Nice collection. I got back into salwater tanks in August when I inherited DS's stock. I didn't want his 65 gal tank so i bought a 28gal nano instead. Like you, I'm really enjoying it but I don't have anything more exotic than several zoas, polyps, 2 cleaner shrimp, clown, chromis and yellow damsel. Oh, and some red-tip and blue-tip hermits!

You're so lucky. I've always wanted a marine set up. If you have the option and are open to it, maintaining a larger set-up is usually better than a nano one because in such a small tank, the conditions can rapidly shift despite your best efforts. Like for instance, if something dies and you're not around, your filtration might not be able to keep up with it and the nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia could rise to deadly levels quicker than in a larger tank.

What kind of lighting have you got on there? Everything looks really nice.

i know a bigger tank is more stable but for now, i just wanted to try my hand at a smaller one. too many years ago to count, i had a 125g. i don't have room for something that big but i'm looking at a 40g right now.

as for lighting, it's just the stock lights that came with the tank. one florescent, one actinic and 2 small "moon lights" that stay on 24/7. that's why i placed the clam up high, close to the lighting. so far, he's doing great! he has planted his foot and stays open until the lights go out at night.

i really had no intentions of getting these inverts but i have a friend who lives in wisconsin and has his own pet store where he specializes in saltwater. when he found out i got this tank and that it had cycled, he shipped me the clam, the urchin, the conch, the starfish, a few coral polyps and a bunch of little hermits. it took me hours to acclimate everything! i was planning to go with just a goby/shrimp pair and 1 or 2 clowns. as much as i appreciated his thoughtfulness, i struggled at first to make sure everything was doing well. :)

Beautiful, Nina! I have always wanted a saltwater setup, I can just sit in front of one and watch for hours at a time, there is so much life happening in every nook and cranny.

If you don't mind my asking, what was the total price on everything with fish?

I just talked my husband into getting me a corn snake, she is one of the coolest pets I have ever had, so friendly and fun, but I would still love the tank.

Thanks for sharing, and great pics!

thanks, gogwmos! this little tank, complete with stand, was right about $250 (on sale). the sand and live rock was probably around another $40-50. all of the livestock, except the 2 clownfish, were sent to me at no cost.

i did add a protein skimmer recently which was around $35.

another must have for a saltwater tank is test kits for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, calcium, etc. a good test kit with everything included lasts a very long time.

i am expecting delivery of a 29 gallon set up this week. same, thing...all inclusive biocube. i do like the little tank but it's very limited as far as stocking. this size only allows for 3 small fish. i like the inverts, they add color and interest but they aren't very active. i will transfer stuff over when the new tank is cycled and i'll use this one for a quarantine tank for future livestock.

if you can afford it, i would go with the 29 rather than the 14. the 29 has a built in skimmer and it has halide lights which is more conducive to supporting corals.

here's the 29 i ordered from marinedepot.com. :)

http://www.marinedepot.com/Oceanic_29_Gallon_BioCube_HQI_Aquarium_w_Stand_Nano_Tank_with_Stand_20_29_Gallons-Oceanic_Systems_Inc.-OA360151-FIAQNCCKTSTT-vi.html

Nina,
Did you ever look at the jbjlighting nano's?

Gogwmos, I bought the JBJ Intermediate and if you wait for sales online you can get some good deals. I ended up buying from DrsFosterSmith and the $449 price included the stand. I chose the Intermediate over the Pro since I knew I didn't want to attempt corals, plus I'm in my 'keep it simple' stage!

There are many good deals around, just read as much as possible and educate yourself on the pros and cons of each system before diving in.

Here is a link that might be useful: jbj nano

I'm jealous Nina. I had a tank a few years ago and gave it to a neighbor. I've been considering salt water for a while.

annz, i did look at the jbj nanos but decided on the oceanic after reading tons of reviews. i've been very happy with it!

cindy, saltwater is SO much easier and much less expensive these days! just yesterday, i set up a new 29g cube. it has cleared up nicely overnight and i will let it cycle for a few weeks before i decide on my stocking choices. i will probably move the fish in the smaller tank there as i am thinking about using that tank for sea horses. :)

Loved looking at these. My Thai restaurant has an enormous salt water tank. Love to sit and watch the fish

On another matter. I have a very large fish bowl in which I have a single male betta, the most beautiful one I ever saw. He's friendly and nice. In this cold weather he was getting lethargic. He's by the kitchen window and his bowl was cold to the touch since it's been bitter cold here for a week. Yesterday he was just laying on the bottom and I had to get drastic. I couldn't place him in a warmer room because of the four cats, BUT I put him on the fireplace mantel above the woodstove and now he's swimming like crazy. Will these extreme temps hurt him? The water is warm now. Before it was rather cold.

The temp should be between 74-78 degrees. Up to 80-81 is usually for hospital tanks and not a temp you want permanently.
Drastic fluctuations are not good for the fish but this one time probably won't hurt. You'll find keeping a digital thermometer around will help you maintain the right temps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thermometer

Thanks. I have pond thermometers outside I can bring in. The water is pleasantly warm now, and he is so active. He's usually more subdued in the winter when the house is 66 so the water temp is cool. But with the single digit temps we had his water must have really been cold. He's very active now swimming all around like he does in the summer.

What kind of seahorses are you planning on? They're such fascinating creatures! Shame they can't be kept with other fish but corals and sponges are still a fun option. I hear good things about feeding them Golden Pearls instead of artemia. It has more nutrition and there's no hatching to be bothered with! I had some seahorses years ago off EBay when I was a kid. I didn't know about cycling or anything like that. They didn't last very long. :( I didn't think to do any research at that dumb age.