NANO! :o
- Thread starter Hazzamaya
- Start date
I can tell you this.....the only anemone that will stay small enough for a 5g is the flower anemone which is a non-hosting species. Believe me when I say that the clownfish you want does not need an anemone. They do just fine without one!
Also you should know that keeping anemones is not for the beginner (I have no idea how long you have been keeping saltwater so forgive me if I am mistaking you for a newbie). Better to get your feet wet before attempting an anemone.
Even though you can start out keeping saltwater with a smaller tank, to be brutally honest, you will do much better starting out with a larger tank, say a 20g or 30g. A 5g tank will fluctuate quite a bit and if you are just starting out, you will have problems with it.
HTH
Also you should know that keeping anemones is not for the beginner (I have no idea how long you have been keeping saltwater so forgive me if I am mistaking you for a newbie). Better to get your feet wet before attempting an anemone.
Even though you can start out keeping saltwater with a smaller tank, to be brutally honest, you will do much better starting out with a larger tank, say a 20g or 30g. A 5g tank will fluctuate quite a bit and if you are just starting out, you will have problems with it.
HTH
if this is your first tank, i would suggest saving more money and get the biggest one you can afford. reason being is that if something goes wrong, it happens alot faster in a smaller tank than a bigger one. plus once you get into saltwater, you'll want to keep more. haha. so its' better to do all your research and be patient. =)
toodles is right. clownfish don't need anemone. plus anemone are very sensative to the water quality and they do produce quite a bit of waste for a coral.
cycling of the tank varies. you should buy a test kit and test your tank until all the parameters are correct.
hope that helps!
Johnny
toodles is right. clownfish don't need anemone. plus anemone are very sensative to the water quality and they do produce quite a bit of waste for a coral.
cycling of the tank varies. you should buy a test kit and test your tank until all the parameters are correct.
hope that helps!
Johnny
A 10g is better. I do understand about not having the money for this kind of thing. Really though, the only anemone that will not outgrow this size tank is a flower. Even bubble tips get large, so do condys, and carpets get huge.....
Another thought is that all anemones require good lighting. For a 10g which is a shallow tank, you could get by with PC's (power compacts) for a flower anemone. PC's are rather expensive, more so than regular fluorescents but they will be worth it in the long run.
You also need to realise that all anemones sting. All of them. Some are fish eaters. In a small tank, this can be a real problem. I'm not saying that you should never get an anemone, just maybe wait awhile until you get some experience with saltwater set ups, and can provide the right home for one.
Things you need for a 10g include lighting (we'll talk about this later), heater, thermometer, hydrometer, 2 powerheads, filter (which many consider optional in a small tank. Instead, many believe that weekly water changes and the live rock in the tank will replace one. Frankly I don't go with that. I like having a filter on the tank, not only does it provide a place to run carbon/floss but it also provides another current), live rock anywhere from 5 to 15 lbs of it, sand, test kits.
Cycling can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months....depends.
I would use the fishless method to cycle the tank. Simply drop a piece of raw fish or shrimp into the tank and let it decay. This will provide the ammonia as it dissolves. Many people use a live fish like a damsel to cycle their tank with. The fishless method not only saves you money on buying the fish, it saves the fish from the stress of cycling (and maybe it's life as many die during this), and it saves you the frustration of catching a fish when you no longer want the damsel in your tank.
Lighting....even without an anemone, I would still go with the PC's if you can. This way you could keep just about anything in there without worry and without the hassle of upgrading later on.
Things to consider....
Even with a filter on the tank, I would still do weekly water changes. Things can go wrong quickly in such a small volumne of water.
Be very careful not to overstock your fish. In a 10g I would not keep any more than 2 small fish, and I do mean at adult size they are small.
Start out with hardy inverts like featherdusters, mushroom corals, button polyps.......
It might be a good idea to go with some macro algae too, like feather calupera. They will help to take up excess nutrients.
Read, read, read!
