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crosswinds
06/11/2011, 11:24 AM
Hi guys!

For a couple of years i have been in and out of forums, reading and planning. Havnt found the information just yet though!

I want a simple setup, for just one couple of clowns. (They only want to live in a pair as of what i understand?)

If i say this setup:

****
2 Clowns (have yet not decided which species.

Some kind of hard rocks (Does it need to be "live rock")

White sugarlike sand

100x60x60cm (just pulled that out of my head, may be a stupid size)

****
And thats it.

What do you say then?
Will the clowns not be happy without anemones or other inhabitants? Or maybe its a good thing?

Im not really in to the anemones and advanced live rock. Eventough they are very beautiful. I think a simple clownsetup with that beautiful white sand and rocks would be great!


What equipment is needed for this? I dont want to use a sump.



Thanks for any advice about this!


//Daniel

Ducati 911
06/11/2011, 11:31 AM
I would read all the stickys at the top of the forum and then if you have anymore questions feel free to ask

duncantse
06/11/2011, 11:36 AM
For a simple pair of clown setup:

1x 10 gallon tank
1x powerhead
1x heater
1x hob filter
Few lbs of LR
Sand
Some kind of lighting

These are just some of the basic equipment you need.

EDIT: Clownfish does not need an anemone to be happy. Most of the time, they won't even go near the anemone.

crosswinds
06/11/2011, 11:40 AM
For a simple pair of clown setup:

1x 10 gallon tank
1x powerhead
1x heater
1x hob filter
Few lbs of LR
Sand
Some kind of lighting

These are just some of the basic equipment you need.

EDIT: Clownfish does not need an anemone to be happy. Most of the time, they won't even go near the anemone.

Thank you very much for your fast reply!

Firstly the 10gallon you mention, i think is too small. I want something bigger. I do have the room, and the fish wouldnt mind right? Thought also that that make it more stable?


So i dont need a skimmer? Just a hob filter?

davocean
06/11/2011, 11:47 AM
Thank you very much for your fast reply!

Firstly the 10gallon you mention, i think is too small. I want something bigger. I do have the room, and the fish wouldnt mind right? Thought also that that make it more stable?


So i dont need a skimmer? Just a hob filter?

I agree, that is a touch small IMO too.
I would want at least 20g and maybe 30g if you have the room.
I would do a simple setup, and would use live rock(That actually works as part of your filtration system) and anything to move water.
W/ no corals it would be easier to do w/out a skimmer, but you could even have something like frogspawn in there if you wanted to.

duncantse
06/11/2011, 11:48 AM
Well, the 10gallon is the VERY minimum so you can go as big as you want for a pair of clown. And yes, you don't need a skimmer but it will help. If you think you have the extra cash then go for it.

crosswinds
06/11/2011, 12:09 PM
Thanks guys! That measurements i gave you i do have room for and that is about 95 gallons. Could make it smaller then without problem! But i dont mind it that big anyways.. Give the little guys some more room too!

Then i use live rock as you stated.

Dovocean, i will use "powerhead" for the flow. Would i need a filter for that, or will it be enough with just the live rock? Guess a plug-in filter wouldnt hurt though :)

davocean
06/11/2011, 12:25 PM
You could do a powerhead and add a HO w/ carbon maybe.
For a clown only tank 30g is pretty good, they don't usually swim around very much, so you don't need alot of space.
A bigger tank will most likely lead to adding much more, cause you're going to get bored w/ that empty swim space, but not like that's a bad thing.
If I had a 30g clown only w/ no or minimal corals I would probably go skimmerless to keep it clean looking/less gear, and just stay on top of WC's.
Carbon in a HO filter would help w/ that also.

Jeremy Blaze
06/11/2011, 12:26 PM
Decide which species of clown you want then design the tank around their specific needs.

A pair of pink skunks will have different needs than a pair of maroons.

davocean
06/11/2011, 12:37 PM
^^ If OP were to add sea anemones as a host I would find that even more important, yes.

Willster
06/11/2011, 12:44 PM
I think that if you want a simple looking tank, go with something like a 30 gallon. If you're good at DIY projects, you could get a large HOB filter and turn that into a mini "sump" that could maybe hold a small protein skimmer, and maybeeeee even some macro algae and rubble. Also if you go with a 30 or so gallon tank, you could add more livestock if you decide the clowns arent enough :P when you're working with a tank such as this, you could easily go to the coral side of the hobby one day :) hope this helps some

roli112
06/11/2011, 01:34 PM
I agree, clown dont roam around the tank very much, they tend to stay in a general area so a large tank like a 95 would be pointless for a clown only tank

tmz
06/11/2011, 07:56 PM
Most amphiprion occupy about a cubic meter of space in the wild. A ten gallon might work but a 30 or larger would be better. I keep four mated pairs ,tomatoes, black ocellaris, standard ocellaris and alardis, in tanks ranging from 90 g to 30 g. One pair is hosted by an entmacea quadricolor( rose bubble tip); the others are fine without one. They like short lengths of pvc pipe with a ceramic tile leaning on them for an egg laying surface or a cave with overhanging rock will do.

