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FAQs about Small Marine Systems 7
Related Articles: Small Marine Systems,
Tom Walsh's Small Reefs,
Nano Reef Systems by Adam Jackson,
Large Marine Systems, Fish-Only Marine
Set-up,
FOWLR/Fish and Invertebrate Systems,
Reef Systems,
Coldwater Systems,
Large Systems,
Plumbing Marine Systems,
Refugiums, Marine Biotope,
Marine Landscaping, Fishwatcher's
Guides, Related FAQs:
Small Marine Systems 1, Small Marine
Systems 2, Small Marine Systems 3,
Small Marine Systems 4,
Small Marine Systems 5, Small Marine
Systems 6, Small Tanks,
Small System Lighting, Small
System Filtration, Skimmers for
Small Systems, Small System
Stocking, Small System
Maintenance, Small System Disease,
Tom Walsh Systems,
Fish-Only Marine Set-ups,
Fish-Only Marine Systems 2, FOWLR/Fish
and Invertebrate Systems, Reef Systems,
Coldwater Systems, Large Systems,
Marine System Plumbing, Biotopic
presentations, Skimmers
for Small Set-ups, | 
The Hawaiian endemic cleaner wrasse. NOT for small systems |
Request for graphics... Do
you have useful Nano PIX RMF might use? 9/30/09
Hello there, am working on an article series that I intend to publish
later this year in a book title:
Pico, Nano, Mini-Reefs; Small Marine Aquariums: Design, Set-Up, Stocking
& Maintenance
Subtitle: Successfully Keeping Under 40 Gallon Saltwater Systems
Would like to include image-work of your systems. Can you secure
permission for my use and send them along?
Bob Fenner
University of small SW systems, design 101 8/30/2009
Howdy Crew!
I have written in to this amazing website before and was hoping that I
could receive yet again some of your wisdom. I am planning on setting up
a new 20 gallon reef setup to house softies as well as maybe some LPS
such as an open brain of some species.
<Whoa! This is a good deal of disparate life for such a small volume...
care should be taken to develop a stocking plan... less toxic/stinging
to more... go slowly/ploddingly, introduce small, stable specimens...>
I had an inquiry as to see if you could give me some of your input on my
proposed tank, I honestly don’t know how well it is going to work out
due to the fact that I just came up with it randomly about 20 minutes
ago.
<Ah, the "youth of today" (or any age for that matter). Please read
here: http://wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompppt.htm
and the linked files above>
Well anyways I would
start out with just a bare 20 gallon long tank (it is all my university
allows me to have in my dorm room.) I would then add in two walls of ¼
inch Plexiglas using the method outlined in the do it yourself
pressure-locking sump baffles. Each wall would be on either end of the
aquarium 3 inches from the outside walls, one with an underflow and the
other having an overflow with small cut-outs so as to have better
surface skimming of DOCs. The end in which the overflow is would be the
mechanical and chemical filters, I plan on employing carbon and Phoszorb
or Chemi pure, as well as a potential protein skimmer (if I can find one
to fit great if not it will be another do it myself skimmer, which I
might prefer.) On the opposing side with the under flow would be a deep
sand bed of 4 inches, I am debating on whether to put this atop crushed
coral
and or a under gravel filter plate. Above this would be some possible
live rock rubble and Chaetomorpha and then the overflow back into the
main display. The light would be a T.A.A.M. rio mini sun on an
alternating day/night cycle from the main display.
There would be about 20 pounds of live sand bed in the display along
with 20 or so pounds of porous live rock, some of which I might take
from my 29 BioCube set-up. As for lighting I was planning on using a
Hagen High Output T5 Glo ballast and 1 24w marine Glo and 1 24w life Glo
or power Glo. I am unsure as to whether or not I will get a second set
of bulbs or not.
<You should... with this life...>
As far as flow in the tank which is of utmost importance
<Along with other factors>
I plan on using a ¾ inch SCWD with Hydor flo’s placed on each output
somewhere around the top 1/3 of the tank with a 150-200 gph pump. I
might also put a Hydor Koralia nano to blow the overflow from the
refugium across the live rock and corals. Also I would have a 120 gph
pump set into the bottom back part of the wall for the refugium so that
water would be forced into the refugium. It would be angled such that
the output be horizontal and there be a “baffle” of sorts so that the
water is not blasting up through the DSB. I really don’t like the idea
of this being the way that the refugium gets water flow so if there are
any other ideas please20give me your input.
<Read on WWM re: http://wetwebmedia.com/marsetupindex2.htm
"The green dome" (sorry, just finished watching the 60's Prisoner
series); The second tray down>
The only other
idea that I have is to move the baffle closer the to side by a ½ inch
and place in an overflow baffle that leads to the underflow. However, I
am concerned that this would cause two problems those being creating
noise and also that I would be required to lower my water level to do
this properly. Also is there much structural support gained from the
upper trim of the tank, if not I would like to remove it.
<Can be removed in most brands>
I plan on building a “frame” of sorts so as to cover both sections of
the filter and then be a housing for the lights but with about 2 or so
inches of open space from the top of the tank to the bottom of the
canopy. As far as livestock there wouldn’t be much in the way of fish
due to the volume of the tank, I was thinking something along the line
of a bicolor Pseudochromis or royal gramma and 3 green chromis.
<Not the Chromis>
If you have any questions as to clarify my unusual plan just ask,
<?>
also any and all inputs would be graciously accepted and like all other
advice I have gotten from your site, adhered to.
Thank you very much,
Steven
<Keep reading, cogitating furiously Esteban. You'll do fine. Bob Fenner>
Re: University of small SW systems, design 101 8/30/09
Good morning,
Thank you for your quick response to my question. When it comes to the
coral compatibility I was thinking mostly Zoanthids and mushrooms, maybe
a leather or an open brain but if those are incompatible I will
not pursue this endeavor.
<... see WWM re>
I need to stick to the fairly hardy coral and fish because I will have
to break the tank down and transport it 2 1/2 hours worth of driving
twice a year. The brand of tank that I plan on removing the trim from
would be an AGA/Aqueon 20 gallon long. Do you think that this filtration
setup would be successful so long as I kept
it well maintained?
<Yes>
This would be done by 10% partials every two weeks or more often if
dictated by water tests, cleaning out sponges once a week, not
overstocking or overfeeding. My overall goal is to get this tank setup
like my 29 BioCube in which I keep my ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate
undetectable, pH at 8.2, and calcium at 420. As far as your response to
the refugium I am unsure as to what you meant by the second tray down,
<Self explanatory... go to the link, scroll down to the next tray>
I will keep reading these articles of course, just because I have become
addicted to saltwater aquarium. In place of the chromis do you think
that a royal gramma, a clown goby, and a 6 line wrasse would be
compatible in this setup?
<I think you should search, read on WWM re>
Thank you again for your amazing website with great advice and
dedicating your time and effort to help out the common hobbyist.
Steven
<Please use it. BobF>
Marine Aquarium: Setup Reading, Lots of reading. 7/21/2009
Hi WWM Crew!
<Hi Richard.>
I was pondering about my saltwater aquarium. It is a 29 gallon FOWLR
with a 20 watt 5000 k. light, Sea Clone 100 protein skimmer (do you know
about any problems with that skimmer? I haven't tried mine yet.),
<A Sea Clone is not a good skimmer.>
and a Marineland 150 filter( no bio-wheel just two filter pads). My fish
are one spotted Hawkfish one coral beauty two ocellaris clownfish and
one fire fish. my <question> was do I need a sump? Because I can not
build one and I can not afford one.
<Then I guess you will not have a sump.>
Oh, I have one other <question>, :} could I keep an anemone in that
light?
<No, a 20 watt light with a color temperature of only 5k is not even
close>
<All of these questions, and many more that I'm sure you have not
thought to ask yet can be found here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/marsetupindex1.htm >
thanks!
<MikeV>
From FW to SW 29 gallon\Reading 6/27/2009
Hi!
<Hi Nick>
I was wondering if I have a 29 gallon freshwater aquarium can I switch
it to a saltwater?
<Sure.>
I am going to take everything out except the water and add the sand,
live rock, and let it cycle.
<I would change out the water as well and mix it up in advance.>
I was planning on setting up a FOWLR aquarium. If I have a SeaClone 100
protein skimmer, a fountain pump, and an Eclipse 3 5000k fluorescent
light would that be all I need to set it up?
<That will get you started. Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fw2mar.htm >
I was hoping on having 2 tomato Clowns, a Coral Beauty, a Firefish, a
Spotted Hawkfish, and a Peppermint Shrimp.. (do you know how many snails
i need and what they do?)
<Too many fish for a 29 gallon. Do review here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/small.htm >
thanks!
-nick
<MikeV>
Replacement Pump For Solano Nano Tank 6/7/09
Hey Guys,
<Hello Samantha>
my husband and I both have Solano 34g nano tanks. Set up as reef tanks
we've had great success with them but recently both our pumps have gone
out, mine being the latest. And we've had to rig replacements since I
can't seem to find a true replacement from Solano or anywhere else. Do
you'll suggest anything else I should or could do to continue to have
optimal skimmer performance. I appreciate any input.
<Have you contacted Current USA on this? Forward this to
info@current-usa.com.>
Thanks
<Your welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Samantha Serie
30 Gallon Saltwater... not using WWM, or mistaking it/us for
a bb 4/19/09
Hello, I have emailed you before and have gotten great advice in
return. My issue now is that I have a 35 gallon tank that use to be
inhabited by a Tiger Oscar who out grew his temporary tank and is
now in a larger system.
My girlfriend would like to use the 35 gallon to start our first
saltwater aquarium. I plan to filter the tank with a canister filter
that is able to filter a tank up to 55 gallons in size. The tank
will be sand bottom of
course and also have live rock. My first question is approximately
how much live rock should I place in this aquarium to give
sufficient hiding places and to assure that the fish will live
happily in this environment?
<posted...>
My second question is about the livestock. My girlfriend has FINALLY
chosen her desired livestock and it consist of the following fish
who are all relatively small in size; 1 Saddle Valentini Puffer
<A biter>
, 1 Ocellaris Clownfish, 1 Blue Sapphire Damselfish, 1 Royal Gramma
Basslet and 1 Six Line Wrasse.
Will this work?
<Could, but there is going to be too much antagonism with this mix
in this volume to suit me>
And if not could you please send me something in return about what
fish to put in this tank or something you would stock it with
yourself.
<...>
She is into bright, colorful and flashy types of fish. Also any
other tips or facts would be helpful and appreciated. Thanks.
<Have her peruse WWM's many stocking files, articles... Maybe start
here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/smmarsysstkgfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Upgrading from 25g to 40g reef, 2/24/09
Hello everyone,
<Hi>
I currently have an Aquapod 24 gallon tank with 30LBS of live
rock. I also have a 20 gallon refugium with sand, Chaeto and skimmer
upstream. I am looking at purchasing a tank around 40 gallons with a
stand that I would be
able to fit my existing refugium underneath.
<Ok>
My question is when I do get the other tank can I just move
everything out of the Aquapod water, rock, sand, fish into the new tank
hook up the refugium and turn it on or is that going to cause a crash
because it is a new aquarium and not cycled?
<You will probably be
ok, but will need to monitor the water quality very closely for ammonia
spikes that may occur. Feed lightly and be prepared for water changes.>
My current tank is 9 months new and the refugium is 4 months with lots
of pods. I have a few corals and 3 nano fish. I don't want to jeopardize
the life I have in the tank in anyway. If this is a bad idea could you
give me a better recommendation please.
Thanks
Steve
<Welcome>
<Chris> New tank,
Small SW, var. 2/3/09
Hi
Crew,
I just finished my move from my 5 year old 10 gallon to an
Aquapod 24 gallon. My spotted cardinal, clown goby and neon goby took
one night to be brave enough to come out. It has all new sand and rock
(cured) and the Aquapod ran for a week before I made the switch (after
testing water). I did have one old rock plus carbon in a sock from the
old tank just to help with the bacteria population.
<Good>
I have
a couple Astrea snails and Ceriths. Are they going to find enough to
keep themselves alive?
<Likely so, yes>
I do not see any algae.
When I removed my old rock from the old tank I did not notice that the
neon goby was in his hole in the rock, After I placed the rock in a pail
I noticed something out of the corner of my eye and there he was at the
bottom of the pail. So I put him back in the tank. Afterwards I noticed
that the end of his tail is a bit shredded. Would this have been caused
by him thrashing to get out of the rock when it was out of the water.
<Sure>
He seems fine otherwise and is swimming and eating and he
found a new home in the new tank between the bottom of a rock and the
sand.
Another issue I am having is with the sand which is very fine.
The water flow in this tank is fairly strong and it is blowing the sand
quite a bit so that after a few hours there are some places with sand
dunes and others with a bare bottom. I have the nozzles (there are two)
pointed horizontally so that they make waves at the top but it still is
causing a strong current below. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Sam
<Direct them more toward the back, toward the rock-work... to dissipate,
complex the currents. Bob Fenner>
Nano Reef question 1/27/09
Hi.
<Hello Jeff.>
I am an
experienced reef keeper, I had a 130 gal reef tank that's flourished for
years, unfortunately I had to move and sell of it off a few years ago.
<Sorry to hear that.>
Well, I knew it would happen but I got that
itch back but just want to keep a nano reef.
<I know the feeling!>
I've been looking at 2 models and want to know your opinion on them. One
is the new 28gallon JBJ Nano Cube with 150 HQI lighting and all in one
filtration. The other system is the 34gallon Red Sea Max 130D tank. I
only plan on keeping some leather corals and polyps, no Acropora
corals!! I'm worried about the HQI lights on a small tank. It says it
has 4 cooling fans and some people in articles have complained about
overheating, but I don't think they would make a tank that would have
such a problem with overheating, do you??
<Well, the argument is
that it will not overheat in certain environments. These tanks are
fairly common in my neck of the woods, all the successful tanks with the
HQIs have chillers. The short of it is these systems do not necessarily
have everything you could possibly need, if they did Ca reactors would
be standard too!>
Just wondering if you know of or have heard of
anyone who has had these tanks and what you think or have heard is a
better choice.
<I have seen both in action over a period of months
(well, years now I suppose) and both are nice units if you are looking
for an all in one. If you are into the lower light intensive corals and
do not want to run a chiller the Red Sea model does get a bit of an
advantage. Although there is never any guarantee you will not need a
chiller.>
Thanks. Jeff.
<Do also price out/consider building your
own system piece by piece. It may cost a bit more initially, but I have
found that most end up replacing components on these all in ones with
something "better". Many end up spending more on these in the long run,
but not everyone! Welcome, Scott V.>
Need your EXPERT advice on heaters for nano reefs :-) 01/11/09
Are there any new heaters out there that will really keep a 6 gallon
reef at a consistent decent temp? I was into reefs for about 12 years -
got out of it for a while - recently got back into it with a friends 6
gal nano cube. The heater she gave me will not keep a consistent temp
and goes anywhere from 78 - 84 plus degrees. Your EXPERT advice on
heaters would
be appreciated :-) thank you!
<I've always been a
fan of the Hydor products. They make this mini-heater that I've used
myself. I don't know if it would work for you, but it worked for me and
I like it.
http://www.petco.com/product/102429/Hydor-Mini-Aquarium-Heater.aspx
They also make other heaters that haven't disappointed me.
Best,
Sara M.> Re: Need
your EXPERT advice on heaters for nana reefs :-) 01/12/09
:-( That's the one I have.... the temp is swinging really bad... will
check my thermometer...
<Hmm... strange... have you tried a second
thermometer? Thermometers are notoriously inaccurate.... try 2 other
thermometers. They don't have to be for aquariums necessarily... can be
the cheapo outdoor ones from Home Depot even. Just anything you can dip
in water will work...
Sara M.>
Critter Biotope 12/2/08
Hi Crew,
<Hi Sam, Mich
with you tonight.>
I currently have a 10 gallon saltwater tank that
is 6 years old with some coral and fish. The fish are over 4 years old
<Congrats to you!>
and WWM is what made this successful.
<Nice to
hear.>
Anyway, I am toying with the idea of a critter tank, no fish
or coral.
<What a cool idea! A really different biotope. Scott
Fellman will enjoy reading this.>
Hermits, crabs, shrimp etc.
Whatever I think can coexist.
<May be some learning here.>
Will
probably not have snails since my experience is that the hermits will
eventually take their shell.
<You are wise here.>
It will be a 10
gallon with sand and live rock.
<OK.>
What do I need as far as
filtering and water movement. Will a foam filter be enough?
<I think
the tank would benefit from some carbon filtration.>
Do I need a
cover?
<Mmm, not a bad idea, if it we're me/mine I would, because I
don't like finding "carpet jerky" if you will.>
Standard fluorescent
light strip.
<Likely will be sufficient.>
Any algae needed like
Caulerpa or Chaeto?
<Need is a strong word. I would add some Chaeto
myself and would avoid Caulerpa like the plague. Caulerpa just causes
too many headaches in my experience, some like it, but not worth the
risks in my opinion and is illegal in California.>
If yes how much
light will I need to keep it growing.
<Chaeto appreciates light, but
in my experience can survive with surprisingly little.>
Anything else
to consider?
<You will just have to be careful with which critters
you mix. As you know, hermit crabs and crabs in general can be rather
predatory. Even shrimp can behave aggressively towards each other. I've
generally had positive experiences with a single or pairs of shrimp, but
in my experience odd numbers tend to become even numbers.>
I assume I
can feed them the same as my fish.
<Yes, just be cautious not to
overfeed, especially without a protein skimmer to help you out.>
Thanks
<Welcome and good luck, it is an interesting system and think
you'll enjoy it!>
Sam
29 gallon bio-cube marine tank, 10/8/08
Hello to all.
<Hi>
I work at a pet store and saw a 29 gallon bio-cube tank. My
husband and I have been wanting to start keeping marine tanks. We live
in an apartment so space is limited. We want a fish only tank with a
starfish.
<I would suggest at least investigating live rock, it makes
maintaining a marine tank much easier. As far as starfish go, stick with
serpent stars for this sized tank.>
I have talked to several people
about the bio-cube and have heard several opinions on weather it is good
for a
small reef tank.
<It is ok, but I prefer a more normal
shaped tank with more surface area and ala-carte equipment which tends
to be of better quality than what you get in all-in-one packages. If
memory serves this setup also lacks a protein skimmer which I personally
would not run a tank without.>
I have always gotten great advise from
you guys when it come to my fresh water tank so I was wondering what
your thoughts were on this tank. Thanks again for all the great advise..
Virginia Hulse
<My personal opinion is to get a regular 29G, a
quality skimmer, LR, and a couple powerheads. I think you could probably
do this cheaper than with a Bio-Cube.>
<Chris>
29g Reef Question, set up 9/30/08
Hello! Love
the site and have been educating myself in anticipation of the jump from
FW to SW for 3 years!!
<Wow, great!>
I’m just getting ready to
move into my new house and will be setting my 26g bowfront back up, but
as a SW reef this time. Was hoping to layout my plan, looking for
input, along with some questions along the way. Also, keep in mind
that this is my test with the hopes of upgrading to a 120 display in the
future and the 26g switching to QT duty. With this in mind, some
of the filtration I will be building with a larger tank in mind.
<Okay.>
Stocking plans for the 26g will be to start with plenty of
LR, LS, 2-3 small fish (Perc clown, few gobies), a few inverts (1 shrimp
and some snails) and then some SPS and LPS (possibly a clam?).
I will
be purchasing an overflow from glass-holes, with the recommendation from
them of the 2 hole, 1.5” bulkhead, 1500gph model. I understand the
recommendation with the thoughts of using it on the future, larger
system and 2 drains is better than one, but is this too much for a
26????
<If you were to actually flow 1500 gph through it would be too
much. You can run less flow by choosing a smaller pump or throttling
your pump back with a ball valve.>
From there, the 2 drains will
drop, pass through the back wall and gravity feed a 55 gallon sump/fuge
on the floor in another room. The 1st drain will drop into a
skimmer chamber on one side and the 2nd drain will drop into a refugium
chamber on the other side. There will be baffles to separate each
of those from the center return section, which brings me to my first
question, what would be your recommendation on a return pump or GPH
rating?
<About 500-600 gph will take care of your flow needs in the
display.>
There shouldn’t be much of a return run as the sump will be
just on the other side of the wall resting on the floor. I was
also thinking of splitting the return into 2 lines and having it release
into the display on each of the back corners of the tank. What
would your recommendation be for return line sizes?
<A single ½” per
corner.>
I will be adding at least 1 Tunze Nanostream depending on
the additional flow I feel needed, so the return(s) will not need to be
the only flow.
<I would wait and see if you even need the powerhead,
I doubt it.>
Do you think purchasing a Skimmer rated high enough for
the future 120 would be silly or even bad for the small system
(over-skimming?) and should just go with a smaller in sump model
(Coralife Superskimmer 65)?
<If you have the funds and room I would
just go for the larger skimmer now.>
Lastly, I’m torn on lighting.
I would like to go with either a 24” MH fixture (1X150w or 250w?)/2X65w
Actinic and 2 moon lights, or a T5HO fixture with 96w (2X24w 10K
Daylight/2X24W – 460nm Actinic) if it would be enough…especially at 1/3
the cost. Dimension on the tank are 24”w x 21”tall by 15” deep.
<For the cost and depth of the tank I would likely choose the T5
fixture, swapping on of the actinics for another daylight.>
Any input
would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks.
<Welcome, have fun, Scott
V.> Nano reef & natural
water movement, 8/4/08
Hello guys and gals!
<Hello>
I have
a small 10G nano reef tank, close to 1000 G/Hr water
movement/circulation. The temperature is between 78-80 F without using
any chiller. It has been set up bout a year now. I have a very healthy
and good lookin' livestock. So here I come with the question of the
century:-) I was always wondering how many Gallons of water exchanges in
an hour in the natural seawater? Is there any estimate on this? I'd love
to know that!
<From diving I can tell you lots, even in relatively
calm areas you are still talking about a complete change of water every
few minutes at most, every minute or less in areas of stronger current.
This is why many people say you cannot have too much flow.>
The other
thing I was wondering about if you accept any kind of donation, or
anything like that. I'd love to appreciate all the efforts you guys put
in this website. It is like a library for me.
<I believe we have a
"begging box" on the front page.>
Thank you for your time and
answers, have a salty day!
Sonny
<Thanks for the note.>
<Chris>
New Nano reef, total > 100 gal.s, overall set-up! 7/24/08
Hi,
<Hello there>
Please could you have a look at some
questions I have for a NANO tank plan.
<Sure>
I was looking at
the various NANO tanks people have and how nice they look (better
than my 120 gal).
<Can>
So I was thinking of creating one
myself (I already have a 120 gal from the last 2 years).
I am
still in the design phase.
<Good>
However, I designed for a
RDSB and sump of almost the same size as the display tank.
<All
right>
The tank size is 50 G
The RDSB (below the tank) is 23
gal
Sump is 35 gal
My tank, sump and RDSB specs
Inches
RDSB (12")
sump
Display
Length
24
18
28
Width
18
24
24
Depth.
12
18
18
Vol in gal
22.4
34
52
108
Vol in liter
85
127
198
411
Questions
1. Is this big DSB going to give me a super advantage
or should I reduce the RDSB?
