A Sneaky Fatman

I have been researching for months now about setting up a saltwater aquarium, (FOWLR) and need some info about these things.

The Setup:
10g standard tank
Black "live" sand
72W CFL 50/50 fixture on Ebay
Hydor Koralia nano powerhead

The Stock:
1 Black Ocelaris Clown
1 green chromis
No idea on how to do clean up crew.
Would love to do a mantis shrimp tank but would have to get one as a hitchiker probably.

Would like it to start out as a FOWLR tank and then move to some soft corals.

Not sure if that light is correct for growing corals.

Link to the light:http://cgi.ebay.com/20-Power-Compact...41186991903560

harpua2002

That will be plenty of light for some easy corals. As long you keep reef safe fish (which you are), YOU can decide when you're ready to try corals. It's not like you have to add them at any certain time frame.

You can skip the bagged "live sand" if you would like to save some cash. Dry sand is just fine and will become live once it spends some time with your live rock. Live sand is fine too if there is something you really like, it's just a lot more expensive. Would you mind posting a link to the black sand you were considering? I'll try to do a little digging up of some old threads I have seen (other sites) where folks used a certain brand of black sand, and some of the grains became magnetized and scratched the bejeezus out of the tank when the folks used their mag float.

Will you be adding another powerhead? If that K nano is the only water movement you are planning on, I would suggest one more powerhead, or if you have an extra hang on back filter laying around, you can use that too.

For the clean up crew, there aren't any rules IMO. I'd suggest nassarius snails to stir and clean your sand bed, and you can add a few astreas as well. Hermits are optional. Avoid turbo snails, as they will topple your frags and rock (especially in a small tank).

I'd suggest sticking to the black and white clown only. As it grows, you'll have less room for others. SW stocking is much different than FW stocking IMO.

A Sneaky Fatman

I will just use the left over sand from my cichlid tank then.

On setting up the powerheads, am I looking for a more circular flow or something crossing the rock?

And also what are the lighting requirements for anemones? Do they have to have MH/VHO or would the 72W PC fixture I posted be alright?

If not a chromis then what about another clown?

Sorry for all the questions.

harpua2002

I have 2 clowns in my smaller tank, but it's a 25 gallon. You'll find plenty of folks that disagree with me, but I really think 2 clowns is too much for a 10. Even the smallest species. If you're really set on adding one more fish, you might want to try a small goby.

When you set up your powerheads, you'll just have to do your best to judge. That's another thing that there are no rules about! LOL. You'll want chaotic flow, rather than circular. You can often do this by setting up your powerheads on opposite sides of the tank, then aiming them at each other. Try to avoid having dead spots in your tank to the extent that it's possible. As long as it doesn't blow your sand around, you're good. Make sure you don't add your corals to areas with direct flow. Most corals really don't like to have a powerhead blowing on them.

No anemone is suitable for a 10 gallon IMO. Unfortunately, most don't survive in captivity long enough to reach decent sizes, but all the species I can think of will outgrow the tank if kept properly. If you want your clown to host something, you might have luck with one of the euphyllia corals like hammer, torch, or frogspawn.

ranga97

Would 2 Ocellaris be alright in a 20?
Because I'd really like them in mine when it becomes a SW (at Christmas)

locoyo386

Hi there,

The equipment sounds right for fish only tank. What are you going to use for filtration, power filter? The clown and green chromis will be fine, but the mantis might get too big for that tank. You could go with 2-3 drawf hermit crabs and a cleaner shrimp. In one of mine I have a coral banded shrimp and two dwarf hermits with a clown and a cardinal.

Sorry I can't help you when it comes to corals as I don't keep them.

ranga97

Do people actually want Mantis shrimp in their tanks?

Wouldn't they eat tankmates, and even maybe crack the glass?
Cleanup crew preferences vary, but turbo snails are good additions to all cleanup crews,
Peppermint shrimp are good for unwanted aiptasia, and also parasites off fish.

You just have to think about what controllable problems may occur in the future and find an animal capable of eating, killing or whatever they do to it.
Example, I could encounter algae, so I might add two turbo snails,
or, I could get parasite hanging off fish, So I'll add a peppermint shrimp.

There are many more specimens that will qualify to be in a cleanup crew.

locoyo386

Yes, unless they are True Perculas. If they are True, then just make sure they are a mated pair.

locoyo386

Hi there,

Yes, people do want to keep them. In the proper set up they are very interesting to watch.

Yes, that's why you have to have them in the proper tank setup. The ten gallon tank is not a proper setup for them.

Cleanup crews are often staved to death if they are not properly stocked. In a small tank like a 10 gallon if you have too many they will just die. Also, the skunk cleaner shrimp is the best shrimp for parasites, but often just eat the dead skin around the wounds. That goes for the reast of the "cleaner" shrimp.

ranga97

Thanks locoyo,
I do not have a saltwater, but wanting one so I am researching so I no them when I get one, hopefully well enough to not have unknown problems.
The more you research, the more you know... hehe

locoyo386

Hi there,
Well see that's the issue with saltwater fish keeping. No matter how much you read and how much you learn, things are still going to happen, weird, but it never fails.

ranga97

I'll make my own thread ot
Were hijacking

locoyo386

True, I will look for it.

A Sneaky Fatman

I have no problem with the hijacking. the more beginner problems that are addressed the better.