Things You'll Need

• 1 lb of live sand per gallon. Live sand is available in 10-20 pound bags, putting 20 pounds in a 10 gallon tank is acceptable. This will produce a one to two inch deep sandbed.
• a hang on back filter that pushes 10 times your tank capacity per hour. For a ten gallon tank a filter that does 100 gph will be suitable. For 20-30 gallon tanks it is frequently better to get two smaller filters as it will create better flow in the water. It is crucial that the filters have a biological element. Some have special wheels or sponges designed to be biological filters and this is the most important type of filtration in your new tank.
• A protein skimmer may also be utilized for larger tanks (over 12 gallons). There are many styles and designs; some better than others. Protein skimmers are very efficient filters and are often the only type of mechanical filtration employed. Allow two weeks as a break-in period.
• a power compact, T5, LED or metal halide lfixture that fits your tank. This will be the most expensive single item you buy. If you come across a used one it would be desirable to replace the bulbs. Power compact, LED and T5's must have two types of bulbs, white ones and blue ones. Metal halide fixtures will have one or two bulbs and one or two blue power compact or florescent bulbs.
• A glass top that fits your aquarium.
• Salt. Salt is sold by how many gallons it makes. Get an appropriate amount.
• A Hydrometer. This device measures the salt content of your water and is crucial for maintaining a proper salinity. Some hydrometers do not tell the salinity. Here is a chart to help determine the salinity [2]
• Some type of water detoxifier. If you have a source of Reverse Osmosis (RO) water then you can skip this one. If you have well water it is suggested to not use it as it tends to have minerals that are not desirable in the aquarium. Most city water can be detoxified with an appropriate amount of water treatment.
• A test kit is essential to the initial setup of your tank.
• One pound of Live Rock per gallon of tank. Your local reef supply store will have live rock on display. Select rock that looks interesting to you as you are going to be looking at this initial rock for the rest of your tanks days. Try and get live rock that is 'clean' looking with a good growth of coralline algae. You don't want any unwelcome guests like brown anemones. They look nice, but they will kill more desirable tenants. Also, keep in mind that you can use a few pounds of base rock (coralline free) to create the bottom of the reef structure.
• Reef additives. Several major manufacturers of reef supplies have products for the smaller reef tank. It is crucial that you can increase the calcium and alkalinity levels of the water.
• Add one or two frozen shrimp, Test for the ammonia to spike, once it spikes take them out and let the cycle go(4-6 weeks) After this add 2 fish per month until all fish are bought
• Powerheads to create adequate flow. These may not be necessary depending on the flow created by the filters.
• A heater to maintain the temperature at a steady 80 degrees Fahrenheit.