<I'd leave as is... really, the
bigger the better>
2. Is it good to take a direct feed from the
RDSB to the return pump location?
<Is fine>
3. Will the return
pump (standard powerhead) kill all the plankton?
<No. Most all
"passes through" alive>
4. I plan to use one Hydor koralia-3
propeller pump on one side and the sump return on the other side
facing the Koralia and a siphon that fires OUT of the tank (down to
the sump)?
<Mmm... a siphon? Not a drain?>
The siphon should
fire in around every 10 seconds for 2-5 seconds duration taking
approx 10-15 liters with it. Will this work for circulation?
<Mmm... I would NOT do this. What if the siphon should fail? Where
will all the water in play go? On the floor?>
5. Plan to go bare
bottom as I have a RDSB. Will use egg-crate or acrylic boxes drilled
for water flow to lay the foundation for the live rock. Will this
have problems?
<Can be done... depending on the needs, desires of
your main system livestock...>
Plan to use 60 pounds in the
display.
6. Sump will have carbon and skimmer.
7. Will a 1/4th
HP chiller be too much for this volume? (I have one in spare and can
use it)
<Likely will provide sufficient draw-down here>
8.
Lights I plan will be Compact Florescent for 12-14 hours and MH will
be only for 2-4 hours. Something like this
(http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+12779&pcatid=12779)
9. Tank theme is Zoanthid / Palythoa garden with LOTS of feather
duster worms and SPRINKLING of mushrooms and ONE cup coral
"Turbinaria peltata
<http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&client=pub-4522959445250520&cof=FORI
D:1%3BGL:1%3BLBGC:336699%3BBGC:%2399c9ff%3BLC:%230000ff%3BVLC:%23663399%
3BGFNT:%230000ff%3BGIMP:%230000ff%3BDIV:%23336699%3B&domains=www.WetWebM
edia.com&sitesearch=www.WetWebMedia.com&oe=ISO-8859-1&sa=X&oi=spell&resn
um=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=Turbinaria+peltata&spell=1> ".
10. Fish
would be a shoal (5-7) of blue or green Chromis, 1 Purple Fire fish,
1 Psychedelic Mandarin.
11. Inverts would be 2 skunk cleaner
shrimps, 1 Pom-Pom Crab, Snails, Blue Linckia (don't ask why but
this works for me rather than a Fromia or any other sea star) have
had this Linckia almost a year now.
<Might I ask: What do you
attribute your success to with this genus/species?>
Cheers
Ranjith
<Other than the "siphon" this set-up sounds fine. I would
read on WWM re overflows:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marsetupindex2.htm
Peruse the first few
trays... Bob Fenner>Re:
New Nano reef... plumbing/circ., and Linckia fdg.
7/25/08
Hi Bob,
I had planned the siphon to try and give
some bit of a wave effect.
<Ahh! I see...>
I presume, if a
surge in is good due to moving water, a surge out should also be
good as it moves water out.
<Agreed... but/and a further
cautionary remark... such devices are fraught with inherent
dangers... at the very least one should plan on overflows.... where
the water might actually end up... Better to do a bunch of reading
re various "Surge Systems"... Perhaps a beginning read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/surgesysf.htm
and the linked files
above... Or better, a search on the Net with the term: "Bruce
Carlson Surge System" to start with>
Would it be fine if I have
an emergency overflow hole above the siphon pipe?
<This would
definitely set my mind to greater ease>
The sump will be deep
enough to take the load incase the pump fails and all the water till
the siphon pipe opening flows down.
<Good!>
The advantage
being no salt crepe near the lights and electrical. The sump does
not need light and will be covered and can be cleaned at intervals
to maintain salinity.
<Very good to understand that you are aware
of all this>
Would I be totally off my mind if I tried to run the
skimmer from the output of the tank surge??
<Mmm, I would NOT do
this... Best to situate the skimmer in a part of the sump that will
be constant volume, have its own pump...>
At a very basic level,
would it provide enough flow to be able to skim?
<No>
Could
you tell me what plumbing part I can use to siphon from the display?
<Mmmm.... I'd rather not. Please understand, what "we" discuss here
is posted, viewed by many folks going forward... I do not want to
either encourage you or be seen to be encouraging siphoning as such
a mechanism... IS fraught with danger, again, I assure you. Most
easy example... what happens if the "higher" safety overflow becomes
occluded, the sump overfills the tank?>
A bulkhead would not be
helpful as the inside part does not have a facility to attach a tube
or the 90 degree elbow.
<Again... I would fashion or buy the
parts to make one of a few types of proven surge systems instead.
Though these too often include a siphon mechanism/trigger, they are
more reliable>
Regarding the Linckia, I feed it fresh minced fish
(marine origin) or prepared food (dried krill, minced fish, Cyclops
eeze, Nori, shelled prawns, ocean nutrition (nano coral food)
blended and frozen in small cubes.
Feeding method is to wedge the
food in a flat rock structure and then actually pick him up and put
him on the food so his mouth cavity is directly on it. He does not
find food if it is near him sometimes so I put him on the food.
<Thank you for this>
Surprisingly I have seen Fromia stars waste
away and not accept food.
<Me too. There are other important
sources of mortality than nutrition>
Ps: Initially he demolished
my population of small squirts (that's what they looked like)
Cheers
Ranjith
<Ahh! You likely have very healthy systems if
you're able to sustain Ascidians. Cheers! BobF> |
Tom Walsh, nana tanks 7/18/08
Dear sir
I have just read
your article about your friends nano marine tanks and I would just like
to say thank you, it has put my mind at rest as to whether I should
start my own. I have a 68l tank and to be honest was worried about
whether the tank would be big enough or not,
<Small systems, marine
and otherwise "can be done"... just with more care, attention than
larger, more stable, flexible systems of size>
I have a fluval 303
filter and will fill that with living rock to filter the tank. As I am
on a tight budget to say the least the article has given me the
confidence to try and set up a reef tank, I have had tropical fish for a
long time and am looking forward to getting my little reef tank up and
running, once again thank you
David
<Ahh! Do consider a small
skimmer as well... even a modified Skilter as Tom used. Bob Fenner>
Starting in Saltwater Aquarium - Cycling and More, 6/27/08
Hello-
<Hi>
I just started to get into saltwater aquariums and bought a JBJ
24 gal Nano.
I know a lot of people say anything less than 60gal is
not good, but I also know that staying on top of everything is key.
<Yes, but it is much harder to do in a small tank.>
I have 24lbs of
Tonga live rock, plus 12 lbs of live Sand. One of the issues I have is
Cycling with the live rock, do I turn my lights on or off during this
process? I have heard both, which one is it?
<I would run them normal
hours.>
Also, I plan on only adding up to 6-8 fishes.
<Too many,
2-3 for this sized tank.>
2 Clown, 1 goby, 1 Bi color blenny, 1
bubble Anemone,
<Skip the anemone, way to difficult to keep in this
sized tank and not for beginners.>
several blue hermit crabs,
1
brittle starfish,
<Careful with these, some are fish eaters.>
2
peppermint shrimps. Does this sound okay?
<See above comments.>
Do you suggest anything else or is this too much?
<Take it slow and
stock lightly.>
I would like to add some coral to this as well, what
do you suggest if any?
<Mushrooms and zoos are pretty hardy and not
too demanding, I would not go for anything demanding at this time.>
Also, do you suggest any plants (Halymenia, Pink Galaxy)?
<Would skip
unless you have a refugium to place them in.>
Also, the pump that
came with the tank says it pumps 240 gph, should I add another?
<I
would add a couple of powerheads.>
I was thinking of putting 2 Hydro
Koralia 240 gph powerheads in as well. Too much?
<Should be fine.>
Should I get a wavemaker?
<I would not.>
Do I need a skimmer?
<I won't run a tank without a quality skimmer.>
What do you suggest?
<get a good one.>
And do I need to get a R.O Filter?
<Depends on
the quality of your tap water.>
If so what do you suggest , I would
like something I can attach/detach to a faucet?
<Most have this
adapter, I like www.airwaterice.com if you decide you need one.>
One
last thing, the tank also came, with 6 bioballs and ceramic biomedia, I
have heard I could run with out these, what do you suggest?
<I would
remove these.>
Sorry for all the questions, but I'd appreciate your
help. Thanks again.
Marc P. Carbotte
<Please see here for more on
new tank setups. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/index.htm .>
<Chris>
Setting Up a Small Species Specific Marine Tank – 05/31/08
Dear Crew,
<<Andy>>
Although my wife doesn't know it yet, I am
thinking of converting the empty 30 gallon (long) tank I use as a
quarantine tank into either a species specific goby/shrimp
combination or a collection of a Jawfish and a couple other small
fish (so many decisions in this hobby!).
<<Ah yes…but kudos to
you on planning such a tank (species-specific).
Biotopic/species-specific systems have a much higher rate of success
over “garden-style” systems, in my opinion…and they look nice too!>>
I'm sure you know the dark powers of an empty, unused tank…
<<Indeed>>
My questions relate to how best to set this tank up.
If possible, I would like to make this tank as low-maintenance as
possible. I've read the articles/FAQs on goby/shrimp pairs so I have
a general idea of what they require.
1. In either case, how would
you suggest filtering this tank assuming a pretty small bioload?
<<A small refugium and a skimmer>>
I think it's too small to
warrant an overflow/drilled tank with a sump.
<<Not “too
small”…but can be done without…if you keep the stocking level down
and are diligent about other maintenance/husbandry aspects
(performing timely water changes, not over-feeding, etc.)>>
I
could use a small 10 gallon tank as a sump and fit that under the
cabinet, but I would like to avoid the extra pieces of equipment if
possible.
<<I see>>
I was thinking that I could simply use
20-25lbs of live rock for filtration and some strong power heads for
circulation. Would this be okay (will this provide sufficient
aeration/oxygenation)?
<<It would be best, in my opinion, to add
some type of surface extraction (perhaps a small hang-on skimmer
with such a device) to remove the accumulated surface film, as this
film will inhibit gas exchange>>
I have a spare (and crappy)
skimmer sitting around, but (a) I'm not sure whether it would be
needed for this setup and (b) it's kind of big for a 10 gallon
sump--I really don't want to spend a hundred+ dollars on an AquaC
urchin if I really don't need a skimmer.
<<Perhaps their “Nano”
skimmer would be right up your alley re this tank>>
2. I've read
that the goby/shrimp combo would need 2-3" course substrate and rock
rubble.
<<A 4” depth would be better>>
Of the following, what
would be the best "course" substrate: CaribSea Aragamax Select
(0.5mm-1.5mm), Seaflor Special Grade (1mm-2mm), Super Reef
(0.5mm-2mm) or Bermuda Pink (2mm-5.5mm)?
<<The latter…mixed at a
1-3 ratio with fine Aragonite sand>>
Also, regarding the rock
rubble requirement, does that mean that I shouldn't include larger
pieces of live rock, or just that I need to make sure that I have
enough rubble to keep them happy?
<<You can have the larger
pieces…just be sure to leave a good deal of “open” sand bed>>
I
think using larger pieces of live rock for the bulk of the rockwork
would be more efficient/cheaper in the long run.
<<Maybe…but you
don’t want to “fill-up” the tank with large pieces of rock>>
If I
used larger pieces, I would set them on the glass bottom before I
added the substrate to ensure stability/safety of the animals.
<<Okay>>
Is it possible to mix more than one goby/shrimp combo in
this small volume?
<<Maybe…but I wouldn’t>>
3. I've read that
Jawfish need 3+" of substrate--three quarters fine substrate and one
quarter course.
<<Mmm…pretty much the same as the Goby/Shrimp
combo, yes>>
For the fine, would you suggest sugar fine sand, or
something a little larger like the Aragamax Select (0.5mm-1.5mm)?
<<I prefer the sugar-fine…along with a mix of larger bits as
discussed previously>>
Do you mix the fine with course, or layer
the fine on top of the course?
<<I would “mix” the courser
material in to the top inch or so of sand>>
4. I don't plan on
keeping any corals or light-craving inverts in this tank, so I
assume a standard NO fluorescent light would be sufficient?
<<Yup!>>
I appreciate all your help.
Andy
<<Happy to share.
EricR>>
Re: Setting Up a Small Species Specific Marine Tank - 05/31/08
Thanks Eric!
<<You are quite welcome, Andy>>
Do you know
anything about the Finnex brand of tank?
<<Afraid I don’t…but I
do use their Titanium heaters>>
My LFS is selling a 30g complete
setup (tank, fuge, skimmer, T5 lighting, PC fuge light, pumps, and
cabinet stand) for $599. When I add up all the things I would need
to make my current 30g doable for a species tank (skimmer, stand,
small fuge, etc.) I am not too far off of that price.
<<Maybe a
bargain then>>
I'm sure the component I would add would be better
than the Finnex, but…
Andy
<<Ah yes, I do know what you mean.
It is my preference to “build my own” systems for this very reason.
Cheers, Eric Russell>>
R2: Setting Up a Small Species Specific Marine Tank - 06/02/08
Dear Eric,
<<Hello Andy>>
Just a note to tell you that I went
ahead and purchased the Finnex 30g cube.
<<Cool>>
It had a
small scratch on the side, so the LFS owner gave me a slight
discount.
<<Always nice>>
It is a slick little tank in
theory--we'll see how well it actually works.
<<Indeed>>
It
has a built in skimmer, wet-dry filter (whatever that means . . .),
<<Really? Are also known as “trickle” filters…see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i6/trickle_filters.htm >>
a compartment for a heater, a small built-in refugium with a PC
light, a return pump, 4x24W T5 HO, 2 actinics and 2 10,000K
(although it can also come with a 150W HQI), and a cabinet stand. It
was very easy to setup.
<<All-in-one for sure but…these units are
generally lacking (filter size/capacity, water flow, et al) in my
opinion…though they can be utilized with thought to their
shortcomings…or modifications of…>>
I took your advice and set it
up with 4" of mixed aragonite sand/course substrate, with about
15lbs of cured live rock and some clam shells.
<<Very good>>
I
seeded it with a cup of substrate and a few pieces of LR rubble from
my 110g, and then threw in some Chaetomorpha from my fuge into the
fuge.
<<Excellent>>
It is a very neat setup. Once I am sure
the water is stable, I'm going to purchase a Yellow Watchman Goby
and Pistol Shrimp.
<<Do keep an eye out for/request a “collected
pair” if possible as the animals do not “automatically” pair up just
because you place them together in your aquarium>>
I may add the
mushroom rocks that are currently in my 110g reef, which is SPS
dominated. I figure the lighting is adequate for these Corallimorphs
and getting them out of my SPS tank would be beneficial to the SPS.
<<If in great quantity or in physically encroaching, yes, probably
so>>
Cheers,
Andy
<<Be chatting mate. EricR>>
R3: Setting Up a Small Species Specific Marine Tank - 06/03/08
Eric,
<<Andy>>
I do know what a wet-dry is--just skeptical of
this particular one.
<<Ah, okay…(and “whew!” [grin])>>
It is
basically a box with a piece of foam in it.
<<Hmm…maybe replace
this with a bag of chemical media…or a piece of Poly-Filter pad>>
The water is supposed to flow from the skimmer, up and over the lip
on the filter box, down through the filter, under the fuge
compartment, out to the return pump, through the fuge, and into the
display.
<<This sounds fine/good>>
I removed the foam and
replaced it with a bag of activated carbon.
<<Ah well, great
minds…>>
My return pump (475 gph) was dead, so my LFS swapped out
a Rio 800 (how do they even sell the Rio??--it's basically a bubble
maker)
<<Is cheap…and easy to push on to the uninitiated>>
until he can get me a replacement pump tomorrow.
<<Excellent>>
For now, the filter box is completely submerged--maybe that will
change when I get the right pump.
<<Yes, probably so>>
The one
thing I will say about this tank is that the manual is totally
inadequate/basic and very hard to use in reality. I contacted the
manufacturer, and it was responsive but not very insightful.
<<A
shame…considering these are assumedly “plug-and-play” units>>
Take care.
Andy
<<And you my friend. EricR>> |
What do you think about my tank, Marine Setup 5/2/08
Hello my
name is Sony Onatte and I am a newbie in terms of saltwater tanks,
although I have had a freshwater tank for about 2 years.
<Hello>
I
started my saltwater tank around mid January 2008. I have a 30 gal long
Aqueon (all glass) tank, 20lbs of live sand, at least 40lbs of live rock
and an extra 4 lbs of live rock rubble in an AquaClear 110 that only has
the rubble and ceramic holes in it. Although they said it couldn’t be
done; my filtration system is made up of (2) AquaClear 110’s (500gph)one
with just rubble and ceramic and the other with one foam pad ceramic
hole and a Chemi pure pad with a prefilter pad on the entrance to both
intakes. I have an AquaC remora with a MaxiJet pump 1200 (295gph) with
prefilter box, and have modified it by connecting a tube to the cup and
draining it so the skim never falls back into the tank due to overflow.
1 AquaClear 70 (400gph) and a Hydor Koralia 2 (600gph) power heads. My
lighting system is a Current USA power compact with Dual Daylight Lamp
(6700K & 10,000K), 1 Dual Actinic Lamp (420nm/460nm) and 3 Lunar Lights.
Which the actinic turn on at 8am – 10pm and the daylight 12pm – 8pm then
the lunar’s turn on.
<Ok>
I have 2 small black Amphiprion
ocellaris and 2 small orange Amphiprion ocellaris,
<Chances are one
pair will kill off the other in this sized tank.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnfishart2.htm >
1 small flame angel,
<Needs a larger tank
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/Centropyge/loricula.htm
>
2 small engineer goby’s,
< Pholidichthys leucotaenia? They get
huge. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pholodichthyidae.htm >
and 1 green
spotted dragonet.
<Also needs a much larger and mature tank,
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mandarins.htm .>
20 – 25 scarlet crabs and
zebra’s. 15 snails, 1 lettuce slug, 2 scarlet shrimp, 1 camel and 1
peppermint shrimp,
<the camel has been known to get aggressive.>
1
two in maxima clam and a 3 in crocea clam, 1 sand sifting starfish
<the star needs a larger tank and will clean out your live sand bed,
making it not so live.>
and at least 2500 cope and other pods. As for
corals I have a 3in Mycedium sp, 3 in encrusting purple Montipora
nodosa, 4in Trachyphyllia radiate, 3in Turbinaria peltata, 4 stalks of
pulsating xenia, 3in hammer coral pink, 3in green frogspawn, 3 stalk
grey frogspawn, orange and pink Zoo’s and green Zoo’s, 2 different
species of trumpet corals and tiny Actinodiscus sp.
<You have a lot
of life in a new tank, need to slow down here.>
I supplement the tank
with Kent marine: ZooPlex, iodine, Xtreme garlic, and marine C.
Brightwell aquatics: zooplanktos S, zooplanktos m, zooplanktos L,
alkaline 8.3m and liquid reef. I also feed marine S and new life
spectrum, brine shrimp, mysis, and squid. My nitrate, nitrite, ammonia
are all at 0. My ph is at 8.2, DKH 11, and calcium 470. I started to add
fish in Feb because my tank cycled fast since I used live water, live
sand and live rocks.
<Cycling is not all that happens, new tanks are
prone to rapid shift is water parameters, not all of which are
measure/tested.>
Everything was at zero and ph was stable before I
added fish though. All my corals are doing fine and have been for a
while and some have actually grown in these few months. Now that this is
all been said I just wanted to know if my lighting is insufficient for
my inhabitants and what you thought of my set up. I know this might be a
little crowded even though everything is very small now. I’m planning to
upgrade to a bigger tank in a year or so. Also if you had any tips or
recommendations for a beginner like me let me know.
Sony M. Onatte
<I would think about removing all the fish except 1 pair of clowns, the
others are not appropriate for this sized tank. Also, while you have
chosen generally hardy corals you will most likely run into problems
with allelopathy with so many corals in such a small tank. Frequent
water changes will be necessary to keep these chemicals in check.>
<Chris>
Aquapod Pump/Water flow 4/11/08
Hi there,
<Hi Alex.>
I have
one simple (hopefully simple) question.
<OK>
I currently have a
Hydor Koralia 1 providing the majority of water flow in my 12 gallon
AquaPod as well as the output from the filter that came
with the
tank. What I am looking for is something that will change direction and
not constantly flow water in the same pattern. Is there
something out
there that perhaps toggles it's direction continuously so as to minimize
the "dead spots" for grunge and build up?
<Hmm, yes. SeaSwirls, Ocean
Motions, SCWD, and WavySea are a few that work well. They are also large
and expensive for a 12 gal (except maybe the SCWD). For your output on
the pump look at the Hydor Flo Deflector. It is not the best, but it is
cheap and works. You just need to clean it as part of your regular
maintenance. You can achieve about the same results by directing the
powerhead and pump flow at each other. This will give you a varied
flow.>
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Alex
<Welcome, Scott V.>
Tank upgrade 03/27/2008
Hello to the Crew!
<<Afternoon, Andrew
today>>
You have been a great help in the past so here it goes -
<<Thanks>>
I have a few questions concerning upgrading tank sizes. I
currently have a 29 gallon marine aquarium with the following:
About
25 pounds of live rock
2" of substrate
Protein skimmer
Large
hang-on filter
2 30" Coral Life T-5 fixtures each with 1-10,000k and
1-actinic
1-Scopus Tang <<Yikes!!!!>>
1- Ocellaris Clown
3-Chromis
1-Cleaner Shrimp
Clean-up Crew - Snails, Crabs Etc.
Several Soft Corals and a couple LPS
I am contemplating upgrading to
a 46 Gallon an am looking for the best advise on the transition:
1 -
I would like to change substrate (to a smaller particle size) Is this
possible and what is the best way?. I may keep the original tank and
substrate as a coral propagation tank and quarantine.
<<Aragonite
sugar grade reef sand, made by Caribsea is a good choice>>
2 - What
is the best sequence for the change i.e.. all at once or in phases?
<<As long as your taking all the filtration over to the new tank and you
have enough containers, then do it all in one go>>
3 - How much Live
Rock do you recommend for a 46 Gallon Tank.
<<Min 46lbs>>
4 - I am
also looking into upgrading some of the equipment i.e.. lighting and
filter, sump or refugium
<<Sounds good and will benefit the system in
the long run>>
Side issue - I seem to have a major outbreak of
limpets. Is there a way to control or rid the tank of these little guys?
<<Just simply remove by hand, leave a couple in there afterwards if you
like>>
Any help would be appreciated.
<<A side note on the above
stocking. The tank is neither suitable for the current tank, nor the
suggested upgrade, i would suggest a minimum of 100 gallons for this SP.
of tang, preferably more. Please do fine a bigger home>>
<<Thanks for
the questions. A Nixon>>
Re: Tank upgrade 03/30/2008
Thanks for the info
<<nopro
For
my clarification, you think is would be ok to provide all new substrate
in the larger tank and move everything else at once including water.
Will there be any establishment period using all new substrate?
<<Yes, I would actually prefer to use a new sandbed. Yes, it will take
time to re-establish. Maybe take a couple of cups from the top few
centimetre's of an established reef to give it a boost>>
Also should
I fill the remaining 17 gallons of water using newly mixed water or
water from an established tank from my trusted LFS?
