Plz help with my 20gal nano.

[slylie]

Hello.. just wanted some input... I wanna try to make this work well.

 

The tank has been cycling now for 1 month, I still have managed to hold off on adding anything even though the ammo and Trite are at 0 and the trate is up. I'm probably going to wait another month or so and add the crustaceans, then about 4 or so months later the anemones and anemone crab. How long shall I Wait to put in the zoos?

 

Also, I wanted to add a christmas tree rock. Any idea how long to add that.?

 

Just to let u know, here are the specs.

 

20 gal tall

15lbs Liverock

5" DSB (Aragonite reef sand)

Powerhead

Aquaclear 300 w/just the carbon and sponge.

 

My livestock, in the end will be.

 

Coral Branded Shrimp

Sponge Crab

Anemone Crab

Either Long Tentacle/Sebae/Bubble Anemone. (to be researched)

Zoo's

Mushroom's

 

is this too much? room for more? suggestions? plz.. thanks!

 

 

I allready did a rush 15gal, which I learned from my mistakes, and now I'm trying to do it right.

 

cheers.

[jdiver]

It's good to see that you're exercising patience with the tank set up. You can add a cleanup crew now (I'm assuming that's what you meant by waiting another month to add crustaceans). What type of lr is it? 15 pounds seems low to me for a 20 gallon, as I think that is about how much I have in my minibow 7. Corals (zoos and shrooms in your case) can be added slowly when your nitrates have dropped to < 20 or so (less is obviously better). Anemones are not recommended, as their survival rate is generally quite poor in any size reef tank. (Consider that anemones live for 100+ years in the ocean and on average live for 1 year or so in aquariums.) Substitues for anemones include a number of LPS corals, including Frogspwan (my personal fav), Torch, and Hammer corals. As far as the XMas tree rock, I haven't heard many positive things about keeping them, but do a search for specifics. The one thing you didn't mention, which can definitely dictate inabitants, is your lighting.

[slylie]

sorry. Lighting is 2x 55w PC (1 Acnt.)

[slylie]

oh, and the corals that you listed... will they play host to an aneomone crab?

sorry if thats a dumb question.. Ijust heard that some clowns will be hosted by some corals... thought it might be the same for the crabs

[MKramer]

I'm not familiar with sponge crabs (have a species name?), but anemone crabs are easy to keep if you've got a healthy anemone. Which is said to be difficult for beginners. If you insist on doing an anemone, go with the bubble-tip. It and haddon's carpet are the easiest of the anemones (not to be confused with actually being easy), and S. haddoni isn't a crab-hoster.

 

Well, that describes the porcelein anemone crab. There are other varieties, like Dardanus hermits. These "host" with only one type of anemone, which should come attached to the crab's shell when you buy them. These anemones are much easier to keep, but not exactly beautiful specimens. The crabs are also unhealthy for a reef tank.

 

Christmas Tree worms (Spirobranchus porites) are very difficult animals to keep. To do so, it requires very frequent feeding of phytoplankton. which is made more difficult by the fact that the slightest disturbance will make the worms duck back into the rock and not feed.

 

It's my recommendation that you go back and rethink your livestock list. Consider more of the cleaner-type crabs and snails, as the exotics (like your crab selections) tend to do more harm than good. Aim for easier-to-keep corals. If you're like me and don't care for the typical soft corals, there is still a good list of LPS Hard corals to consider. Your lighting, especially in a tall tank, will probably not be sufficient for keeping SPS or anemones.

[halibutk]

I see that the previous poster says that 2x55w PC is too little light for SPS. What about 3x55 on a 20H (18" depth).

 

I cant afford MH but I found a 3x55w PC setup within my price range for a 20H. And my goal is to keep SPS.

 

Also which is better in ligh configs for 3x55w

 

3 50/50 -or-

2 10,000k 1 actnic -or-

1 10,000k 2 actnic -or-

other

 

Please help its crunch time to start buying for setup within the next few weeks. (I plan on phot documenting the entire setup too, designing website now)

 

System setup will be a 20H with a 10 gallon refugium/sump

30 pounds live rock (either Fiji or Marshall)

3 inch SB in tank (carib sea arganite oolithic sand)

4 inch SB in refugium with MAcro algae and 4 mangroves

 

What to add 2 small percs and a gobie or two into tank with SPS corals.

 

There you have it my dream will it work.

[MKramer]

I think 3x55 would be sufficient for most critters. Just keep the light-loving ones near the top. I'd get two 10,000K and 1 actinic. It'll have a good, crisp look to it.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the sand bed depth. Going deep in a tank with that small of a base (same with the 10g) will hardly provide the DSB benifits. If you like the look of a DSB, go ahead, but there's no logical reason to put it in either tank, aside from asthetics.

 

Because the water return on the AquaClear doesn't create any water movement beyond about the top 10" of the water column, you may want a second power head to help keep current moving around the bottom of the tank. Dead water flow around the bottom is a dream coem true for red slime colonies.

 

Otherwise, it sounds like you've got a good plan.

[MKramer]

Also, while 30lbs might indeed be how much rock you use, I recommend you get it in stages. Start with 20. It can be difficult to stack rock nicely in a tall tank, and you might find you have to do it in a way that consumes more space. If you get 20 in and it still doesn't take up enough space in your mind's eye, get some more. But keep in mind that corals set on top of the rocks will enjoy the unrestricted water flow, and most SPS can grow quite quickly. Not to mention, many corals come attached to rock. I usually skimp a bit on short tanks, even, and slowly fill in the gaps as I add livestock. Adding a small piece of rock here and there doesn't impact the ammonia levels in the tank enoguh to worry about.

