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Don't box me in

Small Marine Aquariums
Book 1:
Invertebrates, Algae
New Print and eBook on Amazon:
by Robert (Bob) Fenner
Small Marine Aquariums
B
ook 2:
Fishes

New Print and eBook on Amazon: by Robert (Bob) Fenner
Small Marine Aquariums
Book 3:
Systems

New Print and eBook on Amazon:
by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Jules Pitch at MACNA Good to hear it!! Did you happen to hear Julian Sprung's talk on nano reefs at MACNA? It would be great to see a copy of that presentation on WWM. <I will ask Jules re... I was there (Ft. Worth), but out in the hallways, and chatting with friends, vendors for the most part all weekend. Bob F, just back in from the drive... and shaky> -Jeremy

Crabs & snails Yesterday I received a shipment of a tiny pallid clownfish, 12 turbo snails and 12 Mexican red leg crabs. I woke up today discovering an ammonia spike in the tank. Up until I found your website, I would put any crab or snail I bought directly into the tank. <!> I removed 6 of the snails and did a 50% water change. The snails appeared dead. Some of the crabs also appear dead. I was feeding them all with flake food. <You just received these animals yesterday and you are already feeding them?> I am at a loss here, darned if I do and darned if I don't. I have them separated from my main tank, but I'm afraid they'll all be dead in a month. What should I be feeding them? Also, it's only a 12 gallon tank. I never even thought of snails as ammonia producers, but these guys are really big. <A twelve gallon system? The animals are likely the origin of the ammonia... from decomposing...> Am also worried about the clown in there. I guess I must have overstocked this tank, never even thinking about crabs and snails as they are detritus eaters. <A common misconception... both are generally omnivorous... with some specialist species...> I have adequate circulation, only one of those hang-on filters with carbon in pads and the sponge with pump. <No skimmer?> So how do I save the remaining newcomers and what do I feed them? I am planning to feed Formula One to the clown and I'm pretty sure most of it will go around. <Do you have any live rock in this system? I would utilize same... to stabilize the water, add ready foodstuffs... and look into a mix of small frozen foods> I got a good buy on the critters and thought I could save on shipping by getting everything at once. Oh-oh! Is it too late?? Connie <Too late for? Perhaps for saving these organisms, but not too late for you to gain more, better grounding in what you might do. Please take a long read (it will be hours) through our root web, starting here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm (the marine index of WWM)... on set-up, small systems, stocking... feeding, quarantine... Help is available; we will assist you gladly. If you would like a more open forum, pls consider join our BB: http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/ Be chatting, and studying. Bob Fenner>
Re: crabs & snails
Dear Bob: Thank you for responding so quickly (not including the rap on the knuckles). I have really been good with the fish and I had spent all afternoon on your website trying to find out how to handle these animals. I have been very lucky that the ones I already have were healthy; I am sure I am not the only one, however, so it is a good lesson for everyone who reads your letters, as I do.  <Yes, the intention> I sprinkled some flake food on top of the water when I went to bed last night, I didn't actually FEED them. <Ahh, good> What I didn't know, but just assumed watching the crabs racing around when I feed my fish ,that they liked the same stuff. The snails, however, are totally different and are more dignified in their approach. Also, they really like to work at night. I knew they liked algae but that was it. I will start my long read anon. Thanks again, Connie PS: Only lost 2 out of twelve crabs, 7 out of 12 Turbos, jumbo size. (not what I ordered.) <I do hope that they will improve, do well in your good care. Bob Fenner>