<<You may as well
go ahead and use new mixed saltwater, it wont harm anything>>
Lance
<<Thanks for the follow up Lance, hope this helps. A Nixon>>
Re: Tank upgrade - additional question regarding pump 04/05/2008
With my new 46 gallon bowfront now in place I am trying to determine the
best way to get the water circulation that is desired for fish and
coral. I am thinking of placing two Koralia 1 (400 GPH) pump in each
upper back corner. In addition to that I my also place a Mag 900 with a
rotating
diffuser in the upper middle on a timer. I also will have
the return for the skimmer and filters entering the tank as well.
Ultimately the question is do
I use Koralia 1's (400 GPH) or 2's (600
GPH)
<<I would go with 2 Koralia #2, this will give you a good amount
of flow for a reef. I feel the #1 are a little under rated for this
tank>>
What are your thoughts?
<<Thanks for the follow-up. A
Nixon>>
29 Gallon Marine Set-Up...Not much detail...or proper grammar [3-23-08]
Hi there <<.>>
<Hello Gene.>
im <<I’m>> thinking about getting a
29 gal. oceanic tank and going salt water with it.
<<Okay.>>
what
<<What>> do you think about the set up on the tank,
<<I’m not sure I
understand what you mean…I don’t see a described set-up, just the
proposed tank. I can tell you that if this is your first marine system I
would much rather you go with something in the 40 gallon range with more
surface area (perhaps a “breeder” variation). While not necessarily
qualifying as a nano aquarium you will run into many of the same
challenges. Please read this;
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nanoreefsysart.htm . Without knowing what the
targeted livestock will be it is difficult to go into any more detail.
As far as the oceanic brand, it is reputable/reliable as far as glass
tanks go.>>
thanks <<Thanks>> for your time Gene<<.>>
<<You are
welcome –Adam J.>>
Starting an AquaPod reef... 3/14/08
Hey Crew!
Quick
question...I've got a 12 gallon nano reef, up and running for 2 months
now with one small clown, blood shrimp and 4 blue legged hermit crabs
occupying this tank. Prior to putting the shrimp and clown in the tank I
did my water tests and everything was perfect. Since putting in the
shrimp and the clown and eventually the 4 crabs (who were supposed to be
a clean up crew but as far as I'm concerned they make more mess than
they clean - I'll be getting rid of them tomorrow and replacing them
with smaller blue or red hermit crabs) my ammonia has shot through the
roof to 2.0.
<How much did you suddenly start feeding the tank when
you added the livestock? The combination of the added livestock and food
might have been too much too soon.>
I know the obvious way to bring
the ammonia down is to do more aggressive water changes or perhaps more
frequently, but as I experienced last week; when pouring in the salt due
to it's small nature of the nano the corals get burned from the contact
with the salt (mental note....pre-mix)...can you recommend any piece of
equipment that can help me with keeping the ammonia down? If it was a
normal setup I would immediately purchase a protein skimmer but as I am
now realizing, these nano tanks aren't all they're cracked up to be
<Bingo. They're often without adequate filtration.>
as there is NO
space for a skimmer or at least not one that I can find. Any of the nano
skimmers I have found involve me altering the hood which I am not
confident in doing. Is there a nano skimmer out there that will help me,
perhaps if I threw in a mangrove plant?
<A mangrove won't help. It
wouldn't do well in such a tank anyway. Honestly, there's not a whole
lot you could do that wouldn't involve altering the hood to add
filtration or drilling the tank to add a sump. This is the trouble with
nano tanks systems. If you don't want to alter the tank, you'll have to
find a way to do the heavy, frequent water changes (i.e. pre-mix your
water, etc.).>
HELP ME PLEASE!!
Thanks so much! I've been a reader
for over 5 years now and have enjoyed every minute of it!
<De nada
and good luck,
Sara M.>
I think I have a good plan now correct me where wrong... small reef
set-up. 02/11/2008
Hello again crew,
<<G'morning, Andrew today>>
after having read a good deal, can't
say everything but everything I could get my hand on I think I have
come up with a decent plan for a mini-reef.
30 gallon tank (36
inch long variety), 35 lbs of Tonga and Fiji LR 1" sand bed in
display, RDSB of 8" of sugar fin aragonite, 2 # Koralia pumps, rated
flow totals about 1200gph, a remora skimmer, and a 175 watt MH HQI
lamp.
live stock plan, Xenia and Sarcophyton, plan to get one of
each at start and prune and frag as necessary preferably having an
arrangement of Xeniid Sarco Xeniid Sarco Xeniid in final stage,
rocks arranged to form a large archway and two other arch like swim
throughs.
<<Sounds superb>>
Possibly also having at the
corners of tank so to speak "frag stations" can not remember exact
name but the platforms to place frag plugs into, some sort of
ceramic in nature, not eggcrate, have seen on marine depot among
other places, snails only, no crabs not even hermits, don't entirely
trust em.
For fish I will be having:
1 flame fish (worm fish)
<<Flame angel? Cardinal Flamefish?>>
1 or a pair of neon gobies
possibly a pair of Banggais or a small group of PJ cardinals,
preference given to Banggais though if would be more likely to have
peace will go PJs. I don't think this is over stocked but again
correct me if I am wrong.
<<Fish stocking list size sounds ok to
me, more clarity needed on the flame fish>>
Would also like to
have in the open space away form the rock work a small T. Derasa
(knowing full well he will need to be moved to a larger tank, which
will happen upon moving to a house as opposed to the space
limitations imposed by apartment life.) though if you think I am
likely to have better success with a different clam again please
tell me so.
<<Personally, I would leave the clam out and buy this
when you "do" get the larger aquarium. Sometimes we plan on going
bigger in the future, however, sometimes this does not always come
in to fruition>>
the tank will remain all but uninhabited until I
get better Coralline growth unless you think I can add one of the
gobies (be it neon or so called goby firefish)
<<There is no need
to wait for coralline to start growing before adding fish/corals.
You can happily start adding once the cycle has completed and the
tank stablised>>
I am not aware of any allelopathy issues,
granted the Sarcophyton - xenia arrangement I understand to be a
good mix, form Mr. Calfo's book and what I have found on the site,
clam with softies seems to be okay from what I have read so long as
not touching (referring to "Clams and Alcyoniids 1/16/07" and
response by Mr. Fenner)
<<the choice of corals is fine in my
opinion>>
Thank you so much again for your time and expertise,
also as previously stated, if you have better recommendations with
regard to livestock choice please feel free to suggest. Forrest
<<Thanks for the questions. A Nixon>>
Re: I think I have a good plan now correct me where wrong 02/11/2008
ok will do so on the clam, also firefish, Nemateleotris magnifica.
<<Ahhh yes...beautiful fish, keep a nice tight lid on the tank as
they really do enjoy jumping to get in some carpet surfing>>
Thanks so much. should have used scientific name from get go I know.
Thanks a bunch again, keeping an eye on the levels gonna get the
neon and get him into qt shortly, figure month of qt for him and set
up time for the tank should get close, even if takes a little longer
a neon goby in a 10 should still be reasonably happy :)
<<yes,
that sounds fine to me. Good luck with everything. A Nixon>> |
Water flow, temperature and placement inquiries... sm SW set-up
02/06/2008
hi WetWebMedia crew,
<<Hello, Andrew here>>
I
just started a 20g saltwater aquarium and is now in the 3rd day of
cycling my tank. There are roughly 24 lbs of live rock with 4-5 inches
of sand. I added a 1.5" domino damsel on its first day because they said
adding one or two hardy fishes can speed up the process. I noticed the
fish just stayed at the bottom of the tank looking weak and is even
being carried away by the current. The fish died overnight.
<<This is
probably due to either stress or ammonia poisoning. Its pretty inhumane
to cycle a tank using fish, even the hardy variety. A more common method
employed now is to add the carcass of a raw/uncooked shrimp or prawn,
wrapped in fine nylon and added to the tank. This will decompose and
produce the much needed ammonia to start the cycle. When ammonia reaches
about 4 - 5ppm, remove the carcass and dispose of, then let the cycle
continue its own course>>
Is my 800 liters per hour power head
(roughly 200 gallons per hour) too much for the small fish?
<<No, the
amount of flow in your tank is fine at that level>>
I just took a
reading of my temperature on the second day and noticed it was as high
as 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
<<Arrrhhhhhhhhh>>
I tried half
submerging my power head but it hardly registered a change. I just
removed the glass top and managed to reduce the temperature down to 86
degrees. I haven't installed any lighting system yet and I don't think I
can afford a cooler now. I'm still observing the tank overnight, but is
there any advice you can give me regarding my problem? I live in the
Philippines and I'm more worried especially now that summer is
approaching. I'll try the fan-cooled approach but I'm thinking it would
only work on the air on top of my tank that would primarily be heated by
lighting. Room air conditioning is not also one of my options.
<<Getting a clip on fan and having this blow across the water surface
will help a lot to reduce the temp. Another solution is to float a bag
of ice in the tank, or a sealed bottle of frozen water>>
If my case
of temperature problem wont be easily solved, can you suggest a few
[hardy] fishes and corals that could be kept in relatively warm water?
<<Realistically, you do need to keep the temp down by employing the
methods above, or by adding a chiller>>
Also, would the aquarium
being placed between two giant speakers do any harm to my aquarium?
<<It should not no, but some stress may be exerted on the inhabitants if
the music level is too high, certainly not something I would recommend,
loud noise>>
Thanks and best regards to your team, Ariel
<<Thanks
for the questions Ariel, hope it helps. A Nixon>>
Equipment recommendations, sm. reef 02/03/2008
Hello.
<<Hello, Andrew today>>
I am new to game of salt water and I am
interested in setting up a 20 gallon coral tank I understand you
disagree with this but it is all I am able to set up. I have been doing
as much reading and research as possible and getting more confused. I
will be joining my local coral reef club but that will not be until
March. What I have is a standard 20 gallon tank 100 watt. heater. my
canister filter with a bio wheel. I want the tank to have live sand live
rock some low to med. light corals and eventually a couple of fish.
<<Sounds like a good plan>>
As for hardware if you could recommend
what else I need to purchase amount of lighting powerheads size of
skimmer etc.
<<Powerheads, you could go for 2 Hydor Koralia Nano,
which will give you about 26 x water circulation which is enough for the
proposed inhabitants.>>
<<Lighting, around 100 - 150w of T5, power
compacts>>
<<A Reverse Osmosis unit, about 50 or 75 gph is fine, 5 or
6 stage ( Reverse Osmosis + DI would be better )>>
Like I said I have
been getting mixed recommendations of using a filter or not having too
just live rock and sand . So I need some definite direction on my set up
and purchases. Thanks Mike
<<A hardware list can be endless really
with a reef system. Of course, suggest a specific area of equipment, and
we shall do our best to advise>>
<<Thanks for the questions. A
Nixon>>
Starting an AquaPod reef... 1/29/08
Hi Bob,
<Alex>
I’ve
been a visitor of your site for as long as I can remember…one of the
best sites on the web and what a fantastic source for information.
<Am glad you find it useful>
I previously had a 100 gallon
marine/reef setup for about 6 years and gained a ton of knowledge
through many ups and downs during that period. I’ve since been without a
tank (moved out of parents place) as I now live in a small condo that
does not have space for a 100 gallon setup. I purchased a 12 gallon
Aquapod yesterday and have done the obvious…2 inches of aragonite, 15
pounds of some of the best liverock I’ve seen and I plan on leaving it
to cycle for at least 3-4 weeks.
<Ok>
My question (sorry for
babbling) is this, I’m a little paranoid that with the AquaPod I might
not be getting all the filtration I should get for an ideal reef tank,
there’s no protein skimmer (other than the surface skimmer it comes
with) and I don’t know how I would install one if it needs it.
<Best
to add a small sump, remote there>
I plan on putting 1-2 mangrove
plants in the tank to make up for that
<Mmm, not advised. Too likely
to add pollution...>
as much as they can but like I said; my
intentions down the road are to have it as a reef tank. With the AquaPod
equipment installed what can/should I do to ensure as successful a reef
tank as possible?
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/small.htm
and the linked files above>
Besides the obvious water changes, media
replacement. The fish will be kept to a minimum of 1-3 tiny species
along with about 20 hermit/zebra crabs, gold headed goby (or jaw
fish…same thing I think).
<Mmm, not enough space>
I’m wondering
if there is a perfect combo of fish/crabs/goby/snail/shrimp that I can
get to keep this tank as self-maintaining as possible and as healthy as
possible. I am not trying to avoid maintenance on my end but because it
is such a small enclosure I would like to keep my hands out of the water
as much as possible and try to keep the tank disturbance to an extreme
minimum.
Money isn’t a huge issue; if I need to spend it on a few
things to capitalize on my experience I’m more than happy to do so.
I
understand that overall these questions could be answered through your
FAQ section but I could not find anything that hit on my exact
situation; I thank you so much for helping me out with this!
Take
care,
Alex
<Keep reading, cogitating furiously Alex... All will
come together. BobF>
New Marine Tank 1/26/08
We just started a saltwater tank 2 weeks
ago.
<Congratulations.>
We have 2 inches of live sand and 5
pounds of live rock in a 29 gallon tank.
<I would increase the depth
of the sand an inch or two, or decrease an inch or so. See the link
below regarding DSBs.>
We put 2 small tank raised clownfish plus 5
pounds of live rock in the very next day after getting the aquarium set
with salt plus live sand.
<Too quick to add to the tank. What species
of clown?>
We put salt in and have a hydrometer. We tested the water
last night and the salinity, nitrate, ammonia, pH levels are
good/stable.
<OK, will take your word all is good.>
We also did a
10% water change last night.
When would you recommend that we can put
more fish in the aquarium and what would you recommend we add as a new
tank mate?
<Hmm…do you have any other filtration besides the live
rock? Five pounds isn’t much. What you can add will also depend on the
type of clownfish you have added to the tank already. Some species will
outgrow the tank you currently have setup.>
Thanks,
Tom
<Do
read through the FAQ/articles regarding the livestock you have and wish
to purchase, paying close attention to stocking levels and
compatibility. You should also wait for your rock to “cure” and any
other biofilter you may have to cycle. I included several links below to
get you started. Best of luck, Scott V.>
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i3/Live_Rock/live_rock.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i5/Filtration/Filtration.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clownfis.htm
Next reef decisions, sm. reef set-up... – 1/18/08
Hello
Crew hope you are all well,
I had previously sent an email subject
line "polyps?" which I have managed to take care of. The things were
hydroids, which I have managed to get rid of, basically did 20% water
changes while scraping em off and sucking em out of the tank they seem
to have gone away, at least for now, have in the interim while waiting
for my skimmer been using carbon like crazy, the nitrates went sky high
apparently, while I was gone for Christmas. any way that problem solved
I have questions about a new set up I am contemplating.
Considering
doing another small reef, maybe 29 maybe a 40 have yet to decide but
assuming I go for the 29 the plan is as follows.
a standard 29 gallon
with a 10 gallon acting as a sump, I am considering doing a remote DSB
or possibly plenum setup in the 10, or just a refugium have yet to
decide would appreciate any input on that decision. also a shallow sand
bed say about 1-2" in the tank itself.
<See WWM re DSB depths:
http://wetwebmedia.com/dsbdepth.htm>
want to do a relatively simple
reef setup having live rock making a C-shaped wall with a lagoon if you
will in the center of the tank, over which I will hang a metal halide
(possible HQI) pendant and some actinic blues across the back. a remora
skimmer from Aqua C, not sure if hanging on tank is best or on sump.
thoughts?
<All sorts. They're posted:
http://wetwebmedia.com/skimrs4smsysfaqs.htm>
I would like to have
some sort of center piece in the lagoon, possible a Tridacna possibly a
Fungia or other LPS (I know the clam would eventually outgrow this set
up, how long would I have assuming I got a relatively small one, say
1.5"- 2 "?
<... please, learn to/use the indices, search tool...>
continuing, possibly polyps or some other softie on the inside of the C
and considering Mushrooms on the outside of the C the outer wall is you
will.
any suggestions about light height about tank or above
substrate would be great.
I also would like to keep some small fish
in the tank preferably gobies or cardinals or both. as to which, I like
all the cardinals so input on which would work bet would be great, I
like the clown gobies, and also the neon gobies. My goal with regard to
live stock is only aquacultured so I am leaning to the neon goby unless
you know of anywhere I can get a cultured clown goby.
<No such thing
presently>
sand sifting gobies I also like. If there is a "best" way
( least likely to fail) to set up a tank like this I would love to hear
it.
Thanks again for you help with my various tanks.
Also, I am
intending to go to MACNA again this year, went to the one in Pitt last
year, Bob, if I buy you a beer will you autograph my books?
(Conscientious and Reef inv with Calfo) :)
<Oh yes! Cheers, BobF>
Thinking of upgrading 01/11/2008
Dear fonts of knowledge,
<<Hello, Andrew here>>
I have been running my marine tank for about 3
years now. All in all, it is quite healthy. I must say this is in part
due to your website, so thank you.
<<Thank you>>
I have a 30
gallon tank with 1 big power head, 1 Fluval 4 filter, a red sea Prizm
protein skimmer on the back, 192 W of 50/50 CF lighting.
In the tank
is a lot of live rock (to be honest, I bought it so long ago, I forget
how much. I think I followed the 1-1.5 lb / gallon rule), a bunch of
xenias, a leather coral, some star polyps and some candy cane coral, 2
clownfish, 1 yellow tang<<Will need a bigger home>> and a skunk cleaner
shrimp. There are also lots of red and blue hermits and lots of tiny
snails (no idea what kind, or really where they came from) and 3 bigger
Astrea snails.
Everything is running along just tickety boo - nobody
seems sick, chemical levels are mostly good. My problem is that I have
red slime algae.
<<Read up here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm>>
Not a lot of it, and
it's not that hard to control, but it does mean that I have to clean the
tank with maybe higher frequency than I'd like. I usually do a 4 gallon
water change about once a week. I also vacuum the substrate when I do
this.
<<If this is happening, then there is an apparent issue that
needs resolving, rather than controlling>>
I get the impression that
this is perhaps more frequent than would be necessary in a completely
healthy tank. I would like to upgrade things, but I am not really sure
how to proceed. I would really like to keep the tank the way it is, for
now as I am somewhat constrained in space and not rich, but I am
definitely willing to spend some bucks on some kind of upgrade, as long
as it will improve the health of the system. What would be ideal, in my
opinion, would be a 20 gallon sump underneath the main tank.
Unfortunately, the tank is not drilled for overflow. I can see you don't
really approve of the siphon driven overflow boxes, but I'm not really
sure what my other options are. I'm sorry this is a little bit rambly
but I'd like to make sure I get all the information across so I can get
enough information to make a good decision.
<<As a suggestion, I
would spend the money on upsizing the display tank, as some of the
current stock is not suited to your tank size>>
My options, as I see
them:
1. Replace the gravel I have with a deep sand bed. I worry that
this conversion process could be detrimental to the health of the tank
while the changeover is going on.
<<Done in small amounts, it will be
fine, just keep an eye parameters>>
2. build a hang-on refugium with
a built in protein skimmer and a deep sand bed. The trick with this is
that I'm not sure how much benefit the few extra gallons and small sand
bed would provide. on the plus side, it would be gravity feed back into
the tank, so there would be no chance of overflowing the tank or the
fuge onto the floor.
<<If I was doing that, I would just do it as a
fuge, not with the skimmer>>
3. use a siphon box and put a sump under
my tank with a DSB and protein skimmer and so forth.
<<Sounds
feasible, a far better option>>
4. set up a refugium next to my
current tank. this is obviously undesirable from a space perspective,
but I could drill the new tank to avoid the flooding problem.
5. I
guess I could put everything into a temporary tank of some sort and get
my tank drilled. I have no idea what kind of stress this'd put on
everyone, or how much getting my tank drilled would cost. I suppose I
could do it myself, even, although I would be a little scared of that.
<<The best option out of the above, besides spending the money on
upgrading the display tank size, is to add a sump with a refugium and
skimmer. Drilling tanks are not hard and well documented with
instructions on many forum sites. Drilling many tanks personally, and
all have been easy as long as the process of drilling is done slowly and
not forced>>
Anyway, I would like any feedback you have on this,
including if there are better options that I haven't even thought of. I
think what I am going for best nutrient export bang for my buck, where
buck equals money and time and effort and low chance of disaster.<<Sump
tank/refugium>> I've scoured
your site, and the rest of the internet,
and I think I've hit information overload and am having trouble making a
decision.
Thanks, Colin
<<Thank you for the questions, hope the
above helps. A Nixon>>
DSB in Nano 01/10/2008
Hello Crew,
<<Hello, Andrew here>>
I've been in the marine hobby for about 4 years now and still hooked
<<Aren't we all>>. I have a question and a comment. Right now I have a
2.5 gallon tank on my desk which has been running for about a month with
just live rock. I am upgrading to an 8 gallon bio cube with the intent
of putting a single mushroom polyp and 2 or 3 Zoanthid polyp and
watching them grow<<Sounds great>>. To most people that might seem like
a waste of space and a tank but I've always been fascinated with
watching things grow and multiply. I test twice a week keeping a record
of all my result and I do a weekly 10% water change, with several micro
water changes during the week to keep the salinity stable. The same will
apply to the 8 gallon once its up and running. My question is this, I
would like to know if I should go with a bare bottom tank or have a deep
sand bed (3" +). I know that having a bare bottom will make cleaning
very easy, but I have never set up a tank with a DBS and I would like to
try it so that I may further my knowledge and experience with the hobby.
If I do opt for a DBS, what are the long term effects in a nano tank?
<<You could do a DSB of 3 inches, yes, however, I feel in a small
aquarium as this, a lot of space will be wasted. Benefits of a DSB is
that you will have an anaerobic area for denitrifying bacteria and
provide nitrate removal. More info can be found here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm >>
And now for my
comment. I work at a local fish shop and I do my best to get people
started on the right foot by telling them before buying anything
research it. I usually hand a business card with your website written on
the back of it. I am still surprised and a little frustrated with the
attitude towards aquariums. It seems like people insist on stocking the
tank as fast as they can. Too many times I've seen customers walk in
with tanks stocked past the limit within the first 6 months of the set
up. Then they come back after a year and complain they have terrible
algae problems or that all their fish are getting sick. I can't stress
enough the benefits of being patient. One more thing, I'm really sick of
people treating the fish as if it were an ornament to put in a glass
box. These are living creature with (to some extent) feelings and
personality. I don't understand why people insist on give the fish less
than adequate conditions. My biggest pet peeve is tangs in anything
smaller than 100 gallons. All those poor hippo tangs that have died
because of an ignorant hobbyist putting it in a tank that is way too
small. I hate that excuse "but its small and I will switch it to another
tank when it gets bigger" statement. That fish will probably develop
growth problems before you decide to invest in a bigger tank. Would you
keep your child in a 3'x3'x3' room, over feed it and clean it once a
month? will it be healthy? Think about it people!!! treat it as if it
was your own child and it will reward you. I promise.
<<I understand
your concern, the vast majority feel the same. Let us hope this type of
fishkeep always stays, at most, in the minority of the hobby>>
Thank
you for your time.
Pat
<<Thank you for the questions and comments,
A Nixon>>
My New Saltwater Tank... Set-up, sm. 12/28/07
Hi WWM crew
<Hello.>
I got a 29 gallon oceanic BioCube for Christmas. The first
day I already had live sand but my parents stored it kind of badly in
the garage so the
bacteria probably got too cold and died off.
