10 gallon marine?

[MrMashashin]

I wanted to start a marine tank for about a few months now. I really dont have the money to buy a bug tank becuase walmart carries only 10 gallon tanks. The rest are kits with filters and all that. Would it be posible to do a 10g marine tank? or should i hold off for a while and get like a 20g long. Plus I hear they are very expencive to set up. A 55g marine costs around $2000 all set up and done?

 

[trout_pout]

If you go for a 10 gallon it will be pretty pointless due to you will not be able to put in many/ or any big fish. I'd just stick around and get a bigger tank.
BIGGER THE TANK - THE BETTER!

 

[Navarre]

I agree.
Nanos really are for people with alot of experience in the hobby IMO. I totallu understand the desire to have a marine tank and i also understand that cash can be a big barrier to the hobby. People also feel that they want to start small and if they like the hobby then they will get larger. All of these reasons are understandable.
But im afraid that Trout_pout is right, larger the better. Its more stable and forgiving for beginers. With 10 gallons you will be lucky to have 1 fish tht will live happily in there. Yes marines are expensive to setup up, the equipment is expensvie the fish are expensive and the corals are expensive, even the macro algeas (the very limited sorts of plants we marine hobbiests get) are expensive.
My son has recently fallen foul to this problem. He set his tank upbut just couild not afford the running costs and livestock ect with the pocket money he gets. Unfortunately he had to close the tank down and is now going back to freshwater )

My advice to you or anyone who wanted ao have a marine tank (and face a new challenge) is to wait, save up and get the largest tank you can afford., i know many people here are starting with 20 gallons also but if i was to be honest to myself i feel this is far too small also. 40 I mperial gallons or more, thats what you need to aim for, this will be more forgiving in the early setup stages.

 

[Raki]

OK I know that every one here is trying to discourage you and I may get flamed for saying this , but here goes.
Go for it!
I have had a 5 gallon Walmart tank (The kit kind) running for five months now I only have 1 damsel in it but I also have 2 turbo snails a camel shrimp a pincusion urchin and two snails I brought home from the jersey shore. I do a 30% water change every week faithfully and keep it topped off to a percise watermark every 2 days
It has a hang on filter that came with the tank a small 5 gallon heater and a built in light, I used water from my 125 gallon tank to start it and a 5lb piece of fully cured LR , and some southdown sand I had left over from a substraight change out I did on my big tank. I also got some LR rubble and grunge from a local LFS for practally nothing.
You will learn alot from keeping a small tank , and you can do it with very little investment. You won't have the danger of loosing expensive fish and it will give you time to learn the chemistry involved with this hobby.
There I said it so flame me if you want but I think it's a good idea.
Raki

 

[Navarre]

Well i wont flame you for your veiws but i will make an observation. You mention that you have 125 gallon setup? You also mention all the products and equipment/liverock etc (which is exactly what i would use). However, i see from your post that you are obviously an experienced hobbiest and knows something about setting up a system.
The very reason i dont recomend a nano for beginners is because they simply do not know what to purchase or how it would work, if there are danger signs how they will overcome it ect.

I will still stand by my views that a nano is not for a beginner, strt larger and you will find things easier. You are of course free to give your opinions which i might add was fairly detailed.

 

[bugsy66]

Hi, I have a 10 gal nano that has been going for 9 months now. All I can tell you is before attempting this do alot of reading and research.

I am very lucky with my tank, I have kept and bred alot of different fish in the freshwater area for over 20 years now. Marine is all new to me and I am learning. Fortunatley it is for the possitive, I have had no problems yet (knock on wood)

I can tell you that they are less forgiving than freshwater, top ups, salinity, all your specs can swing terribly if you let these types of tanks go.

Also, you must I stress must add things slowly in marine tanks, you cannot go out and buy a bunch of fish and add them like freshwater. So do take your time and do get the correct info before attempting this.

My tank containes:

1 tomato clown
1 green chromis
1 camel shrimp
1 turbo snail
2 tiny hermit crabs
lots of small hitchhikers
10 lbs of live rock
crushed coral bed
mushroom corals
pulsing xenia corals

all this was not added at once, the only thing that was added at once was the fish so they did not fight.

Good luck...bugsy
anemone

 

[RamJet]

I just started a 2.5 gallon nano. I have Kenya tree, aviaopra, xiene, snails, sexy shrimp and a small anonme in it. I put a mini jet in and a 5 watt halogen light on the thing and called it good. Oh, I also put clove polops in it. I cycle a large cup of water from one of my larger reefs into it every other day and dont worry about feeding it.

 

[Max]

i have a 10G looks good, but it might become a sump to my 75G and keep coral in it

 

[heyimeugene]

OF course a 10 gallon tank would work.. not only would it thrive it would flourish faster then a larger tank. Less water volume to be cycled and be processed by bacteria! .. lol don't flame me for this now!

I've had a 10 gallon reef for about 2 months now and it's doing great! I was working on a diary by I sorta gave up, but if you wanna check it out click here.

For the best resouce on the net for nano reefs check out, www.nano-reef.com

HTH!

 

[nan0nat]

I also have a 10 gallon for 4/5 months..be a beginer at sw....but I did a lot of reseach and talked to a lot of ppl about it before I started. A 10 gallon tank is also expensive...since I am a starving college student...which is kinda of good so that i dont overstock my tank. I havent had any problems dus far (knock on wood)