Eclipse dilemma Dear Bob, I haven't asked a question for a while so I think I'm due. I have a 29 gallon long reef tank in my office. It is an Eclipse setup, a mistake I would not repeat. I am not in a position to buy a whole new set up and I really don't want to break down a two year old successful reef tank. My challenge is to improve the lighting. The Eclipse top does not lend itself to proper retro-fitting. <I know there are several people on the Forum that have made this retrofit. You should first inquire with them before you scrap the hood. The Forum is here http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/.> 1.) I am going to install a retro lighting kit...any suggestions. <A lot of people use www.AHSupply.com.> I would like two 55 watt power compacts. I don't want to fight the heat from VHO lighting. 2. Would you make a recommendation for a good hang on filter as the new lid will eliminate the Eclipse bio wheel and filter pad. <I would just use some powerheads.> P.S. Currently have tons of live rock, DSB with particle size you recommend....small weekly water changes. No current water quality issues because of water changes, low bio load, proper feeding. I just need better lighting. You all are the best...thanks in advance. William Snyder Stuart, FL <Good luck. -Steven Pro>

Help needed! (Tale of incredible crowding, livestock mixing, attempted in a much larger system) Dear Bob, <Actually, Steven Pro this night.> It has been over a year since we last talked. I needed some help with my shark and you were wonderful. I now have a huge, totally different problem I need you to help me with. I just moved from NY to Annapolis, MD. I rented a house here, and I asked the owner if I could move my 300 gallon aquarium in the house. He told me there was no problem at all and that actually I could keep his little 12 gallon desktop aquarium and that he was leaving the little aquarium and his inhabitants for me in the house when I move in. <Wow, how nice!> I was quite happy to keep it and actually didn't even ask him what kind of fish he had in there, since it was such a small aquarium. To my surprise, I moved into the house yesterday and found the little aquarium to have not only a few inhabitants, but it's totally overcrowded! There are species in there I've never dealt with and some species I have of my own. I'm giving you the list of what's in the aquarium, but beware, you will not like the news! <I will brace myself.> The aquarium is one of those Tenecor desktop, reef ready aquariums. It has: -12 gallon acrylic Uniquarium with built in Wet/Dry filter -Clear-for-Life Protein Skimmer - specially designed for the Uniquarium, it is placed in the provided chamber at the back of the tank where it is completely out of sight. -Air Pump and tubing (to operate skimmer) -Power Compact Reef Lighting -one 9 watt 7100K -one 27 watt 6700K -polished reflector -splash lens -remote ballast with 6' cord -separate power cords for dawn and dusk control <Ok, not bad so far.> Now, the fishes are: 1 tiny (1") Panther Grouper (a real cutie) <Wow, only needs a tank about 20 times this size.> 1 Porcupine Puffer (small) a real clown <And 10 times for this one.> 1 Purple Nudibranch (never seen those before) <Please see the coverage of these written here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nudibran.htm> 2 Cinnamon (?) Clown Fish <Finally, something appropriate!> 1 Bubble Anemone (I don't know the species) about 3" <See here for care info and pictures for proper ID http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm> 1 Purple Linckia Starfish <Ok> 2 Anemone Shrimps <Can be tricky, but manageable.> 1 Red Ball Sponge (?) about 4" <Very difficult, see here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sponges.htm> 1 Pseudochromis Strawberry fish, very small <A soon to be mean little bugger.> 1 tiny Purple Lobster <Not to be trusted, predatory in nature.> 1 Purple/Orange Sea Squirt <http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ascidians.htm> I wouldn't know all these species myself, but he left a list with their names on the table. And that's it. He left no notes on how to care for them or anything. Just plain gave me the aquarium totally overcrowded with all the fish and corals. Pretty sad, I know, but I need your help with this. I can't move any of them to my other tank because, even though it's large, I made it mainly with aggressive species. I have my Epaulette Shark in there, a blue ribbon eel, a few lion fish, a Miniata grouper (adult), a queen parrotfish, one warty frog fish, one fishing frog fish, one harlequin tusk fish and a bunch of cardinal fish as food for some of my large predator fish. I also have lots of crustaceans and snails, but they are either for food or as a clean up-crew purpose. I can't move anyone from the small aquarium to my large one because they will become food! Health wise, all the species in the little tank, including corals, are looking great! <For the time being> Water temperature, salinity, NO2 and NO3 levels, ammonia levels and all other tests I've done are within normal ranges. The tank actually is quite healthy, considering the overcrowding situation. The owner didn't want anything to do with it when I called (I actually wanted to yell at him, but I kept my manners to myself) and he said he had the aquarium for about 4 months now and that the only new addition has been the little Panther Grouper, which he bought 2 weeks ago. What do you think I should do? <Remove just about everyone except the anemone, clownfish, starfish, shrimps, and perhaps the Pseudochromis. Perhaps you have a local marine aquarium society that could help you find good homes for the extras.