My 29 Gallon (Hat?) 10/10/05
Hey you guys,
<<Hola>>
I've read and learned a lot from your site! Now I have some questions. My 29 gallon is about 4 weeks old, and has 30 lbs of live Fiji rock and 35 lbs of dead fine aragonite sand. After a few days of being certain my ammonia was at 0, along with everything else bad, I got my first fish: a percula clown. He seems real happy, eating and everything. Exploring the tank.
<<Sounds good.>>
However, I'm not sure what kind of fishies I should get next. I'd like a firefish, and a lawnmower blenny. I don't want that many fish, I would mainly like to focus on soft corals.
<<Good idea.>>
I have either a 65 or 96 watt 10k daylight PC, can't remember which.  And I also have a blue moonlight and a white actinic. It's a custom SeaLife lamp that I got off EBay, so I'm sorry if I'm a bit bad on details on it. I just know that my
two green frilly mushrooms just LOVE it. And that brings me to my other question.  Are mushrooms anemones or corals? I see them being called both, and it confuses me.  I thought they were soft corals.
<<They are known as a pseudo-anemone (false anemone). I would class the ones that eat large meaty foods as anemones and ones that are more reliant on photosynthesis corals, but they did not ask me when classing them. Either way they are easy to care for and a great addition to a beginner's tank.>>
I've been seeing lots of life on my rocks lately, particularly the one my mushrooms are on. I saw one big amphipod-looking thing, and then I saw it dying a few days later. I guess it had laid eggs or something before it died, because now my pod population is exploding with teeny tiny pods al over the place! It's cool. But yeah, I'd just like to know some suggestions on what kind of fishies I should get, and in what order.
<<My advice would be to pick your fish to fill layers in the tank. This will make the tank look full of life without your tank containing a bunch of fish. Green chromis or any fish that schools at the top is great for the top layer. Your clown fills the middle layer. The bottom layer can be filled with a lawnmower blenny, goby of some sort, or even the fire fish.>>
Thanks in advance!
<<Glad to help.>>
-Krystal
<<TravisM>> 

My 29 gallon Hat (Mom Won't Let me Buy the Green Chromis) - 10/9/05
<<Hello>>
Cool. False anemone? Do mushrooms have stinging cells or anything?
<<Not to my knowledge>>
Also, could I put a lawnmower blenny and some kind of goby (possibly a yellow watchman?) in the same tank? Or would that be too many fish and/or cause aggression or something?
<<It would be better to stick to one or the other.>>
Also, my mom doesn't like green chromis (she thinks they're ugly for some reason) and won't let me buy any. Is there any other small/cheap schooling fish you could recommend?
<<Nothing that would fill the top layer of the tank as we discussed. I have to agree they are not flashy fish, but when they are schooling they really are impressive.>>
Thanks again Travis, and god bless your salt.
<<I wish you luck in whatever you decide and Happy Reefing.>>
<<TravisM>> 

Someone did their Homework!!! Marine compatibility. 10/7/05
We have a 40 gallon with 30 lb of live rock. So far we have 2 green chromis (Chromis viridis). We would like to add 1 false percula clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) and a few cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) or peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni) this weekend. 
<In my opinion the L. amboinensis would be the better choice. I prefer not only the look but also the personality over the L. wurdemanni. Furthermore L. wurdemanni are known to pick at sessile inverts. From time to time.> 
A royal Gramma (Gramma Loreto) is also on the "A" list. 
<Good choice.> 
Eventually we would like to have mushroom corals (Actinodiscus sp.), leather corals (Sarcophyton sp.), and possibly bubble coral (Plerogyra sp.) or Fungia plate coral (Fungia sp.).
<All hardy when provided correct conditions, once again good choices, you really have done your homework.>
As you can see, we're trying to keep a peaceful tank. I'd like to add wrasses, but are concerned that we'd be serving shrimp for dinner. What wrasses (if any) are OK? I was considering Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis 
<This one would be safe with your shrimp but usually prefer slightly larger tanks with a ‘bit more live rock.> 
or Paracheilinus filamentosus. 
<Same as the above comment. I have a few suggestions for wrasses if you like this family Pseudocheilinus hexataenia, Pseudocheilinus octotaenia, and Wetmorella triocellata would be good choices as well.> 
The other potential tank mates are horned blenny (Parablennius sp.), citrinis clown goby (Gobiodon citrinus), and green clown goby (Gobiodon atrangulatus).
<All are good potential tank mates, make sure the tank is well established before adding the blenny. And don’t forget to quarantine all new tank-mates before introduction into the display.>
Rounding out the tank will be hermit crabs and snails.
<Choose the exact species carefully.>
We are well experienced in fresh water fish, and this is our first saltwater tank. We have a remora skimmer, 96 watt of actinic blue and 96 watt of compact fluorescent.
<Sounds like good equipment, especially the Remora.>
We're having fun so far.
<Yes it seems like a lot of us forget this is a hobby, please have fun. I would also like to compliment you on your thorough research and use of Latin/scientific names, makes it a lot easier. Adam J.> 

More Research/Compatibility  10/3/05
Good day,
<Hello Lisa.>
I have a 90 gallon tank with two 250Watt metal halides and two 4 foot
actinics. We have no corals yet but plan on adding a few and so far have a
2" maroon clownfish that has taken to a bubble tip anemone, a coral beauty,
Sailfin tang <Please keep in mind the adult length of 15” for the Zebrasoma veliferum (Sailfin Tang).>, male and female lyretail coral perches, clown wrasse, moon wrasse, mandarin <Not a good choice for your tank with anemones and wrasses, will likely starve in a few months time.>, velvet damsel and a long tentacle anemone.  <Not a good idea to mix species of anemones, its also not a good idea to mix anemones and corals….but I see you're doing both.> The maroon clown bit small bits off of the tips of the long tentacle anemone (about four) so we moved the long tentacle to the other end of the tank during a
rock change <The anemone will move back if it wants, be careful moving it yourself you can kill it by forcing it to detach from its current spot.>. The clown has left the long tentacle alone for three days now.
I have heard that maroon clownfish are aggressive towards other clownfish
species. <Very.>  Since our tank is fairly large I was wondering if I could introduce
a pink skunk clownfish into the tank in hopes that it will house the long
tentacle? <No.> We have been feeding the long tentacle ourselves and the maroon is not aggressive toward its tank mates.  <It would only be a matter of time.>
Thank you so much for your time
<No trouble. Please research before purchasing anymore animals the FAQS here at WWM would have prevented the mistakes you have made. >
Please e-mail me XXXX
Lisa
<Adam J.>

A New Reef Tank Is Born...Almost!  9/26/05
Hi,
<Hi there! Scott F. with you today.>
I have been doing saltwater for a couple of years. I have a 80 gal reef and fish tank at home. I want to put a tank in my office. I want to do just reef or maybe a few small Neons or Goby. I have been looking at the Uniquarium. Probably somewhere in the 35 to 50 gal range. What do you think would fit nice in say, the 50 gal bowfront UniQuarium? I like soft corals- Clavularia, Pachyclavularia, Tubipora, Sarcophyton, Dendronephthya, Anthelia, and Xenia for example.
<I'd stick with the Clavularia, Xenia, and other "smaller, less aggressive corals.>
The Gorgonians would be nice as well. Would I need extra pumps for circulation?
<Depends upon the animals that you intend to keep. The system that you mention doesn't offer a whole lot of circulation for a reef type setup. Supplemental powerheads or other mans of augmenting flow would be useful, IMO.>
I plan on buying the skimmer that comes with it but is there ay other hardware I would need?
<I'd see if you could adapt a more effective skimmer, like and Aqua C Remora or Urchin, as opposed to the (relatively modest and, IMO underachieving) skimmer that comes with the system.>
What type of lights should I use. Can I mix corals and anemones (I have a nice Ritteri with a mated pair of clowns living in it) , or should I stay away from mixing them.
<IN this sized aquarium, I'd definitely recommend NOT mixing corals and anemones together.>
really need help with lighting and what will live together in a similar environment but make interesting combinations.  Thank you for your input.
Patrick Smith
<Well, Patrick, compact fluorescent lighting would be great for a soft coral system of this size, but many types of lighting systems are adaptable. I highly recommend further research before proceeding. Two excellent books that may give you a nice briefing on the whole reef-tank game would be John Tullock's classic "Natural Reef Aquariums" and Anthony Calfo's must-have "Book of Coral Propagation". Both will give you tons of nuts-and-bolts information on the design, construction and care of reef systems. Read up, plan your system, roll up those sleeves- and get WET!!! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Questions Re stocking & Brown Algae...  9/24/05
Hi Everyone!
<Hello Dan!>
Background : I have a 40gal (39.5x15x16) tank. Been up and running since Feb. Contents and parameters are as follows:
28kg live rock
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate <12.5 (tetra test?)
Ph 8.2
Alk 8.1dKh
Temp 79 - 83F
150w MH (Aqualine 10,000k)
2 x Maxijet1200
1 x Maxijet 900
1 x Maxijet 600
1 x Rio 180 filter pump doing mechanical and carbon filtration only.
<Be sure to clean the media on this often (at least a few times a week).  Maybe try a Polyfilter as well.>
Deltec MCE600 Skimmer With Nophos bag
1 Phytoreactor (not actually attached to the tank)
5gal water changes done every 2 weeks
Kalkwasser top ups at all times
<I don't see any calcium measurement above>
2 Maroon Clowns (mated pair about fully grown. She is 5inch?)
1 Yellow Tang
<I'm sure you've seen it here before, but, this tank is entirely to small for your Tang>
1 Cleaner wrasse (light/dark blue striped)
<I'm afraid this fish is on the boycott list, and is not suited for captivity>
2 small mushroom corals
3 Candy coral frags
1 Goniopora
1 Scallop
1 Red algae frag (not sure of the type)
1 Koko Worm
1 Feather duster
Question, is am I overstocked? If so how bad?
<I would say more like inappropriately>
Also for the last 2 months I've been having the most awful brown slime plague. It is stringy and slimy and grows VERY fast. Since it started I've added the 2 smaller MaxiJets to add flow, replaced my prism skimmer with the Deltec, added the no phos and reduced feeding. All these researched on your wonderful site. But my algae still comes... I can siphon it off at night and next day it is back...
I'd appreciate your thoughts...
Regards,
Dan
<I would research BGA, dinoflagellates and diatoms on this site.  See if you can find out your ORP and check that you are getting a good surface agitation.  Maybe try weekly water changes at half your bi-weekly schedule.  Could also try raising pH and alk. slowly to try and outcompete this.  Good luck on this one - Josh>