<It will come back.>
But the first day I had the salt water in there
at 1.022-1.023 and the sand.
<I would raise to 1.025-1.026.>
The
next day I went to the pet store and the guy who worked there is a
marine biologist and an expert at salt water tanks said if I get some
live rocks I will only need to let it sit for 2 days then I can get
fish. I’m not sure why he said this but I’m curious is this false or
true?
<Wait.>
Because I’ve read that you need at least 4 weeks of
cycling.
<Yes, fair estimate.>
Also when I put in my live rocks I
realized I got some free creatures. A snail climbed off and a worm like
thing kept coming out of a hole and climbing around. Also I noticed a
lot of little clear insect looking things on the rock, is this normal?
<Yes, all beneficial to your tank. It sounds like you have been
researching cycling and are on the right track. Do be sure to get the
basic saltwater test kits Alk, calcium, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
You will need the last three to help you determine where you rock is in
the curing (cycling) process. For more information on what to look for
curing your rock read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i3/Live_Rock/live_rock.htm
Have fun, Scott V.>
TINY saltwater tank? 12/28/07
Hello there.
<Hello Tori.>
I
had a small five-gallon freshwater tank running for about a year that I
was quite fond of. I had a nice, mid-sized spiny eel who got to be very
well adjusted and happy, and three neon tetras. Unfortunately I left for
a week and left it in the care of my parents and halfway through the
week the filter cut out. This has happened before because I have sand in
the bottom and the eel kicks it up sometimes, but they couldn't get it
working again and all of the tetras died in only a day or two and the
eel before I got home. :(
<Too bad>
I really want to get it up and
running again. I don't think I’ll attempt another spiny eel in this size
aquarium.
<No>
I was a little unprepared when I got him and
didn't realize such a small aquarium would be so tricky with him.
My
dad is suggesting that I make a small saltwater aquarium with just a
couple of live rocks, an anemone and a clownfish or two. Is this doable?
<Not really, the tank is much too small for an appropriate anemone.>
I’d really love to have a saltwater tank, but would it be smart to
attempt one this small? I imagine it would be quite unstable.
<There
are those that keep marine tanks this small, but it is not for the
beginner. You nailed it on the head, just too instable.
If not, what
would you suggest?
<Perhaps investing in a larger system, at least
forty gallons or so if you want to go saltwater. As far as your five
gallon goes, a few Neons could do fine. Perhaps a Betta, it will be a
totally different fish in a five gallon than it is in those little
unsuitable bowls!>
Thanks so much! I love you guys!
Tori
<You’re welcome, thank you for the kind words, Scott V.>
Three Concerns... Nano/Sm. SW... maint., set-up, circ. 12/20/07
Hello Crew,
<Parker>
Thanks for being such a reliable source. So I
have a few concerns about the direction my hobby is going. After reading
many hours of internet, I haven't really been able to pinpoint my
problem. First, I have been trying a new route and I started a 12 gallon
eclipse 12. I have to contest that keeping a small tank hasn't been very
difficult or time consuming.
<Can be done>
To be able to be helped
correctly, I had the standard bio-wheel and a small powerhead. Around
15lbs of LR, a small bioload, and about 3? of substrate. Also all good
readings on my chemicals. Tank was in good shape.
<Need real... hard
data... actual species, test results... or in turn this becomes more of
a guessing game>
In the past, I had a 29g tank but I have never tried
to add a fuge to the tank. I just put a 2.5g aquaquatics aquafuge2 hang
on the back on my 12g. To be able to sufficiently place the fuge, I had
to remove my bio-wheel filter from the system. In addition to adding the
fuge, I added a HYDOR Koralia that pushes around 400gph thus removing
the old power head.
<... I do hope/trust the Koralia is not "turned
up" all the way here>
I do not have any LS. I was wondering if by
removing the filter from the system can I have any additional problems
keeping water quality excellent?
<Can you? Sure>
I really don't
want to add a skimmer. I am hoping that the water flow will be enough
with the LR and fuge to keep water in good condition. My concern about
this is that my fuge has only been running for a couple days.
<Takes
time...>
Secondly, by adding the Hydor and having the additional gph
from the fuge pump, will I have too much water circulation in the
display tank?
<Could...>
That would be roughly 400gph from the
powerhead and 360gph going to the fuge. If not, should I place the
overflow from the fuge and the powerhead on opposite ends of the tank?
<I would not have this much actual water movement in a twelve gallon
volume system>
In essence, should I create a circular flow of water
or should I place them against each other creating a more irregular
flow?
<Whatever prevents all from turning into a swirling vortex...>
Finally, I recently added a watchman goby and I had only crushed coral
as a substrate. To be able to help keep the goby happy and healthy, I
added a small layer of sugar fine sand on top of the crushed coral.
After a couple weeks, most of the sugar fine sand is still on top but
another quarter has seeped into the coral. I have good growth within the
substrate and can see small worms and other small creatures moving
through the substrate. I was wondering if by adding the two different
types of grades together, will I eventually cause major imbalances in
the water quality?
<Not likely. I would leave as is>
Thanks guys
for you time.
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Re: Three Concerns... Sm. mar... set-up? 12/27/07
Bob,
<Parker>
To tell you more hard data, I have two clowns, tank raised I
think, a watchman goby, two feather dusters, a handful of assorted
snails, and a hermit crab. I have 0 nitrite, 0 nitrates, kept at 78
degrees, 1.025 SG, I perform regular water changes on a weekly or
bi-weekly schedule. I douse with Kent TechA and B occasionally and douse
occasionally with Kent Trace Elements. Occasionally being during the
water changes. I have a compact fluorescent 13w. I have about 3" of
substrate consisting of crushed coral and sugar fine sand. I have about
15lbs of live rock arranged with some artificial rock.
I removed the
Hydor and replaced it with a smaller power head to reduce turnover rate.
Not sure the actual size but more suitable for a small tank. I have good
growth in the fuge but a lot is brown algae but only in the overflow and
intake areas. Not sure where that is going or if it will turn into
another type of algae. Should I remove or scrape this alga or let it sit
to help establish the fuge.
<I would leave it be>
So back to my
original concern, will the tank suffer from not having a power filter
and no skimmer?
<Mmm, possibly... if something were to go awry...
might go that much faster w/o... Like a dead animal, overfeeding...>
I feel that with a good established tank and a fuge that the water will
still stay good. Am I trying to make something work that wont?
<All
sorts of redundancies can pay off... but you're likely fine as is>
Thanks again for the help.
Parker Aldredge
<BobF>
Nano Reef help! 12/19/07
Hello Crew!
<Hello>
First I just
want to say what a great and helpful site you guys run. It's been a big
help to me in the past.
<Good to hear.>
However, I need to ask a
few questions pertaining to Nano Reefs.
<Fire away.>
I am planning
on purchasing a Nano Cube 24 gallon aquarium. I have heard that these
cubes are sufficient as far as filtration.
<Maybe, but I usually
avoid built-in skimmers like the plague. Small tanks like this are a lot
of work.>
However, would any additional lighting be required to keep
coral?
<Depends on the coral, probably ok for low and mid-level light
needing corals, but the small tank size is a big limiting factor.>
I
would also like to add a pair of black Percula clowns and a bubble tip
anemone as a host. Will this setup have enough light to support the
anemone, and will the anemone harm any coral?
<The tank is too small
for the anemone, and they should not be kept in a system with corals,
especially one this sized. The clowns will be more than fine without
it.>
Also: about how many fish would I be able to add?
<If it were
my tank I would stick with just the pair of clowns.>
Would the 2
clowns, a blenny or goby, and a flame angel be too much of an overload
for the 24 gallon setup?
<Maybe ok with the right blenny or goby, but
the angel needs a tank at least twice as large as what you have. Three
small fish is your max in my opinion.>
And finally, is there any
additional equipment, livestock, or anything else at all that you would
recommend for starting a Nano Aquarium?
<For a new hobbyist I would
seriously think about getting a larger tank, nanos tank a lot of work
and experience to run well. Might want to look into some of the
nano-skimmers now available, I believe both Aqua-C and CPR make nano
models.>
Just so you guys know, this isn't my first venture into
saltwater aquaria.
<Good>
I have an established 40 gallon FOWLR
tank that has been running for 6 months now, so I have a bit of
experience in the field.
<A nano may require all your experience and
more, be prepared.>
Thanks in advance!
<Welcome>
<Chris>
Lagoon... small mar. set-up - 12/16/2007
Hi Crew,
I'm in the
planning stage of building a 15 gal. lagoon tank with a 10 gal.
refugium. I'd like the 15 to have a sloping (probably fairly
drastically) sand bed to a deeper end as if falling off the atoll (or
whatever), if you can imagine with me. The deep end will have a 2 live
sand substrate. It should have at least 5 to 6 of water at low tide. The
shallow end will have a short beach, then slope through the mid-section
of the tank. The slope will have mud on top of aragonite.
<I highly
doubt you will be able to do this in a 15g tank.>
I will attempt to
facilitate a scheme to resemble tides by using a pair of peristaltic
pumps to move water very slowly over a 6 hour periods each way between
the display and the refugium. I need to work out the volumes and flow
rates.
Lighting will include a 150W incandescent pendant over the
mangroves, a 36W PC over the remainder (about ½) of the 15 and another
36W PC over the 10gal. refugium. At least that's the way I see it right
now.
<Mangroves, in a 15g? Seriously?!>
In my dream the display
will ultimately house about half a dozen small fiddler crabs, a couple
of mangroves, and deeper, live rock, small hermit crabs and a couple of
peppermint shrimp. The beach area should be exposed during low tides and
then inundated at high tides.
<It's a nice idea, but you need a
bigger tank for this.>
The refugium will house 2 live sand, live
rock, and macro algae (yet to be determined). I'd like this to be a
filter less system. Do you think that's possible, using the macroalgae
for nutrient export not the mangroves, although they may help to a small
degree and the live sand/rock for a bio filter? I like to make smaller
(10%) water changes twice a week rather than, say, 25% once a week. It
seems to have been effective with my other tanks.
Should I build up
the end that will be shallow and exposed tidally with aragonite or
should I build a form out of concrete?? and then top the form with live
sand and/or mud?
<I would consider the later. But again, you need a
much bigger/longer tank.>
I'm concerned about the system going
anaerobic with a sand bed that may reach 7 or 8 deep in some places.
<"Going anaerobic?" Why is this a bad thing? And just FYI, sand bed can
have anaerobic zones even more shallow than 7in.>
BTW, you guys and
gals are fantastic!! You are beyond being an asset to this hobby. IMHO,
you're a necessity.
<Well, thank you!>
Thank you all so very much
for you efforts,
Mike
<De nada,
Sara M.>
Pistol shrimp/goby nano tank set up 12/11/07
Hello
Crew,
I'm still reading and researching, but am in the process of
setting up an 8 gallon nano for the purpose of keeping one of the
shrimp/goby combos available from my LFS. The tank will have a refugium
made from an AC 70 (with LR rubble and Chaeto), and about 8-10 lbs of
live rock.
Lighting will be CF (2x18w) with about an inch of sand
and LR rubble in the display.
<I'd increase this by at least
double... to allow tunneling>
I expect the AC 70 to flow around
150-200 gph as modified.
The footprint of the tank is 9"x 15," and I
plan on keeping a simple mix of either mushrooms, zoos (not sure of
spelling), or just utilizing green star polyps with a few accents.
Am
I on the right track?
Thanks,
Stan
<Pretty close. BobF>
Nano LR Quantity 12/6/07
Hi to anybody who might do me the favor
of answering this lines...
<Hello David.>
I've read through your
web site and some others, and everywhere I find I should stick as a
guideline with 1-2 pounds of LR per gallon of water volume.
<General
guiline.>
I’m setting up a custom 17 gal with a 10 gal sump.
I got
4 big pieces of LR at my LFS weighting 9 pounds total... I didn’t get
more pieces because it just seemed too much for my little display, and
indeed, when I got home and did the aquascaping it seemed to me it there
was just the right open space left for the fish to swim and
aesthetically. Of course I could stack some more rocks but I think it
would look too rock-crowded in there.
Not even being one pound of
rock per gallon, my concern is if this amount will be able to keep up
with the biological filtration.
<Should be if you stock this sized
tank appropriately.>
I'm using a Remora Pro with a Mag3 on this
system.
<Nice skimmer.>
Thanks on regard...
David (from
Mexico... woo hoo!)
<This is a fair amount, especially if you plan to
add corals to this tank. They usually come on some amount of rock and
quickly add to your total LR volume, especially in a tank this size.
Good luck, Scott V.>
Finnex FI-MTG-2402
11/12/07
Bob,
<Greg>
Been awhile since I have been on the website and
even longer since I have last maintained a tank but want to get back
in. I am looking at the Finnex
(FI-MTG-2402) 30 gallon aquarium
and wanted to know if you are familiar with the product.
<Am
not... have seen on the Net:
http://www.fishtankshop.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=10120>
I found a review that was talking about the plastic mount for the
lights but have not found the same review since. According to the
review, the mounts don't do the job. For $350, it has everything
that one could want to get back in the hobby but if the mounts don't
do the job it is
a lot of money to spend.
<The mounts are
easy to modify, amend... Looks like an okay unit... though, with a
bit of study, effort otherwise, you could put together a bit larger,
more functional set-up. Bob Fenner>
Any advice would be great.
Thanks
Greg
Re: Finnex FI-MTG-2402 11/13/07
Bob,
<Greg>
Thanks for the advice. What are you referring to in terms of a
better unit?
Piece everything together individually?
<Bingo>
I am coming from a 90 gallon setup and really wanted to look at a
Nano set up. Is 30 too large for a Nano set up?
<Nope. RMF>
Greg |
Nano logistics question... adding a sump – 08/17/07
Greetings Crew, I hope all is well with you today. First, a great
big thanks for what must be a tremendous amount of work y'all put
into this site daily. It's appreciated more than can be expressed.
<Welcome>
Here's my question. I have a JBJ 12 gallon nano set up
in my office.
It's been up and running for about 6 months now,
and is doing pretty well. It's got about 1/2 inch of sand, about 10#
of live rock, one true percula clown, two turbo snails, one
peppermint shrimp, one blue legged hermit and an unknown number of
Stomatella snails (they hitchhiked in on some rock I was keeping in
the sump of my 120 at home). Corals consist of a few varieties of
zoanthids, a couple of Ricordea and a branching frogspawn with about
6 heads. Circulation is provided by the stock pump (a Maxi Jet 600 I
think). The only problem thus far has been some film algae on the
glass. Everything appears to be thriving. I've been changing 5
gallons of water a week, and all my tests have been looking good.
Zero ammonia and nitrite, nitrates <5, calcium is usually around
400, alkalinity "normal" (I need a better test kit for this), and
phosphates hover between .5 and .25. While things are going well, I
can't help but think things could always be a little better. Here's
what I've been contemplating and need your guidance with. The rear
section of the JBJ tank (where the "filtration chambers" are) is
plastic. I would like to drill it and install 2 1/2" bulkheads
<Make this a one inch for drain and whatever the pump diameter is
for return>
(in the back, not the bottom). Below my desk, I'd
like to set up a 10 gallon tank to use as a sump/refugium. I'd like
to go even larger, but this is all space will allow until I get
promoted :-). I'd like it to house about 6" of sand, some macro
algae, and maybe a hang on skimmer (a Remora maybe?). Here's where
the logistics come in. The rear compartment is made up of three
chambers. Should the bulkheads be in the same compartment? If so
which one?
<The "intake one" in the first filter chamber, the
return in the last>
I'm not planning on using the return for
circulation, so I don't need to plumb it through to the display
portion of the tank. If I drill the holes maybe a couple of inches
below the water level, will it work to just hook vinyl tubing to the
bulkheads and have the drain work properly?
<Yes, should... if
the flow-rate is not too great>
Is this even possible? Would
there be any real benefit?
<Yes, yes>
Would the tank
evaporation show up as a lower level in the sump, or still in the
3rd chamber of the rear of the tank where it does now?
<In the
former>
Any guidance, input or advice would be greatly
appreciated.
Eagerly awaiting your reply,
Pearson
<An
interesting project for sure! Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Re: Nano logistics question - 8/17/07
Thank you, Mr. Fenner,
for your prompt reply and input. I'm a bit confused as to how this
would work as you have described. I have attached a drawing (please
excuse it's crude nature) of the current setup with the proposed
locations of the bulkheads as I understand them.
<I see this
graphic>
Since they are located in separate compartments, will
there still be enough water going from the weir to the circulation
pump?
<Mmm, yes... if there is sufficient water in the system
total... and once again, IF the pump/return isn't too great... that
is you'll want to match/engineer the pump flow rate or control with
a valve to not pump too much more than the drain, plumbing on the
drain side of the system can accommodate... and make sure the sump
is "topped off" to not too low, not too high... Does this make
sense? It is possible in the configuration presented to overpower
the drain line... drain the sump too low... and likewise, there is a
danger of flooding should it the system/sump be too full and the
power/pump fail>
Is there the possibility of overflowing the
sump, due to the fact there is no way to match the gravity drain
into the sump with the return pump rate?
<Mmm, there are ways...
again... start all off full with the circulating pump turned off...
turn it on and mark the lowest point the water is drawn down... with
a glass marker... DO NOT fill the sump past this point with the pump
turned on>
Please forgive me if these questions sound ridiculous.
I'm usually very good at visualizing things like this and reasoning
them out, but I'm having some trouble with this one. Thank you again
for any further clarity you can provide/allaying my apprehension.
I'll be happy to let you and the crew know how it works once I get
it underway.
Thanks again,
Pearson
<Glad to co-conspire
with you... Again, please read on WWM re drain/bulkhead size and
placement. BobF> | 
|
Best Nano Tank? 7/29/07
Red Sea Max
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=RED-ARE40110&Category_Code=Aquariums
Cadlights http://www.cadlights.com/product_info.php?products_id=116
M-Tank
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=FI-MTG-2402Q2&Category_Code=Aquariums
JBJ Nano Cube http://jbjlighting.com/prod_28g_nano.html
Oceanic Bio
Cube http://nanofishstore.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=1911
Aquapod
http://nanofishstore.com/product_detail.asp?PartNumber=CUR-AP-7055
Would like some kind of rating, opinions, recommendations on which
nano-tank is the best, or if it's something not on this list. If money
were no object and you simply wanted the best one out of the bunch,
which would it be, I think alot
<... no such word>
of people
would be interested in the answer thx Nick
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/index.htm
Scroll down to Small
Marine Systems... Bob Fenner>
Re: Best Nano Tank? 7/30/07
followed your suggestion,
<...>
didn't really see an answer to my question. Which >system is
the best, if only technology wise out of these all-in-one aquariums?
<None of the above. Better by far for you to read/study... make your
own... with an over-sized refugium, skimmer, better lighting...
Please... don't waste your time, money, resources in general. Study,
then purchase. BobF>
Nano lagoon project... 6/30/07
Hi Mr. Fenner,
<Dominique>
Hope you're having a great summer. My 2 years old 90 gal
reef is doing great (me too, am on vacation...) and I would like to
start a minimalistic nano tank as an aside.
<Ahh!>
The concept
would be a micro lagoon: 20 x 10 x 6 inches high = 5 gal, 5mm sugar fine
sand bed, 2 live rocks. The tip of one LR would be emersed with a very
small red mangrove on it.
<Don't stay tiny...>
The only pieces of
equipment would be a micro powerhead (5-6x/hour turnover), a small 7,5W
heater (a pad placed under the sand), and a normal living room spot lamp
with an incandescent 50W full spectrum plant growing spot bulb. I would
do weekly water changes (as I do with my 90 gal).
Planned livestock:
macro-algae (Ochtodes/blue ball + red Gracilaria), one red mangrove, a
white pompom xenia frag, small mushroom corals, green star polyps, 1
pompom crab (L. tesselata), 1 blue stripe pipefish (Doryrhamphus
excisus).
<Mmmm, really needs much more room... won't feel
comfortable in these confines... Have you seen this fish, this genus...
in the wild... Moves back from divers approaching...>
Does-it make
any sense? Could you please give me some advices/inputs?
<Start
slow... the simpler life first... Develop and adhere to your maintenance
routine religiously>
I have been searching on the net and in my books
but still one doesn't find as much about a lagoon concept and what would
be its more typical fauna (Anthozoans and others) as for a reef and it's
such a tiny set-up...
A few questions:
-Too small for a single 7cm
pipefish?
<Yes, IMO; behaviorally>
-Is there any chance this
lighting would be fine for the mangrove?
<Yes>
-Would a Fiddler
crab or a Red Claw crab fit in there (adaptable to full salinity 1.025,
danger for tankmates, escaping from open tank even if rocks are not
touching tank walls...?)
<Yes>
-Or a Sally Lightfoot?
<Mmm,
no... too predaceous, large, skittish>
-Is it healthy for the system
to use under the sand heating in such a set-up?
<Yes... very
worthwhile>
Sorry to send you such a long mail for a so tiny plan...
Many thanks!
Dominique
<Enjoy your holiday... Life! Cheers, Bob
Fenner>
Nano Tank Critique - 6/25/07
Hello-
<Hi there! Scott F. here
today!>
Thank you for providing all the help and (seemingly) endless
supply of knowledge in regard to saltwater aquariums. I read about 1-2
hours (or more) per night of your site, and feel l will never be able to
read everything. This is truly an addictive, and enjoyable hobby.
<I
agree on both points!>
My tank is as follows:
-20gal high nano
tank
-Aquaclear 30 filter
-standard florescent lighting
-Fission Nano Skimmer
-Maxi Jet 600 powerhead
-1inch very fine
(sugar) grade sand bed
-about 7 lbs live rock with a ton of surface
area (all small pieces) and also ornamental rock. I plan on adding about
1 lb live rock per week until I hit about 15 lbs
-ammonia, nitrate,
nitrite, all zero
-ph is 8.3
-SG is 1.025
<Sounds good so far!>
For fish - I have 2 small (1 inch) false Percula Clowns
1 Bicolor
Blenny (2 inches)
1 Firefish (2 inches)
-all are doing well and
eating well.
<Good to hear...>
I also have a Scarlet Hermit Crab
and 2 snails (about 1/2 in shells, +/-)The only live animals I plan on
adding are some more inverts - more for the 'workload' than appearance
(any suggestions??) and about 6 months or so down
the line, a small,
hardy anemone.
<Oh...Well- I have to give my two cents on the
anemone. Really, I'd avoid an anemone in any small system. My rational
is twofold: First, water quality and environmental stability are so
important to anemones, and the challenges of keeping such stability in a
small volume of water are many. Second, you really need high intensity
lighting (ie; metal halides) for overall anemone health, and such
lighting can potentially overheat a small system.>
Questions:
Is
there anything about the setup that is jumping out at you saying "what
are you thinking?!"
<The anemone is the only thing that really stands
out as a potential problem.>
-Is the bioload too much for this
system?
<No, but I would not add any more fishes.>
-how do you
feel about dry foods such as plankton/krill/etc. I normally feed frozen.
<I'm a big fan of frozen foods myself. I rarely, if ever feed dry foods.