HTH
Another thought is that all anemones require good lighting. For a 10g which is a shallow tank, you could get by with PC's (power compacts) for a flower anemone. PC's are rather expensive, more so than regular fluorescents but they will be worth it in the long run.
You also need to realise that all anemones sting. All of them. Some are fish eaters. In a small tank, this can be a real problem. I'm not saying that you should never get an anemone, just maybe wait awhile until you get some experience with saltwater set ups, and can provide the right home for one.
Things you need for a 10g include lighting (we'll talk about this later), heater, thermometer, hydrometer, 2 powerheads, filter (which many consider optional in a small tank. Instead, many believe that weekly water changes and the live rock in the tank will replace one. Frankly I don't go with that. I like having a filter on the tank, not only does it provide a place to run carbon/floss but it also provides another current), live rock anywhere from 5 to 15 lbs of it, sand, test kits.
Cycling can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months....depends.
I would use the fishless method to cycle the tank. Simply drop a piece of raw fish or shrimp into the tank and let it decay. This will provide the ammonia as it dissolves. Many people use a live fish like a damsel to cycle their tank with. The fishless method not only saves you money on buying the fish, it saves the fish from the stress of cycling (and maybe it's life as many die during this), and it saves you the frustration of catching a fish when you no longer want the damsel in your tank.
Lighting....even without an anemone, I would still go with the PC's if you can. This way you could keep just about anything in there without worry and without the hassle of upgrading later on.
Things to consider....
Even with a filter on the tank, I would still do weekly water changes. Things can go wrong quickly in such a small volumne of water.
Be very careful not to overstock your fish. In a 10g I would not keep any more than 2 small fish, and I do mean at adult size they are small.
Start out with hardy inverts like featherdusters, mushroom corals, button polyps.......
It might be a good idea to go with some macro algae too, like feather calupera. They will help to take up excess nutrients.
Read, read, read!
HTH
WOW! By the way i am only 12 so thats why i can't afford a huge tank. So i wouldn't need a protein skimmer.... over here they cost £70+ and possibly not a filter which is £30+ and i was expecting only to have 1-2 really small fish or mabye a really small seahorse I would definately go with clownfish cos they are just SOOOO cool. all i really want is a little chunk of live rock and a few hermit crabs a shrimp some coral and 2 clowns. i agree with u on the anemone thing, i have dun sum research and they do need alot of room. i don't really know the difference between all the different types of corals, they all look the same to me.
I probably would have a filter on it because for the extra £30+ it saves ALOT of hassle in a house as small as mine. What i really want is lots of little organisms with little living things that you can see crawling in and out of holes and such, it just really appeals to me, as long as it's not boring and times when nothings happening.
I would prefer stuff thats not poisonous, but hey i'm not picky. I would much prefer a tall tank, they're more compact.
Does a marine tank have to have fish in it to have stuff like coral and inverts?
Well thats all i have to say for now.
so thats why i can't afford a huge tank. So i wouldn't need a protein skimmer.... over here they cost £70+ and possibly not a filter which is £30+ and i was expecting only to have 1-2 really small fish or mabye a really small seahorse I would definately go with clownfish cos they are just SOOOO cool. all i really want is a little chunk of live rock and a few hermit crabs a shrimp some coral and 2 clowns. i agree with u on the anemone thing, i have dun sum research and they do need alot of room. i don't really know the difference between all the different types of corals, they all look the same to me.I probably would have a filter on it because for the extra £30+ it saves ALOT of hassle in a house as small as mine. What i really want is lots of little organisms with little living things that you can see crawling in and out of holes and such, it just really appeals to me, as long as it's not boring and times when nothings happening.
I would prefer stuff thats not poisonous, but hey i'm not picky. I would much prefer a tall tank, they're more compact.
Does a marine tank have to have fish in it to have stuff like coral and inverts?
Well thats all i have to say for now.