Keeping one species in a pair male and female per tank works well. I'd buy them as juveniles to avoid getting two females as they will fight. The small ones will work out dominance and the more dominant one will become a female; the less dominant a male.. Once that is settled things go simminingly.

pentrix2
06/11/2011, 08:18 PM
I agree, that is a touch small IMO too.
I would want at least 20g and maybe 30g if you have the room.
I would do a simple setup, and would use live rock(That actually works as part of your filtration system) and anything to move water.
W/ no corals it would be easier to do w/out a skimmer, but you could even have something like frogspawn in there if you wanted to.

I'm with davocean. I would say 20g-30g would be ideal for a pair of clowns. 100" long tank would be huge, I think 100" long tank would be something like 400gallon. the clowns would look like ants in that tank.

I wouldn't use fake rock. the hard rock IMO would make cycling the tank take a little longer. You don't need to have an anemone with tank raised clowns because they may not even host.

As far as the selection of the clown, IMO I don't think there's a clown better than the other one. It's personal perference.

Pen

tmz
06/12/2011, 12:21 AM
Crosswinds said he was considering 100 cm; not 100 inches.

crosswinds
06/12/2011, 07:15 AM
Wow!

Guys, thank you so much! All of you have been so very helpful and informative.

Now i know that the project is doable :) Will take more measurements today of the space were the tank is going to be placed.

Have a great place for them that just sit empty in my appartment!

Really looking forward to this, i always sit around looking on pictures of these beautiful fish species!

Is the skimmer only needed when keeping corals? or when does a skimmer get appropriate? Does it have to do with the water volume, or with the number of inhabitants(Fish) or is it only when keeping corals?


Again, thanks guys!

tmz
06/12/2011, 08:02 AM
A skimmer removes particulate and dissopved organic matter from the water. It also aerates the water. With only 2 fish in a 30 gallon a skimmer may not be necessary but would be useful.

davocean
06/12/2011, 10:43 AM
^^ Agree w/ that.
You will have a very light bioload, and fish only tanks can tolerate higher nitrates than many corals, though you could even have some easy corals in there if you wish.
In a small tank HO gear can look very cluttered, and it's easier to just do fair size WC's in that small of volume IMO.
If you end up running a sump, then I might throw one on.

crosswinds
06/12/2011, 11:24 AM
Ah alright! That sounds great guys.

Really looking forward to this!

Now its over to the lighting stuff. What do you recomend for this?
Seem like this is where it really costs money :)

davocean
06/12/2011, 11:47 AM
I would look at T5's or maybe LED's.

crosswinds
06/12/2011, 01:03 PM
Alright! What do you recommend to get this right "reefglow"? This bright white with a touch of blue? That goes whit the white sand im planning to get. And ofcourse something that the clowns want to live in:p

jinks
06/12/2011, 01:38 PM
Do you have plans to get an anemone or corals? If not any light will work as it will just be for viewing.

crosswinds
06/13/2011, 09:15 AM
Do you have plans to get an anemone or corals? If not any light will work as it will just be for viewing.

Hello! Thanks for your reply.

No i do not have plans for a anemone and corals as of now.

Alright! What would you recomend to get the most bright white display-light?

NirvanaFan
06/13/2011, 10:18 AM
I'd recommend getting a 29 gallon tank with a "regular" strip light in the hood. That size tank will let you keep any type of clowns. You don't need special lights if you don't plan on corals or anemones. Two Koralia 2 powerheads for water movement. Point one blowing across the front of the tank, and one blowing from the back bottom corner to the opposite top corner. 5 pounds of live rock and 20 pounds of base rock.

I wouldn't bother with a skimmer. Change out around 5 gallons of water per week.

zeeter
06/13/2011, 10:22 AM
Coral Life has these 2-bulb 30" T5 lights - not high output - for around $50. These are perfect for a fish-only 20L or 29 gallon tank. If it's for viewing you'll want to get the saltwater fixture as the white bulb fixtures are too yellow.

If looking at the percula complex then a 20L would be fine. Once they find a home they rarely move from it. Something like a tomato complex or maroon you'll need at least a 29. Some might say larger.

Don't forget your inverts - a couple of hermit crabs to pick up leftover food particles and some nassy snails for sand sifting.

snorvich
06/13/2011, 12:19 PM
Decide which species of clown you want then design the tank around their specific needs.