Nothing bad about most dried foods-I just like the "control" I get from
thawing, cleaning and feeding frozen foods.>
-My skimmer has only
been up and running for about 12 hours... How long should it take to
start collecting the skimmate (I have been reading, but there's not a
whole lot about Fission skimmers on the site)... That I could find.
<Give it a day or so. If you're not getting skimmate, further adjustment
may be necessary to get production.>
Thank you very much for the
help!
Eric
<My pleasure, Eric. Sounds like you're on the right
track! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>
Old Tank-New Set-up, Sm. SW 6/20/07
I am semi new to
salt water set-ups. I recently set up a 24g AquaPod, which is blooming
now. I recently received a old salt tank from a friend (fish,
"live-rock", and bio-wheel included). The previous owner was just able
to make water changes. When I received the tank it was completely
covered in hairy brown algae, including the live rock. The tank is
somewhere between 15-20 gallons. I want to re-do the tank completely. I
live in Korea, and quality equipment is hard to come by.
<Can it be
mail-ordered? Sent by etailers in other countries? I take it this IS S.
Korea... a very "first nation">
The tank lighting is set-up for a
basic FW tank. The tank is also about 18' long, 15"deep, and 15" wide. I
was planning on upgrading the lighting to Coralife 150w 20,000k HQI
Metal Halide Pendant. Is that over-kill?
<Is not overkill, but you
will need to pay attention to potential/real heat effects... temp.
swings, increased evaporation/top offs...>
I plan on having coral
with the 4-fish set up. I added a Korean protein skimmer with a 300 gph
pump. Produces some foam not much, only till I can get a better set-up.
Should I get rid of the bio-wheel and go with a box canister?
<Maybe
in time...>
The only thing I am worried with is the flow rate for the
corals with a bio-wheel. I plan on changing the substrate out to sand(
its a crush coral/rock mix). Removing the "live-rock". Am I on the right
track?
<One of them>
What filtration would be suited for a tank
of this size and limited space? Thanks for your help. You have an
amazing site! John U.S. Army-Korea
<Best to have you read re sumps,
refugiums... Many nice alternatives here... Please start at the top:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marsetupindex2.htm
Bob Fenner>
Re: Old Tank-New Set-up, Sm. SW 6/21/07
Thanks for
your reply. I have one more question for you. After reading more on your
site I picked and purchased a skimmer for my re-do tank. I got the AQUAC
REMORA WITH MJ1200. I also purchased the AQUALIGHT ADVANCED TANK-MOUNT -
1X150W 20000K HQI. I got a MJ400 for the HYDOR BIOFLO SMALL AEROBIC
FILTER for good flow inside the tank. My question for you is: With the
current old set-up (bio-wheel and cheap protein skimmer knock-off Korean
version, hardly any foam build up), would it be better to start with new
LR and sand after I get the new items or can I start cycling the LR with
the current set-up, and then switch the equipment.
<This latter>
Also is the skimmer going to be enough filtration for the tank (10-15g),
along with the LR and filter on the BIOFLO. Thanks again! You guys are
amazing.
<We'll see... depends on the type of livestock,
foods/feeding, maint.... Bob Fenner>
Opinion of the Red Sea
Max Reef System, Sm. SW maint. 6/13/07
Crew:
<Sarah>
I am totally new to the saltwater world, but had successful
freshwater systems in the past. I wanted to know your opinion(s) of the
Red Sea Max "Plug and Play" Reef System for beginners. Knowing that you
are all likely (and deservedly) to be purists, please remember that the
key word is beginners.
<Understood... and for browsers, here's a
fave desc. of this system: http://www.norbreck-aquatics.co.uk/max.shtml
Appears to be a good, serviceable unit all the way around>
I
purchased a Max a month ago, and have, so far, knock on wood and
saltwater, had a wonderful experience with it. I am interested to know
if I am in the minority, majority, or all alone, in this opinion. My 34
gal aquarium cycled quickly (with 3-4" substrate and 30 lbs live rock)
and I now have (and do not see any reason to add more any time soon) 3
fish (royal Gramma, pygmy angel, maroon clown),
<This last will
likely prove to be trouble in time in this small volume... incompatibly
territorial>
5 corals (2 polyps, a xenia, a torch and flowerpot),
<And these... should be investigated on WWM... the last will likely
perish soon... perhaps causing trouble for your other livestock>
a
fire shrimp (who just shed - freaked me out - I found the molted shell
and thought he'd died! - he's fine, just taking a little time to come
out from his rock cave as he's probably still a bit soft), a brittle
star, buncha hermits, buncha snails. I just intro'd a gorgeous BTA 2
days ago,
<... misplaced here. I would NOT mix an anemone with Stony
Corals in such a new, small volume...>
as I had a very unhappy little
maroon clown, and the two were inseparable within 10 minutes. The BTA
had settled in to a lovely rocky crevasse within 2 hours.
<... Do
keep your eye on this...>
The ease and simplicity of this system has
quickly addicted me to the saltwater world - watching my aquarium is now
my favorite form of procrastination.
Is this a good thing?... I
think so.
<I agree... though I do wish there was a requisite,
concomitant "education" that went with such purchases (dream on... I
live in this world...)... As it is too easy to "get into trouble" even
with the most complete, simple set-ups in our interest. Here you have
some real stocking issues...>
Are there any things to watch for to
tip me off that something is not right?
<Mmm, yes. The
best/foremost, your keen observation... Coupled with useful knowledge
(again, please do read re the Systems, Compatibility... of the life you
list... AND any that you intend to add going forward... AHEAD of
its/their acquisition...>
Am I just freakishly lucky (reading some of
your articles about WWMers who beat their heads on their tanks for 2
years to get a BTA to settle in, etc.),
or is the Max the reason all
has gone well?
<Does appear to be a relatively complete, well-thought
out product... And you are to be given credit (along with your
stockist/LFS for careful screening of specimens, passion-enough to
investigate, take care...>
I'm glad to have found your site, and look
forward in the future to success
through research, rather than
success through luck!
Sarah
<I too am hopeful for this... Keep a
keen eye on your livestock... water quality testing... and regular
maintenance/water changes... and we'll be chatting. Bob Fenner>
First Saltwater Tank 5/25/07
Hi! <Hello> I have just recently
set up my first saltwater tank. I've had freshwater for years but
never before have I ventured into salt. <Its fun.> I've got a 40g Long
tank, no live rock as of yet, no skimmer, Penguin Bio-Wheel Filter,
salinity is 1.023, PH of 8.4, Ammonia and Nitrites are 0, Nitrate is 20.
<If you are going to add live rock (which I highly recommend), do it
soon, because it will cause havoc with your water parameters at first,
causing another cycle. Also, get a skimmer too, much better than a
bio-wheel filter for marine applications.> I feed New Life Spectrum
pellet foods exclusively to my freshwater fish and after a discussion
with Pablo (the developer of NLS) I intend to try my salties on the same
diet. <Good stuff.> I plan to use Thera-A in the .35mm and 1mm
sizes. I also will use the NLS Stable Wafers, primarily for my
Lawnmower Blenny since algae is in rather short supply as yet. <Another
reason to get the LR soon.> My question is regarding
compatibility. I've got a list of fish/inverts decided on but I'd like
to double check that they'll be compatible before leaping in with two
feet. The tank currently has the following:
1- Lawnmower Blenny
2- Yellow and Gold Chromis
I plan on adding the following
fish/inverts eventually if they'll be compatible..
1- Flame Angel
<Would skip, the tank is a little small for it and with the other
livestock your probably pushing it a little too much.>
1- Skunk
Cleaner Shrimp
1- Neon Goby
2- Banggai Cardinalfish (I plan to
acquire a small group of these, allow them to pair and then return all
but one pair. ) and possibly 1- Tiger Dragon Goby
Thanks for your
time!
-Heather
<Seems ok, but with a little study you can tell
the difference between male and female cardinals, so you won't need to
go through all the extra purchasing. Don't forget to QT everything.>
<Chris> How to Set-Up a REALLY small nano-reef
5/7/07
Good morning Crew,
<Hello there Sara, I have commented
on parts of your query but the link below will provide you with most of
your answers.>
First of all I would like to say
that you guys (and gals) are the Best of the Best.
<Why thanks!>
Anyway I have been keeping Freshwater tanks most of my life and
currently have 4 tanks up and running and fully stocked.
<You are
officially addicted.>
I have been thinking about starting my first
Saltwater Reef tank because of the vibrant life and color that
Freshwater does not offer.
<Better hide from those cichlid keepers!>
I would like to have some Soft Coral, maybe a fish or two, and would
like to keep it small (real small like a 5.5 gallon or something
similar)
<That is really small...a bit too small for even some
veteran aquarists let alone a novice.>
since I have limited space in
my fish room.
<That I do undertstand.>
I thought I would ask
a few questions before setting off on this journey and getting to lost.
<Okay.>
I have read that small Saltwater tanks are hard to maintain
<An understatement; yes...>
but I don't mind a challenge. I was
wondering what kind of equipment you would recommend for a 5.5 gallon
Reef.
<Hmmm, a small hang on power filter, mostly for water movement
and to have a way of running carbon. In all honesty the filter in this
tank would be you; and by that I mean bi-weekly water changes at the
least.>
As far as the lighting goes - what wattage bulb should I
use?
<A small powercompact fixture would probably be your only
option here, that or incandescent lighting due to the small size of the
tank.>
How bright should I go - 10K - 12K or higher?
<!0k is
fine.>
What kind of filtration would be best? Can I use a
Bio-Wheel and what should the turnover rate be?
<Well I would use
live-rock for biofiltration not bio-media, and I would want a turnover
rate of at least 10X per hour.>
Stocking is another issue. I know I
cant have to many fish or anything to big.
<Right, in all honesty
this nano would be best off without fish.>
What kind of fish would
you consider keeping to start or cycle the tank?
<Well read up on
WWM re: establishing bio-filtration in marine aquaria. DO NOT use live
animals in this process. Again I would prefer you not go with a set-up
of this size and if you do I wouldn't like to see any fish in it.
However is you MUST, a single clown goby or neon goby and even that is
pushing it.>
Once it is cycled or when I think I can handle it what
would you suggest to keep an eye out for?
<See the link below.>
To make it short and sweet - how would you Set-Up and Stock a Nano
Reef???
<Hmmm actually I have an article on this subject; read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nanoreefsysart.htm .> Thanks for your
time and keep up the good work.
<Thanks.>
Sara N. Plumbing
Return Line and Drain Line for Nano System – 5/4/07
Hello Crew!
<Mike.>
I hope this email finds you well.
<It does, thanks.>
I have a plumbing/planning question for you and your expertise.
<Lets here it...>
I have a 20gal glass aquarium (tall).
<Neat looking but difficult to aquascape.>
My original plan was to
run one 1” drain from the back of the tank to a 10gal sump, through a
MAG 7, and back to my tank. (1” plumbing throughout.) With a 3’ head,
this should put me at about 400gph…right at my 20x target turnover rate.
<Yes, however...while I do encourage aquarists to have ample amounts of
water flow, I do not recommend pushing this much water through the sump;
especially if you have a skimmer or refugium there. I usually aim for
only a 7 to 10X turnover rate in the sump. For additional water flow to
get you to that 20X plus goal, I sally supplement with closed loop
manifolds.>
I then find out that a single 1” drain to the sump will
neither handle 400gph,
<1" drains can handle up to 600gph at maximum
but that's with no restrictions whatsoever.>
nor is it a good idea
to use a single drain.
<Yes, well it's nice to have security...I'll
put it that way.>
Okay, I’ve not sent the tank to be drilled yet so
I will go ahead and put another 1” drain for safety/assurance that my
tank will handle all that flow.
<Okay.>
Today, what
arrives at my doorstep?
<Hopefully not a child...>
Surprise! a
MAG 9.5 Going back and doing some math, it seems that a MAG 9.5 will
crank out almost 800gph @ a 3’ head. Ouch.
<To much flow through the
sump you plan on using, could use this pump in a closed loop though,
with multiple outlets.>
Now I’m curious if two 1” drains will handle
all that flow.
<Should be able to...but again I don't recommend all
that flow through this size sump.>
I’m also envisioning my poor tank
inhabitants living in a dusty substrate storm because of a constant
blast from the returns.
<Well bear-bottom is an option, or very
shallow coarse media.>
So, would drilling yet another 1” hole in the
back (3 total) compromise structural integrity and is a 40x turnover
rate really desirable/sane?
<Yes but not in the
arrangement you have.>
Does it constitute more drilling/upsizing
plumbing?
I’m thinking about using the ball-valve in the return line
to simply throttle the pump down. Though, I’ve heard mixed reviews as
to if this is acceptable in regards to pump life/cost effectiveness.
<Yes, could put to much back-pressure on the pump..
I thought it was
my lucky day when that 9.5 arrived by mistake… now I’m not so sure. :(
<Like I said I think you can find a place for it but not as a return
pump on this size set-up. Search WWM Re: Anthony Calfo (Closed Loop
System).>
I appreciate any and all advice. Thank you!
<Welcome.>
Mike.
<Adam J.> 35 Gallon Reef, Equipment
Choices 4/26/07
Hello from Australia,
<Hi.>
I am in
the process of setting up a small 24"x18"x21" reef tank.
<Neat.>
It will hold approx: 35 US gallons which converts to about 125 litres. I
will only be putting in 2 x percula clowns, 1 blue damsel and maybe a
goby for algae control.
<Sounds modest, this is good for a smaller
tank.>
Live rock will be added and if everything is fine a few
months down the track I might go for a few very basic corals. I have
purchased a 3 x 24w tube T5 light, a vortex style protein skimmer
suitable up to 180 gallon tank, 2 x 400 litre/p/h power heads and a
500litre/h hang on filter for any floating detritus. Would you recommend
the use of a UV sterilizer ?
<There are pros/cons to using them.
(posted on WWM) However I personally think it would be a bit much on an
aquarium of this size.>
Do you see any problems with the equipment
chosen??
<No.>
Any advise would be appreciated. I seem to get
mixed feed back here in Oz. My major problem will be heat in Summer. My
current tropical tanks can reach up to 32 Celsius.
<Do see WWM
regarding temperature control as well, usually a few temperature
controlled fans can do the trick in a tank of this size.>
Thanks
Randall
<Adam J.> Preparations for
Semi-nano Reef; FOWLR to Reef 4/17/04
Hello WWM,
<Hi.>
I was planning on turning my FOWLR 36 gallon tank, into a reef
aquarium.
<Beware of the dark-side young Skywalker...>
I do not
plan on infesting the tank with corals,
<Infesting...interesting way
to word it.>
but with maybe about 5 different ones, however, I need
to make sure I can provide conditions that are suitable for each one.
<Right.>
The tank set up is like this
45 pounds of live rock
---SEIO 620 power head
---Bak Pak 2R protein Skimmer
---Flame
Angelfish
<I wouldn't go with a Centropyge in this size tank
long-term.>
---Citrinus Clown Goby
---Established for 4.5
months. I was planning on adding another fish, such as a firefish, but
wasn't sure whether to add one or not since I am close to fully
stocked, and my tank will become reef.
<If you drop the angel it
would be a good addition.>
I need suggestions on lighting for the
specific corals I would look to keep, these would Include, Ricordea
Mushrooms, Brain Coral, Zooanthids, Polyp corals, Sun Coral, and some
other possible soft corals. I was thinking of one of these lighting
fixtures
_http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3796&N=2004+113174_
(http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3796&N=2004+113174) . I
do not know whether to get the 36, or 24 inch fixture since my tank is
30" in length. Could this work, or do you have a better suggestion?'
<I only got the second link to work for me, which directed me to a VHO
fixture. This could surely work, and I would much prefer it over a PC
fixture. Having said that, have you looked into T-5 HO fixtures? If not,
I would encourage reading up on them.>
I was looking for 4-5 watt
fixture without lunar lights.
What bulbs should I use, an actinic
and which bulb?
<If your going to have one of the bulb be actinic
(20,000k range) the other needs to be 6,500k to 10,000k range.>
Also, I have one power head the SEIO 620, which is pretty strong, but I
was considering adding another to increase flow and remove dead spots.
<Yes, more flow wouldn't hurt.>
I can normally keep my nitrates
below 10, and can be lowered more with an extra water change a month and
added macro algaes.
<True, and by reducing your livestock load.>
My calcium is maintained at 400+ all the time.
Do you have any
suggestions I should do before I convert to reef?
<I'll put it this
way, you can't be to patient and you can't research and read to much.>
P. S, - I do ask a lot of questions, do I form a problem?
<Not yet
my friend.>
Thanks again,
Joe
<Adam J.>
Quick question ... Nano re-do 2/22/07
Hi guys! I
have a 16 gallon bowfront tank. For the past five years, I have had a
Skilter, regular CoraLife bulbs, live sand, and two pieces of live
rock. I kept a small, regal tang
<Way too little room for this
species>
and a false clown. Several months ago, the tang attacked
the clown - he died a few days later. The tang lived on for another
year (total of 5 yrs).
<Bonsaied>
Now that I do not have any
livestock - I'd like to do things right. I emptied the live sand and
went with just a clear bottom. The one piece of rock is browning ... I
am assuming it is dying off. The other piece has a bit of coralline
algae on it. My questions:
I'd like to get something other than the
Skilter ... is the Aqua C Nano Remora the way to go for protein
skimming?
<Much better, yes>
I'd like to do something with the
lighting to increase the growth of the rock/future inverts ... is the
USA 24" 2x65W Power Compact Orbit Fixture overkill for my tank?
<Is
not... a very nice unit>
I don't want to overdo it ... but I want
something good.
Last of all - do I get rid of the dying rock ... or
hope that I can save what is left of it?
<I would save
it... can either "re-grow", or be of use as base rock, substrate with a
bit of new placed near-by>
Thank you so much ...
Liz
<Welcome. Bob Fenner> Marine Set-Up 2/20/07
Hello Bob
:-)
<James for Bob today.>
I love your book, and articles on
Salt Water aquarium & fish!
<Bob thanks you for this.>
I have a
quick question I hope you can give me your incite on. I'm thinking of
starting a "Fish Only" 20 gallon saltwater tank with a few clown fish.
Kind of a starter into the world of marine fish keeping. How do you all
feel about this? Would this equipment work well in this 20 gallon tank:
Twin-Tube Fluorescent Strip Light 30", Stealth UL Heater 100 Watt, Rena
FilStar XP1 Canister Filter,
<A nice filter, easy to maintain.>
CoraLife super skimmer, Instant Ocean Hydrometer, Aquarium
Pharmaceuticals Saltwater Liquid Master Test Kit,
<I like Aquarium
Systems and Salifert kits myself.>
Oceanic (TM) Natural Sea Salt
Mix?
<Instant Ocean is my choice of salt.>
I was going to do a
brackish tank with mangroves & a mudskipper (I have the tank setup with
crushed coral as a substrate & mangroves now, but can eliminate them
easily), but I don't know if I will ever be able to purchase a
mudskipper around here, the pet store people tell me it could be months,
or maybe never. Well I have always wanted to have a few tank raised
clown fish, so I was wondering what I have setup is alright, and what
else I need to be successful as a beginner with saltwater fish.
<Tom, a good place to start would be sending you to this link. Do read
linked files above also. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marineSetUp.htm
This should answer most, if not all of your start-up questions.>
Thanks.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Re: Marine
Set-Up 2/20/07
Hello Bob :-) A Quick Question On A 20 Gallon Setup
Hello Bob :-)
<Tom>
I love your book, and articles on Salt Water
aquarium & fish! I have a quick question I hope you can give me your
incite
<Heee! Insight>
on. I'm thinking of starting a "Fish
Only" 20 gallon saltwater tank with a few clown fish.
<Two>
Kind
of a starter into the world of marine fish keeping. How do you all feel
about this?
<Can be done... tank-bred...>
Would this equipment
work well in this 20 gallon tank:
Twin-Tube Fluorescent Strip Light
30", Stealth UL Heater 100 Watt, Rena FilStar xP1 Canister Filter,
CoraLife super skimmer, Instant Ocean Hydrometer, Aquarium
Pharmaceuticals Saltwater Liquid Master Test Kit, Oceanic (TM) Natural
Sea Salt Mix?
<Yes>
I was going to do a brackish tank with
mangroves & a mudskipper (I have the tank setup with crushed coral as a
substrate & mangroves now, but can eliminate them easily), but I don't
know if I will ever be able to purchase a mudskipper around here,
<Maybe mail-order... etailers>
the pet store people tell me it could
be months, or maybe never. Well I have always wanted to have a few tank
raised clown fish, so I was wondering what I have setup is alright, and
what else I need to be successful as a beginner with saltwater fish.
Thanks.
<I say... you go Tom! Bob Fenner> Is this
temperature ok? (Bob F., if available). & Nano stkg... 2/16/07
Hi,
Great site as usual!
I am setting up an Oceanic Bio Cube
14, as a nano reef. I had a company by the name of nano-tuners.com
<Neat name>
do a mod to my hood that increased the lighting from 48
watts to 72 watts of PC lighting. I am running 1- 10k bulb, one
actinic, and one 50/50) As expected with a light increase, there was a
heat increase. I have freshwater in there now, and am testing all of my
equipment. I am getting temps in the 80- 83 degree range consistently
with out the use of a heater.
<Mmm, temp. and range will likely be
okay... I would use/place a/the heater... just set at the lower temp.>
I will employ the use of a 50 watt heater when I get it set up, but
will these temperatures be ok for the following?
15 Lbs of Live Rock
<From tropical clime, yes>
3 Lbs of rubble as a bio filter
20
Lbs of Live Sand
<Ditto>
212 model zoo-med power sweep power
head + stock pump, yielding a turn over of 20x
2 True Percula
clowns (a pair if I can manage it)
<Start with just two small
tank-bred ones... they'll become a pair in time>
1 Fire fish
<Mmm... really needs two square feet of space per individual, and most
species available are best kept in pairs... Highly stressed otherwise>
Various softies (xenia, mushrooms, Ricordea, etc)
<A Pacific
Ricordea species would be better than a Floridian>
Some hard corals
Other various frags
An anemone (Bubble tip??)
<Mmmm... this tank
is really too small>
A clam (can you recommend a specific species?)
<Ditto>
2 cleaner shrimp (Am I better off with a mated pair of
golden coral banded
shrimp, or two skunks?)
<Better with
Peppermints... again... this volume is too small>
2-4 hermits (2
blue, 2 scarlet)
5-10 snails (Suggestions?)
<I'd avoid here>
Top off every other day with pure R/O water
10% w/c once a week
<Make that twenty>
I will be exclusively using Nutri sea water for
this setup.
Filter floss cleaned at every top off under tap, and
squeezed dry.
Chemical filtration: Pura pad.
Does this set up
look good to you? Any other recommendations are gladly
welcomed.
Thanks,
Anthony
<Appears you've been doing your "homework"...
again, go slow... small colonies of those Cnidarians... Bob Fenner>
New Tank 2/12/07 , SW, anem. sel./sys., subst.,
First and
foremost let me start off by saying your online resource is enjoyable to
read and I appreciate the time you all put into answering questions.
