First Reef Tank / Coral Sea Biotope

[AussieBen]

I’m a longtime lurker, first time poster and converting from freshwater.  I’m still in the planning stages, but hoping to start cycling soon.

 

 I will be using a standard 20 long with a Penguin HoB filter that I already have.  I’m planning an AI Prime for lighting and a Jebao OW 10.  Live rock with a sandy bottom.

 

My dream tank would be a Coral Sea biotope, but I’m not sure if I’m biting off more than I can chew.  I’ll start with some easier corals.  I’m thinking a pair of clowns (Cinnamon?), maybe a goby or blenny, and maybe a green chromis or something for movement.

 

Any thoughts on my setup and easier Coral Sea corals and inverts for this newbie?

[billygoat]

Hello and welcome to N-R! 

 

The Coral Sea is one of the richest and most biodiverse areas of ocean on the entire planet. It is the original home of a large number of the species of coral (both hard and soft) now commonly available in the aquarium trade, so I think it is a region that has a lot of flexibility when it comes to biotopes. If you'd like you could start off with a variety of soft corals (Sarcophyton, Lobophytum, Sinularia, etc.) and easy-to-keep algae such as Halimeda, and then move up to stony corals later on once the tank begins to mature. Googling photos or dive videos from the Great Barrier Reef would be a good place to begin, just to help you get an idea of what sort of species grow in what environments, what does well in proximity to other things, etc.

 

I love biotopes and can't wait to see what you come up with! 😁

[AussieBen]

3 hours ago, billygoat said:

Googling photos or dive videos from the Great Barrier Reef would be a good place to begin

Thanks for the species tips.  The Coral Sea is amazing and this inspiration comes firsthand, my wife and I have been planning this tank ever since a Mike Ball dive trip years ago.

 

What about CuC?  Figuring out which species are available and endemic is tricky.  Most seem to be Caribbean.

[billygoat]

39 minutes ago, AussieBen said:

What about CuC?  Figuring out which species are available and endemic is tricky.  Most seem to be Caribbean.

Almost everybody gets their CuC from Reef Cleaners, but it's true that John over there stocks mainly Caribbean species. For grazers you will have to look to various species of Turbo, Trochus, Astraea, and Stomatella snails, but in many cases it's likely going to be quite difficult to differentiate between Pacific species and their Caribbean relatives. If it were me I would probably compromise and just get whatever is available as long as they are from the same genus. 

 

Hermits are a bit harder as well - the typical blue-leg and scarlet hermits are off the table, but you can get things like blue knuckle and halloween hermits that are still fairly efficient cleaners. Tuxedo urchins (Mespilla spp.) are another option as they do quite a bit of grazing and don't get very big.

[AussieBen]

Good stuff, thanks.

 

Any tips on converting a freshwater tank?  I was going to clean it thoroughly (no soaps) and let it dry out.  Anything else I should think about?

[mcarroll]

There's no reason you'd have to do anything more than add salt mix at 1/2 cup per gallon of water.  Then it's saltwater.  Prolly better than starting from scratch too, but still might not be what you want.  

 

But there's nothing special you have to do....take the stuff out of the tank you don't want to be saltwater, leave the stuff in that you do (like the water itself) and after adding 1/2 cup per gallon you're all ready.

[Clown79]

On 8/16/2019 at 3:38 PM, AussieBen said:

Good stuff, thanks.

 

Any tips on converting a freshwater tank?  I was going to clean it thoroughly (no soaps) and let it dry out.  Anything else I should think about?

Clean all equipment and tank with vinegar and water.

 

Get new media for filter, set up the tank. 

 

 

[AussieBen]

Thanks for the help.

 

The plan is to clean out the equipment and get the tank cycling in the next week or so.

 

I'm not sure how the Penguin filter will work, but I can change it out if needed.

[Clown79]

1 hour ago, AussieBen said:

Thanks for the help.

 

The plan is to clean out the equipment and get the tank cycling in the next week or so.

 

I'm not sure how the Penguin filter will work, but I can change it out if needed.

I know I had a penguin at some point or another but I can't remember the actual filter box section.

 

It's best to use media for SW rather than the filter cartridges. If you have room in the filter you can put filter floss in there and a bag of carbon.

 

Buying carbon in bulk and bagging it yourself is very cost effective and gives you control on how much you use and how often to change it.

 

Buying floss in bulk, I highly recommend as it's best to change it out 2 times a week.

 

If you want to go with another hob, the Aquaclears and Tidals are the best options. My preference is the tidal because the basket is huge, it has a surface skimmer, flow is completely controllable(not just high/low), and its silent.

[Shad]

I plan on starting a salt water tank. When I was in the Caribbean I found a lot of coral and Konk shells along the beach. Is there anything I need to do to them before I put them into my tank?