Hi, my name is Jess. I was recently gifted a 45 gal aquarium and I want to make it my first saltwater tank. I have a basic understanding of the things I need, but I'm not sure how to pick specific things. I know I need an RODI but I'm not sure which one I want. I understand how to build a sump, but not what to put in it. I'd like help planning everything out so I can figure out exactly what I need before I start. So far I have a short list of fish I like, but I think it's too many for a 45. I'm not sure what to keep and what to scratch. So far I know I want; coral beauty angelfish, diamond goby, blue spot jawfish, green mandarin goby, midas blenny, maroon clownfish, green chromis(schooling?), pajama cardinalfish(schooling?), helfrichi firefish, and my boyfriend wants me to get a snowflake moray, but I'm strongly opposed to eels. I love green mandrin goby's but someone said I can't have one in a new tank. I was told to scratch the jawfish, but I'm not sure why. I was told that maroon clowns are really bitey with fingers, but I'm not sure if saltwater fish bites actually hurt. My kribensis bite me all the time and it doesn't bother me lol.
Need help planning first tank.
- Thread starter Jessica Erhard
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Bucs20fan
Valuable Member
Best case I can tell you is do a ton of research on these fish, several of those you have mentioned have very specific care requirements as you mentioned the mandarin goby. The snowflake would eat your cleanup crew and a 45 is pushing it for a fully grown snowflake anyway. Best advice is time is your friend. Do not do anything fast and do lots of research on each type of fish you want and their care. Decide if you want only fish or if you want corals. This is important because the list of fish is different for each.
Sharkbait19
10K Club member
I agree with the above.
Clowns are similar to kribs, but a big maroon will have a pretty nasty bite and could draw blood. Maroons are also one of the meanest clowns and will cause trouble. Occelaris is on average one of the least aggressive.
Snowflake really needs at least 75 BARE minimum imo. A 2 foot eel really needs bigger than that. Midas blenny is eel like and a good replacement.
I’d also not really recommend a mandarin in so small a tank, they starve themselves out fast.
Chromis will probably just kill each other.
Jawfish can be tricky and may get into fights with the diamond goby so that may be why it was not recommended.
Everything else is okay, but I really wouldn’t do more than 7-8 fish in that size tank.
Like said, take it slow and research everything. I highly recommend having a quarantine tank to keep disease out of the display tank where it is much harder to treat for illness.
Clowns are similar to kribs, but a big maroon will have a pretty nasty bite and could draw blood. Maroons are also one of the meanest clowns and will cause trouble. Occelaris is on average one of the least aggressive.
Snowflake really needs at least 75 BARE minimum imo. A 2 foot eel really needs bigger than that. Midas blenny is eel like and a good replacement.
I’d also not really recommend a mandarin in so small a tank, they starve themselves out fast.
Chromis will probably just kill each other.
Jawfish can be tricky and may get into fights with the diamond goby so that may be why it was not recommended.
Everything else is okay, but I really wouldn’t do more than 7-8 fish in that size tank.
Like said, take it slow and research everything. I highly recommend having a quarantine tank to keep disease out of the display tank where it is much harder to treat for illness.
RocketEngineer
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Forgive me if you know all this already:
RODI: At the most basic level, I prefer an RODI that uses standard 10” housings. That way I’m not stuck buying some company’s over-priced proprietary replacements. Also, most of the pre-filters that use 10” housings can go a year between replacement for most folks. Depending on your local water will change the number of stages. 4 is the bare minimum but may not cover your needs. A basic particulate filter is first, then carbon. If you have public water, two carbon filters is recommended because of the potential of chlorine, which will destroy the membrane. The two common RO membranes are by Dow, one is 75 gpd, one is 100gpd. They work best at 60 psi or higher so consider a boaster pump if you have low water pressure. After the RO is the de-ionizing bed. One mixed bed may be enough, or two to be safe. You can also get cations and anion bed material separately if you’re water is one way or another.
Regarding specifics: I’m partial to Bulk Reef Supply. I’ve been using them for refills for years. Their 5-stage system should work for most setups but you can call them and they will direct you from there if you have a special case. I also went with the Smart Buddy as my water pressure is low.
RODI: At the most basic level, I prefer an RODI that uses standard 10” housings. That way I’m not stuck buying some company’s over-priced proprietary replacements. Also, most of the pre-filters that use 10” housings can go a year between replacement for most folks. Depending on your local water will change the number of stages. 4 is the bare minimum but may not cover your needs. A basic particulate filter is first, then carbon. If you have public water, two carbon filters is recommended because of the potential of chlorine, which will destroy the membrane. The two common RO membranes are by Dow, one is 75 gpd, one is 100gpd. They work best at 60 psi or higher so consider a boaster pump if you have low water pressure. After the RO is the de-ionizing bed. One mixed bed may be enough, or two to be safe. You can also get cations and anion bed material separately if you’re water is one way or another.
Regarding specifics: I’m partial to Bulk Reef Supply. I’ve been using them for refills for years. Their 5-stage system should work for most setups but you can call them and they will direct you from there if you have a special case. I also went with the Smart Buddy as my water pressure is low.
RocketEngineer
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Sump: A sump is a great place to hide all the equipment you don’t want cluttering up the display. At its simplest, a sump can have nothing in it, just a box of water and a pump. Most folks hide their heaters down there, a skimmer if you have one. The pump section will change water level with evaporation so it’s where nearly everyone includes an ATO. Beyond that depends a lot on the approach you want to take. Filters, refugium, frag growth zone, any thing that goes into your setup. The options are endless. Or keep it simple. Mine will have the skimmer and two heaters. I’m not sure what else yet. And this will be sump #3 for me.
