Newbie questions

[pnwill]

Ive got an empty 10 gal that i was thinking of turning into a fish-only saltwater tank. I think ive got everything i need listed out and chosen after doing light research (ill do deeper research if i decide to actually go for it) but im left with a few questions that google isnt helping with.

1. For fish-only tanks with live rock do i really need RO water or will tap water with prime be okay?
1a. If i use RO water do i still need any other additives, if so, what?

2. Do filters with protein skimmers built into them still work as well or is it better to get them as separate pieces of equipment?

3. What fish could go in 10 gallon? I was looking into black ocellaris clownfish but after another search im seeing that they need 20-30 gallons? Ive searched what can go in 10 but then when i look up size requirements the suggested fish need its always much bigger (it said gobies can live in 10 gallons but when i search goby tank size its then telling me as much as 30 for minimum)

Ive got 13 freshwater aquariums ranging 5-125 gallons but the saltwater is so puzzling to me when im trying to read up on whats even needed to get started let alone HOW to get started.

Im aware that the smaller tanks are harder to maintain but i want to see if I'll even like saltwater before i go big and spend that much more money on it.

 

[Quietman]

RO water will be needed in most cases. It depends on the local water source. It can vary widely. But if you have exceptional local water it's possible. There should be a report if you're on any municipal water. Way to many variables to make the call here. The conditioners don't remove any contaminants and those will build up. Also while the fish maybe fine those excess nutrients frequently found in tap water could cause all kinds of funky alga and bacterial outbreaks. Could be minor issue could be big. RO eliminates any guess work and allows a good start to water chemistry.

If you don't know local water quality and want to find out, just try it. It's only 10 gallons. Good thing about small tanks is experimenting is cheaper (if you keep it cheaper). Here's a suggestion. Try it with a molly you've acclimated to saltwater (dead easy to do). 5-6 bucks for mollies and after a few months if nothing odd is happening, put it back in a freshwater tank. You may have extra mollies now since you have FW.

Good salt mix though is all you should need with RO at first. If you start getting coraline algae you may want to look into alk and calcium supplements but that's down the road.

Not sure a skimmer on a 10 gallon is worth it. A good internal or small canister will be fine for one fish and a few snails/crabs/shrimp. Get one that has a surface skimmer as that surface scum in annoying. Plus again, it's 10 gallons. Things go sideways and you can change entire water in a few minutes. If you go RO, I strongly recommend having a couple 5-10 gallons of it standing by. You'll also need it for top off water. You can minimize need to top off with a glass cover, not too tightly fitting - just the standard hinged glass lid will be fine.

Don't go crazy on test kits. Get cheap strips (cut them in half long ways) and that'll do fine.

Fish are very limited in that size tank. People put clowns in 10 gallons and smaller all the time. Not a fan myself, they get pretty big and active and for some reason people always buy two. I'd go with molly at first as I said. Get used to water chemistry. You want slow moving smaller fish. Fire fish are very nice and can be really pretty (they say 15 gallons but 10 will be fine if it's only one fish). And yes, small goby would also be nice as would a small blenny. Keep it to fish under $50. It's a cold world but losing a $200 fish and losing a $30 fish are very different experiences.

Good luck!

 

[Utubereefer]

Here’s some good options for nano fish. You will still need to check their minimum tank size requirements but there’s some 10g fish.

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...

www.liveaquaria.com

You can use tap water for fish only but it could cause an algae bloom. I recommend using distilled water from the grocery store if you don’t want to set up an RO system

 

[Gumbies R Us]

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

A good primer for a beginner!

www.reef2reef.com

 

[allof fish]

I think for a fish only tank you can use tap water although not recommended. People do do it but rodi water. Is a much better starting point. If you ever want corals then yes you will need rodi. Skimmer not necessary. Sand rock a good salt and a light and should be good to go. I would have a filter for a bigger tank size and it will help for better filtration

 

[JumboShrimp]

If you want to see how you will like the hobby, and don't want to invest in an RO/DI unit just yet, for a 10 gallon tank you can just fill it for about $15 worth of distilled water from your grocery store. Then even weekly water changes will only cost you about $3.00 after that. Just make sure it's pure distilled water, no additives. Have fun!

 

[jbhydroman]

Thanks for posting. In my experience and I know a lot of people in the saltwater hobby that do use tap water. When I am out of RO filtered water, I will use tap water. However, if I use tap water to do a water change, I will put a bag of carbon in my filter to get rid of any junk that is in the Tap. It is better to use an RO, but in a pinch I will use tap water to do that. I have never had a problem, with my fish or corals when I did this. Just make sure you use a good water conditioner.
In a marine tank it is important to have a good bacteria bed. The good nitrifying bacteria that keeps your tank in good shape (the bacteria that eats the fish poop, and the uneaten food that drops to the bottom). I have a small 32 gal. and have a good 3 inches of sand, ceramic bio-ball or disks, and a couple of Marine pure blocks. These items encourage the growth of the good bacteria to grow on. Never had a ammonia or nitrite spike and I have 3 anemones, and 4 fish in the tank, which is a lot to some people. No problems what so ever as of yet, and it has been 3 years since I set up my tank, with the same fish.
I have seen 5 gal. nano tanks with small clown fish, gobies, dragonetts, a small file fish. Smaller tanks are sometimes hard to keep because of fluctuation in temp. and ammonia and nitrate problems, but it can be done.
I do not use a protein skimmer in my tank, just a filter and a ultraviolet sterilizer. Protein skimmer are not bad, and I suppose the filter skimmers would work pretty good. If you buy one go to Amazon and read the reviews on the filter/skimmer kits.

 

[MC Blowfish]

In the past, I've used tap water for FOWLR tank. I wouldn't recommend it. I always ran into issues with nuisance algae. With a ten gallon, you could easily and cheaply buy gallons of distilled water.

Blennies and gobies make fun smaller fish.

I think you could skip a protein skimmer for that size of tank. I don't have one for my 20 gallon. I have a good filter along with good practices and you should be set.

Just remember to take it slow.

 

[MikeReefs]

You could get a rodi or find a local fish store that sells water and stock up and store it in a brute can. You don’t want the Algea that tap brings. Pair of clowns would be suitable but nothing more than that. once you start seeing Algea you can add a small clean up crew