# Saltwater Tank



## Piranha-Freak101

i wannt to satrt up a saltwater tank for my moms room cause she loves clownfish. i wannt the best setup i should get for a ten gal tank thatll house two of em .. Any recomendations?


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## CLUSTER ONE

piranha-freak101 said:


> i wannt to satrt up a saltwater tank for my moms room cause she loves clownfish. i wannt the best setup i should get for a ten gal tank thatll house two of em .. Any recomendations?


Cheap and functional setup:
10g with lid (15$)
10lbs of LR (50$)
bag of agronite sand (15$)
heater (25$)
aquaclear 110 filter with media removed (or a smaller version plus a powerhead)(60$)
light is your choice if you don't want corals. If you don't want corals you will probably want some light to get some nice coraline or mayby even grow some macro algae (15$ plus)
hydrometer/refractometer (20$-70$)
salt(15$-50$ depending on bag or bucket)
mixing buckets (10$)

What is your budget? If you want "the best" then it will probably cost you 500$ plus especially if you want anything more then soft corals. If you don't want corals you should be able to get a good setup going for 200-300$. Another option would be going with an AIO tank like a biocube where there are bulit in lights and filters. The lights they have are suitable for soft corals and some lps.

So my questions are:

Do you want corals and if so what types (soft, lps, sps)?
What is your max budget ?
Do you have sw experience or any sw supplies already?
What you mean "best"? Functional and pretty nice or actually high quality. Note: high quality is $$$$
Do you have anythings that could be used like heaters, filters... which would save money from your budget for other things.


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## Piranha-Freak101

I dont want like grade A stuff, but i also dnt want a bunch of cheap junk budget is $350


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## CLUSTER ONE

"Do you want corals and if so what types (soft, lps, sps)?
Do you have sw experience or any sw supplies already?
What you mean "best"? Functional and pretty nice or actually high quality. Note: high quality is $$$$
Do you have anythings that could be used like heaters, filters... which would save money from your budget for other things."

What you want to stock other then clowns will have alot to do with the total cost so that something that we need to know as lighting and filtration can be a big part of the budget if you want certain corals. If you don't want anything other then mayby some mushrooms and zoas lighting and filtration costs shouldn't be too bad.


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## wizardslovak

CLUSTER ONE said:


> i wannt to satrt up a saltwater tank for my moms room cause she loves clownfish. i wannt the best setup i should get for a ten gal tank thatll house two of em .. Any recomendations?


Cheap and functional setup:
10g with lid (15$)
10lbs of LR (50$)
bag of agronite sand (15$)
heater (25$)
aquaclear 110 filter with media removed (or a smaller version plus a powerhead)(60$)
light is your choice if you don't want corals. If you don't want corals you will probably want some light to get some nice coraline or mayby even grow some macro algae (15$ plus)
hydrometer/refractometer (20$-70$)
salt(15$-50$ depending on bag or bucket)
mixing buckets (10$)

What is your budget? If you want "the best" then it will probably cost you 500$ plus especially if you want anything more then soft corals. If you don't want corals you should be able to get a good setup going for 200-300$. Another option would be going with an AIO tank like a biocube where there are bulit in lights and filters. The lights they have are suitable for soft corals and some lps.

So my questions are:

Do you want corals and if so what types (soft, lps, sps)?
What is your max budget ?
Do you have sw experience or any sw supplies already?
What you mean "best"? Functional and pretty nice or actually high quality. Note: high quality is $$$$
Do you have anythings that could be used like heaters, filters... which would save money from your budget for other things.
[/quote]
man i was looking fot his kin dof writeup since begining , thank you


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## hyphen

really if all you want is a pair of clowns then you'll only need the following:

-10g tank
-heater
-power filter, small ac (you can actually put some live rock rubble in there or set up a mini fuge with a little led on it to grow chaetomorpha, a type of macro algae).
-live rock, a loose rule is 1 lb per gallon
-any sort of light
-salt (marine salt, not aquarium salt)
-hydrometer (dont really need a refractometer for this)
-substrate is optional

just mix up some salt water with a sg of around 1.023-1.025, cure the live rock (there are lots of write ups) and there you have it. you'll probably be best with a small pair of percs or ocellaris.