> I certainly don't want to spend huge amounts of money buying another very large aquarium. Is a 60 gallon large enough for some of the fish species in there? <No> Can I keep only the corals and the clownish in the little tank? <My thoughts exactly> How do I feed the corals? <Please read the links I gave you above.> What about the wiggly Nudibranch? <More than likely will die.> What do I feed that? <No clue. Most are very select feeders and fail to live in captivity.> Can I actually leave them all in there, since they all have been doing so well at this point, and wait until the grouper gets larger and move him to my large tank? <No, someone will die, perhaps several, and you risk having them take the whole tank with them because of the small volume of water.> Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Regards, Marcela <Good luck to you! -Steven Pro>

Sump for Eclipse System12 Bob, <Steven Pro here with the follow-up.> Thank you for your help. The project went well! The Eclipse 12 tank is drilled, plumbed, and my new CPR SR2 is already producing some high quality "gunk". <Great!> I do have another question though. My drain line seems to develop some sort of "air lock" which is limiting flow. My 3/4" drain as plumbed right now is as follows... a strainer connected to a slip coupling to a 45 degree elbow (entire assembly can be rotated to adjust the tanks water level) to a bulkhead fitting to the bulkhead's elbow to flexible tubing which drains open ended into the sump. Oddly enough, the water level in the sump effects how the drain line "behaves". When the open end of my drain line is above the sump's water level, the discharge valve of the return pump (Rio 1700) must remain throttled down for the drain line to keep up. However, when the open end of my drain line is below the sump's water level, the drain line is able to drain the pump's full capacity (noisily though as the strainer slurps air from above the tank's surface). Although I would love to understand the actual fluid dynamics relative to this problem, I am most eager to find a fix. Ideally, I will be able to utilize the pump's max flow rate in my tank and drain the water back to my sump quietly. Although I probably could modify the cut in my tank and upsize my drain line to 1" to solve the problem, I suspect there is a simple way to eliminate the problem by modifying my in tank drain line plumbing? <Yes, remove the bulkhead elbow on the outside of the tank and replace it with a T assembly. You will need the T, two short (1-2") sections of PVC pipe of the same size, a slip to female thread fitting, and a male thread to barb fitting. Assemble these pieces such that you can insert the T so the side part goes into the bulkhead and the straight part is up and down. This will allow air to escape from the drain line and for the water to flow down quicker.> Also, I can't find where my original question is posted on your website, can you tell me where it is? <They all get posted on the daily page for one day. Then get filed under one of the FAQ's. Your previous question could have been filed in the FAQ's for plumbing, skimmers, sumps, etc. I am not really sure. You could try searching for it using the Google tool. Try the key words Eclipse, skimmer, and any other words that stand out to distinguish your question from all the others we get.> Thanks again for your help. Corey Marker Lynbrook, NY <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Nano modifications Hello Mr. Fenner This is the first time I have emailed you or your fellow experts. Recently I changed the substrate in my 18 gal nano reef from crushed coral to a deep 4" sand bed. So much silt was kicked up in the process my Prizm skimmer and AquaClear hang on filter both burned out at once. Of course all this took place at 11:30 pm Saturday so I was forced to make an emergency run to Wal-Mart for some sort of filtration. <Murphy's Law> The next day I went to LFS and picked up a Bak-Pak 2R. <Very nice for small systems.> I continued to run the Wal-Mart filter (a simple hang on 120 gph with carbon) until last night. I decided to try running on the Bak-Pak alone with a Powersweep for circulation. All seems fine, the tank is mature (18 months) I run 64 watts of PC and have about 25 lbs of sand and 15 lbs of live rock 75% covered in coralline. I keep a bi-color blenny and a small unidentified (according to LFS) goby and a cleaner shrimp, besides the algae army. Should I still be OK with this set up? <Sounds fine.> I have never had any problems with water quality before but since this is my first reef tank I would hate to see it crash and lose all my precious (propagated from friends) Sarcophyton. Sorry so long. Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks. <All sounds well. -Steven Pro>

