10 gallon reef tank

[BriDroid]

It really depends on how much you want to take care of it manually, or how much you’re willing to spend to automate it. I have almost fully automated my 11 cube. It wasn’t cheap, but the piece of mind I have if I need to leave on a work trip made it worth it. I’m even doing daily 2% auto water changes. My tank can go for 8 days without me touching it (it doesn’t but it could).

I love my nano, and I think it forces me to engage with my tank more, especially early on. Now about a year in, it doesn’t seem to run itself and I know exactly what to dose and keep things where they need to be. Eventually I hope to get something bigger, but we’ll see.

 

[abaraka55]

I have been successful keeping pico. They have been the easiest and I owned a 90g and odd 45g. My easiest have been 3 gallons and under. 100 percent weekly water changes and done. Simple. Now when you start getting above 5 gallons, 100 percent water changes and pulling everything out to not suck up love stock becomes a pain and mess. But it is still quick and simple.

I fight EVAP with a tight fitting lid with just enough gap for air exchange. If no lid then you will need an ATO or daily top offs. You may also need to dose.

Water changes and dosing will depend on your stock. Some don't do any and dose, some do them 100 percent all the time and don't dose and there is everything in between.

Setup the tank with how much time you have and maintenance you want to do.

So I do have an FZONE ATO that should be arriving withing a few days so that should take care of the salinity and evap, still looking for a lid that will find with my HOB maybe I need a DIY one. And im just planning on doing 25%ish WC each week. I have a lfs that sells saltwater premixed nearby so that should make it easier. What do you use for lids? I was thinking of a mesh one but that wouldnt really prevent evap. My refractometer also just came in the mail so Ill double check everything with that too. Hoping that having only 2 fish will keep bioload low and reduce chances of things going wrong

 

[abaraka55]

It really depends on how much you want to take care of it manually, or how much you’re willing to spend to automate it. I have almost fully automated my 11 cube. It wasn’t cheap, but the piece of mind I have if I need to leave on a work trip made it worth it. I’m even doing daily 2% auto water changes. My tank can go for 8 days without me touching it (it doesn’t but it could).

I love my nano, and I think it forces me to engage with my tank more, especially early on. Now about a year in, it doesn’t seem to run itself and I know exactly what to dose and keep things where they need to be. Eventually I hope to get something bigger, but we’ll see.

what do you have in your 11 cube?

 

[abaraka55]

Also thanks everyone for all the help so far it really has been great getting info from people who know what theyre doing and not just some random dude at the lfs

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

So I do have an FZONE ATO that should be arriving withing a few days so that should take care of the salinity and evap, still looking for a lid that will find with my HOB maybe I need a DIY one. And im just planning on doing 25%ish WC each week. I have a lfs that sells saltwater premixed nearby so that should make it easier. What do you use for lids? I was thinking of a mesh one but that wouldnt really prevent evap. My refractometer also just came in the mail so Ill double check everything with that too. Hoping that having only 2 fish will keep bioload low and reduce chances of things going wrong

If you have the auto top off then a mesh lid will be fine. There are several vendors who can make these. I use a glass lid since my ato is used as an auto water change now. Fish produce quite a bit of bioload.

 

[abaraka55]

If you have the auto top off then a mesh lid will be fine. There are several vendors who can make these. I use a glass lid since my ato is used as an auto water change now. Fish produce quite a bit of bioload.

Okay assuming the parameters are in check and everything lol back to stocking. What fish will make me not need to go crazy with maintenance and be pretty and interactive preferably reef safe alongside the shrimp goby. If I can have something cooler and interactive without the shrimp goby Id also be open to that I just dont want 1 fish alone

 

[BriDroid]

what do you have in your 11 cube?

WAY too much

It's a mixed reef, and it's 1 year birthday will be in about a week. I've just been sticking things in there and seeing what grows and what doesn't.

 

[abaraka55]

WAY too much

It's a mixed reef, and it's 1 year birthday will be in about a week. I've just been sticking things in there and seeing what grows and what doesn't.

What fish do you have cant really tell?

 

[BriDroid]

What fish do you have cant really tell?

A Springeri and an Azure damsel

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Without the shrimp goby

Okay assuming the parameters are in check and everything lol back to stocking. What fish will make me not need to go crazy with maintenance and be pretty and interactive preferably reef safe alongside the shrimp goby. If I can have something cooler and interactive without the shrimp goby Id also be open to that I just dont want 1 fish alone

I think you should go to a few stores and look at the fish. Watch some YouTube videos. All this talk about pistol shrimp and gobies...my lfs actually got the pistol shrimp in today I wanted. It was supposed to be for the yasha goby I had....i now picked up a hi fin banded goby with the pistol.....they have not found each other yet.