it's best to use ro/di water. if you don't want to invest in a unit then you can usually buy fresh or salt ro/di water from your lfs for pretty cheap (if they're any good). it'll be good to have some fresh water since you'll need to top off when the water level lowers. if you don't, the salinity will fluctuate and can stress your fish.

a small fowlr like that is relatively easily to take care of. just do water changes as you normally would and be sure to top off. $350 is way more than you need for a setup like that.

if you want an anemone for a tank like that you'll require higher lighting and will need to pick which anemone you want wisely. some can and will outgrow that tank really fast. for instance, i've seen a local reefer's 200g anemone tank and he has rbta's that would easily take up half of a 10g.

overall, for a tank that size you probably won't go over $200 in supplies.


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## CLUSTER ONE

For that size tank I'd probably just buy water. You can usually get 5gal jugs for a couple dollars. For a tank this size your probably better off just spending mayby 20-50$ a year for ro water then spending 150-200$ for a RO unit plus needing to pay for cartrige replacement. I think I spend about 40$ a year and just get 10g at a time. My tank is about 22g and I pay under 2$ per jug.

Anemonies were one coral I was wondering if you wanted sicne most want them with clowns (though it is not nessisary- there are also other corals clowns will sometimes host). They look nice but are not overly easy to care for. If you wanted one you want good lighting like MH or 4 bulb t5 and possibly even a skimmer. Those could be like 40% of your budget alone. If you look locally you may be able to pick up a good light or skimmer used for farily cheap if you wanted to try and fit them into your budget.

For a low maitnence low cost tank I think a 10g macro algae tank would be cool (plus the macro would keep the nitrate down). If you did mayby a dual bulb t5 it would keep the macro fine plus allow you to keep some simple corals like zoas, mushrooms, xenia, gsp and some other soft corals. A macro algae tank may not sound appealing but they can look really nice if you can get a nice variety of diffrent macros.


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## wizardslovak

let say i do 10 gall tank , dont i need protein skimmer too? what about if i get more live rock ? What kind of filter media?


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## hyphen

im gonna disagree with cluster on the care of anemones (they're inverts but not corals







just knit picking). i've had a gbta and a condylactis sp. and both were pretty easy. the condy i had under pc lights in a 60g and the light was insufficient. however, there have been tests and studies that show that even if an anemone bleaches it does not necessarily mean that it is going die. mine bleached but i fed it a steady diet of krill and sometimes small bits of smelt and it lived for a pretty long time until i sold my setup.

they only need light to survive because the zooxanthellae in their tentacles (photosynthetic) is what feeds them in between substantial meals. bleaching is just the death of the zoox, not necessarily the anemone. my gbta i kept in a small 20g long under t5s and those too were fed regularly. i sold that setup when i moved a couple years ago.

if you give them the right conditions, ie proper lighting and can take the time to target feed them from time to time, they will grow like weeds and occasionally split.

as for your tank and a skimmer, it won't really be necessary if all you have are a pair of clowns. but if you wanted to, slapping on a cpr bakpak or remora wouldn't hurt.

edit: filter media all you may want is a little carbon and some rock rubble. or you can use floss or a sponge instead of carbon. if you have chaeto growing in the filter then definitely go with a sponge.


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## Piranha-Freak101

Im nothing expirienced with SW do u guys think i should do more research before jumping on this


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## hyphen

piranha-freak101 said:


> Im nothing expirienced with SW do u guys think i should do more research before jumping on this


its really very easy as long as you do things right. learn how to cure live rock, learn how to properly do a water change (it's not as easy as a regular fw piranha tank), and learn how to keep parameters in line. with a clownfish tank all you need to do is maintain salinity and keep nitrates low. but yes, definitely do some research.


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## Piranha-Freak101

Will do thanks for the help guys


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## CLUSTER ONE

wizardslovak said:


> let say i do 10 gall tank , dont i need protein skimmer too? what about if i get more live rock ? What kind of filter media?


You need to be more specific on what all you want to keep. For a simple setup you don't really need one and can keep the tank clean via water changes. If you want lps or any sps you proably want one. I'd start without one then you can always add one later if you decide you want some nicer corals (you would probably have to upgrade the light too).If you have no experience Id probably start no coral then mayby after 6 months get some mushrooms or something. If you then decide you like sw and want a nicer tank you could get a skimmer and better lights.
If you want corals I would start with hardy corals that don't need to be fed much in the way of meaty foods sicne you don't need a skimmer.