<Thanks>
Now I have a 29 gal tank with an Emperor 400 with
Bio-Wheels, a 3 inch crushed coral substrate, a maxi-jet 900 and 17
pounds of various types of live rock. <No skimmer?> My tank has only
been running for about one week. My questions is with the current set
up that I have is it possible to have an anemone and two clown fish
set-up (once the tank is cycled of course)? <Too small/unstable for an
anemone, fine for a clownfish pair.> I plan on adding more live rock
however I just need some direction. Should I ditch the crushed coral
for some type of sand? <Could, would help with water quality.> I have
read various responses on your website as well as in numerous books and
I just wanted to ask a direct question about my specific set up. Thank
you for any and all help that you can provide.
<Welcome>
<Chris>
-Andre F. Ousley Small Marine Systems... Adam! 2/11/07
Hi
<Hello.>
my name's Jenn, and I'm planning on turning my
freshwater aquarium into a reef aquarium (my boyfriend is taking me
freshwater fish) and i had some basic questions.
the main thing i
wanted to purchase was an anemone, i was considering a Haitian pink tip
anemone, or a condolactic anemone, i only have a 10 gallon tank, so i
was only planning on getting a clown fish, and a scarlet hermit crab,
because i don't want to crowd the tank.
my first question is:
is
it possible to have an anemone in a 10 gallon tank if i dont buy many
other fish or anyhting.
my second question is:
>My question is
why did Adam not send this back to you to correct your English? WHY do
you want to appear ignorant, or have us appear so? WHY do people think I
have nothing better to do with my time? WHY do you not follow
instructions if you want our help? RMF<
which anemone would be better
for a small tank?
my third question: what watt of metal halide bulb
should i purchase?
my last question:
what clownfish would go
best with the anemone you suggest?
I've had many different pets
throughout my life, and I know the worst thing you can do is buy a pet
without reading up on it first
<Very Good!>
, it's a good way to
kill it and that is the last thing i want. So any tips you have I would
really appreciate.
<Hey Jen try this article first, see if it helps
out, if you need clarification respond and I will be more than happy to
do so:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nanoreefsysart.htm.>
thank you so
much for your time!
-Jennifer
<Adam J.> New 32 Gallon
Reef Tank Setup 1/30/07
Hi,
<Hello>
Let me start out by
saying thanks for helping me out last week - I had my whole tank
destroyed by a brother-in-law who dumped a whole bottle of pellet food
into my tank. Because of some of the tips and emails I received I have
so far have managed to keep my remaining 2 Ocellaris clownfish, Javanese
damsel and brown clown goby, tiger pistol shrimp plus a handful of
Nerite snails and some tiny hermit crabs alive in a small uncycled tank
(been changing 25% of the water every 2 days).
<Good to hear, keep
up the good work.>
So rather than re-setup by old glass tank that
was filthy and in need of a good cleaning from the food mishap, I have
purchased a 32 gallon M-tank by Finnex. <Ok>
The version of M-tank I
have has a rear sump, but is not setup for any kind of wet/dry or bio
media. This version is a custom version... It has a skimmer, and
refugium with compact fluorescent lighting instead of a wet/dry or
filter tray. <Nice, although I usually am skeptical on the efficiency
of the skimmers that come with these types of setups. Make sure you are
able to get it to work.>
My plan for the tank is this:
1)
refugium with either a DSB or Mud with Chaetomorpha and possible
mangroves (I have 2 mangroves left over from my old tank setup). I have
read all that there is on both the DSB and Mud approaches. I plan on
having a 3 - 4 inch sand bed in the main tank and I plan on keeping the
skimmer on at all times - do I go with Mud or go with a DSB in the
fuge? <I would go with a DSB, although a mud system could be worked out
too.>
2) I am going to add 30 - 40 pounds of LR - Is it ok to use
un-cured since this is a new setup?
<Yes, even preferable in my
opinion.>
3) 3 - 4 inch sand bed with aragonite fine sand bed in
the display. (do I use any store bought live sand or just go with
straight aragonite) <Just go with the aragonite, the LR will seed the
sand.>
4) Protein skimmer in the rear sump running 24/7.
<Make
sure it produces well or be ready to replace.>
5) Light fixture in
compact fluorescent 3 X 55w (165 W total) - each bulb is a different
spectrum.
<Ok>
I plan this Wednesday on adding the sand, then
the LR and then adding the water (RO water using red sea coral pro
salt). I will also use bio-Spira as this seems to me the preferred
method to speed up cycling. <Will help, make sure it is refrigerated,
otherwise it is useless.>
In a few weeks after cycling has completed
I plan on adding the 2 clownfish, goby, damsel, pistol shrimp, snails
and hermits.
<Slowly if possible, over the course of a few weeks
ideally.>
A few more weeks or maybe a month after that I wanted to
start introducing some corals to the reef.
<The longer the better,
let the system settle a bit.>
As far as non-corals the most I will
add a few months down the road are more snails and hermits and maybe a
starfish like a serpent star or something. <Careful with the stars, many
that are not appropriate for aquariums, and many that are very
good. Both seem to be available equally.>
Down the road
maybe another "nano" fish that grows to only a very small size because I
think the bioload is close to the max with the fish I have already in
this aquarium.
<Will be difficult after the clowns and damsels
establish themselves, may not allow newcomers.>
Do you see any holes
in my setup? Any potential issues? Any limits on what kinds or corals
and how many corals I can add in the future? Bioload issues?
<Seems
like a good start, no obvious pitfalls. Would qualify the bio-load as
heavy once everything is added.>
Any advice is greatly appreciated
as I want to start things off on the right foot with this tank...
<Keep the brother-in-law away from it.>
Thanks again,
Dave
<Chris> Some things Never change…Nano Reef Questions
Hello fellow fish people,
<Hello, in the future I kindly ask that
you utilize black or at least dark colored font, the yellow against
white was not easy on the eyes….and I’m young, could you imagine if Bob
opened this…j/k.> <Heeeeeeee! RMF>
Excellent site –
<Thank
you.>
my fish thank you as well. I’ve looked everywhere for an
answer/advice on this specific topic but need some further clarification
please
<I will do my best.>
A brief background – 18 months ago,
I purchased a 15 gallon aquarium/marine set-up, complete with
established live sand (4”), a few small colonies of button polyps and
one small Ricordea (?) mushroom, as well as a pair of tank-raised false
Clowns (2 nd generation Nova Scotia Clowns!!!). It was the chance of a
lifetime, as the tank/inhabitants were all lovingly raised at a local
Marine department of Dalhousie University.
<Neat.>
Since then, I
have religiously used your site for guidance and all is well due to
regular/weekly (aggressive water changes), regular testing and up-graded
lighting. So far, everybody is thriving and fascinating. Small cleaner
crew includes 3 blue legged hermit crabs, a cleaner shrimp, a peppermint
shrimp and 2 turbo snails.
<Some concerns here re: livestock
density.>
I would like to up-grade the size of the tank because
even with the constant monitoring and adjusting of water, I find it a
struggle to keep the water quality steady.
<You don’t have to tell
me chief.>
(Nano tanks require an enormous amount of attention, no
matter what anybody claims!)
<Oh trust me I know.>
Finally, the
question… I have room (desire) for either a 25 gallon tall (24”x12”x20”)
or a 29 gallon (30”x12”x18”).
<I prefer the footprint of the 29 to
the 25.>
The 25 gallon means I do not have to modify my light
canopy. The 29 gallon requires a canopy and stand modification. Is there
a clear benefit to either tank?
<The 29 has a larger footprint and
more surface area, it is also not as tall which means it will be easier
to (although I concede there is only a 2” difference).>
I don’t mind
making the modifications in order to gain a great benefit by having the
29 gallon. However, the easiest route is purchasing the 25 gallon tall
and keeping the existing equipment. What do you think?
<Well I think
you know my opinion but you have to weigh he pros and cons and make that
decision for yourself.>
I do not intend to add any corals to the mix
and my current lighting are 2 - 18” 15 Watt – one PowerGlo 18 000K bulb
and one 10 000K Actinic bulb. (Is my lighting OK as is?)
<See the
link below it should answer this question as well as provide more detail
for most of the others.>
I lied – one more question. With the 25
or 29 gallon up-grade, could I introduce another small fish such as a
Neon Goby to the mix?
<Possibly but I would rather you not, your
better not upsetting the pair of clowns.>
(After quarantine time in
the now empty 15 gallon quarantine tank, of course!)
<Of course…here
is that link…genius author (that’s my vain side)
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nanoreefsysart.htm .>
Thank you very
much!
<Adam J.>
Re: Nano Reef Set-Up - 01/24/2007
Hello Crew,
<Hello again!>
Thanks so much for the reply and
sincere apologies for the font colour - have no idea how that occurred
and hopefully this reply comes in the expected black.
<No worries…>
1. Will re-think the 25 gallon Tall and opt for a larger (29 gallon+)
tank.
<Okay.>
2. If the Clowns might be distressed by the
addition of a tank-mate, then they will be happy on their own in a
larger tank.
<Correct.>
3. Re-read the lighting FAQ's and will
up-grade to three T-5 lights for the re-vamped hood.
<Good choice.>
All fantastic advice I needed before making the move.
<That’s what
we are here for.>
This leads to one more question. Unfortunately, I
don't have the room/set-up for an under-tank refugium/sump or a large
tank. However, I do want to improve the filtration on my larger
tank-to-be. (I'm currently running a Fluval 204 on the 15 gallon - clean
the hoses and media on a regular basis). Also use a Powerhead for
additional flow .For the new filtration system I've been looking at the
CPR HOB Refugium vs. a decent protein skimmer (Remora - HOB).
<Both
are great choices for this tank size….both would make a great combo.>
Your site/advice seems to be in favour of both systems.
<Or like I
mentioned above a combo of both………….>
With the tank and lighting
up-grades, the move is suddenly becoming expensive (again, D'oh!)
<I
know how that is.>
and at this time, I have the budget for a good
quality skimmer or the HOB CPR refugium... I've poured through all of
the FAQ's and know I should have at least one of these on the new 29 -
37 gallon tank. Does one type of these HOB systems have a clear benefit
over the other?
<Both have great; similar and different benefits….I
would personally prefer to have the protein skimmer in the infant stages
of the system, and then add the refugium later, many will have differing
opinions for differing reasons. Either way you go, weekly water changes
will help immensely.>
Or, if one added one system now and one system
at a later date, what system should be added first?
<See my
“opinion” above.>
Thanks again!
<Anytime.>
Fantastic article
on Nano Reefs Adam J!
<Thanks, hopefully I will be motivated to
submit the others I have written or write more….**AJ.>
30
gallon tank - 10/17/06
Hi, just a quick thanks before I even ask
a question, you guys rock. <Hey Tris, you are too nice to us. We
appreciate people who do the research.>
I'm shutting down my 135 gal
tank, to 2 more manageable tanks while I'm at school. I have already set
up a 30 gallon cube and will set back up a 55 gallon of mine. I have a
urchin that was a hitchhiker on my live rock years back, he has grown
considerably and I was hoping that he could go into my 30 gal?
<I
think he would be fine in a 3o gallon. I understand your hesitation and
thinking about waiting but you need a tank that is established to
provide him plenty to eat.>
In the tank are 2 percula clowns, 1
little watchman goby, a royal Gramma, elephants ear mushroom, Ricordea,
candy cane, 2 cleaner shrimp,2 feather dusters,1 tiny tiger tail cuke
and some pipe organ...wow that sounds like a lot. Would I be better to
wait and put him in the 55 when I set it up? also is there any specific
requirements to keeping pipe organ? the polyps never extend for me.
<Pipe organ coral is difficult to feed, you might try to use the cone
method for feeding each individual polyp to get that, you don't mention
your lighting but they have high lighting requirements as well. At least
halide in my experience so you might be better to trade it for a
different coral.>
Now with enough live rock and janitors would I
have to have filtration on my 30 gallon? right now it has a little
whisper filter which looks odd on a cube.
<With you load, I would
consider adding additional filtration but definitely some type of
additional water movement.>
Sorry for so many questions, last
one...I promise. On my 55 which is 20" high, would I have enough light
to keep some sort of anemone? The light is 260 watts of pc. I would like
a RBTA but don't know if i can.
<You might be able to keep an
Atlantic anemone but honestly I think you are going to have troubles.
thank you so much for the help and I look forward to hearing back from
you. <You are going to do great with everything you do, you read and
research and ask questions and are doing so much right. Great job, MacL>
Tris Nano Cube Woes 10/14/06
Hi -
<Good Morning
Sure>
I have a 24 gal. nano cube. Everything has been great - I have
seahorses, pipefish, plus some inverts - all thriving nicely.
<I
personally wouldn't suggest seahorses in this type of tank, they are
very specialized and I would put them where there is more room.>
I
purchased and installed a Fission protein skimmer because the store I do
business with, recommended this skimmer for a small tank.
<I know
its very hard to get a skimmer that will fit in a tank this small,
however, in my personal opinion this skimmer will do absolutely nothing
for you. It's junk, to be frank.>
But nobody told me about
maintenance of it. How often to empty it?
<You should
be collecting a full cup of skimmate a day - so everyday.>
How often
to replace the fiber inside? Does the sponge need to remain over the
bioball filtration? What is a safe distance for the sponge to be from
the circulating pump?
<Google this: however you are
going to find more negative comments than you know what to do with this
one. From my experience, it really doesn't work at all, let alone
efficiently. The best thing to do with a tank of this size is plump a
sump or a refugium tank where you can add a skimmer that is better
rated. Plus you then add more to your water volume which is always a
good thing!>
Why do these people only put in a rudimentary diagram
and NO INSTRUCTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are there different light bulbs that
can be purchased (higher intensity or Kelvins) for the
nanotank? Sources?
<Yes, there are various places that
provide right size bulbs with higher intensity, or retrofitting tanks to
accommodate such. Once again google. Good luck, Jen S.>
Thanks,
Sue S/ Marine Set-Up 10/9/06
Hello
everyone.
<Hello Kevin>
I used everyone because I am not sure
which of you will respond.
<James with you today.>
I had a very
quick question regarding stocking and filtration. I will be setting up
a small 30 gallon hexagonal tank (I know, I know, too small). I do not
have high hopes on stocking this thing to the gills as I am well aware
of my limitations. I will be using a CPR Cyclone BAK-PAK 2 for
skimming, a Fluval 303 (or 203 I forget the exact model) for canister &
media filtration (or should I just go with a H.O.T. magnum),
<Although the Magnum is a nice filter, you are limited as to what media
you can use in the chemical container. Bagged media, such as ChemiPure
cannot be used, just
isn't enough room in there. The Fluval is more
versatile in this regard.>
and one or two 203 power heads for
circulation. I plan on having 30lbs of live rock and a 2.5" deep sand
bed. Now to the fish.... I was thinking of a pair of Percula's
(Ocellaris), a Fairy Wrasse (Red Head Solon or a Scotts) and maaaaybe a
Lemon Peel Dwarf Angel. Is this feasible or am I pushing it with the
Angel?
<Not enough room for the Lemon Peel, and can be difficult to
acclimate...not a good one if you are a novice.>
Does my filtration
sound OK, I think it should be adequate for this particular setup and
bio-load.
<Sounds fine, the live rock will handle most of the
denitrification.>
I know you guys get 100's of these questions, but
your input is valuable to me and I appreciate it. We all do.
Thank
you,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Kevin C. Just a
few questions I seem to be getting the most conflicted advice on. New
Setup Checkup 10/2/06
Hi. Your site is great, I've learned a
lot already from it and hope to keep learning from you. <Good to hear.>
I am saving money up to start a saltwater tank, and am definitely
interested in doing things correctly the first time. <Good> When I
started keeping freshwater tanks a few years ago I was steered in every
wrong direction possible, a mistake I don't want to make this time,
especially since most of the stores here seem to be in the same "money
over customer" base one store even told me I could keep 2 Oscars in a 10
gallon tank forever!)
<Well, I wouldn't go there for
advice ;)>
I guess I should start with my plans. I only have the
space for a small tank, a 29 gallon. I am going to use aragonite sand
and have a bed of about 2". <Less than 1 or more than 3 is best.> I am
unsure about how much rock I am going to use, I am going to get a lot of
porous 'dead' rock from my LFS and seed it with some beautiful
aquacultured live rock that I have found. Probably about 5 lbs of the
LR. For my equipment, I know I will use pc lighting, have a skimmer and
have a fuge. Plus the obvious things like heaters. I plan on getting
all of the non-living things first, setting up the tank then adding the
liverock to cycle it. I figure the rock can cycle it and while that is
happening I can watch to make sure I don't have any bad hitchhikers in
the tank. After it has been set up for a couple of months (after cycle
basically) then I will add the livestock to it.
<I would probably
let it run a little longer to let the LR really establish itself and
seed the base rock.>
I don't want a lot of fish, just a few. I know
I will have an ocellaris clown, and a clown goby still haven’t' decided
on a colour yet, most likely a citrinus though) I was planning on a
rainfordi goby, but have read at your site that they need a more
established tank. <Yep> Though would a 29 gallon tank be enough for one
after it has been set up for a while? <Probably not.> Or should I
forget about that plan? <I would> I want about 10 snails, an even mix of
astrea, cerith and Nassarius. <Good> I am also planning on getting a
scarlet hermit crab or two, I love to watch hermits and have been told
that those are the most reef safe, as far as crabs go. <Yep> I don't
have any plans to keep shrimp, but if I did decide to I would get
peppermint cleaners. <They are nice, enjoyed them when I had them it the
past.> For the corals, I will have a random assortment of zoanthid and
palythoas. A Ricordea and some xenia. Perhaps someday a Capnella OR
devil's hand for some variety. Does this sound like too much livestock,
or can you find any big incompatibility problems with my list?
<Not
really, just don't overload it with corals, just a few and leave them
room to grow.>
For my filtration, I know the skimmer and rock are
the bulk of it, but what skimmer should I get? I was going to get a
remora, but the LFS I am going through is hesitant to get any in because
he has never used them himself. <I absolutely love mine.> He stocks the
CoraLife super skimmers. <Check some of the message boards for opinions
on this model.> I have heard that either works "better" than the
other. Also I have heard, dumb question here, that xenias like their
water a bit Underskimmed. <High water quality is important for these
like all other corals.> Would I be overskimming for them with either
skimmer, or would I be just fine?
<Will be fine.>
The fuge I am going to use will be an AquaClear filter made into
one. It'll have some sand, perhaps a bit of rock, and some
macro. Probably either sea lettuce or turtle grass. Is either one
better than the other? <Should be fine, although not as fast growing as
some other macroalgae.> It'll be lit by a small pc light. I'm hoping
to grow out pods in it. <Will> The model of filter I was looking at
has 500 gph flow rate. Should I go for the next size down model(300
gph), or should I keep this one in mind? <Bigger the better.> Also, with
either size would I need to have additional powerheads for more flow, or
should I be fine with that much? <Almost impossible to have too much
flow, I would add a powerhead or two.> My LFS has said to add another
one or two powerheads to that mix, yet that seems like the flow would be
nonstop everywhere in the tank.
<Looking for 10X tank
volume turnover.>
Also, how much light should I get? <Depends.> The
LFS has said that the single light pc strip(65 watts) should be more
than enough for the tank. <Maybe> Should I stick with that plan or
should I get the double strip light? I am never going to have any form
of anemone, clam or SPS in the tank. And really most LPSs don't
interest me. Huge IF I ever tried one in that tank it would be a candy
cane. I've read that they don't need massive amounts of lighting, and I
could keep it near the top of the tank for more than it would be getting
otherwise. So yeah, 65, or 130 watts?
<Really depends on what
specific corals you get.>
What salt should I use? Hm, don't really
know how to elaborate more on that one, just which brands seem to be
better, in your experience? Or is there even a really big difference?
<Most are pretty comparable. Most popular is Instant Ocean, most
commonly available, reasonably priced. Shedd Aquariums brand of choice
if that helps.>
I think that is about all my head has rattling
around in it at the moment, so thank you in advance for your time.
<Sure>
Dana
<Chris>
Black Sand Nano 9/26/06
Hello folks,
<Hi>
A friend turned me on to your site, great
info. I am in the process of setting up a 29 gallon oceanic cube.
I
wanted to use the fine black Fuji sand. This is not live sand, so how
does this figure in the equation of setting up a mini-reef?
Thanks
Stephen
<Should work fine, if I remember correctly it is
calcium based so you will get some buffering from it and the critters
from your Live Rock will populate it with time.>
<Chris>
Flow Question 9/24/06
My question actually is in regards to
water turn-over. I’ve always heard 4 times an hour, which is about
where I am now with a 575gph return pump and a 4ft head height. But
I’ve read on your web site, and others, that 10 to 20 times turnover an
hour is recommended for mini-reefs.
<That’s correct…you want at
least a 10 time turnover>
My sump already sounds like a tidal wave
is coming, with water vigorously pouring in from the
overflows. Evaporation is quite fast – 2g a day, because of all the
water turbulence, and you can see a constant, steady mist of salt spray
over the input area in the sump. I simply cannot imagine increasing
water flow through the sump to 750 to 1500 gallons an hour. I’m sure it
would sound like filling a bath tub.
<Could be a bit
scary! I would recheck the plumbing>
I’m running 3 power heads; a
250gph, a 175 and a 110. They are all causing pretty good flow around
the rocks and corals, good water surface turbulence, and turbulence in
the water column. Enough to gently blow corals around and keep detritus
suspended. I’m hoping this is the case, but does this 10-20 times
turnover include power heads and in-tank circulation? If not, I really
can’t imagine 1500 gallons of water going through a sump every hour…
<Scott, the 10 time turnover is a general rule. You overflow is only
designed for so much flow and can only take so much. I’m not sure of
your exact set up, but I would think you could go to at least 750 GPH
with no problem. Flow is very important in a reef tank. I personally
wouldn’t include power heads in your turnover rate…figure those as an
added bonus!>
Thanks guys!
<Our pleasure! Cheers – Dr. J>
Scott S.
10 Gallon Marine Tank: A Doomed System?
9/16/06
I looked through FAQ's on the Marine section of your
website (and I recommend this site to anyone with a
fish/aquarium/amphibian/meaning of life question, you are all amazing)
and read the (very discouraging) article on small marine tanks as well
as the ones on nano reefs, and I am still tempted.
I
really don't have the option of anything larger than a 10 or 12 gallon
tank (worries of the floor falling through to the driveway below after a
period of time), but I am VERY interested in a marine tank. As in, I
spend much free time drooling over articles about it online, and
drooling over the books that I cannot afford to buy in paper but instead
check out of the library. [I highly doubt I am alone in this. I also
think I may be stalking several articles on WWM.] I know the larger the
better: more stable; easier to maintain; and in case of livestock death,
the whole thing won't go kalbooie as easily.
But I really want a
small, happy, marine tank. I like the idea of keeping featherduster
worms because I love watching them. I also really like barnacles and
anemones, but I doubt even you can think of an anemone or barnacle that
would do well in this size tank. (I can dream, though.) I'd be in
heaven with a single anemone, featherduster worms and maybe a fish (not
necessary at all for me to be happy). I read and understood the stern
advice about over-feeding: keeping bettas will do that to you.
Does
anyone at WWM have some favorite invertebrates you can imagine doing
well in a small tank like this? I understood the shrimp (fire, scarlet
and sexy) and the mushrooms as well as polyps, but are there any
specifically that are hardy and do well in a (much) smaller
environment? I'm more interested in the invertebrates and reef-type
systems, but I just don't have the ability to keep a larger tank.