 

[abaraka55]

Without the shrimp goby

I think you should go to a few stores and look at the fish. Watch some YouTube videos. All this talk about pistol shrimp and gobies...my lfs actually got the pistol shrimp in today I wanted. It was supposed to be for the yasha goby I had....i now picked up a hi fin banded goby with the pistol.....they have not found each other yet.

Would like to hear more about this as time progresses as thats the goby I was looking into.. Yasha gobies are nice but too expensive for me right now

 

[abaraka55]

A Springeri and an Azure damsel

No aggression?

 

[BriDroid]

No aggression?

Nope. A little chasing here and there, but absolutely no fin nipping or biting at all. The Springeri has been in there for 9 months and I added the azure 3 months ago. I did keep the azure in a small acclimation box until the Springeri didn’t care about him anymore. I think it was 3 or 4 days. Then I let the azure free. Knock on wood, no issues! Now I probably will I was honestly expecting the worst! I just needed more nutrients in the tank with fish

 

[abaraka55]

Nope. A little chasing here and there, but absolutely no fin nipping or biting at all. The Springeri has been in there for 9 months and I added the azure 3 months ago. I did keep the azure in a small acclimation box until the Springeri didn’t care about him anymore. I think it was 3 or 4 days. Then I let the azure free. Knock on wood, no issues! Now I probably will I was honestly expecting the worst! I just needed more nutrients in the tank with fish

Good to know because what Im hearing from most people is the problem isnt having a high bioload but aggressiveness between fish so this is nice to know. I have a fluval breeder box i may be able to use for this to add more than one fish

 

[BriDroid]

Good to know because what Im hearing from most people is the problem isnt having a high bioload but aggressiveness between fish so this is nice to know. I have a fluval breeder box i may be able to use for this to add more than one fish

Yes, same thing I was told too. "Once you put in that Springeri, that tank is his". I wanted a Talbot's damsel, but the lady at the LFS told me that the azure would get along better with the Springeri. She said that the Talbot's would become way to aggressive. Which is a shame, since they would have looked nice together.

 

[THE REEF WHISPER]

Trying to decide between a single Designer OC Clown, Royal Gramma, Yellow tail blue damsel, or maybe some type of blenny and a Goby/Shrimp pair. Any reccomendations? what order to add them in? what specific goby and shrimp pair? Its my first reef tank so any help would be great

Lot of fish you have to do the 1 gallon per inch of fish

 

[stE26wy14]

at a max
I had 4
firefish
hi fin goby
and a pair of clowns
the clowns were the biggest
firefish was a little smaller
and the goby was teeny tiny
I say, if u can keep up with water changes and such, u have rock work with hidy holes, and u put the clowns/most aggressive fish in last, u can do around 4-5, with a pair of clowns being the absolute largest. I wouldn't even recommend going up to that number, but that is the MAX MAX!! my hi fin goby did get killed by my pistol shrimp(it wasn't the right species despite what my lfs said) and now im at 3, and loving it.
if you do choose 4-5, choose small fish to go along with the clowns, like small gobies or small bennies, you really are very restricted to what you can do

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I still stand by my comment of 2 fish should be the absolute max you should do in a 10g. You don't want to overcrowd your tank and overload your tank's bioload.

 

[AlyciaMarie Verified Admin]

A 10g tank should only house up to 2 fish, depending on the size of the fish. You'll find that many reefers around here stick to just one fish in a 10g tank. Also, when considering which fish to buy, it's best not to base your decision on the current size of the fish, but rather on the size the fish has the potential to grow to.

Although maintenance is a factor in these decisions, the priority should be the health and well-being of the fish. Fish that are cramped and overstocked aren't happy. One thing I live by is, "Just because you can doesn't mean you should."

My suggestion would be to find a goby and shrimp combo! They are so fun to watch, and the goby will be nice and happy to have adequate space for all its antics. Good luck!

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

If you want to skirt the 2 fish max, you need to go with eviota gobies. There are a few choices but hard to find or flaming prawns which can be expensive. The one thing I suggest with a goby and pistol shrimp is to make sure that what ever they build under can be supported under. They will eventually collapse the rock if it isn't supported under or touching bottom. There have been incidents of them getting crushed from collapse or trapped. Or ensure it is small enough to not cause them to be trapped.

I have a fully solid structure that has big holes and semi hollow that is on bottom of tank... It chose the only small rock. You can see fish guarding. Sorry for color,