Marine reef tank
Hello WWM Crew,
< You got Cody today!>
Well how shall I start.. I have a 29 gallon aquarium which has been lying around and I have looked into setting up a marine reef/fish setup in the 29 gallon.. what I wanted to know was what are some good marine fish to keep with corals and that would work in a small (29 gallon) tank... pls help.  <Some of my favorite are royal grammas, Firefish, Dottybacks, and neon gobies.  There are many choices though and they can be found here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm
Cody>

Coralline Algae Growth in my Nano Reef
Thanks for the reply, Ananda.  
<Anthony Calfo with the follow-up>
In response to your inquiry concerning my lighting, I have 72 watts (54 watts 10k, 18 watts actinic) of PC lighting.  The light is on a 12 hour cycle.  So far so good?  
<indeed... and curiously, when water changes are done... are the lights off? If not... a common cause of impedance or bleaching in corallines (bright light in air exposure)>
I'm eventually planning on stocking the tank with SPS corals, and since the tank is only about 15" deep, I thought this would be adequate.  
<agreed... although many SPS will quickly outgrow the tank and require frequent pruning>
I actually did give MH some thought but I really didn't want to deal with the heat and possibly bleaching of my existing corals.
<MH over a 12 gall aquarium is rather obscene unless you scavenge the lower watt lamps (under 100)>
I've been reading over the FAQs and it seems as if I should be good to go in terms of producing coralline algae.  
<coralline growth is less dependant on lighting and more dependent on very consistent mineral content in the water (CA, ALK, Mg) via consistent water changers and supplements. Seachem's Reef Calcium (liquid calcium gluconate) is also quite helpful for accelerating growth of corallines>
I do occasionally notice a golden/yellowish brown film (sometimes with sparse small strands of yellow "grass-like" fibers) developing on the small sections of the aquarium glass.  I'm assuming it is probably just diatoms.  I've been being extra careful to not overfeed as a result, and I always use RO water for top-off with twice a month 15% water changes.  
<excellent>
Would I be correct in assuming this is a just a diatom bloom which will eventually go away as silicates are removed?  
<not only depends on silicates... but nutrient control in general>
Just to be safe, I've been checking phosphate levels to be sure they are in check...they were/are very near to, if not, zero.  Oh and btw, spg really is 1.022...sorry for the scare there.  Thanks again. Sandy
<all good... and perhaps consider weekly water changes to be less dependent on supplements. Anthony>

- Dosing Calcium in a Teacup -
<Good morning, JasonC here... >
This is a great website, and I feel guilty for asking so many questions. Your wealth of knowledge has been incredibly helpful to me, and I can't express enough gratitude.  Now, on to my situation.  I've been using Kalkwasser for about a month now with my 12 gallon tank. <Good god! That doesn't seem safe to me at all - not enough water.> Before that, I was using Kent's Liquid Ca and Superbuffer.  I switched to the Kalkwasser because of all the benefits I have heard about using it as well as the ease in keeping the alkalinity, [Ca], and pH in check all at once. In addition to the Kalkwasser, I dose in Iodine, Kent's Essential Elements, Strontium, and Molybdenum.  This may be standard procedure for everyone, but I find it somewhat excessive to have to dose all these materials. <Not standard procedure for me... I don't dose any of those myself. Especially with less than 12 gallons of water, you can 'dose' all those by changing the water.> Recently, I inquired to my LFS how they managed to get such an abundance of coralline algae in their display tanks.  The guy tells me that all he uses is Tropic Bio Marin Ca and nothing else since it contains "all the essential elements of sea water" already in the mix. He actually huffed when I told him that I use Kalkwasser, saying it was a waste of time and energy to be doing all the dosing I have been doing. All my parameters are where they need to be, but I haven't seen any significant coralline algae growth in the two and a half months I've had my tank up and running (first month I was using the two part, second month using Kalk). <Your tank needs to run a little while longer... at a certain point, you will have to beat back the coralline with a stick, but your system is quite new and will need some time to mature.> I'm wondering if I should drop my routine (i.e. stop dosing everything I'm using now) and give this Tropic Bio Marin Ca a try exclusively like this particular LFS. <I think you should skip it all and just rely on getting what you need from frequent water changes.> I can't dispute the fact that store's tank has great coralline algae growth and everything looks healthy. <Their tank has likely been running much longer too.> It just seems like it might be too good to be true.  Also, I've been reading up on Bio Marin Ca on the site, and I'm a bit confused.  Is it a balanced additive like Kalk or does it need some kind of additional buffer in equal amts to keep the balance? <I've never used the stuff, but I do use their salt.> If it does need buffer, how do I keep the balance in check...do I just use a 1:1 ratio (e.g. 1 tsp Tropic Bio Marin to 1 tsp Kent Superbuffer) at each daily addition? <I would follow Tropic Marin's instructions.> Like I mentioned earlier, my parameters are just the way they need to be right now so I don't want to throw that off. <So don't.> I'm also of the impression that I'm just not being patient enough with the coralline algae since it's only been two months with the tank. <This would be my pitch to you - do some deep breathing exercises and relax.> But even still, I think that's plenty of time to at least see SOME coralline algae growth, right? <I don't think so - two and a half months is not a long time.> Also, it's a hassle dosing everything and not seeing any results when I could just dose Tropic Marin Ca only and know that I'm on track to getting the great growth that the LFS has. <Work on that patience thing...> Any advice would be appreciated and thanks in advance.
<Cheers, J -- >

Starting 30 gallon marine tank
Howdy!
<Hi!>
I recently inherited a 30-gallon glass tank with stand that I would like to set up as my first marine tank (been in the freshwater hobby for about 2 years).  I know it's a bit small for a newbie, but I've been researching the topic for 6 months now, and feel confident based on the maintenance and testing routines I've gotten used to with my freshwater tanks.
<Yes, some easier with SW, some more vital. FW inhabitants tend to be more forgiving...>
Here's what I'm considering for filtration:
- 45 lbs. live rock (Fiji seems to come highly recommended).
- Live sand bed (roughly an inch, don't plan on any "burrowers").
- Good quality skimmer (perhaps you can recommend one, price not a major issue, just don't tell my wife).
- Small hang-on refugium (AquaFuge is the only type I've seen).
- Couple of powerheads (one at each end of the tank?) for water circulation.
<Any porous, light weight live rock is fine.  Do look into deep sand beds or perhaps none for your "refugium" (actually too small to be *really* effective, but still adds more H2O volume and fun to learn with). You may end up with more than two powerheads, depending on needs. I would start at 10X total volume turnover (300 gph) and go up from there. The skimmer I would recommend would be an Aqua-C Remora or Remora Pro.>
This is a change from my original plan (wet/dry), based mostly on what I've read on your site.  I originally thought a Berlin setup was for the pros, but the more I learn the more it seems like a reasonable (and more stable long-term) choice, even for newcomers.  Would you agree?  Or should I add in a small canister filter as a failsafe?
<With sand this is a modified Berlin system. Not important really. The main distinction is primarily the use of live rock for bio-filtration instead of wet-dry (which produce nitrates).  A true Berlin has no sand, but most everyone here recommends (I do highly) deep aragonite sand beds (over 3", preferably 5-6") as part of a more natural system, which tend to have low to zero nitrate.  I would highly recommend one or more good books on this subject (reefkeeping, not Berlin or Jaubert systems) to help you with these distinctions. Bobs book or something like Michael Paletta's book would be a good choice to start.  A canister would be very useful for carbon and phosphate removal media with minimum bi-weekly cleaning of all media and sponges to prevent nitrate production.>
For livestock, I was thinking of the following:
- Pair of cleaner or peppermint shrimp (any recommendation on which would be better?).
- One True Percula Clown
<Depends. Some LR may have Aiptasia anemones which peppermint shrimp may control. Cleaners are nice for keeping fish free of parasites, etc and can be quite friendly and hand fed. The cleaners tend to be more social. Pick one, they eat one another.
The clown is a nice choice, avoid anemones until you've had a year or more under your belt, they are not tolerant of many difficulties and can be quite toxic. Don't get along with powerheads (blenders) at all.  Shop around, there are some very pretty clownfish!>
In addition I'd like to add some hermit crabs and/or snails for
cleanup.  Any specific recommendations?  It seems like the "Clean-Up Crew" packages sold at most stores and online are WAY excessive in terms of the number of animals supplied.
<I would add a variety from your local fish store so you can pick. There are some great snails available, Trochus grazers, some like blue-legged hermits, and so on. There are some to avoid as well depending on what you intend to keep. A book and WWM can help you here.>
If possible I'd also like to add one more "lively" fish, unless you think this would be too much load on a 30-gallon (I'm anti-overstocking even though I want every fish I see).  Any specific
recommendations?  I've heard various blennies as suggestions in the past.
<Blennies do great, are hardy, and are part of the clean-up crew if carefully chosen. I like Sailfin Blennies (Jeweled Rock-Skipper) myself. Many good choices here, DO research fully all fish before any purchase, and ABOVE ALL, read about *required* quarantine for marine inhabitants. Much different than FW here! You can't just treat SW tanks! I will warn you now, no matter what you are told, there are NO "reef safe" and effective treatments. Educate yourself on quarantine now to safe time, lives and money! >
For lighting my current plan is to stick with plain old full-spectrum fluorescent tubes as I don't plan on keeping any sort of corals (other than whatever crawls in on the live rock).
<So this is fish only? The above distinctions on Berlin or? don't really apply here then. I would still stick with LR, DSB, and protein skimmer. The refugium is unnecessary unless you want it.>
Does all this sound reasonable to you?  I've been thinking about it so long I'm beginning to think it's either not as hard as I originally thought, or I'm seriously missing something here.  Thank you in advance for any thoughts you may have and for a great web site! -Mike Gorman
<It's easier and more detail oriented, if that makes any sense! Less manipulative and reliant on outside "mechanical" or "synthetic" filtration, it is also more dependant on proper testing and several water parameters. I do recommend good quality test kits for pH, alkalinity, calcium and specific gravity. Regular water changes will be a huge help.  More than anything, research first before laying your hard-earned cash down, take it slow, and have FUN!!!   Craig>

