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03/20/2019, 10:47 PM | #1 |
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Is this stocking ok?
Hi all,
I am planning to start a 20 gallon mixed reef. It will have the following: 1 tangaroa goby with 1 pistol shrimp 1 clown goby 1 flame cardinalfish or 1 red stop light cardinalfish 1 royal gramma 5-10 dwarf hermit crabs 5 trochus snails 5 astrea snails Is this too many things? Also, which corals should I have that are good for beginners? I will be using a Mars Aqua 300w about 40 cm above the tank. Also I am going to do a 29 gallon fowlr tank with a valentini puffer. Is this tank size large enough for it? What should I feed it for its teeth? Can I get away with 20 pounds of live rock instead of 30 because there’s only 1 fish? Thanks in advance |
03/21/2019, 12:26 AM | #2 |
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Hi,
Let's just talk about the mixed reef. Do you have any experience keeping reef tanks? A 20G is a small water volume. Keeping water parameters consistent is the most important consideration when keeping coral. At least 3 months of solid parameters after adding vertebrates should be attained before adding coral. This includes calcium and magnesium. A fair acid test - if your tank is more or less algae free and producing coraline algae, you can probably add coral. That doesn't mean you can eschew normal testing. Your vert stocking list feels a little high to me and I personally stock heavy in a 13.5. Automated daily water changes are on my todo list (May). I have a similar bio load I think. Add a conch, they are the best (I will fight anyone who says different and I'm a little man) I will never again put hermits (or many crabs) in a tank.
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03/21/2019, 12:31 AM | #3 |
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The royal gramma will be the most aggressive so add them all at once or add it last. They should be ok in a 20, not more than that. If your using dry rock give you tank extra time after cycling to add all the fish and use a good bacteria booster.
I think putting a potentially 4” fish in a 29 gallon is pushing it and would aim for a bigger tank for it.
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240G mixed reef, 29G SPS/LPS clam tank, 50G mixed reef Current Tank Info: 300g mixed reef, 50g cube |
03/21/2019, 05:25 AM | #4 |
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No mandarin if tank is less than 1 year.
20 is too small for mandarin, food source too small I would not use any crabs at all.... just trouble |
03/21/2019, 05:53 AM | #5 |
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I wouldnt get any crabs or cleanup crew until the tank had algae in it.. They will all just starve and it takes months for algae to really apear asside from diatom
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03/21/2019, 11:51 AM | #6 | |
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Quote:
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03/21/2019, 11:54 AM | #7 | |
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I was told on another forum that 29 gallon was fine for a valentini puffer. Maybe I will keep it in a 29 gallon then upgrade it if it gets to 4". |
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03/21/2019, 11:56 AM | #8 |
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03/21/2019, 11:58 AM | #9 |
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03/21/2019, 02:30 PM | #10 | |
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240G mixed reef, 29G SPS/LPS clam tank, 50G mixed reef Current Tank Info: 300g mixed reef, 50g cube |
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03/21/2019, 02:34 PM | #11 | |
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I have a few crabs in my tanks. The wrong ones can be predatory towards snails and fish. Even good ones will kill snails for their shells as the grow larger if shells are not available.
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240G mixed reef, 29G SPS/LPS clam tank, 50G mixed reef Current Tank Info: 300g mixed reef, 50g cube |
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03/21/2019, 02:55 PM | #12 | |
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I heard it from another forum. Is aquavitro seed or seachem pristine ok? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk |
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03/21/2019, 02:58 PM | #13 | |
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I plan to add at least 10 extra shells of different sizes for the hermits. I don’t mind them killing snails occasionally as long as it is not a lot of snails. Also someone told me to have about 1 snail per gallon (when there is enough algae). Is this too many? I would probably not do that many anyway. |
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03/21/2019, 04:08 PM | #14 | |
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Crabs are opportunity feeders. That opportunity can be anyone in your tank they can catch. They are useless at algae control except emeralds and bubble algae. Except for snails, I skipped the CUC and went with making and deploying perfect on point stable water with low nutrients at all times. I have no algae anywhere and not one. This is LFS marketing. |
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03/21/2019, 05:00 PM | #15 |
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Might be tough to keep sps in a tank that small with clown gobie. They can nip at sps and can do damage if you don’t have a lot of colonies for them to graze from. If no sps would probably be fine.
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03/21/2019, 05:14 PM | #16 | |
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I thought they just keep the tank cleaner (eating uneaten food) so I don’t have to vacuum the sand. The ones I’m getting are dwarfs (1 inch adult size) so I think the only thing they can eat are snails? It wasn’t recommended by my lfs, but on another forum. |
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03/21/2019, 05:15 PM | #17 | |
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I won’t be keeping sps because the lights for the, are kind of expensive. Just soft corals and lps. What corals would you recommend? |
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03/21/2019, 06:45 PM | #18 |
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You could start with a finger leather of some kind and/or some zoas. Once you have some success with those you can move into lps. I personally love me some big acans in a nano. There are some really awesome looking nano tanks on you tube, you could check some out to get some ideas of what corals you like. A really cool nano I can remember seeing had some big acans and chalice. A big torch in the background.
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03/21/2019, 08:30 PM | #19 | |
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Had one stalk and catch a small clown in his claws, then march around with him. Never again. Reef safe.......sure...... A red leg, only 3/4 inch at best. Became the tank bully. Unfortunately he required elimination. Some love them, I don't trust them. My snails array takes care of any non-calcareous algaes. Not lost any snails! |
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03/21/2019, 08:32 PM | #20 |
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Dup
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03/21/2019, 09:07 PM | #21 |
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Mandarins do not need tank volume to suit their activity level like a tang, the restriction has always been due to their dietary restrictions. These are not mid or upper column dwelling fish, they 'climb' the rockscape like mountain goats. Biota Aquaculture Mandarins are raised on frozen and dry and do not 'need' a live food source. Live food is almost always avail to supplement/restock a tank/refugium as well.
All that said the mandarin is not a beginner fish and setting a 1 year goal to age a tank is a good idea for most who are new to marine/reef. Keep stable tank parameters for a year and one should feel comfortable taking on the more difficult challenges
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03/22/2019, 09:56 AM | #22 | |
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Can I have a frogspawn? I will get some zoanthids. Should I buy a smaller or larger coral? |
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03/22/2019, 09:56 AM | #23 | |
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I will try them first then if they kill any fish I will get rid of them. |
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03/22/2019, 09:57 AM | #24 | |
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I will not be keeping a mandarin. But that information is good to know anyway. |
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03/22/2019, 01:09 PM | #25 | |
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240G mixed reef, 29G SPS/LPS clam tank, 50G mixed reef Current Tank Info: 300g mixed reef, 50g cube |
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