Taking Stock (Stocking List For 150 Gallon Tank)  9/21/05
Hi,
<Hi there! Scott F. with you today!>
I am in the process of setting up a new marine tank (150gal), it's pretty  much a FOWLR but with a few extra inverts. I have the equipment side of things sorted out, but to minimize the loss to livestock, I would like to get your advice on the compatibility of the following:
-80kg live rock (already have this, curing the last lot now)
-pair orange Ocellaris Clowns (have these already)
-Yellow Tang
-Lawnmower Blenny
-Copperbanded Butterfly
<A challenging fish to keep for long periods of time. I'd pass, or consider the less demanding Longnose Butterfly (Forcipiger flavissimus)>
-Flame Angel
-adult male Scribbled Angel
-2 or 3 Redline Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
-Bubbletip Anemone (going to try and get the ocellaris clowns to host in the BTA)
<Make sure that you have adequate lighting and water quality of you're contemplating keeping this animal. Anemone husbandry is not to be taken lightly, and anemones are not necessary for success with the Clowns, as you probably already know.>
-Fromia sea star
-Mushroom anemones (corallimorphs)
-maybe a few soft corals (probably the more noxious types to reduce the chance of the Scribbled Angel eating them): Sinularia, Lobophytum, Cladiella,
Lemnalia,
-zoos (would the angels eat these?)
<Quote possible....Hard to be sure.>
One the of things I am unsure is whether the Scribbled Angel would eat the cleaner shrimp?
<I would be surprised if it did.>
If it would I would drop the shrimp from the stock list and maybe add a Harlequin Tuskfish, but not sure how the Tuskfish would go with the other inverts on the stock list?
<It's a pretty big fish, and could present a greater danger to the shrimp than the Angel would. I'd pass on this guy.>
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Andrew
<Well, Andrew- I think that my comments and caveats above cover my thoughts on your stocking list. I'd consider the Scribbled the "star" of the tank, and stock the tank around him. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Stocking Order For 200L Reef Tank - 09/17/05
Hi There,
<<Howdy>>
I have a couple of questions.
<<ok>>
Briefly, I've kept freshwater tanks and am setting up my first reef tank.  It's 200 L with a 40L sump utilizing Miracle Mud and Caulerpa.  I cannot decide whether to skim or not - conflicting advice on the net, but have a Tunze skimmer so can go either way.
<<Interesting you bring this up.  I've attended two seminars just today by Anthony Calfo and Eric Borneman respectively (I'm currently attending the MACNA conference) where this was discussed.  Current thought is this...no, you don't need a skimmer to be successful...yes, it is highly recommended you use one.  A protein skimmer is a wonderful filtration/export device, and an excellent safety net...USE THE TUNZE.
Flow rate through the sump will be about 13x with another 4-6x in the tank.
<<A word of caution...13x turnover through your sump will be a pain to plumb so it doesn't make horrendous noise, splash, bubbles, etc..  I highly recommend you reduce turnover through the sump to 3x-4x tank volume, and utilize alternate methods to produce flow in the tank (closed-loop, Stream pumps, etc.).>>
Lighting is a 150W MH with two 55w power compacts and blue actinics.
<<ok>>
Kalkwasser will be dosed through the top up system and RO water used to make up saltwater.
<<very good>>
Everything should be up and running over the next month or so.
The order of stock additions etc. is important as due to my location everything that goes in has postage, shipping costs, sometimes significant - e.g. a soft coral may cost the equivalent of $20 but 24 hour delivery is $60 so optimizing deliveries and orders is important.
<<Understood...and not an uncommon problem for many folks. >>
My planned schedule is as follows:
Set everything up with RO water and run for a few days to check hardware, etc.  Add salt, run for a few days, add Caulerpa, Run for a few days.  Order Liverock 20kg cured - would I get away with 48hr delivery on this?
<<Can do, quite common for rock shipments. >>
Run for a week or so.
<<Mmm...cured or not there will be die-off, you will need to let the tank cycle before adding livestock.>>
Order cleaners, 50 red/blue legs, 24 astrea/cerith snails, brittle star, 2x peppermint shrimp 2x cleaner shrimp.  Can these all go in together?  At this time?
<<Can go in together...once the tank cycles.>>
Run until everything has settled down.  I intend to add corals (loose use of term) - easy species, non-aggressive <<They ALL are aggressive to some extent my friend.  Everything competes for space on the reef.>>, (selection criteria based on information from this and other sites but mostly from books by Fenner, Tullock and Knop) a clam or two, and eventually, a pair of Ocellaris clowns <<No anemone I hope.>>, 2x Banggai Cardinals, a 6-line wrasse (for the clams), a mandarin (after many months when hopefully the Mud and substrate is teeming with copepods).
<<It is my opinion this tank is too small (not enough useable/suitable strata) regardless how long it is up.>>
Is this too much fish?
<<I don't think so...other than the mandarin being unsuitable.>>
So.. at what point can I start adding corals?  Clams?  Can I add them all together?  (to reduce shipping costs) or is that putting all my eggs in the one basket?
<<Do you have adequate quarantine facility?  If so, order all and quarantine, then stagger (a few days to a week) their introduction to the display.>>
Fish?
<<Same protocol>>
Anyway if you get to answer this, thanks for your time.
David
<<Get those books David and start reading...Regards, EricR>>

Reef and puffer  9/5/05
Hello gurus of the wet world!
You folks are my saving grace and today I am in need of a rescue... if you will.
I have a 70g FOWLR and am converting it to a reef.  It has been up for 18 months and all levels are fine.
The question is?????????
I have a sweet spotted puffer who does not eat snails or little fishes,  I never fed her live food, she even lets me pet her.  I would like to keep her in a reef environment.  Anything I should know? I can't seem to find any info on the subject. Help!
Ellen
<Is this a Toby... a Canthigaster species? If so, it may only take occasional small chunks out of sessile invertebrates, eat your smaller crustaceans, worms, and mollusks... a larger tetraodont species will be more problematical... eating more, and more randomly, as well as producing large amounts of waste. Bob Fenner>

Re: reef and puffer  9/7/05
Bob,
Thanks for the quick reply. The puffer in question is a Arothron nigropunctatus
Yes, The waste is a large quantity.
I am running a Eheim pro  and the tank is clear as a bell, there is also a skimmer that is rated for a 150g.
I am thinking of hooking up my Eheim 2215 as a supplement or investing in a wet dry. if I have to........
<Will need more... filtration, aeration, circulation>
Space is limited.
SO Guru of the deep.. how will this species fair?
Ellen
<Likely to munch on some of your reef... as stated previously, crustaceans beware! Mollusks, worms... even cnidarians. Bob Fenner>

Stocking levels  9/5/05
Hi guys, quick question <OK, quick answer>
I have a 55 gallon reef for about 7 months now. Currently inhabited by 2 true or false Percs (not sure but I think true),<trues are much deeper in color> a sebae clown, a sebae anemone which was completely bleached and now boom fully back to dark brownish/purplish. I also have some Turbos and hermits along with a scarlet cleaner shrimp, tons of Capnella which won't stop splitting, and green star polyps which keep on spreading like crazy. I just saw my favorite fish on sale on liveaquaria.com and I am definitely going to buy it. The regal tang! I also wanted to buy a dwarf angel such as a lemon peel or bicolor and maybe a small fish such as a mandarin or a scooter blenny and a six line wrasse. I also was considering on adding maybe a small clam and probably a candy cane coral or brain. Would this be ok? I have read mandarins need an established aquarium because of amphipods...do they eat anything else or is it a hassle? What about the angel...bad idea because of the corals? <Joe, your tank isn't large enough for the regal.  It may be now, but as it grows it will require more space.  If your experience level is low, stay away from the lemon peel.  There are many other dwarf angels that are much more easier to care for.  Mandarins require live food such as amphipods.  They are best kept in very established aquariums with plenty of live rock.  A pod population should be introduced and allowed to propagate before adding the mandarin.  A refugium works well for this purpose.  There are some who have gotten mandarins to eat prepared food the cases are rare. As far as the clam goes, you will need at least five to six watts of lighting per gallon to be successful. The candy cane coral will require 4+ watts per gallon provided it is placed at least mid level in the tank.  Search these subjects on the WWM for more info.  James (Salty Dog)>
Let me know.
Thanks
Joe

Pacific long tentacle anemone and a frog spawn  9/5/05
Hello:
<Tamatha>
Thanks for the great site and for taking my question.  We have a 30 gallon tank that has been doing quite well.  The parameters are great.  We have several leather corals, mushrooms, polyps, Ricordea, xenia, a pacific long tentacle anemone w/ a very feisty maroon clown, and a few other fish.
<... too much life, and too much incompatibility for this small volume>
  We added a small frogspawn today and the maroon clown is pushing it away HARD.  Are we going to have a war between the anemone and the frogspawn?
<Already do>
We are very worried.  We moved the frogspawn to the other end of the tank away from the anemone (and the crazy clown)  Is that enough?
<Not likely>
Please help.  Thank you, Tamatha Mavraides
<You need a much larger tank already... w/o the Euphylliid... Do study more, hold off on buying any more life. Read on WWM re the "Systems", and "Compatibility" for all the species you are keeping... Bob Fenner>

Help For A New And Addicted Enthusiast!! - 08/24/05
Hello there to all the crew at WWM.
<<Morning>>
I've decided to see if you guys and gals can help me with a compatibility and stocking question.
<<I'll take a stab at it.>>
I'm interested in mushroom corals, hammerheads (Mmm, you mean Euphyllia corals and not sharks I hope?>> and possibly some sea cucumbers to add to my expanding interests, damn marine hobby gets you hooked you know ;)
<<Yes...I do...>>
Anyway, I’ve a 29 gal Fluval duo deep, with around 5kg's of live rock, plenty of coralline growth, with two Condylactis anemones (hope that was the correct spelling <<Condylactis>>) a psychedelic mandarin, a coral beauty, a blue cheek goby, and a dancing shrimp and some hermits.
<<Your mandarin is doomed my friend, will likely starve to death in less than a year (usually much sooner).  Your tank is much too small to provide the food organisms it requires in sufficient quantity for the long term.  I would like to recommend you remove and return it to the LFS...possibly for some store credit?>>
Filtration is a Fluval 304 external, and a Fluval 3+ internal (mostly for water movement) I'm planning to add a protein skimmer in a few months, yet I do have a 3inch coral sand bed which I'm assuming is helping my water quality along with the live rock.
<<Would suggest you increase the sand bed depth to at least 4"...more if it is not sugar-fine.>>
Tank's been up and running for 2 months 1 week.
<<Another strike against the mandarin...tank is much to immature to have established stable, self-replenishing populations of food organisms.>>
All my water parameters are fine, ph 8.1, nitrates 0, nitrites 0, sg 1.020 and everything seems to be thriving (famous last words!)
<<Salinity is too low...please increase to approximate natural seawater levels (about 1.026).>>
Would you be able to recommend any species of the aforementioned corals that would be suitable?
<<Much to choose from.  Have a look through our FAQs re such: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/caryophyllids.htm  and  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corallim.htm  and try some keyword searches on the Net as well.>>
Also I'm slightly worried by a possible mantis shrimp that's got in, it only clicks bout a handful of times a day, and only shoots from its bolt hole in the live rock to snatch at floating brine shrimp, however it's very dull coloured, a drab grey/blue, but has bright blue mouth bits (mandibles?)  Should I remove it post haste?
<<Could prove harmless enough if it stays small...snails, small hermits may fall prey.  Interesting creatures, often deserving of a display of their own.>>
Thanks in advance, and apologies for any grammar mistakes (I blame text messages!)
Wesley hall
<<Regards, EricR>>