- Protein Skimmer for an Eclipse 12 -
Dear WWM Crew,
<Greetings, JasonC here...>
I know you probably get many questions on Eclipse tanks and protein skimmers. I am planning on getting an Eclipse 12 system, but I do not know if I need a protein skimmer. I was told that a small 12 gallon tank does not need a protein skimmer. <I ran a skimmer on a 2.5 gallon tank... I think protein skimming is an invaluable form of physical filtration.> I am thinking of a SeaClone because they are small, but where could I put this skimmer on the hood. The hood is totally enclosed. <It's true... with the Eclipse, any attempts to add a skimmer would necessitate modifications to the hood, perhaps with a Dremel or similar tool.>
Thank you,
Bob Najdek
<Cheers, J -- >

Nano nano (as in small reef)
>Greetings all, your much esteemed consensus is sought:
>>Greetings Steve.  Marina is the minion on assignment for you today.
>I would like to set up a small live rock/invert system, with just a few fish, some soft corals, and the possibility of a couple of hard corals later on; I am limiting the contents to what I can collect on vacation in the Florida Keys, with the exception of the rock which I need to set up the system in advance.
>>I am not familiar with collection regulations in Florida.  Please do get in touch with your state Fish, Game, and Wildlife Department (or whichever state body governs this aspect).
>My physical space limits me to a 20gal (12inch high) tank with an additional 5 inches of overhead clearance and about 5 behind. I am thinking of a typical outside power filter for mechanical, with the LR doing most or all of the biological.
>>This would put you in the nano range.  Therefore, I'd like to point you to the best nano guy I know of.  He's on http://reefs.org/phpBB2/index.php  and his name is brandon429.  This guy knows his stuff!
>I would like to try some plants (Halimeda, Penicillus, Udotea).  Should I go with an undergravel or no, and what substrate depth/composition would you suggest?
>>From what I understand, deep sand beds can be problematic in very small nanos.  But, in a 20 gallon it's the method I would suggest, 3"-4" would be the depth I recommend, using Aragonite fine grained sand.  As I also understand it, some Home Depot's sell something called "Southdown" sand.  This product is highly sought after, apparently it's the same as Aragonite, but more reasonably priced.
>Can you recommend a skimmer which will physically fit (i.e. max height 17")?  
>>I personally am not too hip the current hobbyist technology, but I understand that there is the CPR Backpack (sp?) and the AquaC Remora that are supposed to be good skimmers.  Have you got space underneath for a sump/refugium?
>My thought was to go with power compacts 50% 10000K/50% actinic; I seem to have a choice of either 96 or 130 watts; or, possibly MH if I have the clearance (I see a 150 or 250watt HQI low profile which would fit, but would effectively sit right on the tank cover or close to it). Your thoughts?
>>Because it's such a small tank, I would avoid metal halides altogether for the overheating problems and stick to power compact lighting.  Please know that the actinics are not necessary to photosynthetic growth, but serve an aesthetic purpose.  Also, because the tank is small, be careful introducing new specimens to this intense lighting.  Please look for information here--> http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm
And specifically on lighting here--> http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acclimcoralslight.htm
And here--> http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm
>Finally, if anybody knows a good source for cured Caribbean live rock, I'd like to know. Looking forward to your new invert book, it comes just at the right time!  Thanks, Steve J.
>>I cannot help you there, either.  I'll suggest going to our board here--> http://www.wetwebfotos.com/talk to pose a query, as well as to reefs.org to pose the query there, should you still need more information.  You are quite welcome, and good luck!  Marina

Reef tank
Hello.
I currently have a 10 gallon reef tank with live rock, 2 small hermit crabs and a yellow tail damsel, my question  would I be able to put soft corals- anemones in the tank? I was told she would eat the soft creatures, is this true? can you suggest any other creatures that would be compatible with my damsel fish?
<I am not aware of yellow tail damsels eating corals. You make no mention of lighting. I would stay on the low light/hardy scale with a mushroom, Ricordea, or maybe a polyp of some kind. I would stay away from anemones. A cleaner shrimp would be an interesting addition. I would stay away from any other fish because of the tank size and aggressiveness of the damsel. Hope this helps. Don>
Thanks, Dan

Small tank filtration
    I am a little 'afraid' of live rock- isn't that dreadfully difficult to
keep alive for very long..?
<Not at all, bacteria and critters will reproduce naturally>
Does the live rock help filter/digest waste
like an undergravel filter does in a freshwater aquarium?
<Not necessarily waste but bacteria will help with ammonia/nitrite/nitrate
control and in a very natural way. Some scavengers will help with waste, a variety of snails
brittle stars (stay away from the green variety. Some use small hermits but I have
not had good luck with these critters.>
I have to admit, I'm quite ignorant about live rock, and have only just started hearing about
it. Heck, I thought it was only for decoration. Does the live rock buffer
the pH?  
<Oh yes and so much more. Try putting 'live rock' into your favorite search engine>
In the setup you describe, is there a cycling period involved?
<Yes normally a number of weeks, but the tank itself will need to cycle as
well as the rock. Many folks will cycle both at the same time. (Put the rock in the new
tank and wait until ammonia/nitrite/nitrate are 0>
If you have time, can you explain or point me to some reference material
about that?
<Here you go: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/liverock1.htm and do follow the
blue links at the top of the page for more discussions. You might want
to visit our online forum at http://www.wetwebfotos.com/talk and see what folks are
saying about live rock and resellers over there. I would highly recommend
this 'filter media'. Makes for a wonderful aquascape as well <G> All kinds of
wondrous life forms come in with good live rock>      
Thanks very much for responding to my question so concisely!
<You are very welcome, and let us know how this comes together for you! Don>
  -Laura

Metal Halides for Nano Reef
I have a 12 gallon reef tank that has a water depth (from surface of
water to top of sand bed) of about 15".  The dimensions of the water
surface area are about 9.5" by 14.5".  Right now, I only have a Power
Compact fixture putting out 36 watts (18 watts daylight, 18 watts
actinic).  I read Anthony's article, "Lighting Your Marine
Invertebrates:  Reef Lighting Without Controversy!", so I won't get
caught up in the watts-per-gallon talk.  However, I do realize that my
setup is somewhat underpowered.  This is evidenced by my faded and
washed out looking squamosa clam.  Its colors used to be very distinct
and bright, but now they have faded.  Also, nothing in the tank looks as
if it is really thriving...just existing.  I really would like to
upgrade my lighting, and I really want to replace my existing fixture
with a metal halide setup.  I'd rather be limited by space rather than
lighting issues as I want to be able to add just about any coral to my
tank (especially those requiring high-intensity light).  Problem is, I
don't know exactly what wattage bulb I would need and how high to place
it given my water depth.  What are your recommendations?  If it makes
any difference, I actually have a total of about 17 gallons since I
incorporated a 5 gallon sump to hide the bulk of the machinery (heater,
skimmer, etc.).  Initially, I was looking into getting a garden grow
light, ballast built into the pendant
(http://dansgardenshop.com/sunsysiv100w1.html), that puts out 100 watts.
Your thoughts?  Also, if MH isn't the way I should go, would it be
advisable for me to double my wattage by putting another 36 watt PC
fixture adjacent to the one I already have?  I was looking at a JBJ
clamp on unit (http://www.jbjlighting.com/sys_clamp_on.html).  Will that
improve my situation?  The tank I have is more tall than wide so it kind
of puts me at a disadvantage in terms of finding a high PC wattage bulb
that will fit over the tank and w/n my custom-built stand.  Any advice
would be much appreciated.  
<Hmm, I think the MH would be too much. Although I have seen some 70W MH and that
would be more appropriate. If you do decide to go with the pendant
you reference, then make sure the bulb is the proper temperature. MH would be mounted
8-12" from the surface of the water. I think the additional 36W of daylight (rather
than half/half) is the way to go. The clam may take to being further up in the tank
(closer to light source) and that will help.
I would not recommend mixing corals with different needs in any tank. Stick to a group
that has like habitat needs. They (and you) will be much happier>
Hope this helps. Don>
Sandy

Small tank filtration
Hello,
<Hi Laura, Don here today>
  I just want to tell you that I am learning a lot from your article on setting up a marine aquarium, thanks for putting it up! For the longest time I have had this aquarium, first as a freshwater aquarium, along with my other freshwater aquariums, and dreamed of converting it to saltwater, only to be told at the fish store 'no way' can one use an undergravel, 'no way' can you NOT have a wet/dry and skimmer... over 5 years have gone by since I last even asked a fish store "expert", and I finally decided to peruse the internet for how to convert or set up a saltwater aquarium with a nice undergravel filter. Experts had told me undergravel was unacceptable in saltwater, and one guy at a fish store even told me that any saltwater fish WOULD die in an aquarium with an undergravel filter, and went to great lengths to explain why.  I have been keeping fish since I was a small child, and it doesn't really make sense to me that saltwater fish keeping should be such an exacting, and expensive hobby. Nevertheless that is what I have always been told. Sites and articles like this one are opening up possibilities that I always suspected were there, but that the fish store experts would never tell me about!
   A couple of blue green Chromis in a fish-only tank is what I'm shooting for. The tank is an 18 tall, and I have a good powerhead (which has an aeration feature) and also a hang-on-the-back type filter. What I did for freshwater was hook one riser to the powerhead, and one riser to the hang-over-the-back-filter intake tube. As long as the gravel was vacuumed regularly (maybe once every 3-4 months since the load was pretty small) this system provided really OVER filtration.  What I am planning to do is get coarse crushed coral for the substrate, set up a new undergravel plate with basically the same setup. Have you ever tried anything like that or has anyone you know had experience with that kind of set up?
<Under gravel filters basically provide little or no benefit but DO provide an area to trap gunk that will cause problems in the long run (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate). I cannot recommend this setup. I would recommend a simple 1/2" oolithic (sugar fine) sand substrate (crushed coral will trap detritus as well) and maybe 8-10 lbs. of live rock. Use your powerheads for flow and the hang on filter keeping the media as clean as possible. Do regular, weekly or better yet twice weekly 5-10% water changes and you should be fine. Outside of that, I think your plan for stocking is very sound. Don>
   Curious,
   -Laura

