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29 gallon: R.E.E.F Tank


EthanPhillyCheesesteak

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NaturallyKait

I think there’s a difference between a beginner clam keeper and a beginner in general. I would guess ORA is saying that for someone who has already learned fish and coral keeping and is ready to expand into clams this can be a good place to start, not a beginner to aquariums in general. I know nothing about clams yet though, so maybe I’m wrong. 

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I’ve been told, and have read, that keeping clams are pretty much equivalent to keeping acroporas.  So last I looked you’re not quite gotten your tank to the SPS-keeping level yet.  And your nutrient controls still have ups and downs. I think you should wait a little while longer for clams. 

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55 minutes ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

This quote came straight from orafarm.com. And they do say that the Squamosa clams are a beginner clam. And exceptionally easy to take care of.

 

“Tridacna squamosa is a medium size Tridacna clam that is exceptionally easy to keep in aquariums. The mantle color pattern is easily distinguished form other species. It is golden brown with gold and black spots and sometimes has a green or blue border.

Another characteristic are the large scutes or plates on the shell. They are native to the Indo-Pacific coral reefs, and are found in deeper waters of 50-65 feet.

They prefer a sand bottom instead of rocky surfaces, and do not need as much light as Tridacna maxima in the aquarium. It is an excellent “beginner” clam species.”

It does not fit in a 29g so it doesn't matter. It will suck down ca/alk as they grow exceptionally fast. You don't own a doser and haven't even started dosing yet. 

 

You literally already said you can't get a bigger tank because of your parents and when you go to college you will live in a dorm. They have a 10g max rule if they allow them at all.

 

1 hour ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

What about a maxima clam? One of the mini ones? Could I do that? I always loved the colors on the maxima clams

These are hard to keep, the smaller ones have a high mortality rate. These small clams are more difficult than acropora imo. A large 4-6 inch specimen would be easier but you really should understand how to dose and have a way to dose daily before taking on a clam. 

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3 hours ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

This quote came straight from orafarm.com. And they do say that the Squamosa clams are a beginner clam. And exceptionally easy to take care of.

 

“Tridacna squamosa is a medium size Tridacna clam that is exceptionally easy to keep in aquariums. The mantle color pattern is easily distinguished form other species. It is golden brown with gold and black spots and sometimes has a green or blue border.

Another characteristic are the large scutes or plates on the shell. They are native to the Indo-Pacific coral reefs, and are found in deeper waters of 50-65 feet.

They prefer a sand bottom instead of rocky surfaces, and do not need as much light as Tridacna maxima in the aquarium. It is an excellent “beginner” clam species.”

I’m gonna say, with all the crabs you have- it may end up being a waste of money. I tried one and got the joy of watching my electric blue hermit eat it. And he picked it CLEAN. So just as a word of warning- don’t just buy one to buy one. They’re awful expensive crab snacks.

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I'd be worried about the conch and the clam myself. Keep reading up and progressing in your skills. You've come on leaps and bounds and the tank looks great. Keep doing what you're doing and one day I reckon you'll be ready.

 

Patience and keep up the great work bud

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"Beginner" as in this is what you get as a beginner to clams, not as a beginner to the hobby. And your tank is still far too small for an animal that big, in terms of both water quality and aesthetics.

 

You should really let your tank get more established and get practice in with proper dosing before you try any clam.

 

Also, my college dorm has a max of 5gal allowed.

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak
17 hours ago, Tired said:

"Beginner" as in this is what you get as a beginner to clams, not as a beginner to the hobby. And your tank is still far too small for an animal that big, in terms of both water quality and aesthetics.

 

You should really let your tank get more established and get practice in with proper dosing before you try any clam.

 

Also, my college dorm has a max of 5gal allowed.

So it just depends on the college that you go to I guess?

I’ll just stick to what I have right now and master sps before I consider clams

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It's gonna vary depending on the college, yes. If you know which college you want to go to, you could always email them and ask. 

 

I would not be getting a clam, unless you're prepared to get rid of it before college, because they more than likely will not allow a tank large enough for an adult clam. And you'd need some SPS experience beforehand. I'm sure there are people who've gotten a clam before SPS experience and not killed it, but it's not the best plan.

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Its whatever policy that college allows... some may not allow a tank at all though I think most allow small ones. Generally 5-10g limit. Dorms usually have room mates which means sharing a tiny space. 

 

Also you have to be able to transport your tank home with you over summer and winter break etc.. if you plan to return home like many do on break. 

 

I know there are a few colleges that allow hamsters... cats and dogs... but you have to be in a special housing or apply... its an exception... most are small fish only. 