Fish bioload, longevity 8/13/05
Hi Everybody!
<Hi there! Ali here>
I would like to know what you think about some addition I want to make to my 90 gal (48") reef with 30 gal fuge (have 140lbs Fiji LR). I'm afraid to be on the edge with bioload and certainly am going heavier than the original
plan. I wouldn't add more it would be the absolute maximum but I wont add these animals if you advice against it.
I already have (I give you the actual size but I know we have to consider final adult size...):
-1 Yellow tang 3"
-1 Ocellaris 1 1/2"
-1 Lawnmower blenny, full grown
-1 Green clown goby (Gobiodon atrangulatus/histrio) full grown 1 1/2"
-1 Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica) full grown
-1 Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
-1 Sexy Anemone Shrimp (Thor amboinensis)
-1 Electric Blue Hermit Crab (Calcinus Elegans)
-1 Porcelain anemone crab (Ohshimai)
What I am planning to add now:
-1 Marble Sea Star (Fromia sp.)
-1 Green Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus) when tank is mature after a long
9 months wait...
-1 more Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) to make a pair
-1 more Ocellaris to make a pair
Is it really to much? Is it heavy bioload or still a good plan? Seems I am exceeding the 1 cubic inch per 5 gallons rule, right? Do crustaceans count in this 1 cubic inch per 5 gallons rule?
<Don't worry about the shrimp/hermits adding too much to your bioload. It's very minimal. You may consider going with a Kole tang instead of the Yellow tang.>
How long does it typically take for ocellaris and yellow tang to reach full size and what is the life span of a Lawnmower blenny? Thanks in advance for your kind and helpful assistance!!!
Dominique
<Don't concern yourself too much with the size of the clowns. The male will generally max out at apprx. 2" or so and the female apprx. 3". All fish, given we provide them with the proper environment can live several, several years. 10-20 years. Few reports of A. ocellaris at 25+ years. The lower the bioload, the less stress, the longer they can live. Good luck Dominique!- Ali>

Stocking A 40G Reef - 08/07/05
Hello,  Thanks so much for your wonderful site!
<<Glad you like it!>>
I've just set up a new 40g aquarium with 40 lbs. of LR and some sand (3" or so) all around, and am now thinking/looking for input on stocking.
<<Ahh...my favorite thing to do...tell others what they should put in their tanks <G>!>>
Reef aquarium is the plan.  Not too many species.  I have a small cave (4-5" high, 8" deep) on one side of the tank, plus a little rocky hill with lots of nooks on the other side;  there is sand in between (so you see it is not packed full of rock).
<<Excellent...I myself have taken the approach that less rock/more open space is better in a reef tank.>>
Here are my ultra-naive (I'm sure) questions:  What do you think of xenia, along with dancing shrimp, a school of either cardinal fish or damselfish, a tang or two (what kind would be right size), and one other species of anemone or coral?  Do these guys form any kind of either natural or at least compatible grouping???
<<OK, in order...Xeniids will be fine...any shrimp is a gamble, but Dancing/Camel Shrimp (Rhynchocinetes durbanensis) are especially "NOT" reef safe.  Would like to recommend Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) as an alternative...Cardinal fish are a great idea for a small reef (much better than most damsels).  My recommendation would be either the Long-Spine Cardinal (Apogon leptacanthus ), or the Pajama Cardinal (Sphaeramia nematoptera ).  A school of 6-8 of one or the other would look great in this tank in my opinion...(sigh) No tangs my friend, this tank is much too small.  Please put your energies to keeping species suited to this small system.  If you're looking for diversity, consider one or two of the reef safe wrasses, or maybe a few (3-4) Green Chromis (Chromis atripectoralis)...Can't/won't recommend any anemones (best left to experienced aquarist with specie specific systems).  With the Xeniids you might consider some polyp corals (Palythoa or Zoanthid species).>>
Many thanks for your guidance.
<<A pleasure to assist, EricR>>

Possible Tank Mates - 07/31/05
Hi there Bob/Crew
<<Crew member EricR here>>
I currently have a 75 UK gallon reef which has been set up for approx 2 1/2 years.  I run a Tunze 3115/2 skimmer, a Rainbow Lifegard 600 Fluidized Sand bed, an Eheim canister (+ RowaPhos), 2 T5 D&D 24w Actinic plus (12 hours a day), one 250W 10000k BLV metal halide (10 hours a day), approx 50kgs live rock, bare bottom at the moment due to a recent move. (although I plan to add approx 3" of crushed coral ASAP).
<<Mmm...if not adding a DSB I would reduce this to 1" or less.>>
I run an Eheim 1260 on a closed loop via a SCWD and have 4 Maxi jet 1200's on a System 2000 wave maker for circulation.  I also use a Vecton 15w UV sterilizer (usually this is off and only used in an emergency!) and run an Eco-Aqualizer on a Maxi jet 900.
<<ok... Don't think much of the aqualizer myself.>>
Fishes are 1 Centropyge loricula (approx 2") and 1 Acanthurus grammoptilus (approx 4").
<<Ah yes, the obligatory tang...please realize this specie grows to more than a foot and is not suitable for your tank...it will need larger quarters sooner than later.>>
I perform 10% water changes weekly (ish), I know I should be more strict with this schedule! But it's hard sometimes... sorry!
<<No worries chum, weeklyish is better than most will/do keep up with.>>
Unfortunately, after the move of house/tank, I have lost 2 Acropora Sp. and 1 Montipora digitata.  I was most upset that this happened, but after testing water conditions (Amm 0ppm, NO2 0ppm, NO3 0ppm, Alk 10dKH, Ca 370ppm, PH 8.2 - 8.3, SPG 1.025 and temp 79F) I put this down to the stress of moving the set up. :(
<<Yes, moving corals is just like shipping them...in other words, must be carefully handled/bagged, transported, and reacclimated at the new location.  Not saying you didn't do this, just making the point that a tank move is a very stressful event...for all involved.>>
I also have a large Zoanthid colony and a large Sarcophyton sp. (sorry I can not be more specific here!) and a 8" Caulastrea all of these are doing well after the move.
<<very good>>
I feed a quarter sheet of Julian Sprung's Sea Veggies once a day (for the tang and the angel) and also feed frozen Pacifica Krill/mysis (half cube of each) daily over 5 servings.
<<Ahh, excellent!  Multiple small feedings is always best when possible.>>
I also add Kent Zooplex twice a week and feed live phytoplankton (approx 5ml) daily about 2 hours before lights out.
<<Mmm...the Zooplex is of dubious worth in my opinion...would rather see something like Cyclop-Eeze used.>>
I have numerous snails (turbo, Astrea, Cerith and Nassarius) and also numerous hermits (red leg, mini blue leg, Mexican and blue knuckle) and a Mithrax crab smuggled in a purchase of a Montipora Digi ;)  Sorry for rambling on, I know how important it is to make sure you have the full picture regarding my set up!
<<Yes indeedy>>
However, finally I get to the question!  I am looking to add some more fishes to the set up and some other interesting animals.  I was thinking of adding 4 or 5 Blue Green Chromis and a serpent star of kinds (maybe you can recommend a species? <<anything NOT green>>) I am planning on also restocking my lost SPS (slowly over the next few months cash and time permitting!) with various Acropora and Montipora species.  I would also like to add a Gobiodon Rivulatus (or similar Gobiodon) as my girlfriend saw the one that Tim Hayes has and fell in love with him!
<<Beautiful and interesting little fish.  Be warned though...have seen these in closed systems actually nip/irritate Acros to the point where they would not express their polyps...at all.>>
Ever since she has been pestering me to get one!  I keep telling her to be patient!! HA HA!!
<<Yes...and cautious.  Worth doing a bit of research, as with ALL additions.>>
I was also thinking of adding two cleaner shrimps.
<<Should be fine.>>
I am also thinking of changing from the 10000K bulb to an Iwasaki 6500k 250w and still run the 2 24w T5 Actinic Plus'  What would be the merits of doing this?
<<Increased PAR...less blue...a more "natural" appearance to the tank...and probably longer useful bulb life.  If this is a 4' tank you should have "two" halides over it...or put the higher light requiring organisms under the single bulb.
You're thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
<<You got 'em.>>
OK, so that was a little more than one question, sorry!  Thanks for such a great and informative site!!
Kindest wishes...
Martin Sutcliffe
<<Regards, EricR>>
PS I am soon to be embarking on a Marine Biology degree (looks like I got bitten hard by the bug!) and Tim Hayes has been a absolute star! He has proposed that he will take me under his wing and teach me what he knows! I am very excited about this opportunity to work with Tim, and who knows I may get to meet Bob et al in the near future! Keep up the great work crew!! Martin
<<Enjoy the adventure!