Tank raised Clownfish/nano reef
Hello again. Please forgive my ignorance, for like I said, I am new to this. Thank you for the link, it was helpful. I just wanted to say that a little more input would have been greatly appreciated. I surf your website an awful lot and probably could have answered my own questions in time, but chose to ask you guys instead. I am assuming you don't approve of my filtration method from the reply you sent me.
<The only problem I see with it is that there is nothing removing waste from the system, I like mechanical filtration.  If I recall you have a good amount of live rock and live sand which will handle the majority of the filtration.  Skimmers are great, but there is really no way to fit one onto the eclipse 12 without cutting into the top.  I'm guessing you do not want to do that.  I would turn the eclipse filtration back on, remove the bio wheel and use either the filter cartridges supplied by eclipse or cut some other filter media to fit.  The filter chamber is good when you want to use carbon and things of that nature. 10% to 15% water changes weekly.  Be sure to heat and aerate your water before adding it to the tank.  It is too easy to swing the PH and the temperature in smaller tanks.> It's an eclipse twelve. I removed the filter after having an abundance of diatoms & algae and have since seen a drastic improvement.
<diatoms are fairly common in new setups, they usually pass in time.>
I hope I didn't come across as rude, those aren't my intentions.
<Nope, we are all friends here. Sorry if I came across short.>
Any help would be greatly appreciated by me & my new clown.
<Hope the above is more helpful.  If space and finances allow it, I would
consider a larger system, they are easier to maintain. Something in the 40 to 50gal range would be nice.  Have you checked out nano-reef.com, good info there as well.  Best Regards, Gage>

Small Tank
OK I just found your site and I want to thank you for the vast knowledge you have shared. I have been a fresh water aquarist most of my life and have had many successful Cichlid (South American and African) tanks. a couple years ago I wanted to get into salt water. I failed miserably. about $1200 and a ruined 75 gallon acrylic tank later I gave up after about 8 months of trying. I moved into a smaller place, and went back to school. But missed my tanks. I was told by LFS that small reef tanks were very easy to maintain and that they were good starters. <Yes, just the opposite I am afraid> I have reservations after reading your FAQ's. My tank is as follows 4 months set up, 7 gal bow front tank, 3 1/2 inch live sand bed, at least 12 lbs of live rock, Penguin 400 (I know its a little big but it was left over from the 75 gal.) Hang on back protein skimmer (not sure of brand name) it alone holds about 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of water so that adds to total volume of water. I do water changes weekly if not twice a week. Spg is at 1.024, Nitrite 0, Ammonia 0, nitrate is very low, I check weekly as well. <All very good> livestock includes, 2 small (1 1/2 inch) ocellaris clowns, 1 mandarin dragonet <uh, oh>, 2 small peppermint shrimp,  3 reef hermit crabs, 3 snails, and probably 40-50 small feather dusters that came with live rock, 1 small nudibranch of some sort that just appeared in a friends tank, he did not want it so I took it, a small feather starfish (that's what the LFS called it), and then one long tentacle anemone. I have not lost any fish or inverts since I set it up and most have been in the tank for at least 6 weeks. So far I see no problems in behavior, all seems well. a lot of the things I have you seem to think will not do well in small tanks. <Over time, they won't> My lighting is a marine glow 15w 18000k light, in just a normal fixture. ok now here is my question, is it possible to keep things going as is. <Not for much longer I'm afraid> I want to also say that I have a quite large red macro algae <???> (again that's what LFS called it) that is maintaining well, also two of my rocks came with and have continued to grow a "sea grass" of some sort, most of it is green some is purple, but its definitely a plant and not coralline algae... the rest of my rocks are filled with crevices, and are bright green, pink, or purple. Are my nitrate levels, and ammonia levels non-existent due to the filtration (minimum of 400 GPH), and the amount of plant life that is seeming to thrive in it? <The frequent water changes help too> I don't have a problem with "problem algae" on glass, sand or rocks. Also there are still multitudes of amphipods in the tank cause every night I turn a flashlight on and see them scatter. I was worried at first about the Mandarin, but he actually I think has grown, and is one of the most active fish I have, he was also the first one I bought. Is this beginners luck? or do you see a potential problem? also is my lighting enough for some of the lower light requirement softer corals <Some mushrooms might be OK>? I think I may want to go that route and take out the anemone <I would strongly recommend you do> ... Oh also I got the anemone from a friends tank as well, he had had it for almost a year, sorry this was so long.<No need to apologize, all good questions and observations and your husbandry seems quite good. The two clowns will get aggressive (most likely until one dies) as they grow and need/want more territory. The Mandarin, I would recommend 6-8 square feet of bottom space and a tank that has been going at least a year to ensure enough critter population to support it.  It is destined for slow starvation where you have it. Cut back the population as per above, keep up with the good work you are doing now (frequent water changes, monitoring water parameters) and your nano tank will continue to do well, Don>
Aaron

Nano No-No's...
To the Crew,
<Scott F. for the Crew tonight>
I have recently downsized my 55 gallon reef tank to a 20 gallon just the other day and have a few questions about my new set up.
1. The 55 was set up with 4x55 PC's (6700k daylight and reg. Blue Actinics) and now my 20 is set up with Jalli 4x 55's and the daylights are 10000k. Today I noticed that my long tentacle was heading for the rear of the tank into the shade.  Is this temporary?  Is the lighting too much?
<It could certainly be a temporary behavior, maybe a response to the increased light intensity (or, should I say "proximity" to the lighting), or some other environmental condition, such as a different current pattern, etc. Keep an eye on the anemone to make sure that it does not begin to decline...>
2.  Currently in the tank is 20 lb of live rock, 20 lb of live sand various mushrooms, polyps, cleaner shrimp, snails, hermits etc. most of which is from the old tank.  Along with that I have a pair of true Perculas with the their host.  I am looking for one more fish.  This tank is an acrylic open top tank with the lights suspended above.  I am would like to know if there are any "ideal" fish for a tank of this size. Maybe a sand sifting goby or something.  What do you think would be a good choice?
<Well, I'd definitely limit your choice to a small goby or blenny. You might want to try a Stonogobiops species, like the Blackray Shrimp Goby (Stonogobiops nematodes), my personal favorite. They are small, active, and have an attractive color pattern. You may also want to try a Neon Goby or two. They are interesting and active as well. Whatever choices you make, be extremely careful not to overfeed, skip water changes, etc. The margin for error in a fish-dominated nano-reef is minimal.>
3. With 5.5 watts per gallon will I be able to successfully keep clams, Acropora and non- aggressive hard corals?  
<Hard to say...Light intensity will probably be okay, due to the close proximity of the light to the animals. However, you've got a Long Tentacle Anemone, some mushrooms, and other polyps. These are animals that would never be found together in nature, as they inhabit different locations and reef habitats. The release and buildup of allelopathic compounds from these different animals in such a small amount of water may prove to be detrimental to all of the corals. Acropora would not be a good choice here, IMO. That same caveat holds true for larger aquariums, too, by the way. I personally think it's better to keep nano reefs as monospecific displays, highlighting just an anemone, or a collection of mushroom corallimorphs.>
4.I would like some advice on some elements too use with this tank as I am leaving the mindset that Kent products are okay for my reef.
<I am not a big one on the addition of various trace element products and additives, with the possible exception of Kalkwasser and maybe, iodine in some instances. Really, with frequent (like twice weekly) small (5% of tank volume) water changes, you should get all of the "additives" and trace elements that you require.  Choose a good salt mix...That's what I'd spend my money on!>
Thanks in advance for your reply, keep up the good work!!! Jason C. (the other one)
<No problem! Good luck! Regards, Scott F (the only one, fortunately!) >

Mini skimmer - 2/6/03
I have a 10 gal mini reef that has been set up for about a year.<Very cool, but very challenging even for veteran reefers. The key is daily water changes, quality water top off and minifilter with poly filter pads or carbon, in my experience. I too have a 10 gallon going on its second year.> I have been running a Skilter 250 and I hate it! <Not surprised, but have seen some fantastic tanks using Skilters. Check out Friar Tom Walsh's tanks. Holy smokes!!!!!http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tomwsmreefs.htm many others out there as well with some pretty amazing results. Have you tried some of the DIY additions for it?> I have a couple of polyps, a pin leather coral, a candy coral a couple of hermit crabs a couple of snails and a clown fish. <The clown fish may need a bigger tank shortly.>  All of my readings are normal and I keep up with water changes. <Very glad to hear. Daily water changes make a big difference> I was thinking of switching to a whisper filter and some sort of skimmer, any suggestions? <Well, to be honest I do not have a skimmer on my 10gal. reef tank. Again, I make daily water changes. I always use aerated saltwater warmed to the same temperature as my tank. Use carbon and PolyFilter mix with an Eheim mini in tank powerhead/filter. Deep sand bed. It will be very difficult to find a skimmer that will be of the right size as to accommodate outside the tank. Check the forums, maybe someone out there has found something to be practical and useful. Good luck.> Everything that I have seen I would need to raise the tank some how off the stand to accommodate the height of the skimmer. <Yeah, that has been my problem as well. You could try lining up the back edge of the tank with the back edge of the stand and try a CPR Bak-Pac. I have this skimmer on a few of my other tanks and it works fairly well. Check it out at your LFS to see if you can accommodate it first.> I hope you can give me some insight.  Thanks Chris <Hope I was of some help, Chris. Let me know what you end up doing. Paul - out>

