First reef!

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
I'm going to be starting a reef tank very soon. I have about 5 years of freshwater expirience and decided to give the hobbie's saltwater component a try.

I was thinking about using my extra 10 gallon tank. the equipemnt I have inclueds a 96 watt actinic and 10000K compact flouresent, a heater, and I've heard power heads are important. What else will I need? Is a skimmer worth it for a 10 gallon nano reef?

While I have no Idea what fish or invertabrits to get, I fell in love with a small colonizing coral, I belive the store called them zoanthids or something. Are they hard to keep?

Thank you for your time.

ANSWER: Hello Will,

I changed the question to public so others may read the question and answer...

The light you have maybe a little limiting... it maybe ok to start but you might have to upgrade to either T5 lighting or even a small 70-150 watt metal halide... the more light the better your chances with keeping corals...

but, you should be able to at least start up the tank and get it cycled... (if and when you add your new light, you will probably have some algae issues when you upgrade... as algae too will gro better with a better light...

so, it might be best to do this before you get too far into the tank critters and corals...

Zoanthids, (zoas) zo's  for short   are the 'bred and butter' corals... they are usually easy, but there are some that are VERY HARD to keep...  but generally, pretty much a staple for beginner and med level tanks


and no, skimmers arent all that... but, they do help... they serve a couple purposes that will usually equate to making it easier to maintain the tank, but if you dont want one, that is ok too...


what type of filtration are you going with... (not that you need much other then the live rock and sand), but most folks might have a small hang on tank filter, or a 'cannister' filter... or a sump/refugium...

again, all have benefits and each will add a better level of tank stability...

please keep me posted on what you do and how you do it... and if you got more qeustions.. I will be very glad to help


bill

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the advice!
I'm guessing that I should go with a larger tank if possible. Then I could get the skimmer and it would be worth buying a nice T5 or metal halide. What are some other beginner corals, preferably hard ones? I know I'm trying to use tanks that are too small, but would a 20 Gallon long work if I had a coralife 2 tube T5 (1 actinic, 1 14,000K) and a skimmer? I'm also a huge fan and user of canister filters. What sort of GPH would I need to keep the current high enough in a 20 gallon tank?

Answer
the tank size is really up to you... I know  alot of folks that have nano tanks..  even pico tank, (less then 10 gallons)

skimmers arent important... they maybe some help, but i also know folks who have large tanks and dont use skimmers at all... and they have huge corals...

As for other reccomended corals.. there are way too many to try to list..

HARD SKELETON corals are much harder to keep.. they will recquire t5ho  or metal halide lighting... and with that will be otehr issues like water temperatur as the lighting will increase the heat... not so much a concern in the winter but in the summer, it will be off the charts...

Also, hard skeleton corals, (LPS / SPS), require much better water quality and better water stability... I usually dont reccomend adding them until a tank is mature/established... My suggestion is 6 months...  although many cant wait that long, but the point is, the more mature / stable your tank is the better your chances of success are.. i.e. the better chance the sps/lps wont die


if you truly are interested in proceeding forward, i really suggest you join the www.thelittleocean.com and start a dialogue with me and others to talk about the differrnt issues and problems they have had and you might avoid... hehehe


good luck and see you there


bill