New tank advice needed!

[kekke1082]

Hello RC members! I'm very new to saltwater aquariums and i have a few questions. If there are any questions i forget to ask let me know lol. First question: I have 8 unused 10gallon aquariums ideally I'd like to use one or two for nano reef setups, what are good beginners for nano reefs ( fish and inverts or species specific)? Second question: Ideally I'd like to use one or more of my empty tanks for sumps and refugiums, any thoughts on how to possibly connect multiple tanks to create one continuous system(i.e 3 tanks sharing a sump and refugium and increasing overall water volume)? Third question: I'm a Florida resident, what native species would you recommend for a beginner to keep?

One more thing, I'm also going to be purchasing a much larger aquarium next week for my bday something between 55 and 90 gallons. What beginner fish could be kept in a tank of this size? I'd really like community fish if possible. As you van tell i have plenty of time on my hands for maintenance. Thanks sin advance for reading!

[nmotz]

I've heard many say that 55 gallon tanks are a pain to aquascape because they are too narrow. Go 75G possibly.

There are plenty of ways you can connect three or more of those tanks together. You just need the right equipment or to know someone who can do the glass drilling for you. Or you can buy an overflow box and some tubing. You could get (or make) a sturdy 3 level shelf system with your refugium on top, display in the middle and sump on the bottom, all connected.

I don't know about recommending fish to you, but might I suggest that you turn either the sump or the refugium into a mantis shrimp tank? They are absolutely the most entertaining creatures, and kept by themselves are a great addition to your marine wildlife community. I like to toss in ghost shrimp every now and then and watch them go nuts just chasing them all over the place. Many mantis shrimp, especially those that are content in a 10G, are really hardy and difficult for a newbie to kill. Some survive out of water for hours while LR is being left to dry on the beach before it's packed up and shipped. That's how they become hitchhikers.

[pbft_90]

I agree the 55 is kind of a pain to aquascape I'd go 75-90 you'll be happier as will your fish. Tanks in that range would be a great size for community fish. Anthias, clowns, reef safe wrasses, some tangs, damsels, gobies, cardinals, dottybacks, and blennys to name a few. What I always do is pick what fish I want first then pick the appropriate tank for the biggest most active fish I choose so I don't get buyers remorse 6 months down the road and do what many folks do and say "I know this fish will eventually outgrow the tank I have but I'll just buy a small one and upgrade tank in the future" but then you see some really massive tang in a 40g tank and the fish is clearly flipping off his owner. At the end of the day.... Bigger is always better if you ask me.

[kekke1082]

Thanks ill give it a try without drilling first ive got about 15ft of pvc pipe just waiting to be utilized and a sheet of acrylic to play with. I hadnt thought about mantis shrimp...arent they known for breaking aquariums? They are extremely cool to look at im just worried about a potential leak if it gets too excited while hunting. Also they would have to be kept singly correct?

[kekke1082]

Thats a good idea pbft_90. I actually do have a few species in mind for the nano tanks and a few in mind for the large one im getting.

For the nano tank(s) i havent decided if ill do just one or a few ill see what my resources look like.
-kauderns cardinals, flame cardinals, or spotted cardinals
-peppermint shrimp and small corals or anemone
-chromis and corals
-any type of goby under $30 they are all so dang awesome
-and lastly a toss up between royal grammas and damsels

I have no idea what to do in the larger tank.there are a few fish ive considered however some are not reef compatible or require a larger tank then what i will be able to provide at this time. Im considering using the larger tank as a seahorse tank or reef tank with many smaller colorful fish or maybe even a clownfish tank.
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[fishhuman]

Clownfish tank won't work if you have any more than two they will likely kill each other

[kekke1082]

Im aware of the constraints of keeping clowns fishhuman but thank you for your advice. If i do a clownfish tank the only other tankmates would probably be chromis or maybe cardinals ill have to check the compatibility chart in my marine aquarium guide book

[E46Twist]

FireFish have a lot of color. I get lucky with my Hels as it is bold and always out.

[kekke1082]

I was actually just looking at some firefish on liveaquaria.com. i think that would be the perfect fish to begin with. Ill be getting started next week. Ive been getting some conflicting info. One site says to keep no more then a mated pair in a reef system another site said you can house a few together if they are introduced at the same time as juveniles. Which is the better way to go? Im guessing that only a pair is suitable for the 10 gallon nano tank but what about in a larger system?

[Sk8r]

Firefish don't always like each other: same type is the best bet.

[kekke1082]

Thanks! Ill keep that in mind as i check around the local fish stores to see which species are most readily available in my area.

[Zer0.]

Thanks ill give it a try without drilling first ive got about 15ft of pvc pipe just waiting to be utilized and a sheet of acrylic to play with.
just don't use the acrylic as baffles for a glass sump. They can expand in saltwater and break the glass tank. There are plenty of pictures of this on these forums unfortunately. Good luck have fun!

[dkeller_nc]

Don't be frightened of glass drilling - it's really quite easy, and there's a ton of good tutorials on the 'net. And - diamond glass hole saws are one heck of a lot cheaper than when I started this hobby.

Ditto on the recommended tank sizes. In the smaller range <100 gallons, 75s and 40 gallon breeders have the right front-to-back glass distance relative to height. A 75 gallon can be purchased "reef ready" - pre-drilled and plumbed, ready for a stand, lights, and sump. A 40 gallon breeder you will likely have to drill yourself, but that's not too tough. Deep blue, by the way, makes several specialty tanks that are good reef candidates, including their frag tanks.

With respect to native Florida wildlife, be aware that there are some pretty specific regulations on collecting and keeping native marine wildlife. Some things require permits, or are banned altogether. One source for excellent live rock and reef life is Tampa Bay Saltwater. If you live in South Florida, you could pick the items up rather than have it shipped, which will both save you a ton of $$ and also get the rock/life into your tank ASAP, which equals less die-off.

[kekke1082]

I may drill the large tank depending on which size I get I'm hoping for at least an 80gallon but my gf wants to surprise me for my bday so I have no idea what she's going to get although I have given many hints lol. On the smaller tanks I'm just going to try creating a closed system using as many of the tanks as I can to increase my overall water volume. Some of the tanks are going to end up being dart frog terrariums so that will leave me 6-7 empty tanks for a nano reef system with multiple displays(if all goes well). I'm in north west Florida so I may lean more towards gulf of Mexico natives or maybe do a selerate brackish tank but I degrees. There's a local store that I think is able to provide an in depth reef fish regulation packet I'll have to check on that. I know that the FWC has a harvesting guide in the recreational fishing guidelines book that they put out each year so I've gotta find my copy...grrr time to go through some boxes!

[kekke1082]

Dang auto correct! That should say desperate tank and I don't know yet not I degrees