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak

Quick question about acros. Are all acros the same level of difficulty? Or are there certain acros that are easier?  For some reason I feel like I read somewhere that the green slimers are easier.

And another sps question 

Are Montipora setosas pretty much like a regular Montipora, but it’s branching?

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6 minutes ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

Quick question about acros. Are all acros the same level of difficulty? Or are there certain acros that are easier?  For some reason I feel like I read somewhere that the green slimers are easier.

And another sps question 

Are Montipora setosas pretty much like a regular Montipora, but it’s branching?

yes some acros are more forgiving than others, green slimer is one of those beginner acros - i.e. if it's unhappy, you "could" still keep it alive, but it would be brown and not growing, vs just drop dead on you.  Of course too much of a alk swing will kill anything.

 

Montipora's that can provide branching forms - M. digitata, M. stellata, M Setosa, M spongodes (stay away from this one, they're borderline invasive).  Of all four, digi's are the only one with true branching form - the other three tend to be a mixture of encrusting and branches.  there are some beautiful digi's out there if you're looking to get into branching sps.   

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak
14 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

yes some acros are more forgiving than others, green slimer is one of those beginner acros - i.e. if it's unhappy, you "could" still keep it alive, but it would be brown and not growing, vs just drop dead on you.  Of course too much of a alk swing will kill anything.

 

Montipora's that can provide branching forms - M. digitata, M. stellata, M Setosa, M spongodes (stay away from this one, they're borderline invasive).  Of all four, digi's are the only one with true branching form - the other three tend to be a mixture of encrusting and branches.  there are some beautiful digi's out there if you're looking to get into branching sps.   

I think I’ll start sps with either a pocillopora or a digi. One of the two. And then once I have those growing well, I’ll try one of the easier acros. My Alk has been stable and not fluctuating for at least 3 months. I’ve been really consistent at keeping my params stable. I learned once my params are stable and not going all over the place, corals grow a lot better and the tank loves it.

 

My only problem in my tank right now is the nutrients in my tank. I don’t even understand how I have that many nutrients. I only have 4 fish, two gobies and two clowns. And a large clean up crew. About 30 Cerith snails, 2 large turbo snails, 2 emerald crabs that are very active. They are out in the open during the day and eating everything. A fighting conch. I’ve had him for almost a year now. I also have 2 anemones, but they shouldn’t really be the cause for too much nutrients. And also a big hermit crab. I have my protein skimmer running, but it doesn’t fill up the cup very often. It takes a while to fill up. It takes like 2 weeks to fill up.

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak
24 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

yes some acros are more forgiving than others, green slimer is one of those beginner acros - i.e. if it's unhappy, you "could" still keep it alive, but it would be brown and not growing, vs just drop dead on you.  Of course too much of a alk swing will kill anything.

 

Montipora's that can provide branching forms - M. digitata, M. stellata, M Setosa, M spongodes (stay away from this one, they're borderline invasive).  Of all four, digi's are the only one with true branching form - the other three tend to be a mixture of encrusting and branches.  there are some beautiful digi's out there if you're looking to get into branching sps.   

Spongodes are invasive? Really? I never knew that? I found a really pretty one that I was actually considering getting. 

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak

This was the one that I was considering 

4570F3C5-19C5-4EF0-A69E-11B9A51AD05D.png

Also, I just have to show y’all this mushroom that I found on eBay. It’s insane, I’ve never seen one like this before. It’s gorgeous.

45B4ED72-BF0E-4563-B734-404A4B019DD0.png

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3 hours ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

I think I’ll start sps with either a pocillopora or a digi. One of the two. And then once I have those growing well, I’ll try one of the easier acros. My Alk has been stable and not fluctuating for at least 3 months. I’ve been really consistent at keeping my params stable. I learned once my params are stable and not going all over the place, corals grow a lot better and the tank loves it.

 

My only problem in my tank right now is the nutrients in my tank. I don’t even understand how I have that many nutrients. I only have 4 fish, two gobies and two clowns. And a large clean up crew. About 30 Cerith snails, 2 large turbo snails, 2 emerald crabs that are very active. They are out in the open during the day and eating everything. A fighting conch. I’ve had him for almost a year now. I also have 2 anemones, but they shouldn’t really be the cause for too much nutrients. And also a big hermit crab. I have my protein skimmer running, but it doesn’t fill up the cup very often. It takes a while to fill up. It takes like 2 weeks to fill up.

nutrient in, nutrient out - only a small fraction of what's consumed and gets metabolized into actual growth.  The rest = excess waste.  anemone poops just like other critters in the tank, and as far as I recall you feed your pretty heavily.  Clean-up crews only "recycle" so much of the poop as their food source, but they themselves still have to poop.  So watch what you feed, or up your water change to manage nutrients.  stay away from chemical media, it's easy to get things out of whack with those.         

