First marine tank...

[Tonyroma1]

Hey all,
I'm brand-new to this saltwater thing! This is my first post as you can see and I thought i'd run my plans by all of you pros. I have a ten gallon tank. I don't know if I'll actually have live plants and stuff yet, but the plans so far are this:

As of right now I have a strong fairly new penguin filter
A heater that i have always used on this 10 gal
saltwater at about 80 deg.
SG at .024-.025 (a tad high but i'm waiting it out)
aragonite substrate
2 green chromis (aprox 1" each)
1 Yellow tailed blue damsel (about 1")
Live rock coming in the next few days
let the tank "simmer" for about a month
swap out the fish and get 1 or 2 Ocellaris (?) clownfish

I need to go to class now- but you get the idea. What other fish could i possibly have in a good 10 gal.?? (ps i have a airstone attached to a pump hose in the water making lots of bubbles and the filter itself moves the water really well. There's a nice current in the tank. The fish are happy as could be right now! What do you all think?? :)

[el pez]

go with 2 fish instead of 3

[Tonyroma1]

All of my other sources tend to suggest that a saltwater tank can handle .5 inches per gallon (within reason - to a point) if it is in just right condition. If that's the case 3 happy LITTLE fish in a nice clean tank should be fine. If I'm wrong I'd like a second opinion... Thanks for the input!
One thing i'm noticing about the salty crowd - you are all awfully pessimistic! I think alot of things are possible in these tanks if you have the time and devotion. It seems that everyone here is trying to set concrete boundaries and say "NO you can't have that fish" etc. I'm not saying that this is what Pez did to me, but i've read it in other threads. I think the most constructive advice would sound more like "That fish would be difficult because... But if you...It could work" Thanks for hearing me out. I love this site otherwise, it's not like i'm leaving or anything. I think it's going to be a good resource! Glad I found it! Thanks for the help!

[Fishiebusiness]

It'll be much easier to keep fewer fish. You'll have less risk of crashing, less aggression between fish (and thus stress and disease), and less algae. Sure you can have more fish, but you'll have to do more work more often. I highly recommend getting a pair of ocellaris clownfish instead of the damsel and the two chromis. Clownfish are also more interesting with their hosting.

[el pez]

that inch of fish per gallon rule is pure crap. ask any experienced hobbyist here and they will agree.

you technically can put in 3 fish if you change the water way more frequently. but they will feel crowded

[MayerKT]

Tony

It was my experience that I could only keep "2 inches" of fish in my 10 gallon that I had in college for three years. I had a 2" ocellaris clown, and everytime I added an additional small fish - nature seemed to work it's way out and I would always end up with that one. I was always pretty dillegent with bi-weekly water changes as well. It ended up when i stopped adding additional fish, the maintence on the tank dropped as well - meaning that the chemistry was okay and I opted for monthly water changes. granted this was all with crushed coral and minimal live rock, as well as an aqua clear HOB filter with the media in - but it gives you an idea of my experience with a 10 gallon.

Maybe with a DSB, more liverock and a skimmer you would have more luck, but its easier to start off slow and add more as your system stabilizes.

BTW - most of us here are "pessimistic" (I rather we call it cautious and careful) because these organisms that we're keeping in our tanks are not disposable, as some would like to think. They are living beings and not nessessarily easily replacable in the ocean. That being we'd all rather take it slow and easy as to not cause any unnecessary death!

FWIW :)