trying to start a saltwater tank

I am trying to saltwater reef tANK but its in a 10 gallon i will take care of it couse i got a lot of time on my hand and can u tell me how to do it step byt step and whAT I NEED and i would like to keep two common clown fish.

 

first of all I would say that the phrases 10 gallon tank and saltwater tank should never be seen together. This would be a ridiculously difficult tank to keep maintained. I wouldn't even trust a very seasoned aquairist with that sort of tank.

Also, just because you have time on your hands now, are you going to in the future?

 

first off, two clowns are too much for a 10. so is one clown. the rule that you should use when keeping salt water is for every 1" of fish you will need at least 5 gallons of water. so two "common" clowns (lets just say percula cause they are some of the smallest of the clowns) each get to 3" give or take an inch or so. that's at least a 30 gallon tank you would need.

i am also assuming that this will be your first sw tank. DO NOT get a tank that small as your first. it's asking for a disaster. a tank that small can get thrown off course very very easily. if i were you, i'd take all this free time you have and raise a little money to bet a much bigger tank. trust me it will be easier on you and all the creatures inside.

 

so when i move to my new house either i might get a 92 corner or a 75 bowfront would those two be good and can u tell me everyhting about saltwater i need to noe in case we move in a lil eARLIER.

 

go buy this book. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... s&n=507846. it will tell you anything you need to know about keeping marine. the book is kind of old and he talks of using under gravel filters which aren't good. but everything other than that is golden knowledge. the tanks you listed are very good beginner sizes. in marine, the bigger the better. some must have's for marine are, protien skimmer, filter (hob or canister is what i like). sand is usually used for substrate. some use crushed coral but that can cause some problems down the road. live rock is a natural way of filtering the water and is a more natural decor for the fish. get that book. it's like the marine aquarists bible.

 

Three rules of saltwater

1. Patients
2. Cheap usually means cruddy
3. NO SMALL TANKS

I'd recommend waiting til you've got the larger tank before you start a tank up, but definately start reading about it. Reef costs $$$$ around 20-30 dollars per gallon of water. Fish only with mobile inverts and a bit of liverock would probably be a bit easier, cheaper and can get you ready for a reef aquarium. Use the 10 gallon as a quarentine tank for new and sick fish. Don't use Hobs or canister filters unless you are prepared to change the media every 3-4 days, stick with a good skimmer like the remoras, and get a refugium.