First Saltwater Tank. . . Nano Smith’s Mantis Shrimp Tank???

[MoshJosh]

want to try my hand at a saltwater tank. I have a 5 gallon tank I’d like to use, I’m thinking fish only. . . well one shrimp. . . one Smiths mantis shrimp! Now I’m fairly new to the hobby, and completely new to saltwater, so I’m not even sure how viable this all is and I’m looking for advice.

The tank I have is a 5 gallon tank I got at Petsmart. It has a built-in filter chamber thing. I like this about the tank because I can hide a heater and some other stuff inside the chamber, but realistically I think this tank was intended for freshwater use so again not sure how viable it is???

The tank came with the light but it’s kind a cheesy so I think I’ll use this one instead. https://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Asta-20-Dimmable-Freshwater/dp/B07236CXBQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_19?keywords=aquarium+light&qid=1565656745&s=gateway&sr=8-19&th=1&psc=1

Now as far as the shrimp, I’ve read that some varieties are smaller, the smiths is supposed to be 3.5 inches. I’ve also heard they are resilient (or more resilient than other saltwater pets), which might be good for a noob like me. . . Also they are pretty cool.

 

[Tony_097]

I say start with a 10 gallon at least the so the water chemistry could be a little more stable for a newbie( a 20 g would be more ideal IMO). But either route you choose here are the basics
*RODI
*Refracrometer
* live or dry rock
The rodI is very important in a marine tank as tap water could be dangerous and fuels algae growth. A refractometer is one of the most reliable ways to measure salinity.Last but not least the live rock you but in the tank is the filter and holds all the bacteria. A very important tip to remember that you don't need x amount of fw experience to have a successful salty tank.

 

[MoshJosh]

Yeah, the more research I do it seems like a 5 gallon tank is probably a bad idea to start with, plus it sounds like I’ll be needing more filtration than my fresh water tanks so the “bonus” of the built in filter on this tank is kind of a mute point. I don’t have tons of room so I might settle for the 10g, pet co is having their 1$ per gallon sale, I’d prefer a more elegant looking tank but beggars can’t be choosers.

 

[Tony_097]

Most nano users go with an aqua clear with a media like purigen or macro algae like chateomorpha along with weekly water changes. I know the ac is the most commonly and many people have created handy mods for it.