Amelanchier
Community Member
The person who recommended against the blue spot jawfish was probably doing so because that species of fish needs colder water than the standard reef tank and they die relatively quickly when forced to live in tropical water temps.
Mandarins aren’t usually recommended for new tanks because they don’t tend to accept prepared food, and are expert copped hunters that will deplete the small population of a new tank quickly, and then starve to death. If you decide you do want to have one read up on people’s experiences with them here but in general things like a refugium, lots of live rock in a tank that’s at least 30-40 gallons especially if the tank has been set up for a year+, a willingness to culture copepods (and phytoplankton) and/or getting a captive bread mandarin (that is already willing to eat some prepared foods so it’s not completely reliant on copepods) are all ways that people have success with mandarins.
Good luck figuring out your tank plan! This stage is so exciting I think, and it’s great to be thinking about future fish now so you can plan your tank to meet their specific habitat needs.
Mandarins aren’t usually recommended for new tanks because they don’t tend to accept prepared food, and are expert copped hunters that will deplete the small population of a new tank quickly, and then starve to death. If you decide you do want to have one read up on people’s experiences with them here but in general things like a refugium, lots of live rock in a tank that’s at least 30-40 gallons especially if the tank has been set up for a year+, a willingness to culture copepods (and phytoplankton) and/or getting a captive bread mandarin (that is already willing to eat some prepared foods so it’s not completely reliant on copepods) are all ways that people have success with mandarins.
Good luck figuring out your tank plan! This stage is so exciting I think, and it’s great to be thinking about future fish now so you can plan your tank to meet their specific habitat needs.
Lavey29
10K Club member
Welcome aboard, I'm sure you will find great info here from very knowledgeable reefers. Take some trips to your LFS and look at their sump set ups. When you get ready to start actual live ocean rock is great to Kickstart the cycle and biodiversity. Take all steps slow and methodically.
PatW
2500 Club Member
OK for a 45 gallon:
coral beauty - a bit small for one of these guys.
diamond goby - fine
bluespot jawfish - jawfish like coarse sand and need about 4” of it. It is a better pick for a specialized biome situation.
green mandarin - these guys like lots of live food all the time. Some will eat non live but not really a fish for a new reefer. They are better off in a tank that is set up around their needs.
maroon clown fish - really needs a bigger tank. The ocillaris clown is a better choice but clowns again should be a center piece sort of thing.
Midas blenny - fine
green chromis - they tend to murder each other. One of is a better choice. Also, for having a group of fish, a way bigger tank is a better option.
pajama cardinal - fine but not a school. I have had Bengai cardinals in a 300 gallon. I tried 2 pair and it worked for awhile until one pair murdered the other. Then they were fine.
Fire fish - fine.
Getting a decent RODI system makes life much easier, you can make your own top off water and mix your own salt. No toting gallons from the LFS and they pay for themselves in about a year.
Having a sump is REALLY nice.
If you have the space and the $$ you might think of a 75 gallon. It would not be much more work than a 45. With more size, it would be more stable and stability is critical in reef aquariums. Also, you have more options for fish with a 4’ tank like a small tang.
coral beauty - a bit small for one of these guys.
diamond goby - fine
bluespot jawfish - jawfish like coarse sand and need about 4” of it. It is a better pick for a specialized biome situation.
green mandarin - these guys like lots of live food all the time. Some will eat non live but not really a fish for a new reefer. They are better off in a tank that is set up around their needs.
maroon clown fish - really needs a bigger tank. The ocillaris clown is a better choice but clowns again should be a center piece sort of thing.
Midas blenny - fine
green chromis - they tend to murder each other. One of is a better choice. Also, for having a group of fish, a way bigger tank is a better option.
pajama cardinal - fine but not a school. I have had Bengai cardinals in a 300 gallon. I tried 2 pair and it worked for awhile until one pair murdered the other. Then they were fine.
Fire fish - fine.
Getting a decent RODI system makes life much easier, you can make your own top off water and mix your own salt. No toting gallons from the LFS and they pay for themselves in about a year.
Having a sump is REALLY nice.
If you have the space and the $$ you might think of a 75 gallon. It would not be much more work than a 45. With more size, it would be more stable and stability is critical in reef aquariums. Also, you have more options for fish with a 4’ tank like a small tang.
Rick's Reviews
2500 Club Member
Mandarins need ALOT of attention, I purposely cycled my aquriam for 1 year empty to create pod culture.
reef2reef members offer so much guidance on all aquatic life so please research, patience and research is key to success
reef2reef members offer so much guidance on all aquatic life so please research, patience and research is key to success
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Jessica Erhard
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Thank you so much for every one's input! I think I know what I want to do for my fish list. Obviously I don't plan on adding them all at once. The green Mandarin will be a last add a long way down the road, but I still want to include everything I want in the future on the list.
Green Chromis - also considered an anthias of some kind, but I think they're too big.
Coral Beauty Angelfish - Getting a juvenile and plan on upgrading to a 90 when the times comes.
Diamond Goby -
Green Mandarin Goby - adding someday
Midas Blenny
Occellaris Clownfish - easiest tempered clown?
Pajama Cardinalfish
Helfrichi Firefish
Part of me also really wants to add a juvenile convict tang and move him with coral Beauty when I upgrade to my 125.
Green Chromis - also considered an anthias of some kind, but I think they're too big.
Coral Beauty Angelfish - Getting a juvenile and plan on upgrading to a 90 when the times comes.
Diamond Goby -
Green Mandarin Goby - adding someday
Midas Blenny
Occellaris Clownfish - easiest tempered clown?
Pajama Cardinalfish
Helfrichi Firefish
Part of me also really wants to add a juvenile convict tang and move him with coral Beauty when I upgrade to my 125.