Anemones And Sessile Inverts... Never A Good Mix - 07/29/05
My BTA has decided to attach himself to the bottom of my button polyp rock so that when he inflates he brushes against some of them.
<<This is why most here don't advocate placing motile invertebrates in the same system with sessile invertebrates.>>
They are turning white and I'm assuming that they are being stung.
<<They are>>
I only have a few corals in a 105 gallon tank and there are plenty of other rocks for him to choose from.
<<This is not the fault of the anemone.>>
Is there any way to get him off this particular rock?  I have  moved the polyp rock from the top of the tank where it was getting maximum light  and current to the bottom shadier part of the tank to see if this gets him to move.
<<This may or may not work, but you are now stressing both animals.>>  
So far, it's not working.  I don't want to pry him off or hurt  him.
<<No, prying will likely damage/kill the anemone.  They can sometimes be "gently" coaxed from smooth surfaces with a carefully applied thumbnail, but trying to forcefully remove them from rock is ill advised.>>
Any solutions?
<<Mmm...place the rock back where the anemone will be/was happy and accept the demise of the polyps...learn from the experience and treat the (any) anemone accordingly.>>
Thanks!  I've been reading your sight for hours and can't find the answer, so far.
<<The "answer" is not to mix these critters in the first place my friend.  Regards, EricR>>

Re: Crowded Reef 7/28/05
Mike G, thank you for the input.  
<You're very welcome.>
A few comments:
1. All of my corals started out as tiny frags, a single mushroom, a
single xenia, or a cluster of 3 or 4 zoanthids.  Through the course of
the last 18 months, they have rapidly multiplied, and spread all over
the tank.
<Good to hear they're doing well.>
2. On a per gallon basis, the lighting may appear on the low side
<I am personally not a fan of Watts-Per-Gallon>
but because it is so close to the corals (most are closer than 6"), I
believe it is adequate.  
<So long as they're doing well.>
As an example, I purchased the hammer coral
frag as a single branch, and the fully opened head was about the
diameter of a quarter.  In the last 8 months, it has split into three
distinct heads, and is now approximately 3" in diameter.  
<Very nice.>
I also started out with a
single Ricordea mushroom, and now have approximately twelve of them.
<Very nice, indeed. Too bad growth is a negative thing in such a small tank.>
I have never intentionally fed any of my corals, so I assume the
occasional stray flake combined with photosynthesis is serving them
well...
<Indeed.>
I will forward photographs of the tank later this week.  
<Can't wait to see em, sounds like a very nice tank, albeit a tad crowded.>
Thank you for your time.
<Not a problem. Mike G>

Lettuce Nudibranch with Actinodiscus and Sebae 7/20/05
Hi, i have one very simple question, can i put together one lettuce nudibranch (Elysia crispata) with a rock full of Actinodiscus (Actinodiscus Sp.) mushrooms and one Sebae Anemone (Heteractis crispa) ?
Thank you very much
<Should be fine... as long as the anemone and corallimorpharians are spaced apart, there is sufficient maintenance... Bob Fenner>

Tank Recommendations - 06/20/05
WWM Crew,
How's it going?
<<Well, thank you.>>
I'm sure you get a lot of these types of "Is this right?" questions so I appreciate anyone who can take the time to reply.
<<Just glad you're asking the questions now <G>.>>
I'm currently planning (I over plan everything. From substrate to filtration to livestock to daily/monthly routines) a 375 gallon reef tank.
<<SWEET!  That happens to be what I have too!>>
It will be 96x30x30 with a sump of around 80 gallons.
<<Hey man!...you been peekin' in my window?>>
That is unless I can get it plumbed into the closet in which case I want to go bigger.
<<There ya go!>>
As well, it will have a 100 gallon refugium that will be on a stand next to it.
<<Excellent!>>
My goal is to actually make the refugium interesting and not something hidden away.
<<Is just as fascinating as the main display, yes.>>
With mainly Chaetomorpha and Gracilaria Parvispora for occasional tang feeding.
<<Both great algae for a vegetable refugium...but I would recommend picking just one to go with.  Just like corals, the algae will compete for space/dominance in the refugium.>>
The refugium will have a 6-8" sand bed, 150-175 pounds of Fiji live rock, and will be where I can finally put my 3-stripe damsel.
<<Dude...I was right there with ya up to this point!  With the sand bed (which I applaud) and the live rock, you won't have much room for macroalgae growth.  I would suggest choosing one method or the other (rock 'fuge or veggie 'fuge).  And whatever you do...DON'T put that damsel in the refugium, it will quickly deplete your pod population (read: defeat the purpose of the refugium).>>
As well, I'm planning on keeping a mated pair of coral banded shrimp, and a flame hawk in this tank as well.
<<All good.  But do be aware hawk fish are neither peaceful nor particularly reef-safe.>>
Moving on, the main display will have over 500 lbs of live rock (mainly Fiji, but some Tonga branch), a 3-4" sand bed.
<<Way too much rock, in my opinion.  Think about going for a more "open" seascape.  Open space/rockwork looks fantastic in a large tank like this, gives corals/fish space to grow "big", not to mention the ease on the pocket book.  You really don't need to "fill" the tank with rock for effective bio-filtration, specially with the DSB (I'd bump that to 5-6 inches, by the way.)
The skimming will be done with a Euro-Reef CS12-3 and I'll also be using a KNOP Calcium Reactor S-IV. This is the only brand that I've found for this size at a reasonable price. Any recommendations would be great.
<<No problems here with either product.  I have the same skimmer on my 375, though I went with the PM-CR622 for my calcium reactor.>>
As well as Maxi-jet's, Tunze Turbelle Streams, and such for water movement.
<<Love those Streams!  I'm pushing around about 11,000 gph...would recommend same (or more) for you.>>
My first question is about lighting.
<<Uh oh...shoulda been pacing myself.>>
My goal is to primarily keep LPS with some Zoanthids and a couple of Montipora SPS species.  Would you recommend 4 400W MH or 4 250w MH?
<<Wouldn't recommend 400w even of you were keeping "high light" acros...go with the 250w... or better yet 150w (DE), considering what you want to keep.>>
Also, do you think PC actinics or VHO actinics would work better?
<<Moot point...use 10,000k halide bulbs and the actinics will be for your pleasure, not the corals.>>
Would 1 watt blue LED's reach the bottom of the tank for moon lighting?
<<Yes.  But again...this is for you.>>
Also, what do you recommend for Kelvin rating? I've seen really good tanks with 10,000k and 14,000k, but have also heard recommendations for mixing different ratings.
<<Maybe...tis up to you.  My recommendation is all 10K.>>
I know much of this is opinion questions, but I really do like getting honest opinion.
<<No prob!  Opinions I have in abundance <G>.>>
As far as livestock, I'd like to know if you foresee any problems with this livestock list (attained over a very long period, 2+ years).  All quantities are 1 unless stated otherwise: Opistognathus aurifrons,
<<Hold off on the mandarin for at least a year (good advice for all fish if you can do it!) until the refugium can provide a sustainable food supply.>>
6 Chromis viridis, Centropyge Aurantius, Centropyge Multispinis, Ecsenius Midas, Salarias Fasciatus,
<<I don't really consider ANY blenny to be "reef-safe.">>
2 Amphiprion Ocellaris, 2 Black Amphiprion Percula, 2 Elacatinus Oceanops, 2 Pterapogon Kauderni, 1 Stonogobiops Nematodes, Gobiodon strangulatus, 1 Gobiodon Okinawae, 2 Nemateleotris Decora,
<<The gobies will be great in this tank.>>
Paracheilinus Filamentous, Wetmorella nigropinnata, Cirrhilabrus, Laboutei, Pseudanthias Dispar, Oxycirrhites Typus,
<<Longnose hawks are fascinating, curious fish...but you'd be surprised at the size shrimp they can get in their mouths...you are forewarned.>>
Centropyge Loriculus, Centropyge Bispinosus, Tank Bred Pseudochromis Fridmani, Tank Bred Pseudochromis Springeri, Acanthurus Achilles,
<<I can't endorse the Achilles Tang...needs more flow/more space than even this tank can supply.>>
Ctenochaetus Hawaiiensis, Paracanthurus hepatus , Zebrasoma Flavescens,
<<Honestly...not a tang person when it comes to reef tanks...but these last three should be fine in this size system...if you must <G>.>>
2 Blue Synchiropus Splendidus.
<<Again with the mandarins?  Please do wait on these.>>
As well as various snails, hermits, and cleaner shrimp.
<<Other than noted...a fine selection...do keep an eye on the pygmies though...can be risky to mix so many, even in a big tank, as well as a risk to corals.>>  
Any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated. I'm just looking to make sure I have the best possible start that I can provide for my underwater friends. Also, one last question, I want to use a 55 gallon tank just for holding live rock to culture algae on it so I can put it into the main display for the tangs and angels and then remove it and continually replace it with other pieces in the algae tank about once a week. My question, what lighting would you recommend for growing algae on the rock and would I have to use any supplements on this tank as well to encourage growth?
<<No supplements...and a couple or three 65w 6500K PC lights will serve you well.>>
Thank you again for your help.
Nick
<<Is a pleasure, Eric R.>>

Re: Tank Recommendations - 06/21/05
Thanks a lot for your help Eric!
<<Hope it was useful>>
Just a few things of note, first, the mandarins would be going in at least after a year, more like around 2 years before the tangs go in.
<<Very good.>>
Also, the first fish was a yellowhead jawfish, sorry if there was confusion there.
<<Oops!  Not your fault...knew I shoulda reread my replies <sheepish grin>.>>
I will take all of your advice to heart, especially about increasing the sand bed and cutting back on the live rock. I was really only going by general tank recommendations, but my goal would be aquascaping first and amount second.
<<Yes, general guidelines are just that.  You and your wet-pets will truly appreciate a more open setting.  Aside from aesthetics, much more effective water flow, room for fish to swim (especially those tangs!), etc....>>
As for the tank, rock on man! This is pretty much the baddest tank I can afford without selling myself or my fiancé (hmmm... could maybe go a few inches bigger).
<<I hear ya dude...But I can't even mention a bigger tank without nasty glares from my wife.  Can't really blame her though...after all, I did tell her I could install a 500g system (tank, sump, 'fuge) for under five grand <BG>.>>
Also, I know the Achilles Tang gets a very bad reputation, but I've also seen some solid success with them. I am still on the fence with this fish, I've heard that with a healthy initial specimen it can work out, but I also don't want to doom any fish.
<<I can't say I haven't "doomed" my share of fish in my day...and I can understand the attraction of this beautiful fish (seriously contemplating the same with my tank)...but in the end, success with a handful out of the hundreds (or thousands?) imported yearly does not justify the purchase.  Please read through our FAQs re this fish before making a final decision: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acanthurTngs.htm>>
Also, I was thinking that one 3-stripe damsel wouldn't impact the pod population anymore than if it was in the main display, but if I'm wrong about that, then I will look to moving him into my FOWLR.
<<Think of it this way...the refugium is the "safe haven" for the micro- and macro-fauna to proliferate.  Even if the damsel eats all the organisms as they enter the main tank you still have "brood stock" to replenish from in the 'fuge.  If the damsel lives in the 'fuge WITH the brood stock...well...soon, no more brood stock.>>
As for going with rock and or macro algae, the only reason I was adding the rock was for places for pods to reproduce, would the macro algae perform the same function?
<<Yes...specially the course matrix of the Chaetomorpha.>>
Also, is the Gracilaria Parvispora as good as a nitrifier as Chaetomorpha?
<<Don't know how one actually "rates" against the other...but either will serve this purpose nicely.>>
I've heard great stuff about Chaetomorpha since it doesn't go sexual, but tangs really seem to love the Parvispora more. If it can perform the same purpose, I'll just go with the Parvispora.
<<Hmm...maybe time to contemplate a small (20 gal.) mini-'fuge for algae cultivation.>>
And the Tunze Turbelle streams are amazing! So much flow and yet it feels fairly gentle.
<<Agreed>>
As well, yes the moon lights and actinics are completely for my benefit.  And I greatly appreciate the help on the lighting.  I am so tired of getting the same recommendation of going as high as you possibly can just so I "could" keep any coral I wanted to despite the fact that I've never cared for Acro's.  They're okay I guess, I'm just much more interested in LPS corals. So, thanks a lot for the recommendations!
<<Indeed...lighting is just a part of the equation to keeping a particular specie (any specie) of coral.  Water flow and effective feeding are of equal if not more importance.>>
Last question I promise (for now), do you think the refugium would work as a dual purpose fuge if half the tank was stacked fairly thick of LR for pod growth and the other half was completely bare for macro algae? I don't think this would work in an 80, but how about a 120 or 160?
<<Dividing the refugium for double (or even triple) duty is an excellent means of expanding your options.  And do go as big as you can handle.>>
Thanks a lot, any other advice or recommendations would be much appreciated since I'm basically looking to mimic your setup since it looks so great. And I have no idea where you live....
PS. You need to stop dancing around to Destiny's Child in women's clothing. It's very distracting.
<<Gotta remember to pull those blinds....>>
Nick
<<Regards, Eric R.>>