Alkalinity and pH Problems Hello Bob and Co., Bob and Anthony; I have CMA and the Book of Coral Prop. Both are great, thanks. Now onto my problem. I have an 8 gallon reef tank, LR, sand, and a sump with some sand and LR as well. Total water volume is approx. 10 gallons. I have 2 tomato clowns, 2 cleaner shrimp, one pistol shrimp, one emerald crab, one sand stirring star, <Tank is far too small for this starfish. Will starve to death in time after eating all the live parts of your live sand.> a few blue leg hermits, and a few snails. I also have one Capnella, some brown button polyps, anthelia, and some green star polyps. The tank has been set up for almost two years, however it was changed from a crushed coral substrate to live sand about 4 months ago. There is a Seaclone skimmer hanging on the sump, and an airstone in the sump (the airstone is a new addition). I have two 36watt PC's (one 6300K and one blue) from AH supply. About a month ago I started having a lower than normal pH. I was typically running between 8.0 and 8.1. I wanted to raise that up to an average 8.2 so I added the airstone in the sump. About the time I added the airstone, pH readings were down to about 7.8. I cut back on my calcium supplements and tested a few days later and pH was down to about 7.7. Calcium levels were higher with each test, now at about 500ppm. I stopped adding calcium at this point. At the first sign of the lowering pH, I started using NatuReef's hardness plus and alkalinity plus. I felt that a balanced two part additive may help. After my pH reached 7.7, I stopped adding the hardness plus and have only been adding the Alk. plus. I should also mention that I did a water change with day old, aerated water (4 gallons over two days). Alkalinity before I started the water changes was 9dKH. After each water change, and an addition of Alk. plus, alkalinity has not changed. It is still at 9dKH. Oh by the way, my Mg was low at the time pH was discovered to be low, hence the water changes. I have also added some Mg additive. Why, with a significant water change, addition of a buffer and Mg has my alkalinity not been coming up? <Are you sure that your new water has the parameters you want?> I tested Alk this morning; 8dKH. Added two ml of buffer about two hours ago. Just now tested Alk again; still 8dKH. <Do make up more water as before; aerated, heated and such. This time confirm that the pH, alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium levels of this new water is in the ranges you want. -Steven Pro> Confused in Florida, Mark (spearo) Joseph

Lighting <<Greetings, JasonC here...>> I had a question concerning lighting in my aquarium. It is a 2 gallon tank, about 9 1/2 inches from top to bottom. The hood that it came with has a socket for an incandescent tube bulb, but I wanted a fluorescent light to benefit the live plants that are in the tank. At the hardware store I found some compact fluorescent lamps, the smallest wattage of which was 13W. On the package it says that the light output is comparable to a 60W incandescent bulb, about 800 lumens. With the incandescent bulb the water temp. got up to about 85 degrees F, I installed the CFL and now the water temp. is constant at about 1 degree above room temp., about 79 to 81. I was wondering if you thought this lighting would have any adverse effects. <<No, I think you will find the PC light will work out well for you.>> thanks, Peter Wetterauer <<Cheers, J -- >>

