Is this small SW set-up with clowns feasable for a newbie?

[berryj]

Alright, I want to get a small fish tank, and I would love to make it SW if I can swing it. Im leaning towards an Eclipse 12 with Bio-Wheel. (another option is 15 gallon high tank) And all I really want to have in it are two clowns: a black percula and a true percula....or 2 true perculas.

Now, Im sure most of you are laughing at me b/c of my desire for such a small tank but Would it really be that difficult for a newbie to control a small saltwater tank with 2 fish and no reef in it?

After research, Im thinking like 50lbs of sand and 15-20 lbs of live rock if i went with the 15 gal. . Im kind of mixed up on the set up i need....
- Is live rock necessary. Could i just use the fake coral reef
- is the eclipse 12 too small for 2 med. perculas

I don't know if it would work, but my ideal set-up would be the eclipse 12 with the biowheel filtration. 1-2in of sand and fake coral, fake plants, and 2 true perculas (sm to med)

Thanks in advance for your help, I'd love to get a SW set-up going, but just not sure about where to start.

 

[Anonymous]

Welcom to RDO. A 10-15 gallon for two small fish would be fine. IF you do clowns do a pair. Check out the nano forum. They specilize in small tanks.

 

[ChrisRD]

Hi and :welcome:

Although small tanks can be tempting, if you're new to saltwater, I recommend sticking with something a bit larger as small tanks leave very little margin for error. A 30 gallon cube would be nice and they don't take up much room. IMO a 15 gallon is a bit small for a first tank and is probably the lower limit for keeping a pair of percs.

Personally, I prefer setting up a saltwater fish tank with live rock and a skimmer vs. using plastic decor and a powerfilter. IME with the former setup it is easier to maintain excellent water and fish health and it has a more natural look.

Take a look in our library (link at top of page) for ideas on books to read and general resource info like this:
http://www.reefs.org/library/newbieguide.htm

HTH