Stocking A Super Reef Tank (Cont'.)
Hi Scott,
I'm so excited!  Today I added 3 Canary Wrasses to the tank.
<Awesome! Great fish that can really add some color, personality, and excitement to a tank!>
The LFS ordered them in.  All ate at the store and were swimming out in the open.  Apparently 3 more were hiding in the sand.  I brought the outgoing ones home, gave them a 5 minute fresh water dip and put them into the tank.
The dip is good procedure, but do try quarantine next time...>
To my surprise, they all simply started swimming in the water column.  They never hid in the sand or the rocks.  So far, 5 hours
later, none of the fish seems bothered by the change.  The new wrasses are eating off the rock and ate some homemade fish food.  
<Great to hear. They really are a pretty perfect reef fish. At night, they may bury themselves in the substrate for protection, but they will typically remain out in the open all day.>
They're a beautiful addition and seem very gentle.  It was the perfect suggestion.
<I'm really glad you like them! They'll just become more and more attractive and outgoing as they settle in.>
Thank you!  Next fish is a Lyretail Anthias when a nice one shows up at the LFS.  Nancy
<Keep me posted, Nancy! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Mixing and Matching Reef Inhabitants
Hello Crew,
<Hi there! Scott F. with you today!>
Love the site. Thanks for all you help so far. I have a 120g set up with a variety of fish (2 Percula Clowns, 1 Flame Angel, 2 Fire Fish, 1 Yellow Tang and 1 Royal Gramma)
<Great mix of fishes!>
and 3 Long Tentacle anemones. I have adequate lighting
for my anemones and have an wet/dry filter with protein skimmer. I want to add corals to my system. Do you recommend any type that I can add with the current set up?
Thank you
<Well, I'm often a bit hesitant to add corals into a tank with several anemones because of the very real possibility of allelopathy ("chemical warfare") between the stinging cnidarians and corals. However, in a large tank that is well maintained, you might be able to get by with a few specimens of soft coral; perhaps some of the less aggressive ones, such as Capnella or Xenia.  However, proper distance must be maintained from the anemones, and careful attention paid to husbandry practices, such as water changes, and regular use/maintenance of chemical filtration (activated carbon and/or Poly Filter). Best of luck to you! Regards, Scott F.>

Stocking A Super Reef Tank!
Hi all,
<Scott F. here today!>
I'm trying to get my stocking plan in place for a 90g reef tank w/ lots of rock which has been up and thriving for 2+ years. My sump is roughly 40 gallons.  My major goal is to have a very peaceful tank with fish that enjoy swimming out in the open and around the rock.  The current inhabitants are a Black Sailfin Blenny, Yellow Watchman Goby and a VERY shy Fridmani Pseudochromis.
<Nice mix of small fishes. I like it!>
I just removed a Kole Tang and 2 false Perculas to different tanks to cut down on aggression.  I'd like to add an Anthias - maybe a female Fiji Lyretail or Bicolor or Randal.  I'm unsure about other tank mates - possibly a Midas Blenny, 5 Blue Chromis (my last bunch of green Chromis hid all the time so I gave them away) or a reef safe wrasse.  Any suggestions are welcome.  I'm prepared to feed frequently and provide very high quality water.  Thanks for your help.  Nancy Ishikawa
<Well, Nancy- I really like your thinking on this tank's stocking plan! Small, colorful peaceful fishes in a nice sized tank makes for a great display! I have never been a big fan of Chromis, myself, but lots of hobbyists keep them and love them. I'd rather go with a small group (like 3) Halichoeres chrysus (Canary Wrasse) or similar small wrasses. Other good choices would be a trio of smaller Fairy Wrasses, or perhaps  a Firefish, or Meicanthus species of Blenny. There are more and more neat blennies and gobies showing up all the time. Do regularly check e-tailers and your local fish stores for more of 'em! Keep me posted on your selections for this cool tank! Have fun! Regards, Scott F>

Stocking  A Super Reef Tank! (Cont'd.)
Hi Scott,
<Hello again!>
Thanks for answering so quickly.
<My pleasure! Glad to be of assistance!>
The Canary Wrasse group sounds like a good option.
<They are really cool fish that seem to mind their own business...And they have great personalities! One of my favorite fish!>
In reading about it on this and other websites, it sounds like it will eat a lot of worms and inverts. This tank has astrea snails, a conch, cleaner shrimp and cerith snails.  I like my worms which are plentiful but will gladly give them up to the fish to eat.
<I don't think that you'll have to worry about the snails. They are fund of some of the smaller worms and polychaetes that are found in an established reef tank's sand bed and in the live rock, and they are actually beneficial predators of parasitic snails that are found in Tridacnid clams.>
Will canary wrasses harass inverts?  
<In my personal experiences in keeping these fishes, I have not had any problems with them preying on cleaner shrimp or other larger inverts. I suppose that very small shrimp could become a potential snack, but I have not had this problem. Start with little ones (2" or less) and keep them well fed (which is no problem- they are hearty eaters! They generally will not get much larger than 3" or so.>
The tank has a 4" DSB plus a smaller one in the sump.  As always, WWM is my first source of information! Thanks so much, Nancy
<Your system really sounds great! Do keep me posted on your selections and the progress of your tank! Regards, Scott F.>

Re: the big plan. Coral stocking
Hi Bob,
<Gary>
How are you doing today? Good I hope. Well, I finally think I have my system all planned out (at least on paper). I have already talked to you about everything but the corals. I now have a group of corals I think will work well together. I will not bore you with the details of my plan as you have already seen it. I will give you an outline of my system for reference. Also the tank will take about 2 years to finish stocking everything. Just so you know I will not be adding too many things at once. Ok here is the system.
Tank……: 72x18x20H acrylic 150lbs live rock with ½” sand bed
Filtration:
45 gal.(48x12x18)Sump/24x12 refugium 30lbs of Miracle Mud with red Gracilaria tikvahiae
20 inch Coralife 18watt T5 10k light going 24/7. over refugium.
Sedra 1200gph and 586gph (total of 1786gph) pumps for the sump return
2- Penguin 550 Powerheads (Marineland) 145gph. ea. (in main tank)
Lighting:
2- Icecap 660 Electronic Ballasts.
6-80watt 60” T5HO lights divided as follows:
3- 10K ATI Sun bulbs
2 – ATI True Actinic bulbs
1 - 11K ATI Aqua Blue bulb
Fish List:
1-Green clown goby (Gobiodon atrangulatrus)
1-Yellow clown goby (Gobiodon okiwawee)
5-Dispar Anthias (Mirolabrichthys dispar)
2-Lineatus fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lineatus)
1-Canary blenny (Meiacanthus ovalauensis)
1-Regal angel (Pygoplites diacanthus)
2-False percula clown (Amphiprion ocellaris)
1-Kole yellow eye tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus)
Creatures:
2-Feather duster (Sabellastarte sp.)
2- Dwarf colored feather duster (Bispira sp.)
2-Cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis))
1-Electric blue hermit crab (Calcinus elegans)
5-Zebra hermit crabs (Calcinus laevimanus)
5-Red legged Mexican hermit crab (Clibanarius digueti)
1-Red flame serpent starfish (Ophioderma rubicundum)
1-Tiger serpent starfish (Ophiolepsis superba)
2- Turbo snail Mexican (Turbo fluctuosa)
10-Super Tonga Nassarius snail (Nassarius distortus)
10- Margarita snail (Margarites pupillus)
10- Red foot moon snail (Norrisia norrisii)
<Skip this last species... a temperate, non-tropical...>
Here are the corals, listed roughly where I plan to place them:
Top
Green Acropora coral (Acropora sp.)
Purple Acropora coral (Acropora sp.)
2-blue Acropora coral (Acropora sp.)
Green Crocea clam
<Mmm, a Tridacnid... not a cnidarian>
Mid Top
Clavularia glove polyps (Clavularia sp)
Candy cane coral (Caulastrea furcata)
Orange tube coral (Tubastrea aurea)
Mid (opposite sides of tank )
Elegance coral (Catalaphyllia jardinei)
White bubble coral (Plerogyra sp.)
Mid
Blue Crocea clam
Red carnation tree coral (Dendronephthya sp.)
<Mmm, skip this genus...>
Closed brain pineapple coral (Favites spp.)
Bottom
Cynarina button coral (Cynarina)-(lower rock)
Green lobe brain coral (Lobophyllia spp)-(in sand)
Red open brain coral (Trachyphyllia geoffroyi)-(in sand)
Ok my questions are do you think the Dendronephthya will live with the
Miracle Mud as they claim? (they say it should not be a problem)
<Not likely... less than 1% chance IMO>
I am not sure if I should go with T5 lighting as shown above or 4-6 PC 96 watt, which do you recommend for my setup?
<The T-5's>
Just planted my red Gracilaria about 2 weeks ago. What is left of it looks good with full color. There are only a couple of small bunches left. The rest died in the first few days. Is the 18 watt T5 10k Coralife light enough for the Gracilaria to grow and be used as an exporter of nutrients?
<Yes... even simple fluorescents will/would do>
Will the Norrisia norrisii do ok in 79ish degree water?
<No>
Will my system be too overloaded with fish?
<Doesn't look like it>
Will my system be too overloaded with coral?
<Not if started small...>
Last question, do you see something that you would change, besides everything? j/k on the last part. Or advice on what to look out for that I might be able correct before it becomes a big issue that you foresee. 
<Too much to state at this point... Other than w/ the exception of those noted, all should initially get along>
Thanks for all the help on this. It is very much appreciated. I am sure you already know but your site is, for lack of a better word, AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
Thanks again,
Gary
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Stocking A Small World!
Dear Sirs,
<No "sir" needed... Just Scott F. here today!>
Hello. I have a few questions for you guys that I hope you can help me with. First, I have a 30 gallon saltwater aquarium set up and functioning. The stats are as follows; 10 gallon sump (on its way to being an algae scrubber), 42 lbs. Caribbean live rock and 10 lbs. of Fiji. I have 192 watt compact fluorescent fixture (a 96 watt actinic and a 96 watt double daylight) a good skimmer and Penguin bio wheel. So far all I have in the tank is 2 Turbo snails and about 25-30 blue leg hermit crabs. My question is about stocking. I definitely want to have some True Percula clowns (I was thinking 2) and maybe one other fish. If you could help me select those that would be great.
<I think a great fish for a tank like this would be either the colorful and hardy Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto) or some type of Blenny, like the Bicolor Blenny (Ecsenius bicolor). Both are colorful, interesting fishes that do well in smaller tanks.>
Next is my big question. I want to turn it into a reef aquarium and have some soft corals and maybe a few hard corals. What would your professional staff recommend? 
(P.S. I'm not a total newbie so feel free to recommend what ever species you'd like. I have just dealt with Nano size reefs and don't know as much about larger setups.) 
Thanks, Andrew S.
<Well, Andrew, I'd probably avoid mixing hard and soft corals in this sized aquarium, because the possible "chemical warfare" that can occur between the two would be magnified in this limited space. I'd start off with some very hardy corals, such as the "Mushroom Corals" or perhaps some Ricordea, both of which are colorful, interesting, and easy to care for. Other possible candidates would be Xenia or perhaps Green Star Polyps (although they can be a rather "aggressive" coral, overgrowing many other species. Do look into any of these types and make your selections from those. Hopefully, this will give you a good start for corals for your system. Good luck and have fun with your system! Regards, Scott F.>  

