The stickies in the nano saltwater discussion should give you some more information about setting up a nano tank.

 

[KahluaZzZ]

Lotus is right.
Ocellaris do not require big tanks due to their swimming habits. I would suggest 15 g min ( not the "safe" 30 g min )...but their zone is THEIR zone.
I would not wanna be the seahorse. They can bully and they can bite, and when they get older, they're more territorial. Seahorse need peace, hiding places, and are so fragile..they could die of stress quickly just because another fish doesn't want him in the same tank.
Also keeping a stable salinity in a tiny tank is a challenge, and seahorses don't like big gaps in saltwater density.

 

[DarrylR]

The ocellaris and seahorses would not be in the same tank. It would be one or the other.

 

[TRe]

i dont know anything about seahorses but i do kno a 5.5 is too small for a pair of clowns..... you could get away with a perching type fish like a clown goby or maybe a pistol shrimp/watchman goby pair but just a question why the 5.5? its alot harder to keep perfect water conditions in such a small space.... id go 20g (which is still pretty cheap) and then as u planed a pair of clowns

 

[KahluaZzZ]

firefish too, they are superb, hardy and they need no space

 

[TRe]

i had a firefish in my old 10g and oneday when i walked up to the tank i scared him and instead of darting across the tank since there wasnt much space for him to go he darted right outta the tank so i hafta disagree with that one

 

[Lorna]

ahhhh.....welcome to the salty side. If starting out I would second Tre and go with a minimum 20g until I got the hang of the hobby so to speak. You could easily set up a 20g for a pair of clowns reasonably. Your biggest expense is going to be your live rock which will act as your biological filtration....that along with a couple of good powerheads to move the water around, a nice substrate and heater along with the various temp/test equipment you should be okay. What ever you do, do not be talked into buying an anemone for your clowns if you go that route. Anemones need specialized set ups that are stable and over a year old, regardless of what your lfs tells you. Read all the stickies, read some more and when you are done, then read Paletta's book "The New Marine Aquarium", then read some more......then come on here and ask us a bunch of questions which we will answer......BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY LIVESTOCK

Again, welcome, it is a very rewarding hobby but not one without pitfalls....

 

[KahluaZzZ]

if you have top no problems with a firefish

 

[DarrylR]

My manager is already buying me more pieces of live rock for my tank. Also is telling me which filter is best I believe a sponge seeing dwarfs seahorses might get sucked in.

I am only wondering about others experiences with either species. I have the tank set up and been running for months. Everything is set but which species to get. People are saying ocellarris are bad so I might go with seahorses.

 

[Lorna]

You do not need a filter, the live rock IS the filter and further reading of suggested reading material would confirm this. Sponge filters lead to nitrate problems. Clowns are not bad and whomever told you this should explain their ideology to you.......aim for a live rock ratio of 1-2 lbs per gallon, along with good water movement and you should be fine.