Beginner fish and anemone questions

[Patrick M Bodega Aquatics]

Fishkeepers,

Hello! I am hoping to start my first saltwater aquarium. I have a 10 gallon I want to convert from fresh to salt. What are some good beginner coral / aneonmes? I am hoping to stock with trochus / astrea snails, sexy shrimp, a clown goby, and 2 clownfish. I have experience with freshwater but I know nothing about saltwater. Do you think the species I named would be overstocking? I don't know if there if there are stocking recommendations that are different that fresh. My ph is in the high 7s. I am open to buying an RODI filter if needed but I don't have it now. Are there any other fish that would be good in a 10g? The dimensions for the tank is 12.5 in L x 12.5 in W x 19.5 in H (31.7 x 31.7 x 49.5 cm). It has a Top Fin power filter. Is there a different kind of filter I would need? If you had an empty 10 gallon aquarium, and could do whatever you want with it, what would you do with stocking and decor? Thank you all so much for answering my current and former questions. It means a lot and after being in the freshwater community for 10 years, it is amazing to discover the saltwater community as well.

Respectfully,
Patrick M

 

[biecacka]

Clownfish are a good beginner fish for sure!!! However, I would hold off on the anemone for awhile....at least 6 months. They can be temperamental and difficult in a new set up. Plus they wander until they are happy and like the spot, they don’t care where you want them. My buddies decided it wants to be in the back of his tank, he hasn’t seen it in almost a year. Mine took 3 years before the clownfish even went into the anemone, they ignored one another for the whole time leading up. It’s not always a guaranteed match. Not trying to rain on your parade, just being honest. They can be finicky and don’t always host one another. However, once acclimated and settled in they are awesome and over time can possibly split. Mine did a few times.
First off, I would invest in the RODI unit, so you can start with good water. A solid base for any future additions.

welcome to reef2reef!!

corey

 

[Reefer5640]

Welcome to the reef side. I’ll second what @biecacka said about the RODI. Small tanks like a ten gallon are tricky. A lot of people think that the smaller the tank the less stress or problems but they are effected by minor swings in a major way. So as long as you keep your water parameters super stable you’ll be just fine. I would say it’s pretty much impossible to be successful “long term” in a nano or pico without an ATO. You could get away with just buying distilled water from the store rather than getting an RODI system but whatever you do, do not use tap water or water conditioners. Some people get away with it because their city water is decent enough but without knowing it’s not worth it.

As for the fish. Two clowns and a clown goby is a good amount for a 10g. Definitely wait to be certain you can keep your parameter swings in check and all your algae blooms are through before adding an anemone. As for getting the clowns to host it can be hit and miss as previously mentioned but there are things you can do to influence the relationship.

One other thing I’d mention is either wait to add corals until the nem seems to have a good spot. Or buy them knowing there’s a good chance you may loose a few pieces or at least get damaged while the nem is roaming. And even after it finds a spot. It’s not uncommon for them to move again later on. They usually move when theres a swing in parameters, or change in lighting, or flow. In a 10 gal them swings are going to be the challenge. That’s why I mentioned having the swings dialed in before adding the nem, or corals for that matter.

As for the filter, hang on the backs are fine as long as you implement an ATO. This one is really cool