Starting up my first SW

[Brinny-chan]

I've decided I'd like to delve into the saltwater world! But I have alot of questions too, so any help is appreciated!

I have a 5 gallon, 10 gallon, and 20 gallon I could use for the SW tank. My main concern with using the bigger tanks is that LR costs a LOT here, I called the two places near me that sell SW stuff and one is $14 a pound and the other is $12 (Canadian dollars)!!!

-How much LR do you need in a tank? Like, pounds per gallon type deal?

-I'd like to get a clownfish, can one of these go in a 5 gallon? I'm trying to keep my costs low. If they can't, can you do them in a 10?

-Do you absolutely have to use RO water? I'm running a well and if I have to use RO I'd rather go for a smaller tank; it's $5.50/5 gallons here for RO.

-I'd like to do only a FOWLR tank, so light isn't a big issue, correct?

-How often can I expect to do WCs?

-What number and power of powerheads should I get?

Thanks for any help and suggestions!!

 

[Mushroomman]

I have a 5 gallon, 10 gallon, and 20 gallon I could use for the SW tank. My main concern with using the bigger tanks is that LR costs a LOT here, I called the two places near me that sell SW stuff and one is $14 a pound and the other is $12 (Canadian dollars)!!! - 10 and 20 gallon tanks are close enough in size where either one wouldnt really be that much more expensive to equipt and fill with rock, etc.

-How much LR do you need in a tank? Like, pounds per gallon type deal?- they say 1-1.75 lb per gallon, Id aim for 8-15 pounds in the 10 gallon or 15-20 (more if you want) in the 20 gallon.

-I'd like to get a clownfish, can one of these go in a 5 gallon? I'm trying to keep my costs low. If they can't, can you do them in a 10?- You can do a pair in a 10 easy. A 5 is a bit too small.

-Do you absolutely have to use RO water? I'm running a well and if I have to use RO I'd rather go for a smaller tank; it's $5.50/5 gallons here for RO.- ro isnt required, I use tap and it works like a charm, it depends on what is in your water. If you get problems with using the tap, then switching would be necessary.

-I'd like to do only a FOWLR tank, so light isn't a big issue, correct?- lighting isnt even an issue. All the fish would like is the light on during the day and off at night, just like a regular freshwater.

-How often can I expect to do WCs?- once a week is a good idea, once every 2 weeks is ok depending on your system.

-What number and power of powerheads should I get?- In a tank that size one, preferably two, and a lower to mid flow rate.

Remember, the larger the tank, the more forgiving it can be. Smaller systems can be harder to keep going.

 

[CoolWaters]

u can use tap water but make sure u have dechlorinator. and a good stress coat.

play it safe and use filtered water and dechlorinator...just a small amount of it. i trust my filter water.

 

[Brinny-chan]

Thanks for the help guys ^_^ I'd like as many opinions as possible though before I start this, so any more help is great!

 

[aresgod]

stress coat is rubbish, not needed at all.

 

[cinlnk]

I've decided I'd like to delve into the saltwater world! But I have alot of questions too, so any help is appreciated

-I'd like to get a clownfish, can one of these go in a 5 gallon? I'm trying to keep my costs low. If they can't, can you do them in a 10?

Thanks for any help and suggestions!!

Brinny... welcome to the Saltie Side...... IMO....it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to keep the "costs low" when you start up a SW tank.

I have a 30 cube and a 5.5 nano, both SW and I used my kids inheritance to start them up { J/K}
The best source of info you can use is reading all the stickies in this forum AND getting the book.." The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert Fenner and "The New Marine Aquarium" by Micheal Paletta.... they are my fish bibles....Good Luck!!!!*SUNSMILE*

 

[Brinny-chan]

Thanks for the book suggestions!

Why is stress coat not worth it?

What I mean by keeping my costs lower is if I set up the 20 gallon with the suggested lb LR/gallon it would cost me over $240 for the rock alone! While if I did it in my 5 it would be about $60.

So can a single clownfish live in a 5 gallon? From reading the sticky (Starting your Nano Tank) it sounds like you can have that.

Any more opinions on all my questions are GREATLY appreciated.

 

[Katie217]

Brinny I've recently read different oppinions about a clown in a 5gal. Ive read that false perculas will work, but true wont. Also I've read that neither will work, and that only smaller fish (gobies) could work in a tank as small as a 5gal. BUT then again, I'm no pro, so I'll leave it up to the experts to help ya out
You should do the 5gal like me

 

[Brinny-chan]

Well the five gallon option is now out the window, cause I FINALLY found a crayfish today ^_^

So, 10 gallon it is!