No seahorses. PLEASE! bad bad choice.. they need almost as much care as an anenome. secondly, in a 5 gallong tank, I would do no more, then 1 small fish. A damsel, or a clown, or a pj cardinal would be fine, but no more then that... wild caught get much bigger then captive breed, and they aren't anywhere near as hardy. How about this for a setup, a 10 gallon tank, (not sure how big this is in US gallons.. by da way..) PC lights, 20 pds live sand, 7-12 pds live rock, start with they fish you want to add, just one. Then slowly let the tnak grow, for a final setup, 2 small fish, 3 turbo snails (a nessecity) 10 scarlet or blue legged hermits ( i suggest scarlets over the blue, blues have been none to kill the snails), and a shrimp, such as a peppermint, a cleaner, or a blood shrimp. Any of the above should be fine, although bloods can get pretty pricey, and aren't as hardy. Then, start building your coral colletion. Corals are expensive, if you can get frags from local reefers to start out your tank, you'll save alot of money, and know that the corals were tank raised, and not worry about riping them outta the ocean.
If you have a shrimp or crab in the tank, then no, you don't need fish in the tank. There is an old saying "Fish can do without corals, but corals can't do without fish". Basically what it means is that corals rely on some of the metabolic waste of the fish. I do believe that shrimp or crabs will provide the same thing though.
Button polyps will do fine and so will featherdusters.
Almost forgot, if you get some good live rock, you'll have plenty of critters crawling in, around, and under it.....plenty of stuff to watch!
Good luck with your new tank!
Button polyps will do fine and so will featherdusters.
Almost forgot, if you get some good live rock, you'll have plenty of critters crawling in, around, and under it.....plenty of stuff to watch!
Good luck with your new tank!
No you do not have to have fish to have corals and inverts. Coral and inverts are much harder to care for than fish, that's why so many first time marine aquarist opt for fish only tanks. Some of the best coral and invert tanks I have seen have absolutely no fish in them. But unless you are a seriously dedicated eccentric reefer in it for the love of the coral itself, most average hobbiest get bored of an "innert" "non-moving" "sesile" tank rather quickly and do eventually add reef appropriate fish to their tanks to liven things up.
You keep saying you are only 12. Do you feel that this makes you unprepared for the prospect of a marine tank? Or that we have to water down the information we give you to make it easier to digest? It is very challenging to run a SW tank, especially a reef/invert tank, on a limited buget. But your age has nothing to do with how prepared you feel in taking on that challenge. I will admit, I have had some SW tanks in my time, even ran a retail system at the LFS, but the prospect of reef/invert tanks still have me daunted, and I am 25.
One of the things that might get you going is to enlist your favorite parent (or at least the one you know you can swindle with puppy dog eyes<G>) into being your coach. Have them visit LFSs with you, take you to the library, discuss your passion over the dinner table and really impress them with your fish knowledge. If you're really good at this, usually you can convince them to purchase you that expensive skimmer as a birthday or holiday present. I got my mom to go halves with me on a larger tank for my goldfish when I told her I was going to give them back to the LFS because they were too big. When I told her they had names, she refused to let me get rid of them!
~~Colesea *whistling innocently with a Big Evil Grin*
You keep saying you are only 12. Do you feel that this makes you unprepared for the prospect of a marine tank? Or that we have to water down the information we give you to make it easier to digest? It is very challenging to run a SW tank, especially a reef/invert tank, on a limited buget. But your age has nothing to do with how prepared you feel in taking on that challenge. I will admit, I have had some SW tanks in my time, even ran a retail system at the LFS, but the prospect of reef/invert tanks still have me daunted, and I am 25.
One of the things that might get you going is to enlist your favorite parent (or at least the one you know you can swindle with puppy dog eyes<G>) into being your coach. Have them visit LFSs with you, take you to the library, discuss your passion over the dinner table and really impress them with your fish knowledge. If you're really good at this, usually you can convince them to purchase you that expensive skimmer as a birthday or holiday present. I got my mom to go halves with me on a larger tank for my goldfish when I told her I was going to give them back to the LFS because they were too big. When I told her they had names, she refused to let me get rid of them!
~~Colesea *whistling innocently with a Big Evil Grin*