Need help 1st saltwater tank.

Obsessed with fish

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Hi, I just bought a 15 gallon aquarium and I'm gonna have live coral. I need the following questions answered:

Can I house 2 clownfish, 1 yellow clown goby and 2 hermit crabs in a live coral aquarium. If not please give me other stocking suggestions.

Should I get baby clownfish or fully grown clownfish.

What substrate and live corals are good for a begginer.

Do I need to cycle a tank that is brand new and has NEVER been touched.
 

MaxTremors

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Two clowns is a lot for a 15 gallon tank, but can probably be done, the clown goby and hermits are fine (small reef safe hermits).

I would get juvenile clownfish.

If you want to do substrate (you don’t have to), I would recommend caribsea Fiji pink or special grade. I would recommend getting at least 10% real live rock (as in from the ocean/a long established tank) if you decide to use dry rock, otherwise 100% live rock. As far as corals, some easy beginner friendly corals are mushrooms, zoanthids, GSP, Xenia, leathers, Kenya trees, clove polyps, once you’ve kept those alive and kept your parameters stable, try some LPS (acans, torches, hammers, Duncans).

Yes, you will need to cycle the tank, read up on how to do that.

Make sure you get quality test kits (no strips or API brand), and make sure you have adequate lighting and flow for corals (do your research).
 

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I started 6 months ago with a 15 gallon, and there were two mistakes I made in the original design. First was not having an ATO (auto top off) system which meant I had to add RO at least once a day to prevent a swing in salinity; and the second was not using some premium live rock - this really bought the tank to life.

Don't underestimate the importance of test kits. When you're starting out all sorts of weird things start to grow and happen and these are aggravated by the small volume of water. Quality test kits and research on this forum really helped me to understand what was going on and remedy them without resorting to bottles of 'miracle cures'...
 

Jekyl

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Start here
 

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The first comments are great advice, I would add that the smaller the tank the harder to keep water parameters in check. I would suggest cycle the tank(fishless cycle) start out slow, get your coral after a few months into it so you have time to work the kinks out the tank. Also lots of the coral don’t like new tanks so just start out with one or two hardy coral. Maybe a leather or green star or something. Once you see those do ok then try harder stuff.
 

ying yang

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Start here
My exact thoughts and was just looking for them but you beat me to it.

To the op,do lots research on the steps needed to start a tank from placement to mixing salt,cycling,adding livestock and compatability of livestock and needs of livestock the research what step needs what action.
Lots videos on youtube if more of a visual learner or lots articles on the net ,i find myself i prefer videos but do lots reading also,my tank 8 months old and still few hours a day im researching still so can hopefully spot problems as they just starting.
Good luck and hope you get great enjoyment from your tank ^_^
 

ShadowMan

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Newbie to reefing world too, (on my first 30G which is now 8 months old), and my only advice is this... be patient and then be even more patient!!

I'm guilty of rushing certain things and it always comes back to bite lol
 
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Two clowns is a lot for a 15 gallon tank, but can probably be done, the clown goby and hermits are fine (small reef safe hermits).

I would get juvenile clownfish.

If you want to do substrate (you don’t have to), I would recommend caribsea Fiji pink or special grade. I would recommend getting at least 10% real live rock (as in from the ocean/a long established tank) if you decide to use dry rock, otherwise 100% live rock. As far as corals, some easy beginner friendly corals are mushrooms, zoanthids, GSP, Xenia, leathers, Kenya trees, clove polyps, once you’ve kept those alive and kept your parameters stable, try some LPS (acans, torches, hammers, Duncans).

Yes, you will need to cycle the tank, read up on how to do that.

Make sure you get quality test kits (no strips or API brand), and make sure you have adequate lighting and flow for corals (do your research).
Thank you for the advice!
 
OP
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I started 6 months ago with a 15 gallon, and there were two mistakes I made in the original design. First was not having an ATO (auto top off) system which meant I had to add RO at least once a day to prevent a swing in salinity; and the second was not using some premium live rock - this really bought the tank to life.

Don't underestimate the importance of test kits. When you're starting out all sorts of weird things start to grow and happen and these are aggravated by the small volume of water. Quality test kits and research on this forum really helped me to understand what was going on and remedy them without resorting to bottles of 'miracle cures'...
Thanks
 
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The first comments are great advice, I would add that the smaller the tank the harder to keep water parameters in check. I would suggest cycle the tank(fishless cycle) start out slow, get your coral after a few months into it so you have time to work the kinks out the tank. Also lots of the coral don’t like new tanks so just start out with one or two hardy coral. Maybe a leather or green star or something. Once you see those do ok then try harder stuff.
ok thanks.
 
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My exact thoughts and was just looking for them but you beat me to it.

To the op,do lots research on the steps needed to start a tank from placement to mixing salt,cycling,adding livestock and compatability of livestock and needs of livestock the research what step needs what action.
Lots videos on youtube if more of a visual learner or lots articles on the net ,i find myself i prefer videos but do lots reading also,my tank 8 months old and still few hours a day im researching still so can hopefully spot problems as they just starting.
Good luck and hope you get great enjoyment from your tank ^_^
thank you for the advice!!
 

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Hi, I just bought a 15 gallon aquarium and I'm gonna have live coral. I need the following questions answered:

Can I house 2 clownfish, 1 yellow clown goby and 2 hermit crabs in a live coral aquarium. If not please give me other stocking suggestions.

Should I get baby clownfish or fully grown clownfish.

What substrate and live corals are good for a begginer.

Do I need to cycle a tank that is brand new and has NEVER been touched.
Definitely don’t get any gusty there until you’ve run the tan for a couple of weeks, get all the kits you can, ad some bacteria in in and start slow… I have 2 clown fish in my 20 gal tank and they are along just fine, just make sure to get one first and then after a while get a small one ( this will became the male) and it need to be exactly the same kind of clown fish and way smaller. Prepare to do a lot of work and research but this thing is awesome! I haven’t found my perfect lighting set still, but i’m on it! Is not that easy… I just joined this group and I will be asking for help.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

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    Votes: 64 37.0%
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