polojunk Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 Hey I have been reading alot about reef keeping in the last few days, but I still have some questions. I am planning on getting a ten gallon tank with LS and LR. I want to get 2 Percula clownfish. I also want to get some corals of course, and some anenomies. 1)What kind of PC lighting would be good for this? and where can I buy a hood for this lighting, and where can I buy PC lights? 2)After I have everything set up, how long should I put a damselfish in there before its done cycling? Can I put the damselfish in the tank the day after I set it up? 3) After I have the tank cycled, what do I do next? Get corals, then fish? I know I have to add livestock slowely. Do I have to feed corals? 4) how many powerheads? How strong should they be? Lots of questions, I know. I have been keeping freshwater for a few years now, so I'm not totally clueless as to aquariums. Link to comment
Xavier Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 1) Check out some of the sponsors of this site.. they offer hoods.. if you're a handy person you could make your own from wood and use the DIY kits from these same sponsors.. if you plan to keep hard corals or clams, it may be a better idea to get Metal Halide up front, even though it'll cost you more... 2) You don't need to cycle with a damsel.. you could possibly kill the fish, and if not, stress it imensely. All you need to do is add a pinch of flake food or small chunk of raw shrimp.. if you have LR in the tank - you don't need to add anything since the die off on the rock will be all you need 3) Always add slowly... only add that which you've researched (don't do the "I saw this pretty fish and had to have it" thing)... some corals do require feeding (only research will tell you if that feeding is daily, weekly, etc)... always find out how much light and current is required for the coral you want to buy, and if it requires supplimental feedings (and what those feedings are)... placing a coral that requires lots of light at the bottom of a tank might kill the coral... your first purchases won't actually be either coral or fish, but snails and hermit crabs to get your algae under control... then it's really up to you... depends on your level of experience.. since you're new - start with some beginner corals (shrooms, zoos, xenia, GSP, etc) and your percs (notice - no damsel)... add from there as your confidence increases... but ALWAYS research before you buy... and don't over-stock your tank.. corals are sensitive to water parameters.. more so then most fish... so if you plan to keep corals, plan to have fewer fish then if you had fish-only... when buying fish, keep in mind what they eat, how much room they require, how they react to other fish and corals, and their maximum growth size... 4) Powerheads.. this also is dependant on the fish and corals you want to get... if you have corals that require low flow, and you're blasting them with water (or visa versa) they would probably be very unappreciative... so before you get all your equipment, find out what you want to put in the tank first, then get your equipment to support those creatures... you'll probably need either 1 good sized PH or 2 smaller ones.. Have you thought about a refugium? Definitely something to research before getting your tank... HTH! Link to comment
Reefy Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 Don't purchase anemones because they are hard to take care of. Instead, if you want your clowns to play in anemones get a hairy mushroom coral instead, or whatever the clowns might have their homes as. Link to comment
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