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proposed new setup


marinemini

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Hi

First let me give you some infor about my self, i am 13 and i am on a limmited budget so can please nobody be telling me to go out and buy metal halides and 10000000kg of live rock :D . i have just left a site called reef park for telling me i will fail before i have even begun, and instead of finding ways round my problemthey just say things will die. anyway i hope this forum is a lot more pleasant.

(reef park friendliest forum on the net my ass)

 

anyway

 

this is my propossed set-up

 

the main tank is 13 gallon and is connected to a 7 gallon ecosystem

5 kg of live rock, more than enough

1 power head 800 litres

internal power filter 1200 litres

i intend to use a pre filter can anybody tell me how to build one.

thats it i cannot see why this is not enough to filter the tank but if anybody has any comments please post them.

this is my propossed stock

soft corals?

2 clowns

one dwarf lionfish (tempory till i get a bigger tank)

1 bubble anemone

thats it

any comments?

1 more thing because i am 13 i cannot really afford 14 ound for a kg of lr cannot any body spear some for a cheap price i am in the uk.

and can anybody send me some calurpa it would be a great help.

Thanks all

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Originally posted by marinemini

Hi

... so can please nobody be telling me to go out and buy metal halides  

one dwarf lionfish (tempory till i get a bigger tank)...

1 bubble anemone...

and can anybody send me some calurpa it would be a great help...

 

Well, you might be all right with the amount of rock that you suggest. It's a little low, but if it's adequately low-density, it could be fine if you're careful with your water quality.

 

Any type of lionfish is a no-no for a nano reef. Even a dwarf lionfish requires at least 30-50 gallons. Their diet will cause too much of a mess in such a small tank. And since you said that you aren't going to buy metal halides, please avoid the anemone. They really require absolutely perfect water quality and very intense light. If you are worried that your clownfish will be depressed - well smile because they don't need the anemone. In fact, it's very possible that they won't use it (or anything else) as a host at all. Imagine your frustration if they decide to ignore the anemone and use a powerhead or a clump of algae as their host. Finally, I'd recommend chaeto instead of caulerpa. Caulerpa has a tendency to take over the tank, or send out spores in the tank, and that will be a major headache. Chaeto, on the other hand, will not give you any problems, and it'll work even better for nutrient export.

 

Otherwise I think you'll be fine.

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AndrewAquariumPlanning

You are young, and i dont have a problem with young people doing tanks, but you need to do your research. First off, a dwarf lion needs a 30 gallon tank minimum, and is completely incompatible with clowns. A brief 10 mins on the net should have shown you that. No lion, its irresponsible reefkeeping. I definately agree with steve on all of his points. you can do this, just read up! If you have any questions about fish you can do or choosing your animals... email me! andrew@aquariumplanning.com

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Hi

i do realize i am young but i have kept marine tanks since i was 12 and i know the basics and i do realize that anemones need top water quality, i have had anemones before but the species i purchased was a atlantic anemone and they do not host fish, so unfortunately i believe that it had taken the lives of my clowns. I have seen plenty of bubble anemones far well under 110 watts of lighting, im not worried if my clowns do not take to it. as these are the most fascinating creatures inthe ocean and i now think i have the knowlage and equipment to keep one, do you agree that 110 watts of light is enough. I will lose the lion fish, i knew that they are not meant for a reef and really just for fowlr but i have seen reefs with lions in as long as they got rid of their shrimps. but fair point i will lose the lion to to save me from several stings.

 

sorry i forgot to add i have 2 55 watt t5 compacts.

 

thanks

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marinemini,

 

I don't want to keep trying to discourage you, but 110 watts won't penetrate the 18 inches of water depth very well. You might tell me that you will keep the anemone on the very top of your rocks, but the anemone will move to a location that it prefers. This depends on several factors - lighting, flow, etc. Personally, I think it's inhumane to keep an anemone because they live for a very long time (decades at least!) in the ocean, and we can only keep them alive for a few years in captivity. So, if you don't think you'd keep acropora in your tank, I'd highly advise against an anemone. If, further down the line, you decide to upgrade your setup, then it's giving the anemone a better chance. And you should wait at least a year, anyway, to be sure you have the water quality.

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big fish in the sea

My opinion is that if you don't want acropora for the price and the light requirement, then you don't want a anemone. They require almost the same light requirements, super clean water, a mature tank 6-12 months old, and some can cost as much or as more the a piece of acropora. Me personaliy I would keep any anemone under less than a 250w halide, and definatly not a 13g tank as some anemones grow big, it will also be hard to keep the water stable enough for them. But that's just my opinion.