Ghost Pipefish, Gorgonians, Soft Corals, Crinoids
Hello Crew!! Your site is AWESOME I have been reading it for months now and am never bored. (sometimes overwhelmed, but never bored) I am in the learning stages of setting up a salt water tank for a retirement project in a few years. I’ve been researching stocking and hit a snag. If the ornate ghost pipefish are found in sheltered coastal areas or lagoons (as are the mandarinfish!) in the same place as gorgonians, sort corals and crinoids----are we perhaps missing something in the water in these situations?
<... good question... perhaps "mud"?>
It would seem to me for the pipefish and gorgonians and crinoids not to survive in captivity we must be missing something in their home waters. Has testing ever been done for microscopic items that may be there?
<Am sure this has been done... by a few fields of inquiry... not likely part of the popular pet-fish press though>
Or relating to them being night feeders, is anything different from standard ocean reefs?
<A bit more nutrient rich, warmer... less flow of water...?>
Maybe the temps are higher as the water is “sitting” and not getting slammed about as much as in a more turbulent area? Maybe the “muck” builds up there and it has nutrients necessary for survival, that is why they only make it for a few months and die in our more clinically “clean” tanks?
<Oh, we are synchronizing... let's go  to the bar for a beer!>
Has anyone successfully kept a natural biotope like this for longer than ½ a year and had it flourish?
<Public aquariums have. Have seen such exhibits in and about Asia>
I really want to try, but I’m not willing to needlessly waste life. Any ideas to boost the survival rate of these creatures?
<Time to establish, volume, the use of fish-less lighted refugiums...>
And has anyone at all kept ornate ghost pipefish?
<Yes>
Well, thanks for any help you all can offer, I’d love to find a way to make this work!!!! Lisa Steinberger
<Would, will be a fascinating adventure... is now! Bob Fenner>

Too Much For A Reef Tank? - 05/21/05
Hello,
<Hey there Frank!>
I am preparing to set up a 135 gal mixed reef tank.  I will be using  150-200 lbs live rock + live sand.  I am aware that many reef keepers keep a minimal amount of fish in a reef tank, <Not me, I love fish in my reef...tend to "push the envelope."> but I have seen tanks with several fish as well <more than "several" out there.>, and was wondering if the following fish would create problems in a tank with several varieties of soft, LPS, and perhaps a few SPS and clams.
1 orange shoulder tang
1 sailfin tang
1 blue tang
1 Kole yellow eye tang
<Too many tangs for this tank.  Aside from possible aggression problems, you just don't have the space to take them to maturity.>
2 maroon clowns
2 clarkii clowns
6 percula clowns
<The maroons will likely end up bullying/killing the other clowns in a tank this size.>
1 Pseudochromis or wrasse for bristle worm control
<Much overrated pest IMO.  Bristle worm are easily controlled through food availability, and actually, are quite beneficial to your system as detritivores.>
1 mandarin
<Sorry, but not a good idea.  These beautiful but delicate and finicky feeders should only be added to very mature systems supported by large (and also mature) refugiums.>
Plus a handful of cleaner and peppermint shrimp, hermit crabs, etc.
I also plan to add at least a 55 gal refugium with seahorses and maybe a pipefish before fully stocking the system.
<Stocking the 'fuge defeats its purpose.  The refugium needs to provide a space free of predation for the micro- and macro-fauna to flourish.>
Will I run into problems?
<Yes, as stated.>
If so is it something that can be dealt with easily by doing a  little extra maintenance/water changes?
<I cannot recommend this as a "solution" to anything...maintenance gets slack, water changes get delayed.  Best to design and stock the system correctly, right from the beginning.>
If it is necessary for me to forego  some of the stock listed, do you have any recommendations as to which would be best left out?
<The mandarin is out for sure, and personally, I would forego ALL of the tangs, but if your heart is set, go with the Kole tang.  You should also consider picking one species of clown fish.  You might consider basing your choice of clown on whether you pick a Pseudochromis or wrasse to add to this tank...Pseudochromis - the more aggressive maroons...less aggressive (potentially) wrasse specie - the clarkiis or Percs.  Feel free to write back with some other suggestions/species and we'll be glad to go over them with you.>
Thanks, Frank
<Welcome, Eric R.>

My reef tank plans
I have a 72x18x20H tank with about 150lbs of live rock with ½” sandbed. 45 gal sump with 12x24 refugium with 30lbs of Miracle Mud. Basically a D.I.Y. ecosystem. Growing Red Gracilaria Tikvanhie.
<Never heard of this "species">
A 20 inch 18watt T5 light going 24/7 for refugium. A Sedra 1200gph and 586gph (total of 1786gph) pump for the return. 2- Penguin 550 Powerheads (Marineland) 145gph. Total circulating water volume 140gal. Currently I have 5 damsels in the sump. One more month of the tank running I will start to turn on main tank lights. Will be using 2- 4foot 40watt 10k T8 or T12 lights in the main tank. Later I plan on getting T5 lights and cycling them in, buy one or two at a time. 
Will run like this for 3mo. Then add crabs and half the snails (Creature list below ). Run with these for additional 3mo. Approx 9mo. of tank running before first group of fish go into the tank. Damsels back to the store. Then add each group 1-2 months apart. Will add additional creature/snails as needed. *the size to the right is my estimated maximum size. I will be buying everything small.
Group #1 
(Damsels will go out as these guys go in)
1-Green Clown Goby (Gobiodon Atrangulatrus)2”
1-Yellow Clown Goby (Gobiodon okinawae) 2”
5-Dispar Anthias (Mirolabrichthys Dispar) 4”
2-Lineatus Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus Lineatus) 5”
Group#2
2-False Percula Clown (Amphiprion Ocellaris) 4”
1-Kole Yellow Eye Tang (Ctenochaetus Strigosus )6”
Group#4 (What happened to Group #3?)
1-Canary Blenny (Meiacanthus ovalauensis) 5”
1-Regal Angel (Pygoplites Diacanthus ) 10” Rea Sea variant
CREATURES:
2-Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis))
1-Electric Blue Hermit Crab (Calcinus Elegans)
5-Zebra Hermit Crabs (Calcinus laevimanus)
5-Red Legged Mexican Hermit Crab (Clibanarius Digueti)
1-Red Flame Serpent Starfish (Ophioderma rubicundum)
1-Tiger Serpent Starfish (Ophiolepsis Superba)
2- Turbo Snail Mexican (Turbo Fluctuosa)
10-Nassarius Snail (Nassarius Vibex)
10-Turbo snails (Turbo Fluctuosa)
This will be a reef tank with mostly SPS type corals and some LPS with a couple clams. Still working on the coral list. Is there anything I should think about changing. I know how good the Gracilaria is for tangs and angels but not sure how good it is as a nutrient export. I thank you for any input you might have on this. This site has been great help putting together what I hope to be a nice reef tank.
<Looks like a well-thought out workable plan and stocking list (do know that the second part scientific names are not capitalized). Bob Fenner> 

Stocking a 55 gal
Hi, and thanks for the quick response. I will follow your directions on not doing a 100% change. I already figured that was dumb. I just wondered about your comment about not adding fish if it was to be a reef tank. My plans are this and correct me if I am wrong. I have live rock already with orange sponge, some bright orange tiny skinny stick like things in groups here and there, a hitchhiker crab with only his/her claw showing, hasn't come out yet, I have burgundy and green "grass". Of course some algae, but that is what the snails are for. (PS: I heard that Nassarius snails can die in warm water, then read that it is only the TRUE N. snails I want.....how do you tell the difference?) 
< I'm no good at identifying snails. I just trust the guy at the store. If you are unsure, just go with something else (Cerith). > 
I also have many tiny little, I think fans, when they open they look striped, and of course the damsels which never died, and wouldn't as I added them in after the spikes. So my future ideas are to have live rock/2" sand (are the brittle stars (not green of course), engineer gobies, and true N. Snails enough to keep 2" stirred in a 55?) 
< Definitely. You really don't have to keep the sand stirred, and I'd maybe hold off on either the goby or the brittle stars. >
I would like to add a bubble anemone and clown once everything is balanced. Also in the future a yellow tang, mandarin....(yes I KNOW...I have done the research and will only put him in when he can survive....actually only in a couple of years when I switch to a 150 gallon) I like the peaceful fish. Anyhow, I do a ton of research on each fish I am expecting to get. I want to add a cleaner shrimp or 2, and a cleaner goby to help with ich, etc., 
< I think this is a much better idea than taking down a tank. > 
I would like a reef/fish aquarium, though I understand about the competition for water quality, which I feel will be addressed with my skimmer Prizm deluxe that takes water out of the surface to clean, not 1/2 way down like the others. 
< Just make sure you get a nice big skimmer. You won't regret it. > 
I feel that reef/fish is good as that is what is in the wild. Tell me your thoughts, 
< Well I wouldn't have a tank without fish. Also, corals do a great job filtering the water and making a nice home for fishes. So I'd always have both. >
Thanks! Carrie :)
< Blundell >