[slylie]

well, I went out tonight and got 11# of kelleni LR, which looks really cool. I put it in and it looks good and full now. I'm going to look for the 3x55 PC lighting allthough I've only seen the 2x55PC units.

 

I'm worried if any of the crusties will feed on the Worms? Anyone know if CBS or Decorators eat worms? I've researched on the net, most sites say decorator's are cool, but coral branded?

 

cheers.

[danano]

Slylie, with a 20G nano, sounds like you have enough room for your anemone/crab (in one corner near/at the bottom) leaving the rest of the tank for your shrooms, zoos, polyps, corals (LPS, SPS, soft), etc.

 

X'mas tree worms require frequent feeding (about 2x/day) with phytoplankton (as MKramer mentioned). I have 5 X'mas tree rocks in my 10G that I use as part of my aquascape - covered with porite coral and loads of X'mas tree worms and have had them for about 3 months. I feed them with Marine Snow - a microscopic (0.2 - 150 microns) plankton diet. Porites are calcifying and new X'mas tree worms are 'sprouting' out of new holes in the rock. My tank has been setup 8 months.

 

I'm using 1x55W 10K plus 1x55W 17K for my 10G. For a 20G tall, 2x55W may be adequate if you don't ever plan on SPS and clams - otherwise, go for 3x55W. The latter will give you more options as you grow with your tank.

 

For pics/details on my tank setup, follow the link:

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthread...&threadid=10861

[OscarBeast]

Is that 4 fish, an orange carnation, and a blue goniopora in a 10-gallon tank?

[LiQuiD]

I saw you stated that among the zoo's and mushrooms as inhabitants that you want, you also want a Sponge Crab AKA Decorator Crab. I would say no way, no how should you even think of getting that crab with any corals, especially the ones you want. They get the "decorator" name from ripping out coral and sticking it on their backs. I have one of these in a fish only with live rock in my bedroom, and well, lets just say some of the live rock I have put in had zoo's, shrooms and sponges on it (it does have low (and I mean LOW) wattage PC's over it that can sustain zoo's and shrooms and such, but are now on his back as you can see. It just ate the shrooms and seems to prefer the sponges and zoo's for it's back. Oh yea, they also get like a foot plus in size. All I am saying is think twice if you want one of these in a reef.

[danano]

(RESPONSE to Oscar)

 

Yes, a yellow wrasse, tomato clown, false percula and blue damsel. I have 3 colors of dendro (carnation); orange, pink (sleeping behind the Alveopora) and 'vermillion-ish' pink (sleeping to the left of the red chilli). Similar in appearance to Goniopora, the one in the middle of the tank above the tridacna is an Alveopora - has 12 tentacles around each polyp whereas Goniopora has 24. Blue-ish coloration may be due to the actinic.

 

I do have a healthy and 'hardy' pastel-yellow goniopora that came w/ a LR - at the back/center behind the the green-tip acro.

[halibutk]

the 3x55watt lights can be found here

 

http://www.petsupplyliquidator.com/htm/apr...d_ultrareef.htm

 

In fact one of Nano-reef sponsors.

 

He even is working with me to ship to alaska.

 

One a side note the sand bed is going to be in the 20 gallon tank with a little in the ten gallon tank for looks. I took your advice and eliminated the DSB in the refugium. This will use the two 30lb bags of carib sea arganite white sand I bought from LFS. Ill have to get some live sand seed from someone though.

 

As with the live rock I live in alaska so buying 30-35 pounds at a time is about the only econimcal way to go. (LFS carries none) I figured what I didnt use in the tank I could throw in the refugium or give to one of the reefers in this town (I actually found some.....amazing)

 

Here is a few more questions:

 

Skimmer----Yes/no with refugium and if Yes which one for my setup. Not sure where Ill put it though.

 

Also am really confused on the plumbing aspect of the 20h tank to ten refugium. I was thinking H.O.B. overflow with Azoo 1800 for return to tank, with ball valves to regulate water flow to and from the tank. You think this is going to work.

[OscarBeast]

Nope, I wasn't talking about the Alveopora. I clicked on your link and see that what I thought might be a blue goniopora is your pipe organ, but you say you have a goniopora anyway... lol

[MKramer]

danamo: How long have you kept that livestock in your tank? I'm impressed, and scared. I've only personally seen carnations thrive in one tank, and it was a 200g that was massively (intentionally) overfed.

 

halibut: I didn't realize you were in AK. I certainly agree with your logic on the rock, then. You'll want rock in your refugium anyway, as that's where most the nice little fuge critters hide and breed.

 

As for seeding your sand, try garf.org, ispf.com, or inlandaquatics.com for a seeding kit (known as sludge, detritivore kit, livesand activator, etc.). Of those three, I think GARF is the only one that'll do small amounts (the others ship enough for a 50g aquarium, I think), as they let you order by the pound. I recommend about a 10:1 ratio of your sand to their sludge.

 

If you can't find anyone who will work with you on shipping up there, mail or PM me, and I'll hook you up with some of my own. I keep my sandbed nice and active, refreshing it every 3 months.