New tank setup help.

[Rocket_155]

Hi,

I'm starting a 30g tall tank and i have a few questions.

1 I was thinking that i should go for 2 - 4 inch sand bed. do you think that this is ok?

2 roughly how much lr should i use?

 

i was going to use the filter (a aquaclear 300 only run with the sponge) when is was needed.

 

I was thinking of having:

 

Livestock:

Amphiprion Percula x2 (mated pair )

Bicolour Pseudochromis (what do you think)

Opistogathus Aurifons (gold-banded sleeper goby)

Centropyge Bispinosus

 

Corals:

Zooathanus Socicitus

Sinulania Sp.

Xenia elongata

Clavularia Sp.

Asorted Shrooms

Green Brain

Bubble Coral

 

Inverts:

Coral Banded Shrimp

Astrea Snails

Pepermint Shrimp (will these two shrimps fight?)

 

Is this a good setup? Is there anything that could be changed?

 

Any response is appreciated.

 

Thanks

Rocket_155

[Gilman]

...i forget... is a 30gallon a nano?

 

What type of lighting are you planning on using in a 30 tall?

 

Gil

[tinyreef]

i never trust any angels with corals or other inverts. it's a hit or miss imo.

 

i'd also advise against any shrimp in the main tank. they're not to be trusted with soft corals either imo. the cbs is a skinny crab imo (i.e. not to be trusted). : keeping them in a refugium/sump wouldn't be a bad idea.

[Rocket_155]

Originally posted by Gilman

...i forget... is a 30gallon a nano?

 

Well Gilman i live in australia and we dont' have MH's here.

but i was going for twin 10k VHOs with twin 40 watt anticts.

(might be overkill)

 

by the way no a 30 isn't a nano lol it's a bit big

thanks

rocket_155

[Rocket_155]

Originally posted by tinyreef

i never trust any angels with corals or other inverts.  it's a hit or miss imo.

 

I have got experiance with angles becuase i have a larger display tank running.

But in smaller tank i might have to agree with you. A for the cbs i was thinking that i might be able to leave him/her/it out.

[MrConclusion]

The lighting you mention (2x white VHO & 2x normal-output actinic) isn't overkill for your setup.

 

I wouldn't go with a really deep sand bed, because you don't have a really deep tank, IMHO it would look funny. I believe you need AT LEAST 4" (and more like 6") to realize DSB benefits.

 

I would get about 40 pouinds of medium-fine grade aragonite sand. I'm a new believer in the "live sand in a bag" products. They have a 9 month shelf life so check the date on the bag when purchasing. The sand I bought recently was clean, attractive, and my live rock critters took to it immediately.

 

Bicolor angels are a good fish if you enjoy heartbreak!

 

Peppermint shrimp are hit or miss. It ssem like if they get "bored" they can chow down on expensive corals. Keep your eye on them but you'll probably be fine.

[anthony812]

Angels - some good some bad, if you ever going to get them in a 30 gallon, get teh dwarf species, ie. Flame angel, Pygmy Angel, Coral Beauty, that is about all the angel i would keep. In my 55 gallon, i have a 5" Emperator Angel that gave me no problems, and also a flame angel 3" and that is about the max they will grow in my tank due to the size. Both are well behaving and good boys, I just bought a beautiful, i mean BEAUTIFUL Leepard Wrasse last night, he has unbelievable patterns and color with bright yellow tail and so far he is getting along with my Sixline and Cleaner wrasees..keeping my fingers crossed!

 

AS for the DSB- at least 4-6" in a 30 gallon H, it would be at least 60 lbs of LS, use the Southdown graded/fine/sugar size cuz when you built a DSB, you would want Anaerobic areas in your sand and with the larger grains, air will slip in, remmeber to stick some pvc tubings on the bottom of the sand to support your LR, since you will have to built them high in a tall tank, with just the LS, it is highly possible for dissaster, and incase you ever thing about getting a digging goby or fish that will dig, your rockwork will tumble. IMO, no matter what depth your LS are, you should always use pvc to support your rocks from the bottom.

 

Good luck and have fun as i am sure you will enjoy your reef tank for the years and years to come