I realize I have to do much more frequent water changes and constantly
test, but my mom's a chemist so I've got more than a little know-how of
practical chemistry and I can devote the time to testing daily and
weekly 1/4 to 1/3 water changes.
I'd love to set up a tank like
this, but I realize the futility of a failed endeavor and don't want to
kill livestock and waste money because I am determined to try something
stupid. I'm also not talking about setting up a tank like this for some
time, I feel more research is necessary--again, I don't want to kill the
animals or stunningly crash and burn.
Thank you for any advice you
can give,
Meghan R
<<Meghan: A 20 or 25 would give you even
more flexibility if you can swing it. Invert only tanks are really
cool. In a small tank, you could have a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, hermit
crabs, feather duster, etc. In my 25, I currently have a coco worm and
a tuxedo urchin (great creatures but they need coralline algae to
eat). Frankly, an anemone is not realistic in a small tank; but, you
can get the waving movement effect with several other things; including
colt coral, frogspawn, Fungia, torch coral. Small tanks are harder to
maintain; but, if you proceed cautiously, you can do it. Best of luck,
Roy>> Where do I start? Nanos, Coral, Skimmers....
8/31/06
Hi,
<Hello there>
I am a very frequent
visitor of WWM, and have been visiting almost daily for the past year
or so, to read the freshwater FAQ's and of course, seeing the Pic of
the Day. Why do I visit daily? Because it is an awesome site!!!
<Heeeee! Thanks>
Now, I have been interested in Saltwater
from the beginning, but have never been umm... brave enough to do
so. I have a 26 gallon community tank, 2.5 gallon guppy setup (failed
breeding setup), a 55 gallon Cardinal/ Ram community tank, (all
planted)
<Nice>
a 20 gallon pleco/ frog tank, and my prize
possession- a 125 Planted Discus Tank (8 med- large Discus who are
happy and healthy and breeding thanks to the WWM crew) So that's
1..2..3..4..5 Tanks. May not seem like much, but I am still in high
school (junior)
<!>
and my parents are not my greatest fans! LOL
(Direct Quote from Mom: "Fish are icky, smelly and slimy"
<Heeeeee!
Can be!>
What cracks me up though, is that every time a guest comes
over, my collection is the first thing they show off....go figure.
<I get the same for my gardening efforts...>
Well, I
figured, if I can do discus, I may be able to handle saltwater.( I may
also pursue a career in this area (biologist of some sort) (not sure))
<Mmm, not too soon to "do a stint" as a retail clerk... even start
gearing up for part time self-employment work in the Aquarium Service
industry...>
Problem is, my parents have banned me from keeping
more tanks. Any suggestions on how to convince them???
<Mmm...
perhaps an inquiry as to their specific concerns... Is this principally
to do with their wanting you to focus on your studies? Perhaps a
pledge/contract to excel will satisfy them here... A consideration for
costs? Here's where the part time work might come in... Maybe there's
not enough room, or electrical power in the house? I'd ask them
directly>
I want to set up a "nano-reef". My tank will be the
AGA 7 Gallon Glass Mini Bow. I have been looking, reading, and
learning (hopefully) about saltwater tanks for about the last week or
so, on nano-reefs.com, WWM, and a forum devoted to 7 Gallon Mini Bows,
just to name a few.
Problem is, I am overwhelmed by
all of the info (as I am sure you know, there is quite a bit out
there). But, I believe I have a grasp on quite a few things. I
apologize for the length of this email, but I feel you should be
well-informed of my situation.
I plan on
having a "natural" tank of the following specs:
7 gallon glass
mini-bow
Live rock
Live sand bed
corals (numerous types)
<Careful here>
"clean up" crew
a pair of true percula clowns
<Mmm... these really need much more room>
Now for the questions:
1.) How many pounds of live rock should I purchase, and what type?
<A few to about ten... S. Pacific...>
2.) How many pounds of sand
should I purchase
<Ten or so...>
3.) Lighting: The tank comes
supplies with a 14 watt 16" long fluorescent
bulb. Is
this sufficient for keeping corals?
<Mmm... not many species
can/will thrive under such low illumination>
I do not plan on
keeping anemones.
4.) If not, how can I achieve the proper amount
(what is the proper amount?)
<Changing out for a small CF unit
likely>
5.) What should my clean-up crew consist of? (I want shrimp,
crabs, and snails) Can you recommend some species?
<Some mix of
small snails... specifically here...>
6.) Corals: Could you
recommend some low- med light species that stay small/ grow slowly?
<Bits of small species of Alcyoniids are what I'd start with... trading
frags through a club highly recommended.>
Also, how are corals
attached to live rock? (similar to java fern on driftwood? lol) How do
they consume energy? I read something about micro algae. Do I need to
feed them?
<All posted on WWM...>
(Do I need to add any
chemicals?)
<Likely not... just regular water changes.>
7.) Do I
need a protein skimmer? I have received conflicting information, would
prefer not to use one though.
<Would be a good idea to have/use a
small one>
8.) Can I use a regular HOB Power filter? What media
should be kept in it?
<Can, and posted>
Can I place
a heater in the filter?
<I would not. I'd put this in the little
tank>
9.) What should the salinity be of this type of setup?
<1.025... matched carefully with new water>
I found an already mixed
solution called Nutri-SeaWater (_www.naturesocean.com_
(http://www.naturesocean.com)
) It has a pH of 8.3, is this good?
<Synthetic would/will be
better>
More importantly, it has a salinity of 1.027, is this a
good level?
<Too high>
10.) Top-off: Can I top off with
Distilled water? Or is RO better?
<I'd use RO, but can use
distilled>
(Can easierly (is that a word?) obtain
Distilled)
11.) Water changes: I plan on 1 gallon a week with
the Nutri-SeaWater.
12.) What is the best temperature for this
setup?
<Upper seventies F.... higher can be trouble>
Umm I
think that's about it.... For now. I want to keep this as simple as
possible. I really truly appreciate your time and effort, I apologize
for the length again, but I want to be successful. Do you have any
books that you could recommend to me?
<John Tullock's "Natural Reef
Aquariums">
I would gladly purchase them.
Thank you!
Anthony
<Be chatting, Bob Fenner>
Nano Reef, not ready
8/14/06
Hello Crew,
<Jenn>
Recently set up a 24 gallon
Nano Cube, deep sand bed, lot's of live cured really good rock.
I
want to eventually do SPS only.
<Not easily done in such small
volumes... can't provide steady, optimal conditions>
Is the Current
70 watt HQI halide sufficient, or should I do the 150 HQI??
<Up to
you>
Do I need a skimmer on the system? Which do you suggest?
<... that you keep reading. Obviously you aren't sufficiently informed
to proceed. Please start reading here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nanoreefsysart.htm
and the linked
files above. Bob Fenner>
Please help.
I appreciate your advice.
Thanks,
Jenn Perry NYC Frogspawn setup -lighting
question. 8/4/06
Dear Bob, WWM crew,
I can't
thank you guys enough for all the advice I've received with my past reef
and FW setups. I came across your website and read CMA and Anthony's
book on coral propagation after I set up my reef and have relied on you
for help. For the first time, I'm actually setting up a smaller reef
tank after reading on your website and the above mentioned books.
My goal is to house two frogspawns -one Euphyllia divisa and one
Euphyllia paradivisa. AND NOTHING ELSE -except for macro algae, live
rock and live rock hitchhikers. I currently have a 20 gal "Long term QT"
that is housing 15# live rock, 4" DSB, red kelp, Chaetomorpha and the
two corals. These will be transferred to the new setup over the course
of 6 months or so... after the new DSB matures.
I had a 45 gallon
acrylic tank built for this -dimensions: 24" X 24" foot print and 18"
height, with a 20 gallon sump. I have a Remora Pro with Mag3 pump, and
an Eheim 1250 return pump -with a 3' head, this should flow about 240
gph. The return is plumbed thru a SCWD with nozzles on either side at
the back of the tank. In the middle of the back side of the tank, I'm
planning on adding either a sea swirl of one of those oscillating power
heads for an additional 200ish gph flow by the time the corals make the
move. That's about a 15X turnover...
The tank will have a 5" DSB
with 12" of water and about 30# of live rock. The system water volume is
about 40+ gallons, with 28 gallons or so in the display, 12-14 in the
sump/circulation.
Questions:
a) I have some polyp and mushroom
coral hitchhikers on the LR -I'm on the fence as to what to do with them
-remove them or let them be? I don't want to deal with any chemical
aggression between the three groups.
b) Lighting options -I want to
use a single HQI bulb to light the center of the tank so I can have
glimmer lines and adequate lighting near the center of the tank with
subdued lighting along the walls and rim to encourage coralline algae
growth. The bulb will be exactly over the center of the tank, with one
coral offset 4" from the center and the other offset about 8" from the
center along a diagonal -I hope this makes sense to you. I don't know if
I should go with a 70W or 150W HQI bulb -15,000K spectrum. Heat is not a
consideration, as I'm willing to use a chiller if that's what it comes
down to, but I don't want any more light than what I can get away with.
Thank You,
Narayan
<<Narayan: Frogspawn generally likes medium
to high light and medium flow. I have one about half way down in a 180
tank under 400W SE MH lights and another at the bottom of a 75 tank
under VHO lighting. Both of them are growing and doing fine. When
mushrooms get near the frogspawn, they lose. Thus, I don't think you
have much to worry about. As far as lighting, you can use either
bulb. You seem to being planning a lot of flow. Frogspawn will not
like to be blasted by a lot of flow. You'll have to direct the jets of
water away from it. Best of luck, Roy>>
Pico Reef Tank -
07/29/06
Hi WWM crew:
<<Howdy Jeff!>>
After a couple of
years of keeping a medium-sized (46 gallon) reef tank and learning all
the million and one things NOT to do, I've decided--even though I know I
have to learn another billion or so things NOT to do--to take the plunge
into a Pico reef tank. (Yes, I'm aware that most nanos and picos fail in
the long-run, so I'm taking this risk with no illusions.)
<<Mmm,
must admit to disliking pico/nano systems...death traps for the most
part, in my humble opinion>>
I've been continually learning by
first-hand experience, by countless hours of reading your FAQ's,
articles and books, and by talking with other "reef geeks".
<<Let's
hope it will be enough...>>
Now here's my set-up plan:
TANK,
EQUIPMENT, & SUPPLIES - 3 gallon mini Deco with 18 watts of PC light,
50/50 (dimensions 12.5"L x 9.5"W x 7.5"H), Deco power filter (Hang-on)
with 80 gph of flow (so about 27X turnover per
hour) - note: filter
cartridge to be replaced by a bag of Seachem's Purigen.
<<A good
idea>>
Tetra 50 Watt heater (4.5" long, fully submersible, preset at
78F)
<<Hmm...this sounds too large...would quickly do damage if it
were to "stick on">>
Algae magnet cleaner, Digital thermometer,
Refractometer, AP saltwater test kit, Salifert Alk test kit, Seachem
Reef Salt, Seachem Reef Buffer.
<<Dosing additives is
dangerous/should be unnecessary on this small volume of water. Frequent
partial water changes will be quick/easy and will provide/replenish all
the elements this tank will need...and do so safely>>
MAINTENANCE
REGIMEN - DAILY: 2 CUPS of water change (approximately 4% of tank volume
daily), Top-off (I have yet to measure exactly how much water is lost to
evaporation in 24 hours; if necessary I may have to top-off twice a
day--once in the morning and once in the evening)
<<Indeed...won't
take much evaporation to cause large swings in water chemistry>>
Scrape algae off acrylic wall, monitor temperature, pH, and specific
gravity.
-WEEKLY: Siphon of substrate & LR, cleaning of filter &
replacement of Purigen as necessary, salt water mix prep in 5 gal bucket
w/heater & powerhead, refill top-off water bucket, test for Ammonia,
Nitrite, Nitrate, & Alkalinity.
SUBSTRATE: .5" of white sand, 2-3
lbs of live rock.
LIVE STOCK:
This is where I need advice. I
know that stocking this tank will be the most critical.
<<Indeed...won't be keeping much in this tiny volume of water>>
I
gave it a lot of thought and decided it will house only
the
following:
A single colony of some species of xenia (I've actually
kept the elongata species in my larger tank, and it has grown rapidly)
- 2 red-leg hermit crabs
- 1 Astrea snail
I choose xenia because
they're relatively hardy, almost fully autotrophic,
<<Mmm, do feed
through absorption...have been proposed as viable organisms for "animal"
filters (a vessel filled with organisms utilized for the water filtering
capacity>>
and because I love their pulsing behavior. I'm thinking
the waste from the live rock, crabs and snail will give it enough
sustenance without me having to feed it by polluting the water.
<<Possibly, yes>>
I'm afraid of putting any food in the tank at all
since overfeeding would be too easy.
<<Agreed>>
I will also not
dose any supplements & additives--too dangerous in this system.
<<Ah...good!>>
Besides, the Seachem Reef Salt (which I'm using for
my larger tank) contains good levels of trace elements.
<<Agreed
again>>
My Question is: which species of xenia would you recommend
(if at all)?
<<X. elongata or X. umbellata would be fine choices I
think. Though if you've kept Xenia before you should be aware that
sometimes it declines for "no apparent reason">>
And would the
wastes produced from the LR, crabs & snail be sufficient supplemental
nutrition?
<<Maybe...though the crab and snail may need supplemental
feeding at some point...maybe best provided by exchanging the old rock
with new>>
If not, what "feeding" regimen would you recommend?
<<At this point, none. If you choose not to swap out old rock for new
(about every 4-6 months...maybe more often), a shrimp pellet or two
(literally), tossed in every 3-4 days may suffice>>
Best Regards,
~Jeff
<<Cheers, EricR>> 55 to 12 gallon
downsizing SW system 7/25/06
Hello,
I have
problem here. I am moving and need to down size from my 55gal to a 12
gal.
I currently have in my 55gal 65lb LR,3" LS, clean up crew of
hermits, Cerith, Nassarius snails spelling?) <fixed>, Astrea snails,
turbo, 2 emerald crabs, 1 brittle star.
2 BTA large and medium,
frog spawn with sexy shrimp hosting it, mushrooms, maxima clam, 2
leathers not sure what kind given to me from reef club., many rocks of
zoas, button polyps, colt, pumping Xenia, pair false percs, mandarin,
fire fish, watchman goby, pistol shrimp. I will be able to any amount of
what ever I listed to put in the nano. I would like to stock the nano
with the right amount of livestock, clean crew, ect....
<No such
word... Etc... short for "et cetera res", Lingua Latina for "and other
things">
The nano is a stock 12 gal JBJ dx 2005 and will have
2x24w 50/50, 1 24w day/day for lighting plus fan no modifications. a
hang on back Prizm skimmer if it will fit not to sure about the skimmer.
I think the tank has a surface skimmer and carbon wet/dry filter and
stuff. Whatever I can fit in the Nano would be great but I am not sure
what and how much to put in it. LR, LS corals, fish that would be fine
under 72w of light in a 12g nano.
Thanks for all your help and
looking forward to hearing from you.
Thanks again,
Wes
<No clam, no anemones, no mandarin, likely no watchman goby or
firefish... the soft corals will likely have to be fragged with most of
the biomass given away... I'd leave out Zoanthids period... Not re-place
the Crabs or serpentstar... I'd use as much of the gear listed as you
can fit around this 12... Bob Fenner>
Questions on nano tank setup/inhabitants 7/23/06
Good
afternoon WWM Crew! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for
all of your continued support. I don't know if I would have had the
courage to finally "take the plunge" & start my first marine aquarium if
it weren't for your valuable website. I have been researching & reading
off & on about reef-keeping for several years & have found this website
& the conscientious aquarist such a help. I have several issues that
I'd like your advice on & hope you don't mind the long e-mail.
<Not at all>
First off I'll tell you a little about my setup. I
have a 12 gal JBJ nano cube dx (I know you are cringing but because of
space restraints this was my only option....
<Can be made to
work...>
me, my husband, and two babies under age 2 in an 800 sq ft
house. Space is at a premium.) set up 7 mo.s now. I have the back
three compartments set up as follows: #1- Chemi pure, carbon, small
sponge that is rinsed weekly, and MJ 600 that has tubing aimed over the
back wall and down towards the bottom to help w/ flow. #2- 1/3 full of
live rock rubble, Chaeto & light. #3- another MJ 600 powerhead,
Visitherm heater & temp probe. My sg is 1.025, temp a steady 78
degrees, ph 8.2, ammonia- 0, nitrates- 0, nitrites- 0. I have about 14
lbs live rock, lots of encrusting coralline, Chaeto, red Gracilaria, and
unfortunately an ongoing battle w/ hair algae, sigh. I let the tank
cycle 6 weeks before slowwwwwwly adding cleanup crew, then
livestock. This was very hard (self control- wise)!
<Heeee!>
Inhabitants include 1 ocellaris clown, 1 skunk cleaner shrimp, 3 dwarf
blue leg hermits, 5 Nassarius, 2 Astrea, 3 margaritas, 1 small colony of
zoas, 1 small colony of pulsing xenia, an ever dwindling population of
pods and two new additions: a toadstool leather & a blenny (Ecsenius
bimaculatus). I do weekly 10% water changes and once a month a 25%
water change using reef crystals & distilled water.
First question
is regarding the toadstool leather. It was quarantined for 1 week
before adding. Within an hour of putting in the tank, she had all her
tentacles out & was looking happy. Her base was nice and straight and
columnar- about 3" in diameter & she stands about 8" tall. Now, a week
and a half later, her base is hourglass shaped. She still looks
healthy, but midway up her stalk, it curves inward & is about 1 ½" in
diameter, with the top & bottom of the stalk still 3" in diameter. Is
this something I should be concerned about?
<Mmm, not
necessarily... a "natural" reaction to being moved...>
I removed a
small sponge that was growing up against her stalk while she was in
quarantine (didn't know if it could have been exposed to the air). This
didn't seem to affect her at the time. Also, I've noticed that the
margaritas & Astreas occasionally crawl up the stalk (about once or
twice a day) and the cleaner shrimp and hermit crabs will climb on her
also, but less frequently than the snails. It doesn't seem to really
bother her, as her tentacles stay out during their attention. Is there
anything I should do?
<Mmm, keep an eye on your fishes... as
good/best "bio-indicators" here... for signs of distress, have a good
deal/volume of pre-made water, another unit of Chemipure to switch out
if the Toadstool changes the water chemistry too much, too fast in way/s
that mal-affect the other livestock>
She is the showpiece of my tank
& I've grown quite attached already...would be sad to lose her but I
could find a new home for her if you feel she won't thrive in my tank.
<Mmm... will have to "trim", "frag" this soft coral in time...>
Concern #2: The bimac blenny. He was in a short quarantine (5 days)
because I've read that this is best for blenny's, made even shorter
because he didn't seem to eat a thing in quarantine. Otherwise, he
seemed quite happy & healthy spending much of his time perched on his
rock. My first concern is that I have never (in three weeks) seen him
eat. There is plenty of algae in the tank & I also feed a rotation of
frozen formula 1, Sweetwater zooplankton, formula 2 flakes, brine
shrimp, and small bio blend pellets. Also, soak food occasionally in
vita chem. I feel like it's a good assortment & there should be
something in there he likes. The clown can be quite aggressive at
feeding time, so I've tried putting her fav's at one side of the tank &
while she is preoccupied, dropping the formula 2 flakes & bio blend
pellets on the other side near the blenny. I can see his little eyes
moving as he watches the food, but he never makes a move towards it.
<Hopefully is "nibbling" on this and that when you're not watching>
Also haven't seen him grazing on any algae either. Are they bottom
feeders, or do they eat from the water column?
<Actually a good deal
of/from both... nibbling filamentous algae types that are attached, and
small free-swimming animals in the near-bottom water column... more or
less continuously during daylight hours>
Haven't been able to find
this info anywhere.
<Have observed Ecsenius blennies for long hours
underwater>
Then yesterday evening, noticed him rubbing a little on
the rocks- which is normal behavior in a blenny from what I read.
<Also correct>
But he was also occasionally twitching & flashing his
tail- if you can understand what I mean.
<Yes... a type of
"non-verbal communication"... likely intended for the Clown and you>
But no other signs of crypt that I can tell. The clown has never had it
so I don't think it's in my tank unless the blenny has had it all along
& just now showing signs.
<I don't think this is Crypt, or other
parasite>
Should I put the blenny back in quarantine or will this
be too much stress? Anything I can do to entice him to eat?
<Just what you are doing really>
I haven't seen any signs of
aggression from the clown- thought this might be stressing him but have
ruled it out.
Next question- Down the road (maybe in another 6
months or so) if everything is still going smoothly, do you feel it
would be okay to add a dwarf feather duster & a Florida Ricordea to this
system?
<These choices should go here fine>
After those two
additions, my wish list is done- or am I maxed out already?
<Close
to it, and more... with growth, asexual reproduction>
I'm aware of
the allelopathy issues that can occur but would like to give it a
try. Maybe with the Chemi-pure & carbon & frequent water changes it
could work out?
<Yes>
I would appreciate your take on this.
And my very last question...I promise! What is your opinion of Boyd's
vita chem.?
<A good product... I have used this...>
Is this a
good product, or am I just feeding my hair algae?
<Only to a small
degree... Worth using for the benefits it affords your other livestock
IMO>
Thanks in advance for your consideration. It is much
appreciated!!!
-Jaime
<Thank you for writing so well, sharing...
Your intelligence, learning and passion for life shine through. Bob
Fenner>
Nano Aquarium Upgrades 6/14/06
Hey guys,
<Hello Travis…>
I want to thank you for all you
help in the past and for your great site. It's saved me a couple of
times.
<Always nice to hear.>
Anyway, I have a 20H nano reef
with a CPR BakPak skimmer. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates all at zero.
<Very cool, nanos aren’t the most stable creatures.>
My tank is
stocked with a pair of pink skunk clowns, a cleaner shrimp (possibly
another one later), and a colony of hairy mushrooms.
I eventually
want to add more corals.
<Okay.>
Anyway, my CPR
BakPak hasn’t been pulling much it out. Its like a tan/clear liquid
with some tan sludge on the side of the collection cup. I wouldn't mind
the noise from the venturi if it actually pulled some gunk out.
<In
my experience the Bak Paks rarely produce dark skimmate, they usually
skim very wet and produce loads of tea colored skimmate….its not a great
skimmer to be honest…but obviously adequate in some situations.>
This has turned me towards refugiums.
<Well I wouldn’t give up on
the idea on a protein skimmer altogether, especially on such a small
system.>
I could get a large fuge that hangs on the back of the
tank but I couldn't put a light on it (long story here). Would this be
sufficient if there was just rock and sand in it?
<For microfauna
production yes, for macro-algae growth and nutrient control….not in the
least bit.>
I was also considering an internal fuge that could use
the main lights of the
tank to grow Chaeto and mangroves (because i
like mangroves)
<Mangroves are too big for this tank and they aren’t
very helpful at pulling out nutrients to be honest (see A. Calfo’s
article re: this), an internal ‘fuge can work though I will admit they
aren’t to pretty.>
and to hold my heater. Should either of these
ideas be put into action?
