[colesea]

1) Not much can be kept in a ten gallon saltwater tank. Nearly all fish in the trade will out grow it eventually, or else be too territorial where they want the =whole= ten gallons to themselves. Seahorses are not good fish to start with. Contary to the myths being spread around, they are a difficult keep and require live foods and pristine water. I have no idea what you mean by tigerfish, could you mean Trigger fish? Trigger fish are definatly not appropriate for a 10 gallon tank, they grow large and are fiesty suckers. Possible fish in a 10 gallon SW aquarium, a pair of very small clowns, or two to three damsels.

2) Yes

3) Yes. Ten gallons is definatly a difficult tank to keep SW wise. Usually it is recommended that first time marine aquarist keep 75 gallons or more. While ten is do-able, it requires =constant= care and tweaking to keep it stable, and if it crashes, you are screwed royally. What you do for a ten gallon fresh water tank once a week, must be done on a ten gallon SW tank daily.

4) Ammonia, NitrItes, NitrAtes, salinity guage, thermometer, high range pH. You don't need hardness test kits, the water will be hard due to mineral compontets. pH isn't really all that important, it should always be high due to the hardness and mineral contents. Ammonia always zero, NitrItes always zero, NitrAtes below 5ppm (below 2ppm even better), salinity between 22-26ppt (or 34ppt depending upon species), temperature 76oF to 78oF (again, species dependant).

5) Most people will recommend a deep "live" sand bed, which is about 4" to 6" of silicate or coral sand seeded with microscopic critters and bacteria. If you are using a sand substrate you must loose the UGF. Crushed coral or argonite grave can be used with a UGF. FW aquarium gravel is not recommended because it does not have the proper mineral content to keep pH and hardness up.

6) Get rid of the UGF. They are a bit passe and most aquarist are gravatating away from them now in favor of deep sand beds. Loose one of the HOBs as well, HOB filters (especially those with biowheels) are mega nitrAte producers, and nitrAtes are more toxic in a SW tank than FW tank. A 10 gallon tank shouldn't be stocked heavily enough to need 2 HOBs anyway. Do purchase a well designed skimmer and a power-head. Many power heads can be fitted with a sponge filter, so it may make the other HOB unnecessary as well. Only problem is that many power heads are quite large and will take up a lot of room in the limited space of a 10 gallon. If you plan on doing any form of "live" rock, then look into compact flouresent lights (the type you see them writing about in the plant forum), you'll need at least 4 watts per gallon to support beneficial algae growth. If you're going to do lights, might as well get an automatic timer for them.

Most SW fish will rip the hell out of silk plants, nix those. Although I've never personally kept driftwood in one, hey, driftwood does occure in the ocean, so why not in a SW tank? It might look a bit awkward though, but that's your aestics.

Stock up on some garlic powder, that makes a good SW medication when mixed with flake foods, and get yourself a good book on fish health to keep handy.

Definatelly get yourself a second 10 gallon tank to set up as a quarintine. All the equipment necessary for the primary tank will be necessary for the q-tank, except maybe gravel and sand, since substrate can house disease a sick fish is shedding.

7) Don't do a 10 gallon tank as your first experience with SW aquarium keeping. Do do lots of research, lots and lots of research, and be very patient. Give yourself a good year to think things over. By that time you may have saved enough money to purchase a fully rigged 55 gallon, which is the minimum I recommend any first time SW aquarist begin with. The water chemistires will remain much more stable, you can purchase slightly larger more exotic fish, you can place more fish in the tank, and you will be less fustrated and more satisfied.

~~Colesea