New 16G nano input

[jxpars004]

Hello all,
im just getting back into the hobby after 5 years away starting with my 16 gallon bowfront but planning to upgrade soon. I have an hob filter, powerhead, crappy hob skimmer (but seems to be pulling up some good gunk), and coralife t-5's. My tank has been cycled for about 3 months using dead rock from my previous 90g and sand from the same. I know it may be a bit early to some but my livestock seems to be doing well:

-1 blue damsel
- 1 black and gold chromis
-1 ocellaris clown
-1 blue velvet damsel
-1 sebae anemone (i know it will outgrow soon)
-1 whisker coral polyp
-1 ricordia mushroom polyp

again i know to some it may be early for all of this, but my tank is fully cycled and all my paramaters are normal. My main question is what kind of results do you think ill get from my coralife t-5 with 2 24 watt bulbs (1 10k and 1 actinic) with a sort of shallow 16 gallon. I didn't spend much money on all this livestock and plan to upgrade soon so please don't tell me that i should have waited to add all these critters. pics comming soon.

[footballdude2k3]

What's your question exactly? Are you trying to find out what kinds of corals you can add?

[Pife]

I think they will do fine.

[jxpars004]

Thanks for the responses, my real question is about the lighting, ive read every forum there is on lighting reef tanks and watched you tube videos. Is 2 24 watts enough at 10k and actinic? does anyone have any experience with the coralife 2 bulb t5 ho system? Also ive read this is fairly normal as well but my sebae has been opening and closing but has been in the same spot closed under one of my rock arches for most of the day. Is this him getting comfortable with the tank? he looks good when he opens (kind of a dirty purple color/ not bleached).

[MickeyDime53]

Well im sure at some point someone will chime in and say that the tank is too young for a nem.

Anywho the quad bulb t5 fixtures will grow just about anything and im told would be good for nems as well

[jxpars004]

Also, what circulation pump would be appropriate for my tank as far as gph goes? i have one now that is a 115 gph powerhead or a 500 gph circulation pump. kind of two extremes. I had the circulation pump part on the other day. it seems too strong as sand blows around and it almost creates a vortex when its less than halfway down the tank. any thoughts?

[footballdude2k3]

I would use the 500 gph pump, that gives you about 30x turnover, which is a good number. I had that same light for awhile, well, a longer variant of it, on a 20L when I first started, it was enough for all LPS/zoas, and some SPS as well. I wouldn't try any acros in there, but I think water quality is going to be your biggest battle, 16 gallons will have some pretty big swings pretty quickly.

[jxpars004]

Thanks i appreciate the input. Gonna be tough keeping the swings within close ranges but im prepared to battle. sand kicking up should be nothing to worry about with the 500 gph pump? going to put it on for a few hours before i turn the lights off and see how it works out

[jxpars004]

the circulation has my anemone right where they usually like to plant (between the sand and rock) but it looks like hes trying to move but cant cus of the strong current. should i leave the current there and hope he plants or will he exhaust himself trying to move?

[SuperDaveA]

Just out of curiosity, how is it going with the fish? If I recall correctly, those fish are all free swimmers and pretty aggressive. 16 gallons isn't very big. I had 2 ocellaris clownfish in a 12g nano tank. One was a big one and 1 a small one, should have been fine. The big one killed the small one, and that was that. The tank was just too small. Just a word of caution. Have fun :-)

[jxpars004]

so far so good, i think im buying a 90 gallon reef ready tank next week off craigslist for 100 bucks so hopefully get that up and running and transfer over. I have had 1 casualty, my baby ocellaris clownfish made it 2 days before he died, think he was sick when i got him and couldn't handle the 500gph flow in my tank. He was also only like a half inch long. All fish are getting along great with the blue damsel and chromis pretty inseparable which is surprising. All and all my tank is going really well right now and hoping the LUCK continues.

[jxpars004]

also can anyone recomend a good sump/refugium for under $200 that would do well for the 90 if i purchase it? has overflow but no sump :(

[jxpars004]

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