A pair of pink skunks will have different needs than a pair of maroons.

Good advice. Minimum tank size should be around 25-30 gallons.

crosswinds
06/13/2011, 01:29 PM
Alright guys! That is good advice! Will look into what i want and ofcourse were i can get it.

There are not many places here in sweden that carry saltwater life.

And even less around my area!

crosswinds
06/16/2011, 10:04 AM
Hello Everyone!

Got some updates for you :)

Took some hours of today to visit my nearest FS.

And decided to a pair of Amphiprion ocellaris. (now we got that decided!)

Also, the tank will be a 95x40x44cm 150Litre = 40 gallons.


We discussed many things today. Trying to compare his answers with info i can find on the net though :)

One thing was the live-rock. I see people here buyng live rock, and then boil them? Sounds like a good way to get rid of any foreign stuff, but wouldnt that be the same as just take some old lava-stone or something?

Their liverock came from Bali and lived in the store in a salt-tank.

Im very confused here. I dont want anything dangerous for the tank, i see people getting stuff they dont want, end up killing it with like syringes? But i ofcourse want the micro-life and the bacterias to start the tank, right?


Also still deciding on the sand. I want this very white sand that i see many have. They had both some crushed liverock, and also a very white sand that was just ordinary sand. He thought i should use the crushed liverocksand, since the white sand gets some color to it anyway down the road.

What you think about that?


This is a small store, so they did not have a very big assortment of fish. But he did have 4 clowns, a small pair that had mated, and in that thank it was a third, and in another thank a fourth. What should i look out for here? They did look healthy. But what do i know? :)



Appreciates everyones thoughts about this!


Thanks!

//Daniel

NirvanaFan
06/16/2011, 10:20 AM
That tank will definitely be large enough for a pair of ocellaris clowns. I wouldn't boil the rock. Inspect the rock at the store. You should be able to see many of the pests you want to watch out for.

I can't really say what sand you should get. If they are close to same price, get whichever you like more.


I'm not sure where you are from, but there are many local clubs here on RC. I'm guessing you aren't from the US if you are measuring your tank in cm though.You can find great deals on lots of stuff including live rock. Craigslist is also a decent place to get things. I support the LFS when I can, but you can get rock between $2 and $3 a pound from local reefers.

duncantse
06/16/2011, 10:26 AM
If you want to save money, buy 30-40lbs of dead rock. Then get 1 piece of LR to seed it.

lacosta28
06/16/2011, 11:42 AM
If you want to save money, buy 30-40lbs of dead rock. Then get 1 piece of LR to seed it.

+1 This is exactly what I did for my 36g I just built. I built it specifically for a mated pair of GS Maroon Clowns. I bought all dead rock AND dead sand. Then I just seeded the tank with a small piece of rock and 1 cup of sand from my existing tank. I saved hundreds of dollars doing it this way.

With that said you most likely don't have an established tank you can seed from. See if the LFS owner will sell you a small rock from one of his tanks.

crosswinds
06/16/2011, 02:27 PM
That tank will definitely be large enough for a pair of ocellaris clowns. I wouldn't boil the rock. Inspect the rock at the store. You should be able to see many of the pests you want to watch out for.

I can't really say what sand you should get. If they are close to same price, get whichever you like more.


I'm not sure where you are from, but there are many local clubs here on RC. I'm guessing you aren't from the US if you are measuring your tank in cm though.You can find great deals on lots of stuff including live rock. Craigslist is also a decent place to get things. I support the LFS when I can, but you can get rock between $2 and $3 a pound from local reefers.

Ah sounds good :)! Since this is my first tank, i must say im not really sure of what to look out for on live rocks. Got any tips for me about that? Maybe there is a list somewere? "What to look out for" hehe. Would hate to get advanced problem with infestations of various nasty stuff, when new to this!


Im located in Sweden. I think the price was okey at the LFS.

If you want to save money, buy 30-40lbs of dead rock. Then get 1 piece of LR to seed it.

Great tip right there!

+1 This is exactly what I did for my 36g I just built. I built it specifically for a mated pair of GS Maroon Clowns. I bought all dead rock AND dead sand. Then I just seeded the tank with a small piece of rock and 1 cup of sand from my existing tank. I saved hundreds of dollars doing it this way.

With that said you most likely don't have an established tank you can seed from. See if the LFS owner will sell you a small rock from one of his tanks.

Actually, he told me that i could buy live rock from one of their display tank if i wanted. Didnt tell me how much. But certainly a small rock. Will it easely seed over to the "dead" rock? Or will this take extremely long time?




Thanks guys for your help with this!


As soon as i get my stand and tank, i will start a start-up thread! Have a little special light-idea that i hope works well, if it does, i will be happy to share it with you guys!