Nano Reef Systems Hello again Bob/Steven/Anthony <Hmmm... that would make me Curly of the three stooges. We shall get the proper haircuts, take new pictures and post them on our crew page. Poor Bob... getting the perm to look like Larry...heehee> I've had little luck answering a few more obscure questions about my little nano-reef systems and thought I'd run them by you. They are both 11 gallon, live-rock, live sand, the average/usual readings: 78 degrees temperature, 1.022 specific gravity, 8.2 pH, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, around 10 ppm nitrates, 350-400 calcium with alkalinity varying, but always remaining in the upper "target zone" (i.e. above 6 dKH). Iodide fluctuates wildly,  <all sounds normal, fine> but after increasing my water change schedule (now 2 gallons twice a week removed with a siphon through the substrate) and increasing my iodine supplementing, things have generally stabilized at about .4- .6 again, though this seems to be the hardest element for me to maintain/control in these small systems.  <it is naturally volatile... no worries. Iodine is readily taken up and out by living and non-living things> "Tank A" is 18 months old and "Tank B" is about 10 months old. Tank A is invert-heavy, Tank B is fish-heavy: Tank A organisms: 6-line wrasse, polyps colony, frog spawn coral, bubble coral, coral banded shrimp, cleaner shrimp, turbo snail and a relatively generous colony of four types of Caulerpa algae. Tank B organisms: social wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis), neon goby, fire fish, bi-color blenny, pair of fire shrimp, curly-cue Anemone, very small polyps colony, small grouping of mushrooms, turtle weed colony (with several tiny camouflaged green crab symbiont residents), and a Mermaid's Shaving Brush. Both systems have 17-18 pounds of live rock and have Prizm skimmers running 24/7, with carbon cartridges affixed to powerheads in each. I sparingly feed a combination of Prime Reef, Formula Two and Mysid shrimp two times a day (all vitamin soaked) with (freshwater) black worms target fed a few times a week to selected inverts (frogspawn, bubble and curly cue, all of which devour them quite greedily). Although I obviously have very high population densities in both tanks, things have been quite stable in both for some months now-- basically since I switched to the skimmers as the main means of non-biological filtration.  <excellent... I love skimmers. I'd marry one if I could> All organisms appear to be thriving, and either have grown or remained stable in size and healthy during this time, particularly since I voluntarily reduced the bio-load in both about a month ago (believe it or not, there were more organisms in each prior to that). I am planning on getting larger systems, or perhaps combining the two into one large system, but for now, $ are tight and I'm trying to make due. Now for my questions: 1) The mermaid's shaving brush seems to have been damaged in transport and is broken (though still attached) at the base, just above the 'hold fasts'. It has been this way since I got it a month ago and seems alright (no signs of death yet), but I infer from what I've read that it is doomed. Correct? Should I leave it in and hope it survives or remove it? <actually... not bad at all. All such calcareous algae typically die within weeks or months of transplanting (new light/water flow, etc is too much) and most simply shoot up new growth weeks later. Again... no worries. Tis common> 2) Should I reduce my live rock to a 1 pound to 1 gallon ratio? I'd rather not since I'll have to buy more when starting a new (larger system), but wondered if this is jeopardizing the system/residents in the meantime since it reduces the already quite small amount of actual water in the system. <I favor more rock than less> 3) Tank A has 2.5-3" of sugar fine bioactive aragonite and I've had more problem with algae in that tank (the reason I beefed up the Caulerpa)-- including some algae that grows on the glass below the surface of the substrate. I see from your substrate FAQs and live sand info that I should reduce the depth of this to less than 1" (which will add water volume to the system as well). Tank B has about 1.5" and I was going to reduce this slightly as well. Correct? <IMO less than 1/2 inch or more than 3" is the ticket. Still... algae is more likely to dead spots in water flow> 4)I want to add Macroalgae to Tank B which has only the Turtle Weed at present.  <at the risk of the turtle weed suffering in competition. I wouldn't do it> I have a chance to buy some but the rock its attached to also has some Valonia polyps on it (the slender long type, not the round bubbles, but I assume they're closely related or the same). I don't mind the looks of Valonia, but is this worth the risk?  <a risk in any tank... no more no less than that> With the competitors and density of the system (as well as my diligent attentiveness to the water quality), I assume the Valonia wouldn't take over, but am I too optimistic?  <possibly> The turtle weed itself has "balded" somewhat since purchase (when it was incredibly dense and lush for a retail specimen of this organism), so perhaps I don't need additional algae to compete with it.  <exactly> There is little micro algae on the glass or rocks and the turtle weed is getting strong light (top of a tank that has 36w of light) as well as good current, so its thinning is a bit of a mystery to me. Since the blenny has no interest in it, I assume it is probably due to a) general absurd density of organisms in this size system; and/or b) the camouflage crabs that theoretically could be consuming it (I have found no information about these crabs anywhere). Your feelings? <feelings... I love the rain> Hope this hasn't been too overwhelming, but thought it best to give you the complete picture and context. <no thank you for letting me share my thought and feelings <G>> I once again appreciate your advice (and anticipate your anti-nano tongue lashing for the overpopulated nature of said glorified fish bowls). <I actually admire the discipline it takes to run a nano. Nothing too absurd here. Please continue to enjoy> yours, Derek Milne <best regards, Anthony>

Mandarins, Lighting, and Figuring Volume Hello there, I really enjoy your site...very informative. I've told the only other friend that I have that's into fish about you guys (and gals?). Hopefully he'll find it as rewarding as I have so far. You've answered questions regarding my 55 gallon tank, thank you. I have a ten gallon tank with about 7 lbs of live rock, 4 flower anemones, 3 purple mushrooms, 1 white mushroom, a peppermint shrimp, and some snails and blue legged hermits. I have a mandarin (I know the tank is too small, not enough rock) that's been eating live brine for a few months and I will move him to the 55g when I have enough rock in there...hopefully 50-70lbs. Is that enough rock? <Please search WWM regarding brine shrimp and Mandarins to find the answers to your questions. I will give you a hint, you won't like the answers.> My main question is in regards to the lighting of the 10g. I've read that 3-5 watts per gallon is advisable. <All depends on what you are lighting. If I wished to keep red mushrooms in a ten gallon tank versus yellow Porites.> But one of the staff recently suggested about 60 watts for someone with a 10g tank. I've got 41 watts...2- 13watt 50/50 PCs and a 15 watt Coralife 50/50. Is this enough for photosynthesis in the anemones? <Seems ok, but you would know better than I. Are they growing? Do they appear healthy? You will be the best judge.> Also, does the wattage in a PC bulb equal the wattage and intensity of a NO florescent bulb or an incandescent bulb? (e.g., 55wPC=55wNO) <No not really. PC lamps are more efficient than NO and produce more lumens per wattage.> I know that it's in your archive somewhere, but this just popped into my head...so here's the other half of the "plus two" question: If I decide to build my own tank, how do I figure out the number of gallons the tank will hold? I know that length x width x height = volume, right? But the volume would be in square inches, or something like that. I have a Master's degree, but it's been years since I've used that stuff. <L x W x H (all in inches) = V (in cubic inches) V in cubic inches / 231 = V in gallons> Thanks, Randy M. Yniguez, MA <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Nano Reef Questions Hi Mr. Fenner, I had a couple of questions about my nanoreef aquarium. First the stats: 6 gallon nanoreef Live rock and sand Livestock: 2 Astrea snails, 2 Nassarius snails, 2 Bumblebee snails, 2 blue leg hermit crabs, 2 black and white Hawaiian hermit crabs, 1 small tuxedo urchin (Mespilia globulus), 1 peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni), 1 small pagoda coral (Turbinaria sp. [peltata?]), 1 Ricordea sp. (Florida?), 1 small Rhodactis sp. (mudslides?), 1 Pachyclavularia sp., 1 group of Zoanthus sp., 1 False Percula Clown (Amphiprion ocellaris) Water stats: (Red Sea test kits) Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrate <5ppm, pH 8.2-8.3, temp. 80C, Phosphate <0.1, Calcium 350-400ppm, Alkalinity 3.2meq/L Equipment: 32 watt pc SmartLite 50/50 bulb (CustomSeaLife) Prizm protein skimmer (Red Sea) 2 Microjet powerheads (approx. 