Liverock and flow will be your main filtration so like I said before something like an ac110 or a smaller ac and a powerhead would be good for flow. Alot of people don't put any media in their hob or convert it into a refuge with a small light.


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## CLUSTER ONE

I'd do something like this:

10g with lid (15$)
10lbs of LR (50$)

Filter (23$)
Filter

Powerhead (35$)
Powerhead

Light (100$)- This light will be good for macro algae as well as soft corals and some lps. You could do a soft coral reef. I have a reef with a comparable light and no skimmer. If you don't want corals in the future you could do a simple standard florecent t8.
Light

Heater (25$)
Heater

Sand (20$)
Sand

Hydrometer (10$)
Hydrometer

Salt (15$)
Salt

plus whatever other supplies you need/want (thermometers, buckets, brushs, algae scrapers...)

=293$


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## wizardslovak

Clusterone

well i am planning just simple , no reef, just couple of clown fish , as filter i can use eighter rapids mini canister filter or ac70 . 
for light i can get some coralife or something simple .
I got 50w heater extra ,small powerhead 170gph extra , The only think i am mimssing is skimmer and ro/di water , 
about water i dont really feel like to get saltwater , id love to mix it myself , but also i gotta get filter which is min of $200 .
Any other way ? maybe use that prime or api water conditioner?


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## CLUSTER ONE

wizardslovak said:


> Clusterone
> 
> well i am planning just simple , no reef, just couple of clown fish , as filter i can use eighter rapids mini canister filter or ac70 go ac70 plus a powerhead. I'd probably run the ac either empty, as a refuge or with some chem media bag in it.
> for light i can get some coralife or something simple .If you don't want corals you could do a simple florecent/pc and mayby just do a 50/50 for colour and coraline growth. If you don't really care about coraline you don't even need to use the light much and could just do a white 10k. No need to spend much on a light if you don't want corals but just look for a 10k or 50/50 bulb (better for coraline) to light the tank so you can promote coraline but not other algaes
> 
> I got 50w heater extra ,small powerhead 170gph extra , The only think i am mimssing is skimmer and ro/di water , For that tanksize you do not need a skimmer especially if you don't want coral. 10% weekly water changes will be plenty to keep the tank clean along with the tanks natural rock filtation.
> about water i dont really feel like to get saltwater You should just mix it yourself. Few places even sell premixed anyways, id love to mix it myself , but also i gotta get filter which is min of $200 .You CAN buy your own filter. Another good option since the tank is small (which i would do) is to just buy RO water. I buy mine at a local alcohol brewery 5g at a time.
> Any other way ? maybe use that prime or api water conditioner?


Just buy 5g jugs of RO water instead of getting your own unit. Alot of people do this with smaller tanks. If the tank was larger you want your own unit but for this tanksize buying water is more economical at least short term (you should be able to buy water for a few years at only the initial cost of the unit). After mayby 5 plus years you may start to save $ vs buying but since the initial cost is so high most people with this size tank will just buy RO water in 5g jugs. I pay under 2$ per 5g for mine. One jug could last you about a month (may be abit less depending on how much of the water goes to top offs).

You don't really want to use tap water as it can promote algae. Id plan to buy RO water. You can try to use your tap water since you won't have corals but it will probably give you diatom algae outbreaks which look bad.


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## Ægir

Most things have been covered here... A 10 gal tank is still as complicated and challenging as larger tanks and requires many of the same things. RO/DI water is the start of everything, and is one thing i wouldnt skimp on... I have seen many people use tap water with prime or dechlor, and end up getting pissed they cant control algae and nuisance problems. Eventually they give up and shut it down.

You can buy RO/DI water by the gallon for now, but always have extra on hand for emergencies. Its just a luxury to make your own at home, but eventually the cost of water will nearly pay off your own unit. With my tanks, i hauled 30 or 40 gallons of water across town once a week so that point quickly came where it paid off. If you are changing 5 gals every other week (2.5 per week?) you could wait 6 months or a year before saving for RO/DI filter setup.