The (Little) Blue Lagoon
Hey guys.
<Scott F. your guy tonight!>
I just wanted to get your honest opinion (s) about
a 30 gallon I am going to set. You have actually corresponded on this set up before. Standard 30 gallon with a 5 inch sugar-fine sand bed. Probably a few various large pieces of live rock but try to keep it open for a more lagoon style biotope aquarium with sea grasses (common Zostera marina, Thalassia testudineus, or  Syringodium filiforme, maybe a little Halimeda discoidea????)
<The seagrasses definitely need at least 5 inches of substrate to root in. You might even want to try using one of the newer "sediment" substrates mixed in the sugar fine aragonite>
Seahorses (maybe.....from OceanRider),
<THE Place to purchase seahorses, IMO!>
LPS (lagoonal like Heliofungia actiniformis, Fungia danai,  Trachyphyllia geoffroyi ), Maybe damsels instead of seahorses???? (Pomacentrus caeruleus, Dascyllus trimaculatus, Chrysiptera parasema, Chromis dimidiata,) if any at all and if you can think of any other lagoonal style fish off the top of your head that would work in a peaceful manner with a seahorse or two or scrap the seahorse idea and go the route of damsels.
<I was thinking that some Cardinalfish, such as Sphaeramia nematoptera (Pajama Cardinal), would be cool, if you want to use the sea horses. Or, perhaps some Pipefishes? Remember, this is a small system, and will be made smaller with a lot of coral and seagrass growth, so it may be better to try smaller, less active (and lower metabolite-producing) fishes, such as the Pipefishes, cardinals, and sea horses.>
Of course I know that most damsels will not only NOT go in a 30 gallon and get along together but especially with a seahorse or other peaceful inhabitants unless the tank is more in the order
of a 500 to 1000 gallon type.
<Larger, yes>
I will be looking through various books tonight for biotopic types of setup information.
<This sounds like it will be a great tank! Please send me some pics when you get it up and running!>
My question is with the type of tank I am describing, would
you add any other filtration other than a refugium? Is a sump or wet-dry necessary with 2-3 fish?
<Well, I'd go for a sump with an attached refugium, if it were me. And don't forget a protein skimmer!>
And what type of lighting would you use for this type and size of set-up? 150 halide with two PC or Actinics, or VHO, or maybe even PC? 3:1 ratio of daylight vs. actinic?
<You hit it right on the head! I like the halide/PC combo. But 3:1 PC or VHO could do the trick, too. The seagrasses do need lots of light>
Any other general recommendations? Is a CPR BakPak enough
with a 5' DSB and 25-30 lbs of large live rock enough?
<That skimmer should do fine, IMO!>
Again, I will either not put a seahorse in the tank and
choose one or two types of damsels or I will not use damsels and try a more peaceful solution. Any recommendations from you would be greatly appreciated. Just want to make sure I am not dooming a single animal from the start.
<I love your responsible approach! I'd really dump the damsel idea and lean towards the cardinal/seahorse/pipefish idea>
Do you know anyone who farms out Scleractinians like the ones described above????
<Lots and lots of hobbyists and e-tailers are doing it now! Do a search on the WetWebMedia forum or Reef Central to see who has some propagated corals available for sale or trade.>
Tanks Doods! Already have bought the Invertebrates book, and
have Anthony's BoCP manual and waiting for more. Thanks guys! May the waves of the ocean deliver peace and tranquility over you, my friends. Pablo.
<And here's to hoping I can catch a few sweet tubes without some shoulder hopping kook dropping in on me, bro! LOL Good luck with this sweet little tank! Regards, Scott F>

Nano- Nano!
I have a friend that wants to know if he is doing a water change or
topping off his tank. Is he taking out so much salt out of his tank that he needs to add it to his RO Water each time to replace what he has taken out? This tank is a nano 3 gal. Please let us know.  
<well- it sounds like what you are describing is the process of topping off evaporated water. Keep in mind that the salt remains in the water, so the specific gravity (particularly in a small tank) can increase to dangerous levels if top-offs are not done regularly and methodically. Regular water changes ( Removing  a set quantity of tank water and replacing it with newly prepared saltwater) and constant attention are mandatory with nano-tanks! Hope I clarified things? Regards, Scott F>

Are there any HOT skimmers small enough for a 10 gallon nano tank?
Ana M. Saavedra
<There are a few, but not many. Most people with 10 gallon nanos rely on 10% weekly water changes, rather than skimmers, to get rid of nutrients. Some of the hang-on-tank skimmers that will physically fit on a 10 gallon tank include the Prizm and the Skilter; there may be others. While neither of these are particularly popular with people with larger tanks, they can work out okay on small tanks. The Skilter can be modified to make it more efficient. You could also put a bigger/better skimmer in a sump. There are some threads about this on the WetWebFotos discussion forum. Also check out the www.nano-reef.com forums for various viewpoints on the pros and cons of assorted small skimmers. --Ananda>

- Nano Reef Questions -
Hello and good evening,
<Good morning, JasonC here...>
First off I would like to say that your web site has been an invaluable resource to myself and others that I have referred.  Your scientific and professional approach to research on anything marine has been a great benefit.  I have learned more surfing between classes than I have in years of school :^).
Recently (Sept. 02) I have started a nano-reef, 20 gal long acrylic, with 30 lbs of premium cured live rock, a CSL 65 watt 50/50/actinic, modified SeaClone skimmer, and a few well placed booster pumps for flow and circulation.  I have numerous little soft corals that came along with the rock, and a large amount of "freebies" that have come along for the ride.
After about a month all of my chemistry had stabilized, 0-0-0 on the basics, pH is always stable, and my calcium is always over 400ppm.  So as it seems everything is very stable, everyone loves the tank, and everyone inside is having a ball.
Though I did have one concern, I have been cleaning the front of the tank with a acrylic scrubbing pad because there seems to be the small colonies of hard to remove algae.  I know that it's not calcareous <sp?> algae (I have that growing all over the back and sides) but it seems to be dark green/dark brown and very hard to remove, it requires a good amount of elbow grease.  I end up having to drain out about 10% of the water and scrub the heck out of the front about once a week so we can see all of the magic that is going on in front.  Based on what I have been able to tell you, can you identify what this may be? <Uhh... algae... not really a big deal beyond the cleaning you have to do. Is part of a normal, healthy system.> I am using RO water that I mix in salt with and bubble overnight.  Other than that the only complaints that I seem to have are the occasional loss of a blue leg hermit, and the somewhat stunted growth of my xenias. <This could be due to the small water volume in the tank.>
Any advice you could offer is more than appreciated.  Thank you and your teammates for your most valuable of resources.
-Ben
<Cheers, J -- >

29 Gallon Small Reef
Hi!  
<Hello! Ananda here, answering the small reef questions...>
I set up my first saltwater tank last September (after several freshwater endeavors, two of which are still thriving) and have found your website to be very helpful in the care and maintenance of my aquatic friends.  I work at a petstore and frequently direct my customers to your website and books due to the amount of good information I've been able to glean.  
<Thanks! Glad we can help.>
My latest tank is a 29 gallon small reef tank.  The system is lit by a 110 watt pc unit (1 bulb 6400K, the other actinic 03) and contains 35 lbs of liverock, 20 lbs of live sand and 15 lbs of a slightly larger grade aragonite.  I have an Aqua-C remora protein skimmer with a surface skim box and bubble reducer and an Aquafuge refugium (approx 2.5 gallons) lit by a 13-watt 50/50 PC.  There is also a penguin 170 for mechanical filtration.  Two sponge-filter equipped penguin powerheads provide 320 gph of circulation with the protein skimmer, filter and refugium adding to the flow as well.  
<Very nice setup, very similar to the one I'm planning.>
Right now the tank has a red hermit (not sure of species, but it's not the large variety), a 6 blue hermit crabs, one Ocellaris clown and a small Bubble Tip Anemone (located on an isolated stand of rock to prevent movement around the tank).
<Ack! I'm not a fan of keeping anemones in tanks this small or this new. And I suspect the anemone might still be able to move around. Read here, and follow the links to related articles: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm>
My eventual plan is to maintain a few soft corals in the tank along with a single Mandarin, the Ocellaris and the small cleanup crew.
<Please skip the mandarin! Your tank is not large enough, even with the refugium, to sustain a sufficient pod population for a mandarin. Please use the WWM search tool and read the mandarin pages (there are several).>
The refugium is aimed at sustaining colonies copepods and amphipods (which abounded in the smaller tank (a 10 gallon micro-tank w/ a twin lamp eclipse hood and regular harvesting of macroalgae as nutrient export that this is an upgrade for).  
<I am also upgrading from a 10 gallon nano.>
Now the questions.  What are some hardy soft corals that would work in this setup?
<I have a Sinularia dura aka flower/cabbage leather that has tripled in size in less than a year (in the 10 gallon tank). Green star polyps work well, as do zoanthids and most types of mushrooms. Come to think of it, most photosynthetic soft corals should be "relatively hardy". Just avoid the non-photosynthetic varieties.>
In addition, are there any other small fish that may work in this setup?
<Yes, several. Smaller gobies, some of the Dottybacks, blennies, grammas, *some* of the small wrasses... a much bigger selection compared to a 10 gallon tank.>
And, would it be ok to not run the Penguin all of the time and instead use it as a mechanical filter during water changes or other events that might disturb the sand bed and cause debris to enter the water column?
<I would suggest that you keep it running, with carbon. Your softies are going to wage some chemical warfare, and the carbon will help alleviate this.>
Let me know what you think and any comments/suggestions!  Thank you very much for your time and all of the helpful advice in your publications!
-Christopher Fulkerson
<You're quite welcome. Do wander over to http://www.nano-reef.com and its forums. The people there specialize in smaller tanks (generally less than 30 gallons). I have learned a lot from them. --Ananda>