40-70 gph) The aquarium has been set up and doing well for about 18 months. I make weekly water changes of about 1.5 gallons. Now to the questions, first, I have begun to notice small snails on the tank glass after the lights go out. There are approximately 20-25 ranging in size from about 1-5mm. The shell is shaped in what I would describe as the same as a terrestrial garden snail. The shell has a color pattern of broken brown and white bands radiating from the central spiral point. Upon seeing these snails I remembered a time previously when I'd seen my Astrea snail expelling a white substance from what appeared to be a different orifice than it's mouth. This occurred just after lights out near the water surface. Could these new snails be a spawning product of the Astrea? What little I can see of the new snail's foot and mouth apparatus looks similar to the Astrea but the shell seems quite different. There feeding pattern seems similar to the Astrea as well (rasping the glass; I assume for algae except only at night). Could these new snails be a spawn of the Astrea? or are they another type of snail that just matured on the live rock? Are Astrea known to spawn in captivity? The new snails don't seem to harm anybody else; I'm just curious about their identity. <Try to work your way through Dr. Shimek's ID Key, http://www.rshimek.com/Invertebrate%20Key%20to%20Major%20Taxa.htm Just answer the questions about your snails until you narrow it down to the correct species.> My second question is about my clownfish and the Rhodactis. The clownfish has taken symbiotically to the Rhodactis. Will this be a problem? <No> The Rhodactis was sold as a Elephant Ear Mushroom and I've heard anecdotally that Elephant Ear Mushrooms eat clownfish. I wanted to see if this might just be a confusion of common names with a different genus actually being the culprit. <The problem mushroom is Amplexidiscus.> Thank you for all you help and patience in reading through all this. Erik Jorvig <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

5 years in marine now new tank troubles Hi Bob, I know you probably get tons of emails. <Not that many. Electrons don't weigh much anyhow> I have combed the web, read most all of the WetWebMedia site, but an very worried about the cause and riddance of a persistent problem. Some background first. I have a Reef Aquarium for the last 5 years, I would not consider myself a beginner, but the problem I will get to shortly has me re-thinking my knowledge. My reef tank is 125g with a 35g sump. I have many corals, some hard to keep that are flourishing. I don't have many fish about 9 in this tank. Most I have had for 5 years, and none have even been sick (touch wood). I have a hippo (pacific blue) tang, yellow tang, Percula clown, Pseudochromis porphyreus, royal Gramma, flame angel, arc-eye Hawkfish. I even waited three year to add a dragonet to ensure they was plenty built up to eat, he is doing great. So here's the problem, I now have a home office... what a great time to put in a second tank, I've always wanted a predator tank. I bought a small 40 gallon curved front, put in 44-60lbs live rock 30 lbs reef rock (that I let sit in my reef sump for a week) and 1- 1/2" aragonite, Prizm skimmer, and power head. I let the tank sit for two weeks only as I salted the sand with about 10-15lbs from my reef tank. I added a few mushrooms and polyps from my reef and they are doing well. Then I bought three fish, and put them in all at the same time (never again). 1-yellow longnose butterfly, 1-spotbanded butterfly, and 1-clown trigger (also a small blood shrimp and a few hermit crabs). <Yikes... this mix... all at once... in a forty gallon system? Who got eaten, died first?> They all ate fine for a few days then the longnose developed what I believe was Cryptocaryon ( I believe he brought whatever this is into my tank). Due to my never have seen this I was slow, and this disease moved fast, the next day all were infected, the longnose stopped eating and died that day. The next day the second butterfly went and the clown trigger stopped eating. They were all dead in three days maximum. So I spent the next week reading, reading, reading. I dropped the salinity and raised the temperature on the empty tank (except for the shrimp and crabs) and left it alone for 32 days. In the mean time I purchased a hospital tank, and bought a blue chin Trigger. I really fattened him up with three daily feeding to ensure he was strong. After he had been in the hospital tanks for two weeks, and showed no signs of illness, I added him to the 40g. I then purchased another clown, and in the hospital he went. He was added in after two weeks and they were both great. After one month, I saw spots on the clown. This time I moved, and bought Kent RX.P and in it went. Within two days all was fine no spots fish eating Great!! (I continued to use it for the full term) after the 14 days all still seemed fine, and stayed that way for maybe two weeks. Then I noticed a dusting on the top of the clown, and the next day could see the spots on his upper body. My shrimp was actively cleaning him and I added RX.P immediately. This time things got worse much quicker like the first time, he was badly covered