10 Gallon Nano FOWLR

dylan94

So when I do water changes d I have to buy more saltwater?

dallops_of_polyps

yes

dylan94

Wouldn't it be easier just to buy a large bag of marine salt and just make saltwater for when I need it? If I do 20% water changes every week, I would only have to make a 2 gallon saltwater mix. That isn't much salt and if I buy a big bag, I will have enough salt for a long time.

fishesfriend

Please reduce the number of snails to 1 or 2. Snails eat lots of algea. Saddly your snails would starve to death do to lack of algea.

dylan94

Okay so 2 astrea snails would be better?

Recap of stocking list:
- 2 ocellaris clowns
- 2 astrea snails
- 5 hermit crabs
- 2 skunk shrimp

Sounds good. I just assumed 10 because I have 2 nerite or zebra snails in my 10 gallon now and they don't eat algae quick enough or efficient enough so I needed amano shrimp and cories to help them out. Since I am not going to get a protein skimmer, will I have to do weekly water changes or will bi-weekly water changes suffice? I was thinking 20% water changes every 2nd week but I don't know if that will do.

I somewhat looked into lighting for corals and the T-5 and halide lighting were sooo expensive. I saw some that said 'starting at 249.99' and I was very discouraged. I am assuming if I wanted to have corals I would need to entirely upgrade my lightin system, a.k.a. buy a whole new top or lighting system.

fishesfriend

nerite and bumble bee eat more uneaten food in the sand than algea on the glass.

dylan94

Would you recommend adding any other clean up crew members like nerite snails for example? Also, just to be sure, 2 clowns will be the only fish in the aquarium? I am pretty sure the answer is no, but would it be possible to add a clown goby or firefish after the clowns pair up or is the tank already at the stocking limit?

wake49

Maybe a Yasha Goby would work as a third tankmate. Yeah, I would like that addition.

You will find that maybe three or four nassarius snails will help in cleanup of the substrate. I would throw in half a dozen hermits (remember, there is no such thing as a reef safe crab, so there will be an issue with snails...), and maybe three or four cerith snails. I would wait on the ceriths until the tank is mature.

dylan94

There is no such thing as a reef safe crab? I thought blue leg hermit crabs were reef safe. Did you mean there is no such thing as a reef safe snail? I thought astrea snails were reef safe too.

Stocking list recap:
- 2 ocellaris clownfish
- 1 yasha goby
- 6 blue leg hermit crabs
- 4 nassarius snails
- 4 cerith snails
- 3 camleback shrimp

Does this sound OK? I will start the tank out as a FOWLR and then maybe eventually upgrade my lighting to accomodate corals.

trukgirl

I just want to say thanks for this thread. Its helping me with my 10g too!! :)