Water Changes And Elbow Grease!
Hello and good evening,
<Good Evening to you! Scott F. with you tonight>
First off I would like to say that your web site has been an invaluable resource to myself and others that I have referred.  Your scientific and professional approach to research on anything marine has been a great benefit.  I have learned more surfing between classes than I have in years of school :^).
<I did more surfing during classes then between them when I was in school! Oh, wait- different kind of surfing- but I get it now...>
Recently (Sept.  02) I have started a nano-reef, 20 gal long acrylic, with 30 lbs of premium cured live rock, a CSL 65 watt 50/50/actinic, modified SeaClone skimmer, and a few well placed booster pumps for flow and circulation.  I have numerous little soft corals that came along with the rock, and a large amount of "freebies" that have come along for the ride.
<Sounds cool!>
After about a month all of my chemistry had stabilized, 0-0-0 on the basics, pH is always stable, and my calcium is always over 400ppm.  So as it seems everything is very stable, everyone loves the tank, and everyone inside is having a ball.
<Excellent!>
Though I did have one concern, I have been cleaning the front of the tank with a acrylic scrubbing pad because there seems to be the small colonies of hard to remove algae.  I know that it's not calcareous <sp?> algae (I have that growing all over the back and sides) but it seems to be dark green/dark brown and very hard to remove, it requires a good amount of elbow grease.  I end up having to drain out about 10% of the water and scrub the heck out of the front about once a week so we can see all of the magic that is going on in front.  Based on what I have been able to tell you, can you identify what this may be?
<Sounds like some kind of diatom to me. In the absence of other nuisance algae (i.e.; hair algae, Cyanobacteria, etc.), I'd say that this is a fairly normal occurrence. Usually, aggressive skimming, water changes, and lots of elbow grease are required to tame this. You'll probably always have some of this algae; it just needs to be scrubbed away regularly>
I am using RO water that I mix in salt with and bubble overnight.
<FYI- try aerating the water before you mix the salt, then mix the salt, and use the next day. A bit longer process, but generally yields a more stable pH, etc, in the long run when using RO water>
Other than that the only complaints that I seem to have are the occasional loss of a blue leg hermit, and the somewhat stunted growth of my xenias.
<Give it time, this too shall pass! these corals do grow like weeds when the conditions are right!>
Any advice you could offer is more than appreciated.  Thank you and your teammates for your most valuable of resources. Ben
<Thanks for the nice words, Ben. It sounds like you're on the right track here...Just keep up the basics- good skimming, regular water changes, observation, careful feeding, and a little scrubbing when needed. You're doing fine! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Plants and/or fish for a small marine tank
Hey Ananda,
<Hey yourself....>
Thanks for your response concerning my 35 gallon tank with live rock and 2 black damsels.
Here are all the details I should have filled in with my first email:
the damsels look just like the one on this page (which they call a black damsel or yellow-back or royal...)
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm cls=16&cat=1844&articleid=2026
<Hmmm. You did read this, note its "one black damsel per tank" suggestion? And that the suggested minimum tank size is 55 gallons? Also, that is based on a maximum size of 5" -- but www.fishbase.org data is that they grow to 7". Having two of them in a smaller tank is not a great idea, to put it mildly. I would suggest a significantly larger tank -- well over 100 gallons -- should you keep one of these for any length of time.>
I am not solely relying on live rock for filtration. My tank also has an Eheim Classic 2213 biofilter and a Powerhead 301 for circulation.
<Canisters are generally not favored for saltwater systems...the Eheim you have, being rated for 66 gallons of freshwater, is not really sufficient for your saltwater tank. I would really suggest more live rock. It will also help with your aquascaping, providing something for your macro-algae to grow on.>
The lights (Life-Glo and Marine-Glo) are both 30 watts and are 36 inches long.
<If you are not doing corals (which your damsels may eat), the actinic Marine-Glo is less useful. Your Life-Glo has a lot of green. If you switch the Marine-Glo to an Aqua-Glo, you'll balance that green light and still have enough blue light, as the Aqua-Glo has a nice spike in the actinic range. (Check Hagen's web site for details.) I have an Aqua-Glo over my planted freshwater tank and like the color it adds to the full-spectrum bulb I also use.>
The "gravel" in the tank is aragonite (which presumably is not at all live sand).
<Aragonite is good, and will become live eventually if you have good live rock.>
The idea of a clownfish and/or Dottyback is great.
<Personally, I would suggest no more than three or possibly four fish for a 35 gallon tank, and that's presuming you have a skimmer. Without a skimmer, I would stick to two fish.>
I'll be looking into these. I also don't have a skimmer yet but will look into that as well.
<It will help with water quality.>
Any thoughts on a couple of plants that would do well in a tank like this? I'll be reading up about it but some suggestions would let me know if I'm on the right track. I'm worried about maintaining sufficient lighting and nutrients for the plants to grow.
<Many types of macro algae will grow in your setup. Nutrients will be provided by your fish, though you may want to use some iron supplementation once the macro algae is established.>
thanks,
Derek
<You're welcome. --Ananda>

Stocking 12 gallon nano
Thank you for all your help, but what would you recommend as some good starter reef fish? (I have a 12 gal. tank and I'm looking to fit the most fish possible into it.)
<A 12 gallon is very small, this will limit your choices because of size and stability. Please check out marine stocking at WetWebMedia.com.  Make sure you under stock your small reef. Also be mindful of the fish' habits and the corals you wish to keep.  Have fun!  Craig>

Small Marine Aquarium
[question sent in two parts]
{part1}
I was wondering if I could fit a few sea anemones and a few Percula clown fish in a 12 gal. tank?
<if you are an experienced aquarist and can provide a stable environment, two hardy A. ocellaris clowns in a 12 gallon tank with live rock would likely work. The anemone will not be possible (or at least responsible) in there under almost any circumstance (lighting, water quality issues, etc)>
{Part 2}
......along with some other reef fish.
<Hmmm... this follow-up to your first question makes be wonder if you are inexperienced and new, or just joking with us. It would not be possible to add 2 clowns, and anemone and "some other" fishes to a 12 gallon tank for the size of the vessel (barely big enough for 2 clowns and a few invertebrate shrimps, polyps, etc. Assuming that you fit the former category, let me suggest that you please get a good reference book before buying a single thing. Start with Mike Paletta's New Marine Aquarium book and then follow that by reading Bob Fenner's Conscientious Marine Aquarist. Also, look for a local marine society in your area. They are wonderful places to network for great fellowship and information. Best regards, Anthony>

- Starter Reef Fish -
thank you for all your help, but what would you recommend as some good starter reef fish? (I have a 12 gal. tank and I'm looking to fit the most fish possible into it.)
Thanks
<Greetings, JasonC here. I must say, you don't really have a lot of options with a tank of this size. Likewise, your stated desire to "fit the most fish possible" will lead you to more frustration that you may want. If you want to enjoy this tank for any amount of time, please consider stocking it with only one or two fish or perhaps one fish and one cleaner shrimp. I would consider a Royal Gramma or perhaps a Neon Goby but not much more than that. Marine system don't need to be complicated, but the smaller they are, the quicker things can spin out of control. Likewise, if you haven't already, please read through the WetWebMedia site as there are many, many articles on the various fish you would want to keep and how to keep them. Cheers, J -- >

Lighting question follow up..
Anthony, In browsing the link you send and checking out what's available, would a 14 watt, 9325K GE Aqua Rays Full spectrum bulb be too much light for my 20 gal hex?  I am having a lot of trouble finding a 15 inch bulb in 50/50.  The only 15 inch bulb I was able to locate was the one listed above.  Thanks bunches. Maureen
<the spectrum would be fine, but the intensity is too weak for most invertebrates. Anthony>

Mis-stocked mini-reef
Hi, Mr. Fenner.  I need some advice, or direction.  I have a small 10 gallon reef setup. About 7 lbs of live rock, one flower pot coral,
<Not a good choice>
2 anemones,
<Ditto>
2 peppermint shrimp
<Good>
and a flame scallop
<Another poor choice>
I cannot keep any fish alive in it for the life of me, but the corals and inverts are flourishing.
I don't know what the problem is.  I love clownfish. I recently put two small Perculas in it. They were healthy for about 3 days, swimming in the
carpet anemone, then suddenly they start losing color, and dead.
<Clowns need more space>
That happened the last time I put fish in it.  I do frequent water changes, and add this chem clean stuff that helps against bacteria,
<I'd leave that stuff out>
and my salinity is good.  It is just making me crazy that I cant keep any fish alive, and everything else is doing just fine.  I don't think I am going to put in anymore fish
<Good choice>
but I was thinking about a seahorse or two, w/ more corals.
<Order the Ocean Rider seahorses. They are tank spawned and tank raised. This will tremendously increase your chance of success without damaging wild populations>
<<A note. Do first remove the anemones if you're going to try the seahorses. RMF>>
Any suggestions.
<Skip the fish. The tank isn't large enough>
Thanks in advance for your help.
Doughy
<You're more than welcome! David Dowless>

Ich in small tank
I recently and I think unfortunately purchased a 6 gallon Eclipse setup that my LFS had setup for saltwater.
<Uh oh...6 gallons? This is your first saltwater experience? Almost every book says buy the biggest tank that you can imagine ever owning>
I have had success with freshwater but jumped into this pretty uneducated.
<You have no idea how sad this makes me. If you don't start a crash course in saltwater literature very soon you are likely headed for some depressing times ahead>
The tank had been running for several weeks at the store
<Yes but the store could afford to add more fish every time one dies...and they probably did large water changes and tested the water constantly. You're going to need to do the same thing to have any chance at success>
with a gold striped maroon clown,
<Oh jeez...this fish is way too big for this tank. Even if the fish is small he needs more swimming room. If not aggressive already, he will become aggressive in the near future. One of the best reference works for the saltwater hobby is Marine Fishes by Scott Michael. I don't think that I have ever found a fish listed in that book that needs less than 20 gallons. No matter how you look at it, a 6 gallon tank is really reducing your odds for success. These tanks are too hard to keep stable and nearly all marine fish grow too big to keep in a tank this small>
a Dartfish
<Needs at the very least 20 gallons. The maroon will quickly start picking on this peaceful guy>
a Condylactis anemone
<I'm feeling your pain. I don't like the way any of this sounds. The Condy? Another poor choice>
and about 3 lbs of live rock.
<Good idea!>
I have had the tank for about 4 weeks and last week the anemone died.
<Yes...and the one you have now will likely die also...maybe not today or tomorrow...but soon>
I removed it immediately but now my other fish have ich.
<Have you been testing the water for ammonia? Even if the fish are small, the tank is already psychologically crowded. The Condy could have been a carrier. Have you quarantined anything?>
The guy at the store has had me treating the water with quick-cure.
<Not a good choice. But good luck anyway!>
After reading here I lowered the specific gravity and started showing improvement until yesterday. The clown is now completely covered
<With cottony-looking stuff? That's Amyloodinium AKA marine velvet. Covered with what looks like salt? Cryptocaryon AKA ich. Both common and both kill>
and is showing some difficulty swimming. Any ideas?
<Keep reading and learning>
I plan on purchasing a much larger set-up next month but after educating myself a bit I understand that that wont be ready for several weeks.
<My friend, there's really no way to be gentle about your situation. You have bought a tank with live animals that you apparently know very little about. This is NOT a recipe for success! You need knowledge fast and unfortunately you're going to need to spend lots of time reading/learning and buying a couple of books. The saltwater hobby really isn't difficult if you set the tank up correctly, stock the tank correctly, and maintenance the tank regularly. Please get started learning right away. Your  critters are depending on you! I wish that I could solve your problems with this email but I can't. Read at WetWebMedia.com about setup, maintenance, stocking, etc>
Please help...a dead fish is not what I wanted to give my wife for Christmas
<Ummmm...If I were a beginner I would never even attempt a 6 gallon Eclipse setup. You're asking for problems. I really am sorry to be the bearer of bad news. David Dowless>

Re: ich in small tank
Thank you for all the info but as I expected the damage was already done. Christmas began with dead fish. Thank you for your help and after some reading I will be purchasing a much larger system in the near future. I thought about using the eclipse setup as a quarantine tank for that.
<A six gallon system is very small for this but can work if the fish are also very small. Only one fish at a time please and feed lightly...very lightly>
Thanks again for your help and a very informative website.
<You're welcome! Keep reading and learning...THAT is the secret to success. David Dowless>

