6g reef

[Butters scotch]

Hello I'm new to the saltwater hobby. And I want to start out small. So one of my friends gave me a 6g fluval edge with filters and a heater. In the I would like to keep, 2 occelaris clowns, and 1 white banded possum wrasse. I will also have a assortment of coral, and live rock. And maybe some kinds of invert or crusts. I don't want any criticism about the fish. I just want to what else I'll need.

 

[MMacro]

Please don't put fish in a 6 gallon tank, you know you shouldn't.
Why not just upgrade to a 20 long or a biocube 29?

 

[noj3333]

Yeah... for very little money you could get a 20g long...
A tank that small is also much harder to keep, very low water volume = large swings in you parameters...

 

[moneymm]

I just want to what else I'll need.

a bigger tank.

I dont understand the fascination with such a small tank. no fish are rated for a tank that small. switch to freshwater and get a gold fish. or get serious and get a bigger tank.

 

[SammyL]

a bigger tank.

I dont understand the fascination with such a small tank. No fish are rated for a tank that small. Switch to freshwater and get a gold fish. Or get serious and get a bigger tank.

+1

 

[Butters scotch]

I already have multiple freshwater tanks I want to build with what I have

 

[Butters scotch]

Oh it's actually a 12g

 

[MMacro]

Oh it's actually a 12g

A 12 gallon is still to small for a pair of clownfish. If you really want a reef tank I would invest in a larger tank and get what you need so you can do things correctly.

 

[gone fishin]

Other than the size, once you add in rock and sand total water will volume will most likely be around 7 gallons. A pair of clowns are territorial and in smaller tanks they are more aggressive. Realistically you are looking at a couple inverts. Possibly a goby & pistol shrimp. I personally would not do it.

 

[Azedenkae]

A 12 gallon is still to small for a pair of clownfish. If you really want a reef tank I would invest in a larger tank and get what you need so you can do things correctly.

I disagree. I have a pair in a 10 gallon. They are fine.

 

[pyithar]

I disagree. I have a pair in a 10 gallon. They are fine.

if you're just quarantining them, they'll be fine. but they won't be fine long term in that size tank. think of it this way. if someone put a human couple in a 10 foot by 10 foot room, and give them food everyday, they'll survive. but they'll be so stressed out and might not live their full lives. jmo.

 

[fishhuman]

Hello I'm new to the saltwater hobby. And I want to start out small. So one of my friends gave me a 6g fluval edge with filters and a heater. In the I would like to keep, 2 occelaris clowns, and 1 white banded possum wrasse. I will also have a assortment of coral, and live rock. And maybe some kinds of invert or crusts. I don't want any criticism about the fish. I just want to what else I'll need.

I know smaller seems better but it is actually a lot harder to keep becuase of quick evaporation, and overheating, and other things. I assume you do not want to buy a larger tank( a good beginner tank size is 30-40 gallons) you can find it cheap on craiglist

 

[MondoBongo]

I don't want any criticism about the fish. I just want to what else I'll need.

fair enough.

what else you'll need:

a proper sized tank to house your livestock.

 

[Robert123]

You should take some criticism ( or not ask ) as these folks are only trying to help you have success.
Your livestock dying will cost more than a 20 gallon tank.

 

[Clownfish Chris]

Butters, I have been rather silent on this forum as everyone tends to say what needs to be said. In this case though, maybe I can be of a little help. As you have kept freashwater, you know that smaller tanks are harder to maintain than large. I was exactly the same way when I got my first salt. I bought a 10gal, some salt, and sand. A short time later after loosing a few fish and having a massive redslime outbreak, I have a 29gal with my little 10gallon turned into a sump. I have a much higher than average knowledge of biology and thought just like you that I can do this. Im telling you that if I would have started out right, I would have spent far less money, would be much farther along, and three dead fish would still be alive.

 

[Azedenkae]

if you're just quarantining them, they'll be fine. but they won't be fine long term in that size tank. think of it this way. if someone put a human couple in a 10 foot by 10 foot room, and give them food everyday, they'll survive. but they'll be so stressed out and might not live their full lives. jmo.

I'm sure if you put them in a 20'x20', they won't be that much better off. Going from living in at least towns or cities into living in a single house or apartment forever is pretty much what happens to our fish.

The moment we stuff them into our fish tanks, there's very, very few that can provide comparable space to the wild.

Of course, there is a lower, limit though, and for example a couple may still befine in a 10'x10' area, they may not be in a 5'x5'.

Issue is what's the lower limit? Well it's hard to say, and everyone will have different opinions. In my opinion and my experience, a 10g is fine.

 

[MMacro]

I'm sure if you put them in a 20'x20', they won't be that much better off. Going from living in at least towns or cities into living in a single house or apartment forever is pretty much what happens to our fish.

The moment we stuff them into our fish tanks, there's very, very few that can provide comparable space to the wild.

Of course, there is a lower, limit though, and for example a couple may still befine in a 10'x10' area, they may not be in a 5'x5'.

Issue is what's the lower limit? Well it's hard to say, and everyone will have different opinions. In my opinion and my experience, a 10g is fine.

They may seem fine for now but will most likely get stressed out over time.

 

[Nina51]

a 10g is fine.

probably ok for a little while when the clowns are tiny. but, what happens as they grow and one transitions to female? can you imagine the stress when the mister starts leaving his dirty underwear on the floor? oh, it might be ok once or twice but after that, i see much carnage.

to the OP, knowledgeable people are trying to be helpful. if you look at the experience level of some of these posters, you will realize they know what they're talking about. i think we can all pretty much agree that liveaquaria.com is a trusted source and even they don't suggest anything under 20g is appropriate for even ONE clown fish.

but, since you didn't want any criticism of your fish choices, you are probably gonna do what you wanna do anyway. *sigh*

 

[Azedenkae]

@Reeferplax: Is there any studies or something concrete on that?

@Nina51: I wouldn't call LiveAquaria a trusted source of information... a lot of what they have is wrong. Granted they don't say 'this is the minimum tank size' or 'this is the temperature range', having it all instead as suggestions, but still.

 

[gbru316]

A beginner really shouldn't start off with anything less than a 29 gallon. With a tank smaller, massive chemistry changes can happen overnight and unless one has the experience to understand what is happening, it'll often lead to loss of life.

But as Nina mentioned, you're probably going to do what you want regardless of what people with experience recommend, so good luck. Just know that many of us that are advising you have "been there, done that" and are basing our recommendations off of our previous failures.