Starting a new 5-gallon reef tank what do I put inside??

[3rd Coast Reefer]

Sounds like you want the goby pistol shrimp pair so go with that. Do some research on which gobies will pair with shrimp, look up these fish and decide based on size, color, bahavior traits. This is a decision you'll have to make there is no "best fish to get"
Have you thought about sexy shrimp, these little guys will be perfect for a nano.

 

[SaltySmoke13]

I am new to salt as well and because I hate myself I got a 5 gallon. I’ve had success thus far but let me tell you I do a significant amount of daily maintenance to keep it pristine with stable parameters. Absolutely cannot skip a day. I won’t offer advice because I am literally brand new to salt but I’ll tell you as far as live stock I have a Randall’s pistol shrimp, 2 blue leg hermits and a snail. Some assorted corals too and I made the mistake of listening to petco instead of my lfs and put a Condy anemone in there too (would not recommend as I’ll have to rehome him). It is a LOT of work. And I truly mean A LOT with a tank this small.

 

[lil sumpin]

I am new to salt as well and because I hate myself I got a 5 gallon. I’ve had success thus far but let me tell you I do a significant amount of daily maintenance to keep it pristine with stable parameters. Absolutely cannot skip a day. I won’t offer advice because I am literally brand new to salt but I’ll tell you as far as live stock I have a Randall’s pistol shrimp, 2 blue leg hermits and a snail. Some assorted corals too and I made the mistake of listening to petco instead of my lfs and put a Condy anemone in there too (would not recommend as I’ll have to rehome him). It is a LOT of work. And I truly mean A LOT with a tank this small.

You've lived your whole life without seasoning your food?! No way you're new to salt. Don't hate yourself! Instead of being low key with your advice, why not tell us all about what you've done to keep it pristine with stable parameters? I skip days but never more than two or three, sometimes a week never a month. I wanna think I'm doing the work too but it sounds like you're doing a whole lot more!

 

[SaltySmoke13]

You've lived your whole life without seasoning your food?! No way you're new to salt. Don't hate yourself! Instead of being low key with your advice, why not tell us all about what you've done to keep it pristine with stable parameters? I skip days but never more than two or three, sometimes a week never a month. I wanna think I'm doing the work too but it sounds like you're doing a whole lot more!

There’s a couple different weird things I do so don’t judge me lol I like to call my sand my
Zen garden and every day I go in there and pick a section of sand and blow it out with my baster and then take my little pipette thing to grab what I can see to remove and daily I swap out about 2-3 cups of water with new water. I test parameters morning and night (salt, PH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate…haven’t figured out how to read reef test kit properly) and change how much water I swap or how much sand I sift based on readings.

 

[lil sumpin]

This is a great precedent to set! Testing parameters and general husbandry are habits that really should be implemented from the get. I think most of us are initially ready to stock up and fill in the box of suck we're looking at in the moment and make it look like a spectacle. Unless you're overstocking your tank in less than 72 hours, this is mostly a judgment free zone. Slow and steady wins the race

 

[SaltySmoke13]

This is a great precedent to set! Testing parameters and general husbandry are habits that really should be implemented from the get. I think most of us are initially ready to stock up and fill in the box of suck we're looking at in the moment and make it look like a spectacle. Unless you're overstocking your tank in less than 72 hours, this is mostly a judgment free zone. Slow and steady wins the race

I made many many many many mistakes when I got into the freshwater hobby a few years ago so I’m making sure to do it right this time with salt! Well, as right as I can! I wing it with a lot of stuff I do which is why I don’t want to offer advice to anyone lol but so far so good!