how hard would it be to keep a 10/20 gallon salt water aquarium?
by Aquaboy on Monday, May 31st, 2010 | 6 Comments
Okay I would love to have a 10 or 20 gallon salt water aquarium all I really want would be is a clown fish or 2 and maybe a hermit crab and some shrimp. I’ve had a freshwater aquarium for about 2 years and i think i’m ready for a salt water. My dad had a salt water aquarium and it was beautiful so if i really needed immediate help i would ask him. So the things are how hard is it, how much would it cost, what would i need, and do you think i should do it?
and also i might be considering a Hagen Fluval Edge Aquarium and ive heard you can do a salt water set up on one of them.
like holding heavy water in your tank? like like like
I’m sorry but 20 gallons is just too little for a salt water aquarium. If you’re not going to use at least a 50 gallon its not worth your time, money, and energy to set up a tank as a salt water tank. Besides, most salt water fish can’t properly thrive in something as small as 10-20 gallons.
god that first guy that answered is a schmuck! anyway… the smaller the tank, the harder it is to keep. typically 30gal is the bare minimum reccomended for a salt water beginner. if i were you, i wouldnt do a 10 or a 20. i would learn all you can, do extensive research and then start up a 55gal. you could do a lot of really cool stuff with a 55. good luck!
The more water you have the more stable the water conditions. With a ten or twenty gallon be prepared for frequent water changes. you will need a protein skimmer, a Filter, powerhead, live rock, live sand, proper lighting(if your adding corals, anemones or not), heater, thermometer, and with that small of a tank probably a nano chiller for the hot months if your place reaches above 85 in the summer.
you will need to cycle the tank properly and with that size i wouldnt recommend more than a few clowns, a few shrimp, maybe a crab if they are a smaller species,
What your looking to do is set up a nano tank. they can be hard to be successful in as a first tank. 55-75 gallons is good for beginners for maintaining water quality.
also you will need to purchase proper testing equipment. ammonia, nitrates, calcium, etc
they are beautiful but tricky they can be. Setting up was the hardest and most expensive part for me.
i promise you will want to upgrade so i would start with a 30-55 gallon and bigger if you can.
Be prepared to spend 600 at least to set up.
you can pre purchase a nano tank at your local fishstore if available which for 20 gallon would run you about 300-400 if you dont have the time energy to dedicate.
My lfs sells seahorse tanks 20 gallon pre set up for 150!!
research is your best friend and remember with saltwater patience is key
Very hard.
The smaller the aquarium, the harder it is to keep healthy. This is true for freshwater aquaria, and it’s about ten times as true for saltwater aquaria.
For clownfish, I’d recommend a 30-gallon minimum tank size.
I’ve seen those Fluval Edge aquarium sets, and they’re pretty, but they are small. The ones I’ve seen were only six gallons, and I can’t find a reference online to any larger size. So yes, you could set one up as a saltwater aquarium, but it would have the same problems as any other six-gallon saltwater aquarium. Plus one more– I don’t know where you would fit a protein skimmer on that tank.
possibly,, use a 20 gallon sump,, with a 20 gallon tank would help you immensly with the overall size of the system,,, extra live rock ,,,, and set up a schedule for regular water changes,,, then stick to the schedule
— read anything you can find on saltwater tanks and systems
— in the second book you will see advice repeated from the first
— dont overfeed the fishes
—regular water changes
—filter maintenance
—compatible livestock
—water flow is essential
and ,, of course,,, remember ,,, you heard it here first