Oh hai, I'm new and setting up a small tank!

[thatg33kgirl]

Hello all, I'm new to the site and marine tanks, and I'm looking for tips and of course once I have everything up and running, suggestions of inverts/corals and such for my tiny little set up. <3

A little background: well, I've literally had fishes my whole life- used to be BIG into raising Lake Malawai (sp?) cichlids, and a brackish tank with a green spotted puffer. The only thing I've had lately is a 40-some gallon tank that is planted with community fish. And honey gouramis.

So I decided to leap (slowly!) into marine fish, since I've always wanted one. I know, the bigger the better, buuuut lets just say starting with the 12 gallons was the best way to go.

I bought this tank already: http://www.marineland.com/sites/Marineland/products/productdetail.aspx?id=2054&cid=1142&mid=3227 and waiting on a stand. I've purchased a small powerhead (Koriala Nano), and read a variety of books and rummaged through many sites, which I have posted on my new blog (see siggy). I'm also waiting on the salt to cure, and I've also set up a little hospital tank as well. Other things I've gotten are Joes Juice (which I hear is awesome for getting rid of pest anemones), some flake foods, "Wild Toe" food, a digital thermometer, and a marine test kit since my fw kit was a bit crusty.

Anyways, once I get everything settled and some live rock in there and cycled, and recommendations for beginner's corals and such would be great. Also wherever the best place to get a cleanup crew would be great! As far as fishes go, I just want a pair of clownfishes (common). And of course, any advice for a newb.

[Logzor]

First of all welcome to the site! It sounds like your first marine system is off to a great start.

For general knowledge I recommend the reef chemistry articles on Reef Central: http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/s ... did=102605

There is a ton of excellent information, ranging from the basics to complex chemistry. Definitely browse through these when you get the chance. Stable water parameters are an important part to marine systems - understanding how to manage them will allow you to make minor adjustments before problems occur.

In general, be wary of what you put into your tank and never impulse buy. Do research on everything! With new fish and coral additions, it is a good idea to quarantine them before going into the main display tank. That way you can avoid introducing parasites and unwanted algae (I use Coral RX). Try to avoid putting any algae into your system, they can quickly take over and smother expensive corals. To avoid algae growth, fed LIGHT! Every other day, even.

Hopefully that helps!

[thatg33kgirl]

Thanks Logzor! I'm checking out the articles now.

I started a little 10 gallon quarantine tank last week too, with just a little filter and heater in it. It seems to be cycling ever so slowly- I add a bit of marine flakes in every day to help the process.