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AndrewAquariumPlanning

marinemini... just for the record, if you ask for advice, please dont act like we are attacking you with our answers... its just constructive criticism.

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It's always best to hear an honest answer, because if you set up your tank and something dies, it'll be very discouraging. We're all just trying to help you plan for the best experience possible.

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hi

how was i attacking you, all i said was that i dont ahve a 18 inch tank and i dont want acroporas. also acroporas around me are 50 pound and that cheap compared to some,a bubble anemone costs 20 pounds and bubble do not need the same amount of light as acroporas.

my lfs has i a bubble in hid display tank under 2 standard t8 tubes and the anemones been for 3 months(the dispaly tank is only 6 months old).

thanks for your advice anyways.

ill post a pic when i have it set-up it just cycling at the moment.

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hi

how was i attacking you, all i said was that i dont ahve a 18 inch tank and i dont want acroporas. also acroporas around me are 50 pound and that cheap compared to some,a bubble anemone costs 20 pounds and bubble do not need the same amount of light as acroporas.

my lfs has i a bubble in hid display tank under 2 standard t8 tubes and the anemones been for 3 months(the dispaly tank is only 6 months old).

thanks for your advice anyways.

ill post a pic when i have it set-up it just cycling at the moment.

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Steve Adams

Ok...I am new to this site, but not new to fish keeping...im building a 300 gallon african malawi cichlid tank. one of 7 in my home. instead of argueing and stuff....tell me your budget for set up filter etc....what are the dimensions of your tank?

 

im new to the nano reef/marine setups but the equipment like lights are the same and stuff. You can get a sweet halide and power compact light from a website I have bookmarked at home for 140 bucks. that is more than reasonable and you should have no trouble finding a way to come up with that money if you look around. i.e. summer job...you will thank yourself after you get it up and running. im not saying you HAVE to have this, but it would make your tank spectacular. just a thought.

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Steve Adams

I am going to be using metal halde lights on 2 maybe 3 of my fresh water tanks...more for effect than anything...one tank will be planted...

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AndrewAquariumPlanning

that is a pretty cool idea if you have the money... halides look great in the water... other than the malawi's what freshwater do you keep? Doesn't the MH make your freshwater algae rediculous? Sorry this is off topic, i'm just really interested

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Steve Adams

im not running them yet...but I have read and talked to people who have mh lights running on their freshy's, no problems....i only have my lights on for probalby 5 hr's max a day...the tanks are all in very well lit areas most with direct sunlight. I am building my setups now,

 

300 gal malawi tank. 5 each of 25 mbuna species in there plus some cleaner fish.

 

55 gal malawi peacock tank 8 peacocks in there with some clean up crew.

 

37 gal community tank right now the fish are in my 15gal...soon to be transplanted. 5 platys, 1 bala shark, 1 dwarf blue gourami, 1 common pleco, and 1 neon tetra. adding 2 german blue rams and 2 cockatoo orange cichlids in with them soon. plus some other cool critters once put into the 37 gal.

15 gal nano reef, starting once I get the 37 gal setup in my bedroom. containing 1 clown, 1 mandarin and one red shrimp the rest will be cleanup crew and stuff like anenomes

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AndrewAquariumPlanning

agreed... just because something is preserved for the moment doesn't mean it is recieving proper care, and just because something is surviving doesn't mean it's thriving. Steve, i'm starting to gain a good deal of respect for ya haha

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Steve Adams,

 

I hate to be discouraging again, but mandarins are usually a bad choice for a nano, unless you're absolutely sure that it will eat prepared foods. Specifically, make sure that the shopkeeper feeds it prepared foods (while you are watching!) before you make the purchase. These guys normally eat pods, and you can't sustain a pod population in a nano that will be sufficient for a mandarin's diet. I'm also against keeping anemones in aquariums in general, and definitely against keeping them in a nano at all. They need superb water quality and tons of light. They will outgrow a nano. Please reconsider, and try some other things...

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Steve Adams

ok, thanks for suggestions...im new to the nano tanks. I probably wont get a anaome or mandarin, they are just the coolest fish tho...probably repalce him with a cool goby. thats why im on this site bud. to learn before I get into spending money. now...what do I need for equipment for my 15 g.?

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i said at the beginning of the thread that halides are not possible, and the lights will do fine for some bubble anemones.

and just because the anemone has been in the tank for 3 months dosents been its not thriving.

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