Hi, I'm new. Any suggestions?

[Crab Rangoon]

Howdy, I'm new around MAAST, I used to be just a lurker/reader over a year ago, but just started on again. For those of you who've come into River City Aquatics, you may know me, but for those who haven't, feel free to stop by :-D
I'm new to saltwater, completely new. I've currently got a 10 Gallon, which I set up with all cured lr/br, 80% fresh DI saltwater, and 20% used tankwater. It's got a Satellite 40w PC (daylight/actinic) on it, a Penguin Mini (soon to be 125), and an old power head (~100GPH) on it, and the temp stays 80-82 currently. There is about 11-12 lbs of rock, a small sebae anenome, small long tentacle anenome, small leather, small colony of green mushrooms (thx Tim), small red Zoe (ditto), ~3.5" brain coral, sm/md purple sea slug, 1.5" sixline wrasse, & 2 turbos (and I guess whatever critters come along w/the lr). Sounds like a lot for a 10g, huh? :oops: Anyhow, I'm planning for a Sexy Shrimp or two, 1 PomPom Crab, 1 anenome crab, 3 sm red hermits, 1 small l.horn cowfish, 1 Yellowhead Jawfish, small button polyp colony, small green star polyp, and an emerald crab.
Would any of you suggest against any of this? Anything you think I might should add, or put in as substitute to something in my wishlist/setup? I'm very open to input, and enthusiastic about learning.
(sorry for long post)

[Tim Marvin]

I'd advise against the fish. Cows should be kept by experience fish keepers, they are easily injured and get infections that are hard to cure. The jawfish are cool, but in such a small tank you will get very mad due to them constantly sifting sand and dumping it on all your corals. Try a clown goby or midas blenny. Gobies and blennies are usually great in small tanks. Two perculas would probably be fine in that set-up for a while also.

[Crab Rangoon]

Hm, good points to consider, which the only saltwater fish book we've got @ work didn't mention those negatives. Another thing I forgot to mention is this tank is just holding me off till I get a 55g setup at some other point this winter.

[Tim Marvin]

I hear Carlos is running smoking deals on Oceanics! LOL... You'll be into an 80 gallon soon and then 125...... I was up to around 1,000 gallons of saltwater at one point before I cut way back and now stick to the hard to find corals. Mainly SPS and caps.

[dan]

glad to have you on board.

[Crab Rangoon]

Eh, I've got 2 29's, a 10, a 55, an 88, and I'm using somebody elses 165 gallon tank right now too. I'm ordering a 125 in the coming months only to make into my Frontosa tank (when most of my non-Frontosa freshwater fish will be taking their leave), I'm about to set up one of my 29's for a friend so he can start saltwater, keeping the other to continue raising some valuable fry, continue with the 10g minireef, 55g will be salt as soon as I can foot the bill on its liverock, and the 88 w/overflow is still undecided. Its acrylic, and kinda scratched, so it wouldn't really make a desirable showy salt tank :\
& I'm glad to be welcome :D

[NaCl_H2O]

Welcome to MAAST!

Ditto on the Cow Fish!!

[MikeDeL]

Its acrylic, and kinda scratched, so it wouldn't really make a desirable showy salt tank :\

Have you tried buffing it out?

[witecap4u]

OoVWoO

[Crab Rangoon]

OoVWoO
fo' sho' ;) Nice ta see ya again.
And about buffing it out, yeah, I've got a acrylic scratch kit, and there are a few miniature marks that are more knicks than they are scratches, I've done the left and right side of the tanks, and half of the outside front of the tank. I'll be using the tank, and having it setup in my apt, but I dont think it would be too great of a show-quality setup with multiple "knicks" like I mentioned :-\ I cant complain though, tank & stand was 100 bucks. I've already scratched the Cow and Jaw from my current order, I'll skip the cowkeeping (as I havent found anything saying they are reef safe), and wait till the 50 before I get a Jawfish.