[loveforfish]

i have a 10 gallon freshwater tank that i want to make marine now..


im looking to just do a basic setup with some live rock and a damsell or some other hardy small fish..

what all would i need to purchase besides the live rock to make this tank?

[loveforfish]

can i get some help?

[weez1959]

A small skimmer and a powerhead would be a good start. Also you have to be sure the tank never had meds in it like copper. Also If you want to add coral you might need some decent lighting. The base test kits like ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, PH, etc would be good also.

[Petoonia]

If your only doing a 10G. I would get a good HOB filter, and do regular water changes. If your only going to have 1 or 2 hardy fish you really dont need a skimmer, as long as you keep up with maintenance.

I maintained a similar set up for awhile with a percula clown, and a blue damsel.

[returnofsid]

I would strongly advise you to start with something larger. Salt water tanks are MUCH more delicate when it comes to fluctuating water parameters. The fish and corals just don't take fluctuations as well as FW species do. In a 10 gallon tank, you'll really have to know what you're doing and really stay ON TOP of your water parameters, testing and water changes EVERY day.

That being said....

If you're wanting a Fish Only with Live Rock (FOWLR) tank, regular fluorescent lighting will be adequate. I'd suggest a small power head and a HOB power filter (with the media removed and replaced with either Chaeto algae or a filter bag of Carbon). A skimmer isn't going to be mandatory, but I'd highly recommend it.

If you're wanting a reef tank, you'll need to upgrade to at least PC lighting. That would allow you to keep any soft coral and a lot of LPS corals. If you're wanting an SPS tank, you'll need a more intense lighting, such as T5HO or MH lighting. MH lighting could cause a serious heat issue in such a small tank though.

Keep in mind that you'll only really be able to safely keep 1 or 2 fish in a tank this size.