As for a skimmer, you could get away without one provided your feeding and stock was almost nothing... It will require more water changes without one, and will just make your life easier. DONT BUY A SEACLONE

I would get the basics going, and save up for RO/DI and a skimmer once you start stocking corals or fish. You have lots of time to read while your tank cycles and matures.


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## wizardslovak

ill get filter then , i still prefer to drink clear water , and if i will stop buying water in bottle ,price of filter will come back quick..About skimmer ,i was thinking about those nano skimmers for now or just make simple one from wood stone and some part left from python


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## CLUSTER ONE

wizardslovak said:


> ill get filter then , i still prefer to drink clear water , and if i will stop buying water in bottle ,price of filter will come back quick..About skimmer ,i was thinking about those nano skimmers for now or just make simple one from wood stone and some part left from python


 I wouldn't make your own skimmer.It can be tricky to make one work well and for an effective one you want a good pump not airstone. I'd look for an aqua c remora or a tunze nano. Both sell for about $150$ but you may be able to find one used for 100$ or less.

For my tank I probably spend 50$ after tax a year for water. At that cost it would be 3-4 years before the cost of buying water equals the initial cost of a good ro unit. When you have your own unit there will also be costs for filter membrane replacements and all the water it uses (waste water) to make the ro water. Filter membranes arn't overly cheap considering at a jug or two of water a month it would only cost mayby 50$ a year. If you want ro water to drink you could do a ro unit but if you are not drinking a ton you may be able to buy that too. I'd just look around to see if you can find a cheap rodi but I'd suggest just start buying it then mayby pick up a unit if you see one on sale or something.


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## wizardslovak

CLUSTER ONE said:


> ill get filter then , i still prefer to drink clear water , and if i will stop buying water in bottle ,price of filter will come back quick..About skimmer ,i was thinking about those nano skimmers for now or just make simple one from wood stone and some part left from python


 I wouldn't make your own skimmer.It can be tricky to make one work well and for an effective one you want a good pump not airstone. I'd look for an aqua c remora or a tunze nano. Both sell for about $150$ but you may be able to find one used for 100$ or less.

For my tank I probably spend 50$ after tax a year for water. At that cost it would be 3-4 years before the cost of buying water equals the initial cost of a good ro unit. When you have your own unit there will also be costs for filter membrane replacements and all the water it uses (waste water) to make the ro water. Filter membranes arn't overly cheap considering at a jug or two of water a month it would only cost mayby 50$ a year. If you want ro water to drink you could do a ro unit but if you are not drinking a ton you may be able to buy that too. I'd just look around to see if you can find a cheap rodi but I'd suggest just start buying it then mayby pick up a unit if you see one on sale or something.
[/quote]
thank you for advice , if anything ill hit you on pm
thank you again


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## CLUSTER ONE

At this tank size i think it would be probably 5 plus years before the cost of having your own good ro unit is more cost effective then just buying water.


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## wizardslovak

ok maybe for now ill get sea water from lfs , 
now cycle
u cycle it same way as fw?
with hard fish and cycle ?


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## Ægir

I have always used a cocktail shrimp... plop it in and watch the test kit for ammonia.


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## CLUSTER ONE

wizardslovak said:


> ok maybe for now ill get sea water from lfs ,
> now cycle
> u cycle it same way as fw?
> with hard fish and cycle ?


 i wouldn't use fish. Just add a piece of shrimp. You can often just add your rock and that will cycle it from the dieoff but a small pice of shrimp too will do the trick.

Im also talking about buying 5g buckets of ro water and a bucket of salt then mixing it yourself. A lfs probably overcharges a ton for premixed salt water. It will work but its probably the least economical solution.


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## wizardslovak

yea as i am thinking about it now , if i change 25% every week , 5 gall bucket should be enough for 2 weeks, not bad
but wai u said to get water and mix it myself? i seen they selling those "saltwater" buckets , ready to use water


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## CLUSTER ONE

wizardslovak said:


> yea as i am thinking about it now , if i change 25% every week , 5 gall bucket should be enough for 2 weeks, not bad
> but wai u said to get water and mix it myself? i seen they selling those "saltwater" buckets , ready to use water


 How much is the premixed sw? When buying a bucket of salt I just calculated it would be about 25 cents per gallon for salt (assuming a 40$ bucket that makes 160g). Add that to say 2$ a 5g water jug and it's about 3.25$ per 5g mixed. Chances are the lfs markup will be more then this since it would be bad buisness to sell premixed water for less then the components needed to mix it yourself. I've seen lfs around me selling ro by the gallon for like 1-2$ I'd think for 5g of mixed sw it would be costing you at least 5$ which is alot more then 3.25 over a bunch or refills.