Banggai and Engineer Goby
Hi Aaron here, (I love your website by the way.) First I'll give you a quick background on my tank. It is a 29 gallon 18x tall x30 long x 12. It has 15lbs live rock, and 10 lbs. base rock. It has aragonite sand, and is filtered by an Emperor 280 and has a PowerSweep powerhead. Now to the question. I just purchased a Banggai cardinal and an engineer goby. My Banggai just hangs around and I understand this is normal because they are nocturnal and relatively peaceful. I also understand that they do better in groups but b/c of tank size a pair would be good. How should go about adding another Banggai or is this necessary? 
<I agree with the generalization that they do better in groups. Many fishes that do live in groups constantly bicker to establish and maintain pecking order. In very small groups (like those often attempted in aquaria) that bickering can be quite stressful. For Banggai's, pairs work well, but they must be male and female. Two females might tolerate each other, but two males will fight. In order to establish a pair, you will have to add a second fish and observe the behavior for signs of aggression. If they don't tolerate each other, you must remove one and try another fish. Sexing them is tricky, but males often have a lower slung, boxy jaw line. Also (this is unconfirmed!), some have suggested that one sex has a small number of large spots and the other has a large number of small spots.>
Also, is it normal for my engineer goby (Very interesting fish) to hide behind rocks most of the day? He does come out for feeding, and feeds well he does! I currently am feeding them a staple of Mysis shrimp only for now. I have a chocolate chip star that gets fed krill. Should krill be included in my fishes' diet? 
<Since both of these fish are carnivores, Mysis is a good staple. Krill is fine for your CC star, but I would not feed it to your fish. Some fish become "hooked on" krill and will refuse other foods. Also, diets high or exclusive in krill have been linked to blindness, especially in large predators like groupers and Lionfishes. The risk is probably low, but there are too many other good choices out there to risk it!>
What should I use to supplement the food? Sorry for the lengthy question but I did search all the cardinal fish FAQ's and articles for at least an hour and was still unsure. Thanks always, Aaron.
<For carnivores, chopped raw shrimp, squid, clam and silversides all make good foods. If they will accept pellets or frozen "formula foods" these are very good too. Variety is good!>
P.S. How did you get involved in the making/supporting of the website and how does one get involved? I am only 17 but very interested in aquatics in general, more so marine fish. <Most of us were referred by friends who were involved in the site and have referred others who we felt were knowledgeable and had a good attitude. If you would like to "get your feet wet", do consider writing an article for Conscientious Aquarist Magazine (accessible through the main page of WWM). You can e-mail me and my co-editor, Scott Fellman at camag@wetwebmedia.com  for details or to send a submission. Best Regards! AdamC.>

Reef Questions: compatibility 4/1/05
Bonsoir Antoine,
<Bonsoir, madmoiselle>
Hope you're doing fine.
<I am well, thanks you... with hope for you in kind>
I got the two books (Coral Propagation and Reef Invertebrates) and I think they are awesome! Do you have an idea of when vol. 2 and 3 are coming out?
<Ah... thank you. Hoping for vol. 2 of both this year>
I got a few more questions since last time, if I may. They are not as numerous now that I have the books tough... :)
-First, I better defined my coral stocking plan. It goes as follow:
Frogspawn (Euphyllia paradivisa)
Torch (Euphyllia glabrescens)
Hammer (Euphyllia ancora)
Pulsing Xenia
Montipora Digitata
I know, still not wise enough to avoid mixing groups.
<With regard for lighting, this is an excellent grouping. Just be careful to protect the Montipora and Xenia - they can easily get fried among these brutes>
But I got three from the same genus and, as I understand it, this genus is quite aggressive in a stingy way but not so dangerous chemically speaking.
<It's debatable... but agreed relative to Sarcophyton for example>
I will leave enough room around them. The two others (xenia and Montipora) are relatively peaceful and hardy. What do you think of that new combo?
<Its a thoughtful and considerate mix>
-I would also like to have your advice on placement with my specific set-up. The display tank is 48"x18"x24"(deep). The lighting hood is 36" with a 250w 10000k MH in the center and two 96w PC actinics. There will be a 4" DSB. I think placing the Montipora in the middle/top and centered is an obvious choice.
<That depends on the species of Montipora. If it is higher light... than so be it>
I would let the Xenia grow somehow as a crown "around" the Montipora, taking care that it's not reaching it... The big question is for the Euphyllia. I know they require less light, but to what extent.
<keep them in the bottom third of this tank and let them grow higher in time>
Considering my set-up, could I place them toward the bottom on the sides of the tank (remember: tank is 48" but hood is 36" with a MH only in the center...)? Any suggestions?
<agreed>
-Can I place hammer and frogspawn next to each other or should I follow the usual rule of at least 12" between them?
<For growth in this case... keep them at a distance>
-I have read somewhere in the FAQs that one could use the Euphyllia as a "firewall" to stop the expansion of Xenia. 
<Yes top both>
Aren't the otherwise non-problematic Xenia going to produce a lot of mucus/toxins in their hopeless fight against the Euphyllia? What is your advice here?
<Xenia are wonderful weeds... protect them at first, and let them grow in between where they can otherwise>
-Can xenia "walk" on the sand bed?
<Nope... but frags can drift>?
If not I could place the Montipora on a separate mound of LR in the center and surrounded by sand to protect them from the invasion of xenia from outer-space.
<Interesting>
-You recommend to soak food given to Euphylliids in a vitamin preparation once a week. Is Selcon good for that purpose?
<Yes... Selcon is fabulous for all marine life: HUFA (Lipids) rich>
-About clownfish (ocellaris) getting an anemone substitute. I thought it was a good idea to give up the anemone and offer the fish corals he is likely to accept as host but I read on the WWM that "it is unnaturally abrasive and repetitive in the confines of an aquarium. In time, it will wear or tear the Euphylliid perhaps causing an infection and possibly leading to the coral's
death. They need to be separated".
<That is my opinion>
But many persons on forums are saying they are successful with such combination.
<Few of these folks have succeeded with this for more than a year or two. Most stony corals with sharp septae to their corallum/corallites will suffer in time from the mix>
What is your opinion/experience? What are the odds that it turns wrong for the Euphyllia ?
<It's very bad in the three year picture IMO>
-I read that many hermits and snails are going to eat coralline algae and that some species are worse than others. Is it really a concern?
<nope>
I was leaning to a few Trochus and one single Calcinus elegans (not the smallest but at least it's from the Indo-Pacific like the rest of my future livestock).
<Do resist crabs... they are not reef safe in the long term>
-I am thinking of using Chaetomorpha and Gracilaria in the fuge. I would also place a small spot of Ochtodes and Botryocladia in the display. Would it be ok?
<All are fine species of use and weakly invasive or noxious>
-Would it be fine to use 6500k NO tubes in the fuge.
<It would be outstanding>
Is it likely to cause nuisance algae problems?
<Light does not cause algae problems my friend... nutrients do>
What color would you recommend?
<6500K is spot on!>
-Trapezia crabs (let's say Rufopunctata) are said to be commensal of Pocilloporid corals. Are they likely to accept a Montipora instead?
<True>
-Lastly, you mention on p.305 of Coral Propagation that there is a pulsing xenia from Indonesia that is red green and blue (we could call it the Italian flag pulsing xenia :). Do you have more info about it (Latin name, availability, etc.)?
<There is no species assignment yet that I know of, and they usually make it in with/as "Blue Xenia" when transshipped from Bali>
Sorry for the very long mail and thanks in advance!
Dominique Capelle
<best of luck and life, Anthony> 

Quick Question on Reef Livestock
Hello WWM crew...just a quick thanks for all the information on you site. It has been an invaluable tool for me just starting out with my reef. I have a compatibility/stocking question. 
First off setup.
75 Gal w 75 lbs LR and 60 lbs aragonite
4x110w VHO - 2 URI super actinic 2 Aquasun (Lights are 4' from surface)
BakPak Dual Pak with bio-bale removed
Emperor Filter
3x Maxi-jet 900's for extra circulation
This tank has been up and running/cycling for 6 months. 
Currently I have:
1 yellow tail damsel
3 emerald crabs
6 Mexican Turbos
25 various hermits
The clean-up crew solved my hair algae issues and the coralline is really starting to cover all my LR. Water parameters are all perfect.
0ppm Nitrates/Nitrite
0ppm Ammonia
400+ Cal with acceptable alk
Reef Buffer holding pH at 8.3-8.4
Specific gravity 1.027
<I'd lower this to 1.025>
I have yet to keep any corals and would like to start. I really dislike all the leather and mushroom corals that I've looked at so here's my stocking question(s).
1. Are LPS and SPS generally ok to have in the same tank, or should you stick with one type?
<Can be mixed... much to relate here... start with the designations of Large and Small polyps... artificial... but some groups of SPS are appreciably more sensitive to lowered and variable water quality... e.g. the acroporids... relative to much of the LPS... all's chemical and behavioral compatibility is more a function of species variability than actual polyp size... by and large, NO species of Scleractinia "get along"... ALL need to be adequately spatially isolated... not allowed to overshadow one another...>
2. This is my list of new additions, could you let me know if they work together?
Flame Hawkfish
Indo-Pacific Blue Tang
Lawnmower Blenny
True Percula Clown
Black Cap Basslet
<These should be fine>
Corals-
Frogspawn
Zoanthids
Open Brain, green
Pulsing Xenia
Montipora
Acropora
<And these... started small... do isolate the sea mats and pulsing corals such that they are easy to "harvest", limit with time, growth>
Maybe a couple of shrimp (cleaner or peppermint) provided the hawk does not eat them.
<It will if it is of size, they are small or molting>
I'd like to have an anemone for the clown (or true pair of clowns) but from what I've read they may not work well in a tank with corals. 
<Usually so... especially in small volumes...>
I've read that they will host in a frogspawn given time.
<Possibly>
However, I believe that the clowns may also irritate some of the corals while trying to host in them. Let me know if this setup will work as I don't want to endanger any of these animals by placing them in the wrong environment. 
<You have been studying... start the fishes and cnidarians small... and you should have no problems, and a nice set-up to enjoy for years to come. Bob Fenner>

