Simple tank for a science project

[Capnella]

Hi All,

 

I'm a beginner thinking about setting up a tank with an unusual premise:

I'm doing a science project on Capnella sp. (kenya tree coral) and want to set up an environment in which these corals thrive. I do not care about aesthetics. I want my tank to be as simple/cheap as possible while still encouraging Capnella to grow.

 

Luckily, I've learned that Capnella is a hardy animal and can survive under a decently wide set of conditions, so I'm hoping to be able to get away with a simple setup. I'm thinking of getting a 3 to 5 gallon tank (many of these come with pumps/filters), medium light, live aragonite sand, a bit of live rock, heater and all the chemistry test kits of course. I already have a reverse osmosis system.

 

The main thing I'm wondering is: what else do I need in there to have a stable ecosystem. Is just the coral and the bacteria in the sand/rocks enough to make a full food web or do i need other animals in there?

 

Capnella apparently get some of their energy from photosynthesis and some from filter feeding, so I should probably supplement with some phytoplankton every so often. Is the dried stuff o.k. or should I get live plankton from a fish store or something?

 

If there's anything else that you think I absolutely need, or if there are things that you think I could skip given that I'm growing a pretty robust coral and do not care for aesthetics, let me know.

 

Thanks!!

 

P.S.: I'm trained as a chemist so no need to explain the basics of nitrogen, phosphate, metal ions, deionized water, specific gravity etc.

 

 

[Han Solo]

Perhaps a clean up crew would be good as well. Some small hermit crabs and some snails. Really the only of livestock you need.

 

Also you can't go wrong with one of those all-in-one marine tanks. Just don't get a cheap all-in-one freshwater tank at Petco or something!

 

And a powerhead for water flow...

[brandon429]

I have something specific, and a direct request for someone to post a cheaper way to grow capnell

 

which will start a bidding war, and you w win your request.

 

first submission

 

the most stable and cheapest reef tank you can own is a reefbowl. Id recommend a still, noncirculated reef from pjreefs or any of our biotope forum friends if I thought they could live in still waters like briareum, for example. being tunic shedders Ill say they need current, so that makes a reefbowl your cheapest option of any possible array. it will beat salinity stability of any sized reef aquarium, say 200 gallons for example, and its a one gallon tank. search for reefbowls man

 

the people who have reefbowls on this site w agree they can go longer in between topoffs than any other functioning reef tank that is common for the home. restricted evaporation is the key, and cost per gallon. can't beat it. sent you a link

 

 

ok let the offers compile

[antsypants]

I would skip out on dosing phyto simply because it's unnecessary. If you have an LFS by you that will test basic parameters then I'd skip on the test kits as well. I've actually heard of people using Kenya trees as a sign that something is wrong with their water because they'll start to droop if somehing's up.

 

Anyways, this sounds like an interesting little project it isn't often you tell people to go less on their setups haha

[brandon429]

I agree, the storebought phytos often lead to microalgae spots on the glass...now a live refrigerated solution, sounds ok as long as its enriched with some meaty fare like blenderized mysis or any of the common frozen reef mixes. not much feed w be needed for a single cap.