5 gallon/20 litre beginner reef setup

[Aussie fish keeping lad]

Hey guys, I am brand new to the forum and this is my first post, so I dunno weather I’ve done this right but, here goes.
I’ve got a mate who wants to give me a 20 litre tank for my birthday. I am fairly experienced in freshwater, kept many species and multiple sized tanks. And I feel like it’s time to give saltwater a whack.
My plan is to have a small inbuilt sump in the back of the tank, with bio/mechanical filtration,
And string lights, I am not sure do I need a small skimmer as well?
Can I get the water from the beach? If not some info about getting saltwater parameters good please.
And what kinds of saltwater fish can I keep in a 5 gallon.
I am thinking maybe 2-3 clownfish, a goby or 2, and some shrimp? What do you guys think, and what are some good fish.
Could coral be possible, If so where do I start.
The LFS is a bit expensive, but seems to know a lot about saltwater from my perspective, and has good stock…

Thanks in advance.
Cheers

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Welcome to the reef, did you bring cookies??

Sorry can’t help answer questions hopefully someone else can!!

I can say - yes corals can be done in a small tank.
Look for locals to buy from if the LFS is to high on pricing

I believe if you pull water from the beach it can’t be from the shore line that’s all I remember about that

 

[Aussie fish keeping lad]

Thank you!!!! Haha unfortunately not.
No worries thanks for your advice!!!
Ok great that is good to know..
Yeah I may be able to get some off a boat.
Do you know what fish I could keep, I have heard a bit of controversy when it comes to fish in a 5 gallon.

 

[Jekyl]

5g won't be big enough for any clowns. Maybe 1 small fish and a clean up crew.

 

[Aussie fish keeping lad]

Hi ok, well what fish do you recommend?

 

[Jekyl]

Here is a list of some fish suited for nano tanks. You can see their recommended size tanks in descriptions.

Nano Fish | Marine Fish

Ideal for small aquariums of 8 gallons or more, many of these species develop small territories within their new home. Though they do not have special feeding requirements, live rock is highly recommended as a supplemental food source and added filtration. Be sure to check compatibilities before...

m.liveaquaria.com

 

[Jekyl]

Also, small tanks aren't a very easy start for a beginner. You'll want to have your own way of producing water and making saltwater. A tank this size will need an auto top off or manual refilling at least once a day.

Due to evaporation the salinity will increase. Small tanks are much less forgiving in this aspect.

 

[Aussie fish keeping lad]

Thanks I’ve checked them out!!! So are we mostly looking at blennys and fire fish?
Yeah I understand, I hope to have a small resoviour of water for water changes and fresh water for top ups?

 

[thatindonesianreefer]

Hi ok, well what fish do you recommend?

A yellow clown goby should do well

 

[Aussie fish keeping lad]

Wow! They look cool, are they beginniner friendly?

 

[thatindonesianreefer]

Wow! They look cool, are they beginniner friendly?

Yes they are.
Here’s a link for a care guide :

Clown Goby, Yellow

The Yellow Clown Goby is a cheerful addition to any marine aquarium. In addition to its vibrant body color, the active and peaceful Yellow Clown Goby is often seen perched on live rock or coral right out in the open or hovering in the water column in plain view for hobbyists to enjoy. Though the...

m.liveaquaria.com

It will also be better to give them lots of hiding space.

 

[thatindonesianreefer]

Hey guys, I am brand new to the forum and this is my first post, so I dunno weather I’ve done this right but, here goes.
I’ve got a mate who wants to give me a 20 litre tank for my birthday. I am fairly experienced in freshwater, kept many species and multiple sized tanks. And I feel like it’s time to give saltwater a whack.
My plan is to have a small inbuilt sump in the back of the tank, with bio/mechanical filtration,
And string lights, I am not sure do I need a small skimmer as well?
Can I get the water from the beach? If not some info about getting saltwater parameters good please.
And what kinds of saltwater fish can I keep in a 5 gallon.
I am thinking maybe 2-3 clownfish, a goby or 2, and some shrimp? What do you guys think, and what are some good fish.
Could coral be possible, If so where do I start.
The LFS is a bit expensive, but seems to know a lot about saltwater from my perspective, and has good stock…

Thanks in advance.
Cheers

Sexy shrimp should do well in a 5 gallon

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

A 5 gallon is very tiny and hard to manage to be honest. Not really big enough for fish except for the smallest goby, it would be better to keep it as an invert only tank IMO.

Even maintaining corals in this tank will be difficult, since water quality can fluctuate a lot in such a tiny tank, and corals don't like fluctuations at all. Its something that an advanced hobbyist would try for the challenge, but not something for a new hobbyist.

As FYI, this is a very expensive hobby and requires some due diligence for success, otherwise everything dies and your money is wasted.

This is a good starting point for reading: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/

 

[c4haskett]

As others have mentioned, maybe a small fish and shrimp. Some people use water straight from the ocean, but you run the risk of introducing pests to the tank. I would recommend just getting some from your LFS or possibly buying a RODI system and making your own saltwater. Also, having such a small tank salinity swings will really be an issue. I wouldn't run a system that small without an auto top off. You can find a cheap one on amazon. They all seem to use the same optical sensor. You also mentioned string lights? I'm not sure what you mean by that but any light will be good for fish only, but if you plan to keep corals you will want one that has a bluer spectrum. There are lots of great, cheap, small lights on the market that will be plenty of light for a 5 gallon. I also recommend going to youtube and searching for BRS 5 minute videos. It's a complete playlist for setting up your first saltwater tank. Some information may be redundant coming from freshwater, but lots of great information there.

 

[CoastalTownLayabout]

Mate, not sure where you are in Aus but a lot of us use natural seawater (NSW). Most responses on the use of NSW on this forum are Nth American based and apparently they’ve completely stuffed their coastline.

You can definitely keep easy corals and a nano suitable fish in a small tank without spending a heap of coin. I would recommend an ATO for evaporation though.