Good Planning for a Reef Tank 3/9/05
Bonjour Antoine!
<bonjour, Dominique>
(Indeed a charmingly old-fashioned name over here ;), more frequent in France I think. You guessed I was French-speaking by my name or by my unfortunate "written-accent"? 
<a little bit of both :)>
Ok, I should have waited until I read the two books this week-end (they are due for Friday...) to write a follow-up , but I can't resist to ask more... always more... until I'm blacklisted by the whole WWM...
<no worries>
I understand the preference for a biotope. I am very strict about that in my discus tank. I do not even allow a plant that would otherwise fit with the parameters if it's not found in the Brazilian Amazon. Even thought about a strict Rio-Negro tank at some point, but it was getting crazy, impractical and maybe obsessive.
<yes... understood... we make the compromises to balance biotope with practical enjoyment of the tank/hobby. As it should be>
I thought I would let myself loose with my new reef tank, but it seems ignoring biotope makes it complicated for other reasons...
<it is more difficult with reef creatures indeed as many are chemically noxious/combative>
1 - So, from my understanding, the trick is to select "peaceful" (allelopathically speaking) species more than selecting from a single group (SPS, LPS, etc.).
<quite correct... and you can cheat a little bit, but not too much>
I think that's what I have in my list, wouldn't you agree?
<hmmm... from before, no. Montipora and Acropora species often exist in very different niches. The foliaceous/plating forms of the former in contrast to the stout, stubby branches of the latter are quite indicative. Lower light/water flow versus higher light/water flow. This is the reason so many people have trouble keeping the colors of both these popular groups simultaneously>
(except for the star polyp you pointed out, which is strangely rated peaceful by Foster & Smith)
<Drs F&S ratings are complete bunk in some listings. I just saw them recommending the hydrozoan antler hermit crab as hardy/beginner. Disappointing.>
So I remove that one from my list.  You know a peaceful substitute that looks similar?
2 - Carbon will remove a lot of good nutrients/trace elements from water in a reef tank
<this is one of the worst rationales for not using carbon. By the same line of logic, we should exclude corals from our reef tanks too ;) They also take out good nutrients <G>. Or put another way... even without carbon, you still need to replenish said nutrients. Point blank - carbon takes out far more bad than good and is almost necessary for long term success. It or some such is needed to maintain water clarity (crucial) for reef corals.>
(I don't use carbon in my heavily planted discus tank for that reason, I filter on peat moss...)? I guess you have to do it to remove warfare chemicals and just have to add a ton of additives to compensate...?
<water changes alone my friend... good chemical filtration like carbon and/or ozone and water changes for most. Some nutritive additives too regardless of carbon use or not>
3 - I think you stated somewhere that mandarins don't fit well with LPS.
<correct... nor with anemones>
Should I give up either the LPS or the mandarin?
<it would be best>
Or maybe those I selected are not that bad. I included my complete detailed set-up/livestock plan at the end of this e-mail. Must admit Bob Fenner already gave a look, but am always excited about having impressions from another expert and it's changed a bit.
<true... good to have a consensus>
I will buy booster kits from Inland to prepare the arrival of the mandarin. You think I have a good set-up and no incompatibility or strong food-competitors in my livestock/fishes?
<tough to say... best to overcompensate IMO with hearty feedings and hearty water changes (weekly)>
4 - If everything is working very fine during about a year, I will be interested in one or two challenges: keeping a mandarin and/or a BTA to match with ocellaris.
<the anemone is best kept in its own tank away from sessile cnidarians... but is much hardier than the mandarin>
I understand there is a risk for corals with the BTA.
<huge>
I read the article about BTAs on WWM. Will do everything to minimize the risks. What I would like to know is if the BTA is going to be a big threat to the other fishes in my list and mostly to the mandarin?
<both... especially movement among the corals or near the overflows/intakes>
If it is so (an absolute incompatibility) I'll simply have to choose between the BTA challenge and the mandarin challenge.
<keep either in refugia only for best results perhaps here>
EQUIPMENT/SET-UP:
-90 gal (48"x18"x24"deep)
-Lighting = Hamilton 1x250w MH 10000k (center) +2x96w PC actinics +2 blue LEDs for night
-4" aragonite DSB (CaribSea Grand Bahama Reef Sand: 0.2-1.2mm with larger bits and shells)
-120lbs of Fiji LR (including a small rubble zone with CHAETOMORPHA)
-35 gal refugium (on reversed schedule) with 5" sugar sized aragonite DSB, 20lbs LR, 60w NO 6500k, Gracilaria (tang heaven red) and Thalassia testidunum (turtle grass)
-Skimmer =(working at night, when fuge lighted) Tunze Comline automatic 3130/2
-Return pump = Rainbow LifeGuard Quiet One 3000, giving 600GPH
-Flow/current device = Wave2K
-Heater = Eheim Ebo Jaeger 250w
-Hydrometer = Tropic Marin high precision
-RO-DI 100 GPD
LIVESTOCK
Fishes:
1 Clown Goby, Green (Gobiodon atrangulatus)
1 Kaudern's Cardinal (Pterapogon kauderni)
1 Ocellaris Clownfish - Tank Bred (Amphiprion ocellaris)
1 Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica)
1 Yellow Tang - Hawaii (Zebrasoma flavescens)
1 Green Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus) MAYBE
Shrimps/crabs:
1 Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
1 Sexy Anemone Shrimp (Thor amboinensis)
1 Coral crab (Trapezia rufopunctata) IF I can find one.
1 Pompom boxing crab (Lybia tesselata) Again, IF I can find one.
1 Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab (Clibanarius sp.)
1 Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab (Clibanarius tricolor)
Stars:
1 Marble Sea Star (Fromia sp.)
1 Red Sea Star (Fromia milleporella) MAYBE
Snails and other detritivores/algae eaters:
2 Harlequin Bubble Sea Slug (Haminoea cymbalum) IF able to find them.
6 Nassarius vibex + maybe a few Trochus or Nerites (funiculata) + Copepods, amphipods, Mysis shrimps, mini brittle-stars, bristle and spaghetti worms.
Corals (a selection among these):
LPS
-Candy Cane Coral (Caulastrea furcata)
-Fox Coral (Nemanzophyllia turbida)
-Green Eyed Cup Coral (Mycedium sp.)
-Pagoda Cup Coral (Turbinaria)
Polyps
-Starburst Polyp (Pachyclavularia sp.)
-Pumping Xenia (Xenia spp.)
-Pipe Organ Coral (Tubipora musica)
-Snake Polyp (Isaurus tuberculatus)
SPS
-Montipora Coral, Branched (Montipora digitata)
Others:
1 Crocea Clam, Super Colored (Tridacna crocea)
1 Feather Duster (don't know which one yet)
1 Bulb Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor), tank bred. Probably NOT
Thanks again!
Regards,
Dominique (from Montreal)
<best regards! Anthony>

REEF system - General advice - what fish to get etc. with this set-up
Hi
<Hello there>
I know you get about a million e-mails a week, but if you do get a chance I'd really appreciate your advice. First quick run down of system: 
4ft*2ft*2ft with sump - so about 110 gallons?
<Yes>
(I find it easier to work in litres.)  Loads of live rock (couldn't fit mush more in without it looking stupid), as well as bio-balls/ filter floss etc in the sump.  D and D scumsucker skimmer rated to 400 gallons (you always say you can't over-skim right?)
<Can, but rare>
Lighting: 
1*T5 
3*T8 
Range of 50/50's marine blue etc. (with reflectors -tubes replaced often)
Some natural sunlight as well - helps I think?
<Yes, usually>
2 heaters - one in sump - one in tank.
5 powerheads (behind rockwork) - various sizes for flow - as well as return.
I do 5-10% water changes fortnightly as well as topping up with RO regularly for evaporation, and use supplements - calcium, trace elements etc.
Livestock:
1 largish yellow tang
1 blue cheek goby
4 Chromis
1 maroon clown
1 cleaner shrimp
approx 20-25 hermit crabs
approx 20-25 snails 9 (various)
1 choc-chip starfish
1 tree coral
1 leather coral
1 xenia coral
Tank has been set up for 18 months - corals are doing well - had them for a year. Not much growth on some so I obviously need to upgrade the lighting. (tree coral has grown really well.)  So basically my first question is does anything scream out as being very wrong with this set-up?
<All looks good thus far>
If you were me what would you look to out in next to make this a full reef set up. I want to get a lot more coral (mostly soft corals) once I've upgraded the lighting. (another 2T5's - halides would mean messing with the lid, expensive on elec. etc).
<Mmm, is your sump a living one... a refugium? I'd likely add light, some macro-algae there... perhaps expand it... maybe even add another sump/refugium in parallel... You mention light enhancements, but other rate-limiting factors may be at play... a lack of biomineral, alkalinity (you could add a calcium reactor)... adding the sump/refugium with a DSB might well provide more nutrient to your cnidarians, remove more metabolite...>
I am also looking at a few more fish - probably just 2/3: a Sohal Tang, or Lipstick or regal.
<These actually get too big for your size/shape system>
I've had very mixed advice as to whether they would be Ok with the yellow Tang - the consensus seems to be that a Sailfin or purple tang would be a bad idea but if I got a Sohal, Lipstick or Regal of the same size they should be OK.
<I would leave off with these... unless you are getting a much larger, longer system... six feet/2 metres>
I'm not really sure about stocking levels - it seems a big tank with few fish in at the moment?
<Not compared to the wild... especially with all the LR there>
I am also looking at possibly getting a anemone for the maroon clown - who is the latest addition (obviously lighting would be an issue - so more T5's would be crucial). The tank is deep but with lots of rockwork the anemone could move up closer to the lighting?
<Possibly>
Do I really need a lot more crabs and snails - tank seems pretty clean at the moment?
<The use of these animal groups... for cleaning, stocking period is much over-rated IMO>
Would a Linckia starfish be OK in this setup?
<Questionable>
I have also looked at getting a Lunare Wrasse - but can't get a definitive answer as to whether they are 'reef-safe' (as much as any fish is). 
<Semi... not to be trusted with small crustaceans, ones that are molting... or gastropods...>
I hope you can help me out - guess I'm looking for a bit of reassurance. I have made a few mistakes early on by rushing things, and don't want to lose any more livestock.
<Good point, attitude>
Thanks for any input you can give me.
PS - I will upgrade in future to an even bigger aquarium so if fish grow too big that wouldn't be too much of a prob.
<Ahhh, I would hold off on the large/r tang and Linckia purchases till you have this system up and going. Bob Fenner>