3-5g nano tank

[squirt_12]

ok.....so well how much would it cost me to set up a 3-5g nano tank????
Also what would i beable to put into it???

I am trying to convince my parents to let me set up a saltwater but i need to know numbers so i can talk it through with them. lol.

Also how long would i have to let it run before i can start adding fish??

[cocoa_pleco]

let it run and cycle like a regular FW tank. costs, beside the tank and filters, are-

bag of salt- $20
substrate- 20$
live rock- $40
good lighting for corals- $50

[squirt_12]

well if i was allowed to do this then what would i beable to put into it????

[cocoa_pleco]

a single clown fish and a clown goby works (what mine has, the goby was in the 20g but got attacked). otherwise, a small damsel works too

[squirt_12]

ok...thanks cocoa.
Hopefully i can sweettalk my parents into letting me get a tank. i would probably go for the 5g if i am allowed. Thanks so much.:thumb:

[zackish]

ok...thanks cocoa.
Hopefully i can sweettalk my parents into letting me get a tank. i would probably go for the 5g if i am allowed. Thanks so much.:thumb:
Go for a 10...5 is DANG small. I am in the process of setting up my 10 gallon reef in my dorm as we speak. Got all the equipment this weekend for less than $80. Just need sand and LR.

[squirt_12]

holly that is cheap. But if i can find everything that cheap for a 10g then i will do i 10g if i am allowed though. Dam i hope that i am allowed. lol.

[Drumachine09]

I would not do a five gallon, simply because in that small of a tank, if you arent constantly on top of your specific gravity, things could go south really fast.

Opt for a 10. Slightly better stocking options.

I wouldnt do anything besides shrimp in a 5. DEFINATLY not a damsel.

Stick to shrimp and other inverts. One of the ladys at the LFS has a 4 gallon tank with just inverts and its VERY active looking.

[squirt_12]

ok....well if i were to do a 10g what would my options be for stocking it??? Like i want really really colourful fish. lol. (greedy)

[Drumachine09]

Id say,

1x, MAYBE 2x clown fish
1x clown goby

With assorted invertabrates.

[squirt_12]

o so i wouldn't beable to get a pair of clowns??

[Drumachine09]

I ninja edited. Read my last post.

[zackish]

holly that is cheap. But if i can find everything that cheap for a 10g then i will do i 10g if i am allowed though. Dam i hope that i am allowed. lol.
Well I forgot to mention my girlfriend bought me a $120 dual satellite light for my birthday so...add that in to overall cost. But I still need to buy live rock at $7.00 a pound and a $20-30 bag of substrate.
Then you get into the expensive stuff after the tank is cycled. My LFS sells frags for $20 but a different LFS near here has better and a little bigger frags for $35 so....buy a couple corals thats like $70. $20 clown or so, I might get a black occelaris clown which is like $50-60 at my LFS.
Anyone with a SW setup could throw out numbers all day, there is endless possibilities and costs of a SW aquarium, even as small as 10 gallons.

[squirt_12]

I ninja edited. Read my last post.
O..ok well my whole family likes the clowns so IF i am allowed to get SW tank that is what i will get.

Zackish....you just made me not want to set one up anymore. :(. Cause it sounds out of my league (money wise) so i think that i might just get a little 5g IF i am allowed and just get some invertibrates and stuff like that. Maybe work my way up to a 10g in the future.

[cocoa_pleco]

as long an you can keep the parameters good for a 5g its fine. its best to start with a 20g but as long as youre careful with a 5g youre fine. mine has 8lbs LR, 50W heater, aquaclear mini, white sand, one tank raised clown, one clown goby, and a 2X18W T-5. just make sure the salinity is constantly even.

and price is a factor with larger tanks. my 20g high saltwater has hit me with about 500$, and my 33g saltwater 1000$

[squirt_12]

yeah thats why i want to start small. Like are the invertabrite (sp?) easy or hard to keep?? Well easier or harder than fish. Also do you know of someone of this forum that has a succesful 5g SW tank going that i could maybe talk to?

Thanks

[cocoa_pleco]

i think im the only one with a 5g reef.

a smaller shrimp is good for a invert, and if you can get good lighting (30-50W) you can get smaller corals

[squirt_12]

ok well you don't have to tell me but how much total did it cost you to set it up??? thats everything except for fish/invertabites. o yeah i would also want a little piece of coral.
Thanks cocoa

[cocoa_pleco]

lets see what i paid-

tank, heater, filter, etc- 5$ for starter kit (ditched the crappy incandescent light)
sand-5$
8lbs LR (you can use 5), $64
2x18W T-5- 60$
sea salt- 20$ for a big bag (use it for the other reefs too)
hydrometer- 10$

[zackish]

Squirt you don't need a 130 watt light for a 10 gallon tank. I just bought the 130 watt because I anticipate moving up to a 20 gallon tank next summer. Only reason I have a 10 now is because I am in a college dorm.
Anyways, they have lights for around $50 that would be decent for soft corals in a 10 gallon tank.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18369/si1381726/cl0/currentusasatellite2040wattpowercompactfixturesing lestripwlunarlight

[squirt_12]

$5 for the starter kit?? holly thats cheap. lol.

Well so i am looking at around $200 to get setup and started. Thanks so much.

[cocoa_pleco]

i found it at a garage sale brand new for 5$

[squirt_12]

WOW....so like how much would i be looking at if i bought it from like a pet store??

[cocoa_pleco]

i would just go to wallyland and get their 5g starter kit, and ditch the incandescent light, probably the best bet, or go to a lfs, get empty 5.5g for 10$, and get other parts yourself

[squirt_12]

well i don't even know of a wallyland near me. Like i live in the middle of knowwhere. Do you know where toronto is??? Well i live about 3 hours away from there. So that would be prob. where i would find a wally land. bummers.

[cocoa_pleco]

darn, well, i guess just get a empty 5g.

most of my friends moved from toronto, one from the bad parts where all the gangs are

[Special-K]

is it much harder to keep a successful saltwater than a FW tank?

[squirt_12]

yes...it is ALOT harder because you have to have the right amount of salt in the water for the fish etc.... the list goe on. lol. so yes it is harder.

[Special-K]

lol yeah i was initially thinking SW for my 35 but got rightfully intimidated. im sticking to FW for another 10 years haha

[squirt_12]

well from people telling me....the bigger the SW tank the easier it is to maintain but your right....i would do Fw for at least a coouple of years before you even consider SW. Like i hav had FW for about 6 years and i am ready to attempt the SW only if my parents would let me. I am in the proccess of smooth talking them. lol.

[cocoa_pleco]

it isnt harder, just takes ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT more research. but yes, the larger the tank the easier it is to maintain

[squirt_12]

ok...yeah thats what i thought. but yeah i know that it takes ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOT of research (lol) because like i probably will research for about another month or so before i approach my parents with the question. lol.