Candy Coral
I probably should have given you a more detailed description about this little guy.
<A picture would be nice.>
He as approximately 5 almost invisible "fingers", 3/16" long, that comes out of a tiny hole from this one polyp. The hole is off to the side so I know it is not a natural orifice, although this hole looks "healed" and has somewhat of a ridge around the opening, like it's been in existence for awhile. This tiny "hand" pops up out of his hole and twirls around gathering food and then pops back into it's hole and does this repeatedly, usually in the evening. My main concern is whether this thing will multiply and cause trouble with either another polyp or spread to another coral.
<Both of these are possible.>
All of this is going on in a 5 gallon nano reef that has been set up for two years, although the coral have been recent additions, which includes a hammer coral, another unidentified LPS, a tree coral (placed as far away from the LPS as it could get), assorted button polyps, both a red and a blue hermit crab, two peppermint shrimp, a tube anemone, a lime green feather duster and is packed with as much live rock and live sand as I could cram into this 5 gallon, maintained by a 6 watt blue PC and a 27 watt 6700K Ultra-Daylight Linear Quad turned on by a timer for 10 hours a day, water temperature runs around 78 degrees at night and goes up to 80 degrees during the day due to the PC lighting. I have a Whisper 5-15 filter hanging on the back which gets changed every couple weeks. A lot of work has gone into maintaining this reef tank and I would hate to see this little kingdom destroyed by an unwelcome predator.
<This is likely a commensal relationship.>
Can I include another question while I'm at this?
<Sure>
I originally inherited this set-up from my daughter who lost interest and it was overwhelmed with Aiptasia, which was the reason for the two peppermint shrimp. Now that the Aiptasia are all gone, what do I feed the peppermint shrimp?
<They will eat just about anything.>
Since they devoured about 30 small Aiptasia I have been feeding them and the tube anemone small chopped up pieces of a frozen food called "Angel Formula" manufactured by Ocean Nutrition. Oddly enough, it has turned the peppermint shrimp a dark orange. I have been feeding the coral "Micro Vert" manufactured by Kent.
<Please check the ingredients and see if anything listed is truly needed.>
All of the rock now has purple coralline algae growing on it, with numerous red and green macro algae growing everywhere, including a healthy piece of Halimeda growing so fast I have to harvest it regularly.
<A very good sign>
I also harvested most of the bubble Caulerpa, it looked so healthy I was afraid it would go asexual. I make weekly water changes of 1 gallon to maintain the water balance. Any advice or changes you could offer regarding this setup would be greatly appreciated.
<Everything sounds fine to me.>
I certainly appreciate your opinion and any more information you could give me, or direct me to, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
<It seems like you are ok, if not a bit crowded. Now that you are successful, maybe think about a larger set up. -Steven Pro>

Jalli Lighting for a Nano-Reef
Anthony/Bob,
<Steven Pro in this afternoon.>
How are things? I hope all is well.
<Not too bad, and you?>
You both have helped me in the past regarding my 75 gallon reef and the advice has been excellent. Thank you. However, I have decided to start a 15 gallon (24x12x12) nano-reef. I would really like to keep some SPS stags and others. In the current set-up I have 25# of sand, 25# of Fiji live rock, 2x Hagen 201's in the corners for circulation and a Hagen 150 box filter for carbon and other chemical media. I also have a 200 watt heater to keep the temperature more stable. The problem is lighting. There really are not a lot of choices out there for nano's especially if one wants to explore SPS in this type of system. I have been looking at PC's since they seem to make more sense on a Nano than Metal Halide based on cost and heat.
<MH's would be just plain overkill.>
The most wattage I have found is either Jalli or JBJ PC fixtures that are suspended over the tank via legs that sit on the rim of the tank. My question is will 110 watts of light be enough to grow SPS corals at a reasonable rate, as well as, for the most part, maintain their color?
<That should be just fine.>
I am also concerned about protein skimming. I really would like something that doesn't take up too much space, but is actually efficient. Water changes could work but I feel more comfortable with the skimmer "safety-net". Any suggestions?
<I would look for a small hang-on, counter current, air-driven model. I have used Aqua-Link ones before and been very happy. They need both a small water pump to feed the skimmer and a good air pump. I like the Luft pumps.>
Happy Holidays! -Keith Broadbent
<You too! -Steven Pro>

Re: falling pH
Happy Holidays from Denver, CO!  How the heck is everyone?  Everything is swell over here, except for
my pH, which is sitting around 8.0-8.1.  It's just a wee little 10gal. reef with a single damsel.  I perform 25% water changes weekly and do not overfeed. I even tried a pH buffer just for kicks and it didn't budge it.  WWM Staff, please send help soon as I can't bear the loss of any of my beloved soft corals. Thanks in advance.  Kyle
P.S. Do you guys sleep?  Is this your only job?  Where are you guys?
<Happy Holidays Kyle. Everyone seems to be just fine. Not to worry, 8.0-8.1 isn't too bad.  Your soft corals won't die at 8.0.
Are you buffering your top off water? If not, I suspect your carbonate alkalinity is low contributing to a slightly depressed pH. Also, test pH in the evening when the lights have been on all day. In the AM the pH will be low. You don't mention the type of water you are using, this could be it as well. Yes, we sleep, most of us hold down real jobs and we are all over the place! I'm on an Island in the South Puget Sound of Washington State. No worries, Craig>  

Stocking a twenty long
I sent an e-mail to Kent tech support asking about the reason for the drop and other ingredients besides ascorbic acid.  I will forward the reply whenever I receive it.  Until then, I hope it's okay if I ask a couple of questions about my own tank (the whole reason I was on your site to begin with; I need to be shot for lending out my copy of TCMA ;)).  It is a 20 gal
long nano-reef that has been up and running for over two years.  Recently, we had some things happen and basically ignored the tank for 2 months.
<Oh...>
Between evaporation and Caulerpa die-off, I had a mess when I finally cleaned it up last week and we lost all inhabitants (BTA we've had for nine months, maroon clown, 3 hermits, couple of snails) except for a couple of hermits.  However, everything seems to be stable now and we are planning on restocking the tank after the holidays over a course of 2-4 months.  This will have given the tank 3 weeks or so to sit fallow (all water qualities are stable now) just to be safe.  Here are the tank stats: Prizm skimmer, Rio powerhead (the total per hour turn over is ~13x so we will probably add another ph), JBJ compact fluorescent hood (1 65-watt actinic blue and 1 65-watt daylight), 30+ lbs. of well-seasoned LR, 2.5" LS bed, Amm: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: near 0, Temp: 81 in winter, 82 in summer, Alk: 10 dKH, Calc: 340 ppm (going up), and pH: 8.2.
I would like your opinion on stocking the tank.  Here is what I would eventually like to have once the calcium level has stabilized around 450 ppm (all sessile inverts will be purchased at 3" or less and traded in as they grow too large): 2-3" of fish (I want a pair of Carpenter's wrasses,
<A bit too "jumpy" for such a small volume>
neon gobies, or Catalina gobies
<Not Lythrypnus... a coldwater species. Will attach article here>
and my fiancé wants a Firefish, so we'll see what we end up with), 6 blue-legged hermits, 6 snails (turbo, margarita, or Nerites), 3 peppermint shrimp, 1 cultured squamosa or derasa clam,
<In a twenty? I wouldn't do this>
1 star polyp , 1-2 corallimorphs, 1 Alcyoniidae or Nephtheidae, 1-2 feather dusters or Christmas tree worms, 1 Faviidae, and 1 small bunch of Halimeda (maybe).
I realize this is probably too much; what do you think is most likely to cause problems or will simply not thrive in this set up?
<What I have listed to leave out, I would. Bob Fenner>
Thank you so much for your time and expertise. Laura Lawrence

Little Tank With A Big Problem!
Hello, hope you are having a good day,
I have a 10 gallon reef which specs are:
Built in refugium/sump (takes up around 2 gallons)
32watt CSL SmartLite
20lbs Gulf-View Live Rock
9lbs live sand
3 blue legged hermits
1 turbo snail (added today)
10% Water changes are done weekly with Distilled water and Instant Ocean
Nitrites, Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrates = ~10mg/l
Here are the problems I am encountering:
Large scale cyano outbreak around 1 month after tank initially was setup
Tested RO water for phosphates, found @ 2ppm
Switched to store bought distilled water and did a 30% water
change. Retested one day later and phosphates still @ 2ppm
Hair and Cyano growth continue. Original live sand was crushed coral type from Gulf-View. Replaced that last night with equal amount of aragonite, and siphoned off about 1 gallon of detritus. (Thinking nutrient export problem). Added large turbo today to help deal with algae, and added Kent's Phosphate Sponge. Am waiting 8 hours (per directions on Kent's packaging) to retest for phosphates. Do you feel that the high levels of phosphates contributed to my problem, or was it the buildup of detritus?  Anything else I should do before continuing?
Thank you very much for your help, and this great service you provide. Peter Maag
<Well Peter, it certainly seems that the phosphate is a major contributor to your algae problems. Keep in mind that the major concern here is excessive nutrients. You are absolutely correct in thinking about nutrient export, but you need to do some things to assure continuous export of nutrients, such as aggressive protein skimming. Using phosphate-reducing media might help- but I think of it more like a "band aid", which provides a temporary fix, but does not address the long-term problem. Getting rid of the larger-sized crushed coral substrate was smart, as it can function as a nutrient/detritus trap. Switching to a finer-grained substrate with a depth of 3 or more inches can go a long way towards processing of nutrients. I would not disturb such a sand bed by siphoning, as you are disrupting the very processes that you are trying to foster. Other possible considerations: If you are using mechanical filtration media, such as pads or filter "bags", make sure that these are cleaned and or replaced regularly (like, several times a week), or the resulting detritus/organic accumulation will be a major contributor to your problem! Also, investigate means to increase circulation within the tank, as water movement can help as well. Also, revisit your feeding practices. Feed very carefully, and under-stock this small tank. In very small systems, bad things happen very quickly! Think long-term, and study the many FAQs and resources on the WetWebMedia.com site for more information on water quality and nuisance algae control. Good luck to you! Regards, Scott F>

