Totally new to this and need you to basically hold my hand and walk me through it

[Clown_Loach_Kid]

Ok, I've done great with freshwater aquariums and now I want to try a nano tank I've got a spare ten gallon I've had sitting around and it's in fine condition now being that I know nothing about taking care of saltwater fish or living rock and corals and stuff I need all the help I can get, so I would really appreciate some replies and some links to reliable sites, I registered at the http://www.nano-reef.com forum but am still waiting for my account to be activated so please help me

[1979camaro]

can't do it...get a book

and a ten is really small to start with

[1979camaro]

and for book suggestions just browse some of the recent posts...this is discussed nearly every time someone wants to start SW

[Clown_Loach_Kid]

What do you mean "Can't do it" what are you talking about? Ten isn't to small for a nano tank, a regular large saltwater tank yes but not a nano. And I have a book thank you very much, my parents had a 55 gallon saltwater quite a few years ago.

[ecotank]

A 55g saltwater tank is much easier than a 10g saltwater tank. The smaller the tank the more work, the more exacting your water conditions must be, etc.

If you have a book, why are you asking what to do? Is there something missing from your book?

[1979camaro]

"Totally new to this and need you to basically hold my hand and walk me through it "

I mean, nobody can do it without writing a book...

as I stated, a ten is a small tank to start with, i didn't say it was "to(o) small" i just said it was small...i would reccomend something bigger (what happened to your parents 55?)

as far as what to do, maybe you should start by reading your book, it might help you get started...and if your parents kept SW fish maybe you should ask them too...it is just a lot of information to type out (AGAIN) when it has already been coverd copiously...plus i am old and crotchety

[wayne]

I too am old and crotchety, and I've already talked thro' building a 30. my honest advice is go read the books - it's hard work for us to walk you thro it, and you're in a better position yourself if you know why you're doing things.
The brightside is that it's not that difficult if you can figure out how live rock works, what lighting you really need for a shallow tank, what to do with evaporation problems and maintenance

[Clown_Loach_Kid]

Ok, my parents gave their tank away before I was even born, and they gave it to my uncle who sold it to somebody and who the heck knows were it is now, my other preoblem is I can't afford another 55 gallon since I not to long ago bought one and I have it all set up with freshwater fish and fully planted so that ruled that one out, I really don't care if it's much work to maintain a 10 gallon instead of a 55 gallon but I don't have the money or the room for the tank that big. I'm responsible with my fish and I'm sure once I've figured out the whole Live rock live samd corals thing I'll be fine but I need help with it. And the book I have from my parents WAS probably a great book at the time but I'm totally iggnorant to saltwater fish and even I see stuff that is outdated and stuff. Like when this book was writen like the only saltwater fish ever spawned was the comman clownfish. And some guy in Japan or China or whatever just had a breakthrough having a tank without filters except for live rock and live sand and all that stuff. And almost all the fish for saltwater aquariums are wild caught. And it really doesn't tell you ANYTHING about nano tanks except it has never been done.

[wayne]

OK then first of all have you read the New Marine Aquarium by Michael Paletta? This is a very nice starter book explaining what you are going to do. It is not nano specific, but does have a 'cookbook' for a 10 or 15 gallon that is very good.
This is quite a cheap book. If you think this book is too much money you are horribly wrong as pretty soon your nano will start eating money, especially if you screw up a few times.
This advice will sound harsh, but you are better off doing this reading rather than not.
Or - what's on your shopping list for a nano now, and why. What are you going to do for filtration?

[Clown_Loach_Kid]

I'm just going to put live sand in the tank and live rock for filtration and a pump to just circulate the water.