Who Gives A Fish Forums

Starting my first marine tank next week, just need a bit more info.
I'm using RO water, so do I need to add anything else apart from the sea salt mix?
I'm planning a nano reef, about 15 gallons, so how much live rock should I get for it?
Thinking of stocking a pygmy angel, royal gramma and a six line wrasse - is that ok for this tank size?
I've already got a pump that does 650lph - is that enough turnover for this tank?
Also, what inverts would you recommend for a beginner like me?
My LFS has a couple of nice corals I'm eyeing - a mushroom coral and an open brain coral, are they good for a beginner?

To start with, using RO water and a good quality sea salt mix should cover all the necessary parameters for your tank.

However, I do think the combination of fish you've mentioned might be a bit too much for a 15-gallon nano reef tank - a pygmy angel, royal gramma, and a six line wrasse might be too much for the space.

When it comes to corals, the type of lighting you have will determine what you can keep - for example, some corals will do better under lower lighting conditions.

As for flow, a general rule of thumb is to aim for 20 times the tank's volume per hour - so for a 15-gallon tank, that would be around 300 gallons per hour, or 1135 liters per hour. Your 650lph pump might not be enough to achieve this, but you can always add more pumps or powerheads later on.

my tank's got 2 twin t5 lights, so what coflakes would be suitable for that kind of lighting setup

Welcome to the world of marine tanks.

I think it'd be a great idea to start a thread in the nano section, so we can all track your progress and offer advice when needed.

As for the fish, I'm inclined to agree with Ben - the combination you've chosen might not be the best fit for a 15-gallon tank.

Your twin T5 lights are suitable for soft corals and possibly a Euphylia, but let's focus on setting up the tank first.
Aim for 20 times the tank's volume in terms of flow - 300 liters per hour would be a good target.

When it comes to the clean-up crew, a few hermit crabs and some snails would be a good starting point, but let's not worry about that just yet.
Live sand is not worth the investment - it's a bit of a con.

Take some time to read through the existing threads and ask as many questions as you like - we're all happy to help and love watching tanks develop.

Soft corals like mushrooms and zoas should do fine under your T5s, provided you're giving them the right conditions. For a 15-gallon tank, I'd suggest around 7-9kg of live rock - that should provide a good base.

Your pump's giving you just under 10 times the tank's volume in turnover per hour, but I think you'll want to aim a bit higher - maybe add another pump of similar strength to get that 20 times turnover.

As for the fish, I'm with the others on this - that combination might not be the best for a tank of this size. The royal gramma might be okay, though - mine's pretty happy just hanging around his little hole.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I really appreciate the help. I'm looking for some alternative fish to go with the royal gramma, what would you recommend for a tank of this size?

thinking of a tail spot blenny to go with the royal gramma, would that work