Starting My 1st Saltwater Aquarium

[craziiikris10]

Hello im very very new to saltwater aquariums but i want to start one. :19: yay! anyway i needed a run down on how to create a semi-low maintainence tank and what i can put in it. i want to try to do a 10 gallon with either starfish or pixie hawkfish. if anyone can help me I'll greatly appreciate it!! thanks!

[jeffs99dime]

well, i'm not a saltwater guy but there are a lot of members here that are. i can however provide you with a link to this:
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
should help you out. others should be here to answer your questions on this topic soon

[cocoa_pleco]

start on jeffs link. i am always open to PM's too

[craziiikris10]

i was wondering (real quick question) can pixie hawkfish live in a 10 gallon tank alone? i really wanted 1 but im not sure if i can handle a tank bigger than 10 gals also, i wanted a solitary starfish would a 10 gal be ok for 1 starfish as long as i upgrade when it gets bigger? thanks

sorry i posted this under my post in introduce yourself but then i saw it said no discussions so i moved it.:hmm3grin2orange:

[Aescobar900]

Small SW aquariums are much harder to maintain good parameters than a larger tank. I would suggest getting a bigger tank (only if you can of course). Waste build up, temperature, and water chemistry can change very very quickly in a small tank. I am relatively new to SW aquariums also, I have a 35 gallon which requires some work but is very enjoyable when everything is running smoothly which is almost all of the time. Good Luck with whatever choice you make. thumbs2:

[cocoa_pleco]

pixie hawkfish are recommended for tanks around 30g and larger.


what kind of starfish are you looking for? some will do fine in a 10g for a while

[craziiikris10]

i was thinking a white sand sifter ( [Only Registered Users Can See Links.] ) or maybe a red reef star ( [Only Registered Users Can See Links.] ) i was wondering, with the red reef, hence the name, do they need to be in a reef enviroment?

oh yea, i was also thinking maybe some snails (Nassarius Snail) im not sure if theyre saltwater or not but i liked them and thought a few might be neat to have.

[cocoa_pleco]

the sandsifter needs a 55g, and the other one does too. as for snails, the best are turbo snails

[craziiikris10]

you said that some stars do well in 10gallons, what kind do?

[zackish]

It is true that harder tanks are smaller to care for but I think if you have some kind of experience in any aquarium keeping and you are determined you can do it. I have had a 10 gallon reef up and running now for about 2 months. If you have any questions I am sure I could guide you in the right direction based on personal experiences and such.
If you want ideas for stocking and or even equipment necessary just PM me or post here and I will be glad to help along with other members.
I will first start off asking, do you have any kind of plan or know what you need yet?

[cocoa_pleco]

since youre new to saltwater tanks i wouldnt get a starfish. if youre not experienced it would be best to get a larger tank for a starfish. most will starve in a 10g from not enough food.

orange starfish will work in a 10g as long as youre experienced

[craziiikris10]

ok thanks coco, i guess i'll get some snails or maybe if i do freshwater i can get some little tetras

i know that i need a tank (lol) and i am getting that pretty soon and i know i need some kind of salt mix. I just really wanted some kind of exotic animal that is cheap but not typical 4 a boring ol' regular, everyday goldfish aquarium. also colorful. :hmm3grin2orange: if u can help me with my decision that'd be great i was thinking some kind of invertabrate, snail, starfish... thanks!

[cocoa_pleco]

the best mix of animals for a 10g i know are-

1 firefish
1 tank raised clownfish
1 clown goby
3 hermit crabs
3 turbo snails
corals

[craziiikris10]

yay, ok i wanted a clownfish! how should a 10 gal be set up for a clownfish?

[cocoa_pleco]

they dont need nothing particularly special, just some LR

[craziiikris10]

sorry im not aquarium slang savvy, what's LR? LOL! :ezpi_wink1:

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, its okay, LR is live rock

you could also get a coral banded shrimp for your tank, theyre very colorful. for some reason in my 55g the arrow crab and coral banded were fighting a minute ago, and i guess they got bored and quit. lol