<Well an internal refugium, is not a true
refugium simply based on the definition of a refugium which means “a
refuge”, the external idea is not a good idea because you can’t grow and
macro…and your main goal it seems to be is to use the refugium as a
means of nutrient control. Why not look to upgrade your protein
skimmer, Knop, P.M., Aqua-c and Deltec all make great hang on models and
MRC is also supposed to come out with a hang on model soon as well.>
I was also considering upgrading my main lighting from a 65w compact
fluorescent light to a 2 x 24w T5HO fixture.
<That’s a worthy
upgrade.>
I suppose I could keep all softies, LPSs, and a BTA clone.
<Well the tank is a little small to be mixing the sessile cnidarians
with an anemone....>
Thanks again for everything.
<No problem.>
--
Travis
<…Adam J.>
Re: Nano Aquarium Upgrades
6/14/06
Okay, I guess I wont do a fuge then.
<Sorry to be the
bearer of bad news…but do keep in mind that if you ever can add one they
are of nothing but benefit, lots of pros and very few cons about adding
more water volume, microfauna and nutrient control.>
I just cant
stand my BakPak skimmer and don't exactly have enough money to buy a
Deltec or similar skimmer.
<The Deltec is by far the most expensive
skimmer on that list I gave you, probably DBL if not triple the price of
the others, the Aqua-C would be the best bang for your buck, and they
are quiet barring a very low hum from the pump. Don’t get me wrong the
Deltec is a great model but for a nag on skimmer Aqua-C is probably the
most economical choice performance and price wise.>
Would the tank
do all right with no forms of filtration
other than biological?
<And LOTS of water changes with fish in the tank.>
Or should I
implement the use of some kind of
HOB filter.
<An HOB filter
would only serve to add water flow, would not help much in this
aquarium…especially with nutrient removal.>
Thanks again,
Travis
<Adam J.>
New Nano Saltwater tank 5/12/06
Hi Bob.
<Hi, Chris with you tonight>
I am really new to the salt world. I
have kept freshwater fish for three years, and recently bought a 12
gallon AquaPod.
<Tiny for a saltwater tank, especially for your
first.>
I wanted to do a reef, so my local store has been helping me
get that set up. We let the little tank cycle for about a week with a
thin layer of live sand (less than an inch thick) about 7 to 10 pounds
of live rock. All water tests look great, with the exception of the
nitrites are at .5.
<Not great, nitrites need to be 0 before adding
livestock.>
Started off adding a turbo snail, and three blue legged
hermits. Kept a close eye on all of them, and they are doing great.
Dropped in some red algae, and one feather duster about three days
later. All is well.
<Too much too soon>
So I moved on to wanting
to add a fish. We purchased a Royal Gramma, and it is a riot to watch.
He eats well, and is all over the tank. <Nice fish> My son wanted "Nemo"
from the beginning, and I liked the Clowns as well, so I asked, and our
LFS said they preferred I kept only one fish in the 12 gallon tank, but
we could "probably get away with a small clown." So we bought a small
False Perc. that they had. Added him yesterday, and he just sticks to
the left side of the tank, and swims up and down with his reflection. Is
this always going to be the case with him? Can a single clown be kept,
or do they need to be in pairs to be happy? I would hate to have to get
rid of my royal.
He also would not even look at the shrimp I fed
yesterday.
Thanks for any advice you can give me.
Gram M.
<2
fish for a tank that size is a lot. Plus the Gramma can be a terror, in
my 46G my Gramma owns most of the tank, and is quite aggressive in
keeping the clowns out of his territory. I'm afraid in a 12G there just
isn't enough room for both of them. Really one fish is plenty for that
tank. Plus poor water quality with .5 nitrite she is getting a double
whammy.>
<Chris> New Nano Saltwater
tank Part II 5/12/06
Well, this is discouraging. <Sorry> The
Gramma and the clown get along fine. <Good> They were hanging out side
by side today eating. My Nitrates are 0, water PH is 8.2 Ammonia .25
<MUST be 0> and the Alkalinity is at 300. The only thing that was a
touch high was the nitrite, and I went off the advice of my local store.
The owner there has a 12 gallon AquaPod as well that she has kept for a
year, with great success.
So what will happen if I leave them both
in there...or what should I do at this point? Return the clown? Remove
things from the tank? I sure appreciate the time you took to reply to
me, and I don't want to hurt any of the fish, or coral.
Gram M.
<At this point I would take both fish back to the store if
possible. Have them keep them until both ammonia and nitrite are
measuring 0. That is when the tank is cycled and ready for
livestock. It can take up to 4 weeks. Then add both fish together and
be ready to change water since adding 2 fish at once can cause
ammonia/nitrite to rise. Clowns are pretty tough so he should be able
to co-exist with the Gramma, but keep an eye on them to make
sure. QTing is important, please check out the articles on WWM to get
more information on them. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but a
little work now will make long term success much easier to
achieve. Remember, with aquariums nothing good happens fast.>
<Chris> Nano-Tank Pre-Set-Up 5/11/06
Bonjour Crew...
<John.>
With the best of intentions (and we all
know where THOSE lead !)
<Oh-yeah…>
I took what I thought would
be a time-saving shortcut setting up a new AquaPod 24 gallon reef tank.
<Not a nano….hehe.>
My shortcut was to add 4.5 inches of CaribSea
Aragonite "sugar grain" sand (rinsed in a cloth lined colander until the
flow ran clear then a final rinse with distilled water) to the empty
tank, then filled the tank with more distilled water (RO/DI is on the
proverbial Xmas wish list).
<Okay.>
Right now the water is being
heated to 78 deg F and aerated with two air stones, anticipate adding
Tropic Marin salt mix on Saturday the 13th (<==hope it isn't an omen)
after buffering.
<Well Tropic Marin isn’t my first choice….but salt
mix choices amongst hobbyists is like arguing…..well I don’t have an
analogy but it’s like something you argue over and never agree on hehe.>
The really stupid question I have is: about how long will it take the
water at the bottom of the DSB to reach equilibrium with the salinity of
the tank water ?
<Fairly quickly….though to be honest I would have
put the sand in after the fact.>
Dredging up the residue of high
school chemistry class, I *think* it should be almost instantaneously
achieved but have no way to calculate a diffusion rate at all.
<Relatively quickly…yes.>
Since the tank will be left untouched till
Friday the 19th (when I have scheduled delivery of 20 lbs of live rock)
the salinity of the water throughout the DSB should have equalized,
shouldn't it ?
<Yes and since the tank has not cycled yet anyway,
there is no harm in stirring, sifting it as of right now.>
My
confusion is enormous, but the WWM Crew ? C'est magnifique !
<Hehe,
thanks for the laugh and compliment.>
John
<Adam Jackson.>
New Saltwater tank - 5/5/2006
Hi guys,
<Hi
there>
I'm looking to start a saltwater tank. I have read a bunch
of web sites for ideas, maybe to the point of too much info. Also, I
just ordered Bob's book, so I can really overload the brain.
<Fun
isn't it>
Here is my tank(s) plan. What do you think?
29gal
acrylic (30"x12.5"x17") main tank
<Kind of small for a first tank
but not too bad. In a perfect world I would recommend a 40>
Internal overflow in the back. (I like the safety of the internal
overflow vs. losing a siphon on an over the tank but it takes up
valuable space. Which way would you go?
<Internal by a large margin>
If you go with an internal, would a corner overflow be better (think I
could hide it better in the back)?
<Either one is fine>
1"
bulkhead for overflow
¾" bulkhead for return
20 gal tall
(24"x12.5"x17") acrylic tank for a sump 4" x 4" water intake area
Urchin or Remora skimmer (can the Urchin sit on the substrate or do I
need a separate skimmer area? <Better in a separate area>
Can a hang
on the back skimmer work in a sump where the water line is not
at the top?) <Can but not ideal>
Mag 5 (or Mag 7 depending on high I
build the stand) looking for around 300gal/hr
<Might try to go a
little bigger, you will lose flow depending on the height of the return>
11"x12.5"x13" (less the 4x4) area for refugium.
11"x12.5"x12" area
for my return water.
Is this a good division of the sump or what
area would you increase?
<Lose a little from both to make room for a
dedicated skimmer area>
This should give me 4-5 gallons for a power
failure.
<Advise testing this, skip learning the hard way if the
power fails and you are not home>
I wasn't planning on having a
quarantine tank but after reading so many FAQ's in which you "yell" at
others for not having one, I started to debate in my head if I should
forget about the sump and put a quarantine tank in the cabinet. I don't
have much room in my condo. I have decided on getting both.
<EXCELLENT!!!>
Is a 5 gal tank for a quarantine ok, or do I need a
10 gal? (sounds like most people use a 10 gal) If you had to choose
between the two which way would you go? <Ten is better, I have used
fives in the past, can be a bit demanding, but five is better than none
for sure. These are temporary tanks so they can be put away between
uses, so bigger is better.>
Glasscages.com is coming to
Boston the first weekend in June so I would have to order my tanks soon
if I go with them, and have them customized for me. (If it isn't already
too late, but I just found their site.)
<Lots of acrylic
manufactures out there so if they can't make the one you like look
around.>
Thanks for your input.
James
<Sounds like you are
on the right path to success.>
<Chris>
New 10g Nano
5/2/06
Hello Crew!
<Hello Dr. M!>
It has been a while.
Hope all is well in WWM land.
<All good here.>
Well as they say
"2 is better than 1", I am in the process of starting a 10g Nano. Like
my 120g reef tank is not enough.
<Ha! I know what you mean, but be
careful here – much different than dealing with a 120gal.>
My wife
thinks I am crazy, she is probably right!
<We might all be.>
Anyway my question is, when is the best time to start adding fish and
corals?
<After it has all cycled – more like a month time
frame. Like I said above, much different here because of how easily
water parameters can swing. So better safe than sorry.>
Currently I
have 12lbs of live rock in the tank. The tank has been going for about a
week. I have a simple Tetra hang on filter (with Carbon
filter bag),
CPR Bak-Pak 2 Protein skimmer, Current 2 x40 Watt Dual Satellite with 40
Watt 10000K White/7100K Blue (50/50) PowerCompact Bulbs. I
have
tested my water and my ph is 8.3, Ca 400, Alk 4, Nitrate and Nitrites 0,
Ammonia 0,
<All good, but still I would wait longer than a
week. Its possible you haven’t begun the cycle yet!>
My plan was to
have a nice mix of soft corals, and maybe some LPS. In addition maybe a
pair of clowns and some other small inverts (shrimp, crabs).
<Remember not too much here. Just two fish would be plenty.>
Should
I add the fish first then wait a period of time before I add the corals?
<Yes, just in case there is a drastic ammonia swing – which is VERY
possible after adding fish.>
Thanks. When I started my 120g about
1.5 years ago I had a local woman (who owned the LFS help me with the
set up). She made
some mistakes and I learned from those mistakes. I
just want to make the right decisions early on so I can avoid killing
any marine life.
<We all make mistakes in this hobby. You just get
as informed as you can! Good luck, Jen S.>
Dr. M
Sm.
marine plumbing Qs 4/28/06
Hello,
I have
been reading through your site for quite some time now. I am now ready
to take a plunge into plumbing a small set-up. (I have too much time on
my hands and not enough space for a larger tank.) My tank is 29 gallons,
sitting on a 36 inch stand. I plan on using schedule 40 PVC and small
flexible pieces to hook up the SCWD. Please take a look at my attached
diagram and let me know if you see any disasters waiting to happen.
<Mmm... are you planning on drilling the tank through the bottom to fit
the return? Relying on a check valve should the pump/ing fail? I would
NOT do this. This line should be run over the top... The one inch return
line is inadequate for a Mag 7... The valve shown on the return is
unnecessary>
Should I change my drain line to 2 45 degree elbows in
order to eliminate the horizontal run?
<Mmm, likely won't make much
difference here if this is kept as one inch I.D.... will siphon w/o
air... With upgrading to a larger diameter, I would change the ells out>
I am hoping to get somewhere around 400 gph on the return. Does this
sound about right to you (roughly)? Thanks for taking the time to
help!
Steve
<Steve, take a read through our plumbing articles,
FAQs:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marsetupindex2.htm
A bunch more to
consider, ponder before cutting and solventing here. Bob Fenner>
Re: Sm. marine plumbing Qs 4/29/06
Thanks for the quick
response. Sorry, the diagram does not show my return adequately. The
tank is drilled only for the drain line. I do plan on running the return
over the back, so the siphon will break in case of power failure.
<Ah, good>
The check valve was added as an extra precaution. You
said that a one inch return would be inadequate for a Mag 7. I plan on
using a 3/4 "
return line. Is this inadequate? If so what size
return do you recommend?
<... for the return, an inch and a half>
From my research, the Mag 7 should pump about 450 gph at a 5 foot head.
I am hoping that the 90's will slow this down to around 400 gph.
<Mmm... I would over-size this and all returns. As you will find, with
screening, use, they tend to "run slow"... Bob Fenner>
Nano
DSB - 04/26/06
I am a huge fan of the DSB and have had
great success with it in my 75 gallon reef tank at home (thanks to the
info on wetwebmedia.com). I have now started a 24 gallon Aquapod at work
so I can enjoy my reef all day.
<Very cool! I want one at work
too! But just remember – you’re working with a whole different animal
here now that you limited your water volume to such a small amount.>
I employed a 4 1/4" oolitic sandbed with 25-30 lbs of LR.
<Sounds
nice – however severely limits your volume once again, you will have to
be much more careful here, won’t be as forgiving as your 75g>
I also
threw in a couple scoops of sand from my DSB at home to seed it with
some pods and worms. The tank is stocked with 2 small chromis, a very
small ocellaris and the usual assortment of janitors.
<Just fine
amount of bioload here.>
Corals include a pom pom xenia, star
polyps, Fungia sp, assorted zoo's, 2 Ricordea yuma, and other various
mushrooms. The Nitrate has steadily risen in the Aquapod (unlike my tank
at home that has had undetectable levels for almost 2 years) it's
currently around 50ppm after 2 months.
<Ouch, much too high here –
especially stressful for your inverts. You have much too much in this
tank given its only 2 months old.>
Is the DSB just not deep enough
for a volume this small, maybe it needs more time?
<I wouldn’t add
anymore sand here, you already have little water.>
I don't think the
bioload is anywhere near "too much" fish wise and I feed very sparingly.
<Bioload is fine.>
I run a micron filter pad, changed daily and use
RO for top off. I'm planning on buying a little skimmer for it, but
don't have great confidence in the cheap ones that can fit in an
aquarium like this (current's fission skimmer).
<Absolutely must
have a skimmer here. Personally I’ve found that the fission doesn’t do
much. Adding a sump/refugium with a better skimmer like the Remora,
would be the best option.>
Would it be worth slowly adding another
inch or so of sand?
<I wouldn’t, no.>
Any ideas are appreciated.
For now I'm just going to go back to weekly water changes until I get
things figured out.
<Keep up your water changes, it is possible that
you haven’t quite cycled completely though. You’re really high and you
have enough in there to add to it daily. Next time, with a volume so
small, I would wait a little longer than you did before adding inverts
precisely for this reason. Good luck, Jen S.>
Thanks so much,
Jeremy Re: nano DSB For Jen S. 4/27/06
Thanks for
your reply Jen.
<No problem Jeremy!>
Your right, that is a lot
of coral for a 2 month old tank. They have all been frags from my big
tank so pretty much free
(it's hard to resist bringing them with me
to work!).
<I get you here!>
Anyways, I just wanted to let you
know that if you really do want a nano for work, fostersmith is selling
these 24 aquapods on special for only $169(shipping
was $13 so its
like 25% cheaper than I've seen anywhere) for the next week or 2.
<Thanks for the info – I ALWAYS order from them, but I don’t believe
I’ll ever go nano reef tank again (I have a 12gal up and running among
others.) There are just too many mod.s to make to these already built
systems.>
They do run a bit hot and we had to mod them with some
additional fans in the light cavity and some breathing ports on the
outer shell to evaporate the condensation.
<Great mod.s, you should
have seen me adding proper lighting to an eclipse hood!>
All and all
I am pretty happy with them so far. I'm going to try and shave 1/4 off
of a Berlin airlift 60 skimmer nice and quite plus no extra wattage in
the tank) crossing my fingers....it should fit in the back chamber.
<Great luck! I just added a sump/refugium to add the skimmer into,
among the many other benefits. Thanks again for the info! Jen S.>
Thanks again!
Jeremy
Small system set-up, stocking
- 04/02/06
Dear WWM crew: Thanks for your valuable,
inexhaustible volumes of information. <You're welcome.>
I've spent
months researching and setting up and my first saltwater tank is ready
to
go. I've held out on asking any questions till now but felt I had
to run this by you before I added any livestock.
My system is: 30
gallon long, plus 10 gallon sump/wet-dry built into the back. I removed
the bioballs and converted the space to a ~6 gallon refugium with a
5-in.
DSB, a few small pieces of live rock, and clump of
Chaetomorpha. <Very good idea doing this.> I diverted
some of the
flow to maintain ~15x turnover, and light it with an 18 watt PC,
alternating day/night with main tank. <Most, including myself leave the
refugium
lighting on 24/7.> The sump also has a Clear-for-life
venturi skimmer, foam filters, and a carbon bag.
My tank has 40 lbs.
live rock, 1 inch aragonite sand, 130 watt PC 10000K
50-50 lighting,
Rio 1700 powerhead. I had a bit of a BGA bloom after I added
the LR,
but things seem to have stabilized after a few weeks of regular
water changes and the addition of the Chaetomorpha and 20 Margarita and
a
few Cerith snails. My parameters are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, ~5
nitrates
(forgot the units...is it ppm?). <Yes> I'm using natural
seawater from Scripps (with fingers crossed).
As for fishes, I'd
like to add (in this order?) an Ocellaris clown, a Royal
Gramma, and
a fourline wrasse. I've read the wrasse can be a bit aggressive,
especially with snails. Would this be a wise addition? <No> I love their
playful
behavior, but have heard conflicting information, so please
advise. Maybe a
fairy wrasse, instead? <Much better, more
interesting/colorful.> I'd also like to add a pair of neon gobies, but
might
they be picked on by the others, even if I added them first?
<Don't believe so, but Neon Gobies
are very aggressive among
themselves unless they are a mated pair, so caution should be used here
if adding two.> And would they
mind only having 1-inch of sand to
dig in? <Wouldn't mind.> I'd also love to hear if you
have a
favorite, perhaps an active, under-appreciated fish I could add in
place of the wrasse or gobies that might coexist more peacefully. <A
Yellow Watchman Goby will work.> I'd had my
heard set on a
Rainford's goby, but now think my small system will not
provide the
sustenance needed. True? <No, they will accept most foods, do
need
at least two inches of sand for these guys.> Down the road, I'd also
like to add a
few soft corals, like a pulsing xenia and green star
polyp.
Thanks so much for reading, I look forward to your advice.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Scott, San Diego Nano and
Plenums 3/25/06
First off, thanks for the wonderful
resources this site provides and the job you guys are doing.
<Welcome>
I'm currently downgrading a 40 gallon FOWLR into a 20L
Reef system. I am
considering setting up a plenum system to achieve
natural denitrification.
<Mmm, these have largely fallen out of
favor... more likely problematical in small/er volumes>
My thoughts
are to use 1.5" of crushed coral on the bottom with 1.5" of livesand on
the top. I was using a DSB in my 40, but I have an Orange Spot Goby
(*Amblyeleotris guttata) *that likes to dig down to the bottom and it
seems because of that, I get limited areas for denitrification.
<Yes, likely so. If you go this route, with two different substrates,
I'd add a layer of "screen door" (non-metal of course), twixt them>
I plan on running a Sea Clear 150 Skimmer on the system, and filtration
will consist
of a magnum 350 with the return water passing through a
Laguna 1000 8W UV Sterilizer.
Water movement will be 2 powerheads
and spray bar return from the canister filter. I have plans to add a
small dump bucket system down the line for surge. Tank will have 1.5
Gallon Refugium lit 24 hours a day with a Coralife 10W 50/50 Bulb. Tank
lighting will be 2X 65W PC (110 Total Watts). Tank will have 30 LBS of
mature Fiji Rock elevated on slate platforms above the substrate.
Livestock load is light consisting of 1 Orange Goby, 1 Cinnamon Clown
and 1 Neon Velvet Damsel
<I hope these Pomacentrids get along>
with no plans to add any other fish. Corals added will more than likely
consist primarily of Zooanthids, Ricordea,
Mushrooms and Xenia. Base
Maintenance will be 20% changes every two days, and top off daily with
mix of RO and Tap water.
<Sounds do-able>
Now, that being said,
with the equipment being used and good husbandry, will the Plenum system
be overkill or take up so much space in the small volume as to useless?.
<Only experience can/will tell>
Would I be better served running
2-3" of substrate and perhaps a Flame Scallop or Clam with lower
lighting requirement to
filter the water instead of relying on
denitrification.
<Mmm, no to these choices/alternatives>
I am
also considering adding a small BTA for the clownfish separate from the
corals.
<Mmm, no>
Will the 5-6 W of light per gallon (assuming
some displacement of total water volume due to rock and sand) be
sufficient to support a BTA in the long term? Any advice you guys can
provide would certainly be appreciated.
<I would not add, mix an
anemone with the other cnidarians in such a system... size, type. Bob
Fenner>
Starting a mini-reef 3/25/06
Hello, my
name is Scott <Hi Scott - Tim answering your question today!>. I was
reading over your site and found it very informative <Very glad to hear
that.>. I do however have a few questions that you may be able to
answer. I would like to start a reef tank. I have had friends that kept
them in the past, and I have always been fascinated by them. I have one
serious draw back though. Money <Don't worry - no one ever has enough
money for a reef tank... the more you have the more you spend!>. I have
the opportunity to buy a 25 gal. <Small for a reef tank> glass tank from
a friend for $50, but reading the info on your site about small systems
has me second guessing. I know I can afford the maintenance and stocking
as necessary, it's the initial build up that worries me. As I am
currently deployed with the Army, I don't have the option of talking to
local vendors to assess what it will take monetarily to get started.
Given that I haven't ever done this before, I am unsure of what
equipment would be needed, and thus, checking vendors' sites is like
trying to read Greek. I was just wondering if you could clue me in on
what I need, or if you knew of an economical way to accomplish my goal.
<Have a look at eBay - you can very often buy a complete set up second
hand for a small fraction of the original cost! Otherwise you will need
- the aquarium, a powerful filter, a heater, a protein skimmer, high
wattage lighting (for a reef, metal halides are the best option),
substrate such as aragonite and live rock, critters and additives. This
will allow you to keep basic corals - though many of the more demanding
corals will require RO water, a calcium reactor and other more
specialized equipment. In this hobby it does really seem that the sky is
the limit in terms of equipment that you can add, but the initial list
above is the must haves for a successful reef.>
I don't want
anything extravagant at first, just sweet simplicity for learning sake.
<Consider a fish only marine system to begin with - you will be able to
save a lot of money on lighting and may be able to use a lower rated
protein skimmer.> Maybe one day I'll be able to build a beautiful and
working ecosystem in a tank, but on my current soldier's salary I can't.
This will be my last deployment, so the time will be there. I just need
to know if there is a way to do it without having to eat Top Raman for a
year. <Afraid not! Sorry>
Thanks for your help
SGT Scott
McWilliams
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