Im just doing these calculations quick so im not overly sure they are right but should be.


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## wizardslovak

CLUSTER ONE said:


> yea as i am thinking about it now , if i change 25% every week , 5 gall bucket should be enough for 2 weeks, not bad
> but wai u said to get water and mix it myself? i seen they selling those "saltwater" buckets , ready to use water


 How much is the premixed sw? When buying a bucket of salt I just calculated it would be about 25 cents per gallon for salt (assuming a 40$ bucket that makes 160g). Add that to say 2$ a 5g water jug and it's about 3.25$ per 5g mixed. Chances are the lfs markup will be more then this since it would be bad buisness to sell premixed water for less then the components needed to mix it yourself. I've seen lfs around me selling ro by the gallon for like 1-2$ I'd think for 5g of mixed sw it would be costing you at least 5$ which is alot more then 3.25 over a bunch or refills.

Im just doing these calculations quick so im not overly sure they are right but should be.
[/quote]
\math was never my site , but i never seen ro water tho , i got petco pretty close , so i gotta ask them







i am planning to do this sunday


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## CLUSTER ONE

You probably won't just pass it in life but check your phone book for water jug stores... Like I said I get mine at a place that is for bottling wine and beer so you have to look around as a good source may not be overly obvious and easy to find.


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## wizardslovak

CLUSTER ONE said:


> You probably won't just pass it in life but check your phone book for water jug stores... Like I said I get mine at a place that is for bottling wine and beer so you have to look around as a good source may not be overly obvious and easy to find.


what if i get those 5 gall jugs poland spring? they should be filtered


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## CLUSTER ONE

You want RO water not spring water. Preferably you want RODI water.

If you have more questions can you please start your own topic. thanks


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## wizardslovak

ok thanks


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## shiver905

If its a RBT anome and some clown fishes is all you want, 
Get a 2 bulb t5 unit.
Get an AC 110 Gut it, throw in some Live rock rubble and some cheato.
Also get a small normal clip on desk light with a low wattage cfl bulb (6500k) and run it on reverse cycle.

As always if you think your going to be in the habby Get a Ro/Di unit above anything else. So if its not in your budget Pass on the skimmer.

Do weekly 5 gallon water changes your more then good.

Good luck.


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## hyphen

shiver905 said:


> If its a RBT anome and some clown fishes is all you want,
> Get a 2 bulb t5 unit.
> Get an AC 110 Gut it, throw in some Live rock rubble and some cheato.
> Also get a small normal clip on desk light with a low wattage cfl bulb (6500k) and run it on reverse cycle.
> 
> As always if you think your going to be in the habby Get a Ro/Di unit above anything else. So if its not in your budget Pass on the skimmer.
> 
> Do weekly 5 gallon water changes your more then good.
> 
> Good luck.


saying "2 bulb t5 unit" is very vague and is also poor advice. btas are pretty light hungry and the reason for getting a rbta or gbta is because of their color. i have successfully kept a gbta under t5s, but they were under a 24" 4x24 ATI sunpower, not just any old 2x t5 unit. i would hate for someone to get some generic chinese t5 unit off of ebay and have their nem die from improper care because of this advice.

just to clarify, not just any t5 is going to be good to use for nems or corals. you need a good quality fixture, individual reflectors, powerful ballast and good bulbs.


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## shiver905

From my experience:

A 2 bulb t5ho unit in a tank which is most likey be 12" high is Fine.
Iv had 2 rba in my sump with a cheap 2bulb t5ho unit. It was doing great.
(Nova Extream- W/O indiviual reflectors and cheap stock bulbs)

IMO ligthing is very overated in this hobby.
The key is strategic coral/invert placement.
In other words if a coral/invert need more light, Put it closer to the light.

IMO You Dont NEED to spend 400$+ to light up a 10g RBA tank.


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