Starting an anemone only setup

McCune · 01/23/2018, 05:42 PM

So I setup my old Cadlights 50 long 36x18x18. Tank will have an ATI sunpower 6x36 setup. So I want to run this tank with bubble tips, maxi mini, rock flower nems. The rock I started with was dry rock from reef cleaners. I know they say 6 months to a year before any nems. I am obviously not going to run and empty tank for a year. What do you think would be a good time to wait. I will get a pair of clowns or maybe a small harrem of clowns. This tank is running on its own for now filtration wise but with eventually got plumbed into muni larger system once that is up and running.

sarens · 01/23/2018, 05:48 PM

can you get some cultured live rock instead of new?

McCune · 01/23/2018, 05:53 PM

I was trying to avoid introducing any pests to the tank especially since it is just nems nothing should be able to sneak in

Cliving1 · 01/23/2018, 06:24 PM

I would wait for the tank to establish and be mature before introducing any anemones. 3-6 months depending on how the tank progresses

gibbous · 01/23/2018, 06:41 PM

I am doing something similar with a 40 breeder that will be a BTA/Gold stripe maroon species tank.. All base rock for the same reasons you list, started it up in March of last year. Used a variety of bacterial starters & dosed ammonia, once the cycle was over added a single blue damsel. That is still the only fish in the tank, but starting at about the 7 month mark parameters were stable and I couldn't stand it anymore so I added a couple small BTA's from a local reefer. These have gone downhill a little bit but are still going, possibly didn't like some LED supplement I added to my 4x24 sunpower. Another rainbow BTA was added more recently that seems to be very happy so far. I would think you could do RFA's or maxi mini's earlier than BTA's.

My strategy of starting slowly with a low bioload seems to be working so far, but I'm not even at the year mark yet so not out of the woods yet. I also am waiting to add a clown until I have a good population of large BTA's. Putting anemone's into a new tank will stress them enough for me without adding a pestering clown to the mix.

McCune · 01/23/2018, 06:47 PM

Ya I am thinking low bioload as well. As for the nems I am thinking of starting out with rock flower and maxi minis both are hardy and will at least give me something in the tank

raythepilot · 01/26/2018, 07:02 PM

Nems cannot tell how old the water is. They only know how good the water is. That means very low NH3. Below what you can read with a kit.
I have set up several small tanks (10 gal or less) and introduced bta into them in less than a month (some immediately after set up). To be successful you need to do frequent water changes. Normally I do 25 - 50% a week. In my treatment tanks, I do 100% twice a day! (That is clean water!)
OK that's not practical for a 50gal so try this. After a month or two try adding one bta (nothing else). Do not feed it anything. You want to keep the NH3 down. After a few weeks try feeding it a small amount of food. If she takes it start feeding once a week, otherwise wait a while and try again in a few weeks. Do as much water changing as you can.
The idea is to build up a NH3 eating bacteria load that matches you tank population.

McCune · 01/26/2018, 09:25 PM

So my plan is to add a small pair of maroon clown fish. That is all i will add for at least a month. After that I will start with flower rock anemones or maxi mini give it some more time then add a BTA. Slow and steady

McCune · 01/26/2018, 09:26 PM

I also have an auto water change system that is in place on the tank. I am planning on a few small water changes a day

01/23/2018, 05:42 PM	#1
McCune Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Mansfield, MA Posts: 110	Starting an anemone only setup So I setup my old Cadlights 50 long 36x18x18. Tank will have an ATI sunpower 6x36 setup. So I want to run this tank with bubble tips, maxi mini, rock flower nems. The rock I started with was dry rock from reef cleaners. I know they say 6 months to a year before any nems. I am obviously not going to run and empty tank for a year. What do you think would be a good time to wait. I will get a pair of clowns or maybe a small harrem of clowns. This tank is running on its own for now filtration wise but with eventually got plumbed into muni larger system once that is up and running.

01/23/2018, 05:48 PM	#2
sarens Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Commerce, Michigan Posts: 214	can you get some cultured live rock instead of new? __________________ fish and "easy" corals for me, not in for the challenge but for for the calmness...is there such a thing? Current Tank Info: 11'6" long 330gal with 475 gallon system volume

01/23/2018, 05:53 PM	#3
McCune Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Mansfield, MA Posts: 110	I was trying to avoid introducing any pests to the tank especially since it is just nems nothing should be able to sneak in

01/23/2018, 06:24 PM	#4
Cliving1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 1,923	I would wait for the tank to establish and be mature before introducing any anemones. 3-6 months depending on how the tank progresses

01/23/2018, 06:41 PM	#5
gibbous Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 61	I am doing something similar with a 40 breeder that will be a BTA/Gold stripe maroon species tank.. All base rock for the same reasons you list, started it up in March of last year. Used a variety of bacterial starters & dosed ammonia, once the cycle was over added a single blue damsel. That is still the only fish in the tank, but starting at about the 7 month mark parameters were stable and I couldn't stand it anymore so I added a couple small BTA's from a local reefer. These have gone downhill a little bit but are still going, possibly didn't like some LED supplement I added to my 4x24 sunpower. Another rainbow BTA was added more recently that seems to be very happy so far. I would think you could do RFA's or maxi mini's earlier than BTA's. My strategy of starting slowly with a low bioload seems to be working so far, but I'm not even at the year mark yet so not out of the woods yet. I also am waiting to add a clown until I have a good population of large BTA's. Putting anemone's into a new tank will stress them enough for me without adding a pestering clown to the mix.

01/23/2018, 06:47 PM	#6
McCune Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Mansfield, MA Posts: 110	Ya I am thinking low bioload as well. As for the nems I am thinking of starting out with rock flower and maxi minis both are hardy and will at least give me something in the tank

01/26/2018, 07:02 PM	#7
raythepilot Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: North East USA Posts: 195	Nems cannot tell how old the water is. They only know how good the water is. That means very low NH3. Below what you can read with a kit. I have set up several small tanks (10 gal or less) and introduced bta into them in less than a month (some immediately after set up). To be successful you need to do frequent water changes. Normally I do 25 - 50% a week. In my treatment tanks, I do 100% twice a day! (That is clean water!) OK that's not practical for a 50gal so try this. After a month or two try adding one bta (nothing else). Do not feed it anything. You want to keep the NH3 down. After a few weeks try feeding it a small amount of food. If she takes it start feeding once a week, otherwise wait a while and try again in a few weeks. Do as much water changing as you can. The idea is to build up a NH3 eating bacteria load that matches you tank population.

01/26/2018, 09:25 PM	#8
McCune Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Mansfield, MA Posts: 110	So my plan is to add a small pair of maroon clown fish. That is all i will add for at least a month. After that I will start with flower rock anemones or maxi mini give it some more time then add a BTA. Slow and steady

01/26/2018, 09:26 PM	#9
McCune Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Mansfield, MA Posts: 110	I also have an auto water change system that is in place on the tank. I am planning on a few small water changes a day