Marine Set-Up
Hello, I have a question about lighting.
<Will try to help- Scott F. here tonight>
I have a 20 G mini-reef tank (with a 10 G miracle mud sump) that has 2 55 W power compact bulbs (50/50).  I have several sp of mushrooms (most which have reproduced), some star polyps and buttons polyps, a Condylactis, a Mespilia sea urchin, a few shrimp/crabs, and a pygmy angel, Firefish, neon goby, and a "rusty" goby.  I am going to be moving this reef into a 29 G tank with a 20 gallon miracle mud sump.  I hope to add an Entacmaea quadricolor anemone to host a pair of False Percula clowns.
<I'd have to tell you right off the bat that this is a bad idea. I really don't advise mixing two species of anemones in a tank, especially a relatively small system like this. All sorts of problems can occur that could end in the death of both specimens. Stick with one or the other and they'll be much better off!>
I have the opportunity to put 3 24" VHO lights on the 29 G.  Per my calculations this would produce 225 Watts of light.  Would this be too much?  Would it be better to just add one more 55 W power compact?
<Well, I don't think it would be too much, per se- but there will be some acclimation issues for your mushrooms, which may be used to the lower light levels that you currently have. Any changes in lighting regimens in reef systems should involve careful consideration for the placement of the animals and their proximity to the new lighting. Do read the excellent article on the subject by Anthony Calfo on the WetWebMedia.com site>
Finally, what is your experience with protein skimming and the miracle mud sumps?  I have read that you should not do it and to date have not.
<I have seen quite a few "mud" systems run with skimmers, and, quite frankly, if it were me- I'd rather have the skimmer than not.>
Thanks for you help.
Steve Thornton MD
P.S. What is the smallest clownfish (adult size) regularly available in stores?
<I'd say the A. Percula is generally the smallest of the common Clownfishes, topping off at about 2 1/2 inches>

Micro-Acropora Reef Possibilities?
Hey Everybody, :)
<Hello!>
I've been toying around with the idea of setting up a micro-reef in a spare 5.5 gallon tank I've had laying around for awhile.  I had a very successful set up for about a year with a 5.5 gallon tank housing a single blue damsel, a Firefish dart goby, some mushrooms and a bunch of Halimeda that I harvested regularly for nutrient export.  I was surprised at the diversity in such a small system, in the likes of sponges, worms, amphipods, snails, small brittle stars, etc.  I eventually tore the system down and moved the Firefish to my main 75 gallon mixed reef and sold the damsel back to the LFS.  The tank has been laying idle for awhile (after a brief stint as a freshwater fancy tailed guppy tank on my desk) and I have decided to finally try another micro-reef.  My LFS has a small compact fluorescent fixture for 5.5 gallon hoods that is 10 watts at 6500K (comparable to 30 or something like that in incandescent lighting) which I was thinking about getting two of.  I would use a fairly thick 3 maybe 4 inches of sugar sized
aragonite sand, with some live rock to cycle it.  Adding a small power head or two aimed at the front glass panel for random diffused currents and possibly a small skimmer/filter contraption or something else for additional filtration.  I was wondering if it would be possible to house a few small frags of Acropora in the tank.  I know they are very difficult to house and I was wondering what your input would be on this idea.  What problems would you foresee?  
<I guess I don't need to preach to you about the difficulties of micro marine tanks. I even had trouble with a 5 gallon freshwater tank! I can only speak for myself on this one...but this would be a difficult challenge. All of the problems inherent with keeping Acro in large tanks will be magnified...everything from water chemistry to salinity to temperature, Alk, calcium, etc., will be compounded in a tank this small. Large reef tanks can crash fairly easily if good husbandry is not followed daily/weekly. In a 5.5 gallon tank?...I don't even want to think about what could happen while you are on a 1 or two week vacation...>  
What variations to my plan would you suggest?  
<Honestly? A larger tank...>
Any advice from the experts would be very welcome.  
<I'm not an expert on Acros...But I do see a lot of difficulties with a micro system that holds delicate corals like Acros. This will be much different than the Halimeda, mushrooms, etc. that you kept in the old tank>
Thank you guys so much in advance and keep up with the excellent work.  :)
<Thanks my friend! I invite you to not necessarily accept my opinion but research through other literature/websites and decide if this is a gamble that you want to take. You're going to be climbing a tall mountain...>
Sincerely, Dan
<Best of luck! David Dowless>

Nano Reef
Hey David :)
<Hello again!>
Thanks for your honest reply.  It seems you're echoing the same thoughts going through my head about the problem of tank size.  What do you think the minimum set-up would be to keep a relatively small tank stocked with some Acropora frags?  
<My friend...anything will be an improvement over 5.5 gallons>
I have a small terrarium (false bottom set up with small power head forcing water from the dead space below into a piece of cork tube that looks like a tree and some moss and a few small tropical plants) on one side of my desk and would like to put a small comparable in proportion saltwater tank on the other side.  A 5.5 gallon would fit perfectly on the right and match the terrarium in size, but like you mentioned, the size is one of the greatest problems in and of itself.  I was just wondering what your thoughts might be on the minimum size should use.  
<Well...A 10 gallon tank would be twice as large as a 5.5 gallon...Geez...That's really a small, small, minimum>
Oh, and my terrarium was a freshwater tank for three years before I converted it this past summer.  It housed a Betta, some feeder guppies I allowed to reproduce to feed the Betta, some freshwater mussels I harvested locally from a river, for a short while a blue crayfish (until he was moved to his own tank a few months later and ultimately traded back to the LFS), and a LOT of Java moss.  That stuff grows so fast that it does an excellent job of nutrient uptake and eventual removal, just like a refugium on a salt tank.  And, you can trade it in at the LFS for some credit towards other
gadgets and critters, usually.  
<I've had that experience with Caulerpa and Halimeda. It is nice>
:)  The best part of the tank was the Java moss itself, since when left nearly undisturbed for a good while between harvests, it formed what looked like fern covered hills in the tank with such a small scale.  That, coupled with the fish swimming around them, it was quite a sight.  
<I'll better it was... Sounds great!>
Anyway, a small freshwater tank has proven to be very easy as long as I use plenty of Java moss, and a small normal saltwater tank was also fairly easy as long as I kept plenty of Halimeda.  So, perhaps I should try another form of nutrient export if I give this venture a go.  
<Hmmmmm...It seems that you are planning to fit a particular area on a desk...with dimensions that fit the 5.5 g? That's what makes this hard. If you had room, I would suggest buying a long tank that isn't very deep...Then you wouldn't need really strong lights. Tank depth is a lot of what sucks the life out of lights. A 10 gallon would be better than a 5.5 but...I've had experiences with 10 gallon quarantine tanks...They're still too small for me...Water chemistry, temperature, ammonia, nitrite, and top-off just change too fast. Okay...I'm going in circles here. A 10 is more stable than a 5.5, a 20 is even more stable, 55 even better. Let me hasten to add that since you seem to know what you're getting into...maybe with a lot of diligence, a 5.5 might work...Who knows? Many people that try these things don't know the odds they are up against and that is their main problem. What you are proposing won't be easy. You'll notice that I didn't say it was impossible. Success in this hobby is determined when critters live for years and that is hopefully your goal. At some point you will need a bigger tank if everything survives and thrives long term>  
Any ways, I'd best be going now and I hope you have better luck next time with a smaller freshwater tank and let me know what you think about the size of the tank for the Acros.  :)
<Thanks for the encouragement! Believe me...I have a 100 gallon reef and it's just about all the work I can handle...HA!>
Thanks again,
<You're most welcome! David Dowless>
Dan

Water quality and stocking of small tank
OK, thanks to the crew at WWM for having the patience to help the novice.  The more research I complete, the more I recognize that, well, I have a lot to learn.  
<That doesn't stop until we do my friend! Keep living and learning!>
I am most unhappy with the amount of "good marketing" that I have succumbed to so far.  I have been promised a copy of Mr. Fenner's book for Christmas but in the interim I would really appreciate some advice on the health of this system.  If you can provide any distinction between choices of products with effective performance and products with good marketing I would really appreciate it.
<The best way is to learn from others' mistakes. Read the chat forums at WetWebFotos, there is all kinds of personal experience there for your benefit.>
(A) Tank & current equipment: 29g tank - aerated, Penguin 170 power filter with Biowheel, 200 watt heater, 2 inches of 50/50 small gravel/crushed coral, misc. decorations.  
(B) Stock: 2 three stripe damsels (1.5 in) introduced at week two.  Stock added in week 10: 1 cleaner shrimp,  1 Percula clown (1.5 in), 1 large piece of extremely porous rock (12in X 6in X 6in) was added.  Unfortunately I did not ask what type of rock - but it was purchased from a LFS with good review from local (unbiased?) aquarium clubs.  Description of rock: extremely porous, beige, and crumbles if mishandled- should I be concerned about what type of rock this is?.  Stock added in week 11: 5 Turbo snails.
<Should be a porous Fiji type live rock. 29 gallons requires somewhere between 29 lbs and 45 lbs for adequate biocapacity from LR.>
(C) Current water conditions: Ammonia (NH3) - between .016 and .019 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate 5 ppm, Phosphate 0.2 ppm.  Following a successful nitrogen cycle the diatom bloom lasted about a week (week 8) and there is now a slow steady growth of diatom and I have noticed a couple of minute areas of purple algae (coralline?).  I believe the following items are/have contributed to the Ammonia level: addition of new stock, "over cleaning" of top 1 inch of substrate, collection of detritus in bottom 1 inch of substrate.  How should I clean this current substrate?
<A course substrate will accumulate and trap wastes contributing to ammonia/nitrite/nitrate problems. Ammonia is from fresh wastes/source water/overfeeding/overstocking/poor filtration/no protein skimmer.  Likely overfeeding combined with coarse substrate, no skimmer. Please look into deep aragonite sand beds on WetWebMedia.com...just search on DSB or go directly to the marine set-up section.>
(D) Planned changes to tank & equipment: Add skimmer (CPR BakPak2), replace substrate with 1/2 inch deep 2.0mm sand.  What type of sand has good performance?  Can I place the sand directly on the bottom or should I have a plenum?
<Directly on the bottom, aragonite sand of varying particle sizes from approx. 0.18 to 1.5 mm or so. Can be larger on surface.  With fish you will need to remove them to a QT tank while you install live sand. Dead dry sand can be used on the bottom layer, but I would look into purchasing live sand from your LFS or a friend or culturing my own beforehand.>
(E) Planned stock additions: remove 2 damsels, add 1 Flame Angel, add 1 sea cucumber, add 1 puffer (if less than 3 in. full grown).  Will 1 Percula clown, 1 flame angel, 1 puffer, 1 sea cucumber, and 5 turbo snails be an excessive bio load?
Thanks for your help.
<The flame angel may or may not get along. Drop the Sea Cuke idea. Unstable and many are toxic. Please research your wish list searching on each specifically at WetWebMedia.com.  Especially puffers.  Most of the smaller puffers are actually brackish or freshwater. There is also a lot of good information in the marine set-up section.  Craig>>

