Please call our toll free number to discuss ordering. 7:30 am - 10:00 pm CST Mon-Fri 8:00 am - 8:00 pm CST Sat-SunFinding small saltwater fish tank species for a small marine aquarium (nano tanks) is not difficult and they are often easily found in local saltwater reef stores and online. If you have a small saltwater aquarium it is vital to keep it lightly stocked and your water parameters stable. Make sure you research any fish you decide to get before you go to the store. Do not make that impulse buy or you may regret it later. Any fish tank from 10 to 30 gallons could be considered a small saltwater fish tank for the purposes of this article. Really, any saltwater tank under 30 gallons is going to be a chore to maintain (my opinion of course, to each his own). Nano tanks are often considered even smaller. It should also be noted that the smaller the fish tank the harder it is to keep in my opinion. Larger tanks provide so many more options for both equipment and fish species and I strongly urge any new hobbyists to get the largest tanks they can accommodate.

Leave the smaller specialty saltwater tank setups for when you become more experienced later on. The saltwater fish you're looking to keep in your small saltwater aquarium need to have a few characteristics to make the list below. You also need to keep in mind how they will get along with other species along with conspecifics. For better long term success, look for fish that: Banggai Cardinalfish - these fish stay on the small side and are not very active. Feeding wild caught specimens can be somewhat challenging at first so look for captive born specimens. They are mouthbrooders too! Pajama Cardinalfish - same as above, but most are still wild caught but they stay small and should eat most foods. Blue Devil Damselfish - these guys are on the small side but the downside to keeping them is they can be very territorial. Keeping multiples may prove to be a problem but they are generally very hardy. Blue Chromis - the chromis are one of my favorite species. They are awesome looking, stay small, eat most everything you can give them provided that it is small enough and they do well in groups.

Green Chromis - a great little fish that will sometimes get overlooked but they look amazing under bright aquarium lighting. Very hardy and does great in groups. They may bicker to establish a pecking order but in general they are good for smaller tanks and look fantastic in schools inside larger tanks. Clownfish - some species of clownfish get bigger than others. buy coral for aquariumThey are not active swimmers, nor do they patrol a large territory. boyu fish tank setup instructionsThough many folks keep them in smaller aquarium set ups, I don't think I would keep any of the clownfish species in a tank under 30 gallons as adults other than maybe the Amphiprion or Ocellaris.fake fish tank for sale

Neon Goby - These are a cleaner species that stays on the small side. Many hobbyists feel they should be left on the reef but they are being captive raised nowadays... Orchid Dottyback - these dottybacks are quite striking in coloration and could be kept in smaller tanks. They can be somewhat territorial and reclusive though and need hiding spaces.fish tank sand types White Belly Wrasse - sometimes picked up by reef tank keepers to help rid their tanks of unwanted coral pests. fish tank pump amazonThis is a good species that is generally hardy and will go after most foods put into the tank. nano fish tank 30lThey are farily active, so nothing smaller than 30 gallons is recommended. Lots of live rock for them to pick on is good and you also need a good fitting hood because (like most wrasses) they are really good jumpers.

Purple Firefish - I debated putting this one on the list but I'm going to anyway. I've found them to be somewhat challenging to feed at first. Once you get them eating though they are good to go. Good jumpers too so have a hood. Yellowtail Blue Damsel - these damsels stay small but they can be very territorial. They are hardy and will eat most foods presented. Catalina Goby - this is a cooler water species and could do well in a tank set up to meet their cooler water requirements. There are also invertebrates such as many of the cleaner shrimps, snails and hermit crabs that can be easily kept in smaller saltwater tanks. Obviously, the list above is just my opinion from years of being around them and don't take these recommendations as gospel. Research the species on your own and form your own opinion before you buy them. Look into the gobies, basslets, along with some of the wrasses and blennies for more ideas on small saltwater fish species.I managed to build this tank including fish and live rock for that price!  

The reason I felt something like this needed to be done was due to the lack of instructional nano reef tank builds online.  I picked a five gallon tank because of a few reasons.-Cheap to keep running after its set up.-Less time needed to clean tank.-Easy one gallon water changes weekly.-No need for a protein skimmer.Furthermore, I have included links to each product I chose for the build included below.  I have an amazon prime account so I wanted to take advantage of that as well as not having to wait very long.  If you are planning on building this setup please make sure you read through the Assembling your Nano Reef Page.  There is additional information about the build, care and techniques for a successful reef.5 Gallon Reef Aquarium – $64.99I chose this particular marine aquarium because it met minimum qualifications for a marine tank.  It has a hidden sump pump, bio-foam, charcoal filtration, and an included light.  In addition to that, it had great reviews and it was SUPER cheap.

The lighting, I added that specific model because I rather like a blue hue to my tank, but there is an exact model with just white instead.  This light is perfect because of the minimum of 3-5 watts per gallon guideline for reef tanks.  Another reason is that it attaches perfectly to the tank.I looked for ages for a power-head small enough for a 5 gallon nano tank, and nothing with the amount of GPH I needed, this little pump fits perfectly on one of the sides, and provides just the right amount of flow for the tank.  It IS needed due to the pump included with the tank does not meet standards.  This pump is important because it limits the amount of detritus that collects on the sand and overall decreases your nitrite and nitrate levels, also most coral require high flow.The salt water mix could be switched out for other brands, I personally think they’re all the same.  If you are not comfortable mixing your own salt or like myself, too lazy, you could go to your local fish store and purchase premixed salt water.  

Usually its around a dollar or two per gallon. Remember, five gallons should last over a month.The live sand can be switched out with different colors if you choose.  Make sure to get no more than 10lbs, even that was way too much.The glorious nano magnet.  All your maintenance solved in an inch square cleaning pad.  The Hydrometer is so important, the fastest way to ruin your reef is by having screwed up salinity.  I made the mistake of trusting the LFS(Local fish store) and I lost two corals right off the get go.  They had given me fish safe salinity around 1.19 and reefs require around 1.26, Always check your tank salinity and your premixed water.Tubing is used to target piles of detritus(Poop) and extract them while doing your 1 gallon water change.  Its also perfect for acclimating your fish!I made an arch with my live rock, and beneath it was so under-lit, I decided to purchase the LED spotlight and its perfect!  You may not need this if you don’t mind dark areas in your tank.