3 hours ago, EthanPhillyCheesesteak said:

Spongodes are invasive? Really? I never knew that? I found a really pretty one that I was actually considering getting. 

not first hand experience, but have been told they can grow faster than most montis.  Spongodes are hardy and easy to care for - so it won't hurt as a starter sps, just have to watch it and the rest of the tank carefully.    Some might consider it a good thing that corals grow fast.  But in the world of nanoreef where space is limited, fast growing corals take away space from others.  It also drives instability (Ca/Alk) if not well managed.   It might make a good test case for you to learn about dosing tho.  

 

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I would get the spongedos if you like it, pocci is way more invasive then that stuff. Just put it somewhere that is easy to frag as it is fast growing. 

40 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

nutrient in, nutrient out - only a small fraction of what's consumed and gets metabolized into actual growth.  The rest = excess waste.  anemone poops just like other critters in the tank, and as far as I recall you feed your pretty heavily.  Clean-up crews only "recycle" so much of the poop as their food source, but they themselves still have to poop.  So watch what you feed, or up your water change to manage nutrients.  stay away from chemical media, it's easy to get things out of whack with those.         

not first hand experience, but have been told they can grow faster than most montis.  Spongodes are hardy and easy to care for - so it won't hurt as a starter sps, just have to watch it and the rest of the tank carefully.    Some might consider it a good thing that corals grow fast.  But in the world of nanoreef where space is limited, fast growing corals take away space from others.  It also drives instability (Ca/Alk) if not well managed.   It might make a good test case for you to learn about dosing tho.  

 

 

He said he only feeds the fish twice a week, or used to. I find that pretty unacceptable for things like leopard wrasses. 

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak
2 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

I would get the spongedos if you like it, pocci is way more invasive then that stuff. Just put it somewhere that is easy to frag as it is fast growing. 

 

He said he only feeds the fish twice a week, or used to. I find that pretty unacceptable for things like leopard wrasses. 

I don’t have the leopard wrasse anymore sadly. But I’m now feeding my tank every other day now. Sometimes I wait an extra day and feed every three days

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak

I think I’ll get the spongedos as my first sps. It’s really pretty and I like the way it branches. I like how it’s a mix of branching and plating.

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You really need to feed your fish more often. Feed them daily, a small amount. Remember, these are animals that would be constantly eating in the wild, it's not good for them to go between meals at all. Especially not a wrasse! Those should really be fed more than once a day. Probably why you no longer have your leopard wrasse.

 

If you don't feed your anemones heavily, you won't overwhelm the tank by feeding your fish.

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Here is the list of my most hardiest SPS:

 

ORA Mint Pavona (I could not kill this to save my life)

Orange/Pink Setosa Monti (seems to keep color and grow even in a toilet)

Forest Fire Dig 

ORA Kelly Green Psammacora (Branching type)

 

 

I found these guys to be more resilient then even birdsnest or plating monti's. They have been around for sale for A LONG time and likley just very used to captivity at this point.

 

 

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EthanPhillyCheesesteak
3 minutes ago, Tired said:

You really need to feed your fish more often. Feed them daily, a small amount. Remember, these are animals that would be constantly eating in the wild, it's not good for them to go between meals at all. Especially not a wrasse! Those should really be fed more than once a day. Probably why you no longer have your leopard wrasse.

 

If you don't feed your anemones heavily, you won't overwhelm the tank by feeding your fish.

I give my nems a small chunk of red snapper every day. They also get a little bit of mysis when I feed my fish. I was told that every other day was fine

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That's your nutrient problem right there. Nems don't need daily (or more than once a day, goodness) feeding, they'll just poop most out of it and pollute your tank. They really just need a couple times a week, maybe once a week. Stop feeding them so much. 

 

Every other day for fish feeding isn't going to kill them, but it's not ideal unless you have a ton of pods. 

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1 hour ago, Tamberav said:

Here is the list of my most hardiest SPS:

 

ORA Mint Pavona (I could not kill this to save my life)

Orange/Pink Setosa Monti (seems to keep color and grow even in a toilet)

Forest Fire Dig 

ORA Kelly Green Psammacora (Branching type)

 

 

I found these guys to be more resilient then even birdsnest or plating monti's. They have been around for sale for A LONG time and likley just very used to captivity at this point.

 

 

Pretty recommendations. Will see what I can get a hold of over here.

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