Nano Reef
Hello again,
<Hi!>
I have an A-Life 7 gallon tank that I have had since January. It is using a Rio 600 for filter circulation. Filtration consists of a sponge filter. a Poly-filter, and a bag of carbon which is replaced once a month. It has 10 Lbs live rock and a live sand bed.
Tests as follows:
pH: 8.10
<A little low. Needs to be 8.3-8.5>
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
Phosphates: 0
Calcium: 570
<I would test this one again...maybe with a different test. A level this high is next to impossible without causing a precipitation event>
KH: 5 dKH
<8-12 would be better>
Temp: 80
SG: 1.025
Lighting is a 27 watt 1/2 10,000k and 1/2 Actinic, set for 12 hours.
Tank inhabitants:
Pulsing Xenia
Green Mushrooms
Purple Mushrooms
Orange Ricordea
Frogspawn
Blastomussa Coral
Feather Duster
Star Polyps
Yellow Polyps
White Pagoda Coral
Pink Zoanthid.
<IMO, you have a lot of stuff in a 7 gallon tank. Do you have fish also?>
Here goes: I started the tank with the Green Mushrooms and Xenia. They thrived for a while and I slowly added a coral or two at a time. Recently, my light burned out and I bought a 2 lamp fluorescent hood and was running a 9 watt white and a 9 watt blue.
<Any lighting change can have a negative effect.>
After 25 days of this the replacement bulb came in and I replaced it. Around the same time I replaced the filter pad with a poly filter. The animals are still not looking good after 2 weeks. I slowly increased lighting from 8 to 12 hours, no change.
<Well the 570 Ca is a concern and so is the 5 dKH. On top of that, there have been fairly substantial lighting and filtration changes. All of these can and in all probability will impact coral health.>
The worst looking are: Blastomussa, Pink Zoanthid, purple mushrooms, Pagoda, and the Star Polyps. The star polyps are still coming out, but they are looking thinner and not as plush as before. The Pagoda hasn't even been coming out. I have been adding phytoplankton every other week, Iodide once a week,
<Are you testing the iodine levels?>
water changes once a week. The pulsing Xenia is, however growing fast and actively pulsing, better than before. I have read all throughout your site and I am leery of doing anything drastic due to the tank's small size. The KH has always been low, but I am adding Reef Builder to slowly raise it. Any recommendations to making this a more successful reef?
<Get a bigger tank!>
Are there supplements I need to add? Do I need to feed anything more than I mentioned?
<Personally? I don't play the supplement game. I only add calcium and buffer. Feeding? check out WetWebMedia for suggestions on feeding the corals in your care.>
Thanks for your help, Michael
<You're welcome! David Dowless>

Small Tank Water Quality
Thanks to Scott F. for putting my mind at ease about the territorial behaviour of my damsel and the health of my newly acquired Percula.  "Bully Damsel" is slowly becoming more accepting of his new neighbor and the Percula has come out of hiding and begun to eat (his color is much improved after 4 days).
<Glad to hear that!>
About water quality....29G tank, Penguin 170 filter with bio-wheel,
200 w heater, fluorescent light (now to be on 12 hr timer),2 in bed of mixed gravel and crushed coral.
2- 2in damsels
1 2in Percula
1 small cleaner shrimp
(1 flame angel planned for future, possibly remove "Bully Damsel")
Phosphate 0.2ppm, Nitrate 5ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Ammonia between 0.25 and 0.50 ppm.
<Yikes- measurable ammonia is not good!>
pH 8.3. Approximately 10 gallons of make up water (from tap) maintained in a covered rubber maid tote at 76 deg F and aerated 24/7.
<Nice technique>
The Phosphate level of the tap and make up water is 0.1ppm.
The Ammonia level I question.  The tap and make up water both test at almost the same color in the test kit.  The color differences between this and tank water are very small.  Possibly the ammonia test kit is outdated?
<A possibility- liquid reagents, especially, tend to degrade over time. Try another kit with fresh chemicals-and re-check.>
This is an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals kit but I can find no date stamps. I want to improve the water quality.  What incremental change in equipment will be of long term value, immediate impact, and cost about $150 USD?  Would you be willing to make any recommendations?  I am contemplating a DIY project: wet/dry sump, Berlin sump skimmer, etc.
My glass tank does not have a pre drilled overflow.  And the idea of a sump and overflow box does not make me very comfortable.
Thank you for any advice you are willing to share.
Rex
<Okay, Rex. I like the idea of the sump setup, but I can understand if the overflow idea makes you a bit uncomfortable. Over-the side overflow box kits can be unreliable at times (losing siphon). Perhaps you might want to try one of the "hang-on-the-tank" trickle filters, with the bio media removed. That would be a cool starting point. Or- you may want to use a good "hang-on" protein skimmer, like the Aqua C Remora, or the CPR Bak Pak. You may want to convert to a deep (3" plus) sand bed, using fine grade live sand. A properly established DSB is a great natural nitrate reducing vehicle! Last, but certainly not the least- you should look into an inexpensive RO/DI unit, which can give you good quality source water to start with. Lots of cool projects that you can do to make your neat little tank an even better environment for your animals! Have fun, read up on the WetWebMedia.com site for more ideas! Good luck! Scott F.>

Mini Reefs
Hello, did you see the Leonidas meteorite shower last night in the sky?
<I missed it.>
Just wondering, I see in some magazines tiny beauties under 50 liters, so, if I want to set up a reef tank of such size, do I need skimmer?
<Yes, I would use one, albeit small. They are great for removing dissolved organics and maintaining dissolved oxygen levels. Both can be problematic in the confines of tiny aquaria.>
Can I use only live rock and a filter hanging on back?
<It is possible, but I believe you and most others will find yourself being more successful with a skimmer than without.>
How often I have to perform water changes? basic elements?
<As per any other aquarium.>
I know there is a lot of questions an a little vague, but I will accept any answer leading me to understand the mini reef set up.
<Please search the web for nano, mini, and micro reef pages. I know there are some good ones out there.>
Thank you! Carlos
<Best of luck to you! -Steven Pro>

Mini Reef
I have two very well established reef systems that use live rock and protein skimmers with no other filtration. I have had excellent success with these two tanks (a 30g and a 40g) for the last three years. I would like to try a 12 g mini reef. I was wondering if I might be ready for such a system. I imagine the only advice you'll give is to not overstock the system. I mean they sell them, so they must work successfully for some people, right? 
<The same can be said for many things. You can buy a Tiger cub for $300. Does that mean everyone can keep one in their backyard?>
The mini reef has built in wet/dry and protein skimmer and power compact lighting. the only modification I might make is to remove the bio-balls from the wet-dry. What do you think? Are you just totally and adamantly opposed to these small systems? It seems from your website that everyone recommends against these systems. 
<That's because they are too small, inherently unstable, hard to keep cool (Doesn't tend to be a consideration in mid-October, but think August 1st. and 98F outside) and need almost constant maintenance to make up for their too small volume.>
I'm dying to try one, though! My two established tanks have had no problems, zip, zilch, zero. Am I taking that much of a gamble?
<It's your time and money, but IMO they would be better spent pushing the other end of the spectrum where the possibilities are better, are less work, stress and overall cost. Craig>

PC Lights for 6 gallon Nano
Hello. I have a Jalli dual-bulb hood. I believe it is the 10 3/4" hood that holds two 13 watt bulbs. It came with a Phillips white bulb that puts out yellowish light and a blue bulb. I am running it over a 6 gallon nano-reef. I notice that you carry several types of bulbs for this hood. I would like to know which two bulbs would be best to put in this hood for anemones and good light requiring corals.
<If you are currently getting good growth from your lamps, I would get the same thing as you have, a full-spectrum lamp and an actinic.>
I cannot get the bulbs you carry locally and would like to order some from you if you tell me I can do better than what I already have. Thanks
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro of www.WetWebMedia.com>

Re: PC Lights for 6 gallon Nano
Thanks for the information. Is the white bulb (yellowish output) a full spectrum bulb?
<Probably>
Do the 13 watt bulbs listed for Hamilton fit the Jalli hood as well?
<I do not know. Look at the pin arrangement of your lamps and compare to the listed pin arrangements for lamps available.>
I saw a bulb that was half red and half daylight is this a good bulb?
<Is does not sound like it is a fish lamp to me.>
Is it better to run two 1/2 actinic and 1/2 daylight bulbs, rather than running one bulb of each? Scott
<Probably little difference unless you have separate switches for each lamp. -Steven Pro>

Eclipse to Nano Modifications, Additions
<<Hi Michael>>
Hello I was wondering what I would need to purchase to make an eclipse 12 system into a nano reef. If it is possible how many fish would I be able to put into the tank after putting the sand and live rock .
<<I don't recommend nano's, especially with eclipse systems as they don't accommodate protein skimmers or the proper amount or intensity of light, and they are very difficult to stabilize both regarding water quality and heat build-up in the summer months. There is no hard and fast rule for stocking, this is dependent on the size and habits of the fish tank size, filtration, etc. I highly recommend a good book like "The Conscientious Aquarist" to help you set up a successful reef and prevent needless expense and suffering. Um, that would be for both you and the fish! A good book will save you much lost funds my friend, Craig>> 

Filtration for 29 Gallon Tank
Hi Bob,
<Hello, Gage here>
I have read a lot of you FAQ's and they are very helpful, but I have yet to come across one that helps my specific problem. I have a 29 gallon tank which will be set up to keep SPS corals and as well as a mated pair of Green Clown Gobies, a Scooter Blenny, and some clams. When I ran this tank previously without a skimmer, even with 45lbs. of cycled live rock, I had a horrible slick on the top of the water. This has made me sure that I want to skim this tank. I also previously have kept a Scooter Blenny, but it died while I was on vacation because it wasn't getting enough food. This makes me sure I want a refugium. My question is - should I do a hang-on skimmer (such as the Remora Pro) and use a spare ten gallon under the tank as a refugium? Or should I get a hang-on refugium (i.e. Aqua Fuge) and have my ten gallon hold a "real" skimmer and other media?
<I would probably go with the hang on refugium and the skimmer in the sump idea. The hang on skimmers are good, but if you choose to go with an in-sump skimmer you are going to have a lot more choices and will probably end up with a more productive skimmer. Best Regards, Gage>
Thanks,
Michael