in two-three days even with the use of RX.P. So after reading your suggestions, (btw at this point the blue chin had showed just a few spots) I gave them a three minute fresh water bath, moved them into the hospital tank, lowered the salinity, and started a copper treatment. By this time the clown had blotches on him that I assume was a secondary infection, and the blue chin looked not bad. The clown trigger died after one and a half days, and the blue chin is somehow still holding on (he looks like he has blotches but no spots-secondary infection?). I hope I have caught him in time, but he will not eat. So finally here is my question. I am really discouraged, I feel it is my responsibility to ensure that the fish have a good environment to keep them happy/healthy. To have killed these fish is very upsetting. What would you suggest, for the 40g? Do I leave the tank empty for two months, I don't want to kill the live rock with copper, but I don't want whatever is in this task to strike again.  <Leave it w/o fishes for the two months, lowered spg, elevated temperature... in the meanwhile develop a "mini-predator" stocking list (no Triggers in a forty) and stock one at a time (most easygoing to least)> I now purchased a 90 Gallon tank, I think the 40 was too small.  <Yes, the size was a large impediment to success> I will let the 90 settle for a while before thinking to add any livestock. I want this to be mainly a fish only with a few mushroom, polyps but I would like to add maybe two triggers, and Angel (Koran), a wrasse and possibly a lion to the 90g. It has 50lbs reef rock, 75lbs live rock and aragonite seed again from my reef. I have been sure to not let anything that touched the 40 get near my 90g or my 125g reef. <Mmm, make those triggers smaller species and start them small. The Koran should go in first.> Thanks for your time...Larry Pyykko <Thank you for writing, relating your experiences. You are on a "right" path, understanding much of the situation. Bob Fenner>

Tank capacity and other things, An Addition to a 30 Hi Bob, How are things? <Steven Pro in this morning doing pretty well.> I wrote to you a while back about some weird stuff happening with my tank (ich and my six-line wrasse), but now all is fine. I now have a pair of ocellaris clowns which I think are bonding into a pair (not 100% sure)...but they used to be exactly the same size a few months ago, now one is a lot bigger, a lot lighter, and more aggressive. The good thing is, they are not overly aggressive towards each other and follow each other around *everywhere*, rarely are they apart. <Yes, sounds like they have pair bonded, quite normal with clownfish.> I also have a new six-line which is doing very well and a royal Gramma. None of the 4 fish are over an inch and a half yet, though I know they all can get much bigger. This is a 30 gallon tank (I know, small!), but I want to add perhaps a butterfly and/or a pygmy angel. Am I already at the limit or would 1 or 2 more fish be too much? <Definitely no more than one small fish. All of the Butterflyfish would be too large. One of the Cherub pygmy angelfish would be ok.> Eventually I will spring for a much larger tank, but for now I'm quite happy with it! The best part I think is that the 4 fish get along without any harassment, like a family with zero aggression! Thanks for chattin'! -Jack <Talk to you later. -Steven Pro>

Thank You, Invert ?s Hey, <what?> Thank you for your help.  <you're welcome...now what do you want?! Heehee <smile>> I have decided to stick with the Sixline wrasse for my setup. I do have a question about inverts. in my tank. I will have 2X55 10000K PC lighting over my setup (20 gallon). I have never kept or tried any kind or corals. Do you think this will be enough light and could you suggest some corals that would be good for a beginner?  <plenty of light for many corals and invertebrates. Trust me on this one... I have a lot of experience with the subject <wink>...avoid all LPS hard corals (many reasons...aggression, wild populations, sensitivity to handling by newbie, etc). Also resist most SPS and hard coral in general until you have a clear understanding of the difference between pH, Alkalinity and Calcium... and how to test and control/maintain these levels consistently. Instead... enjoy most soft corals, corallimorphs (mushrooms) and Zoanthids (button polyps). Because of the size of your tank... you can easily find some attractive creatures from these groups and be assured of success> Also, would an Anemone be possible for the clowns and would any of the clams work? <not even close to being possible. Anemones an corals absolutely don't mix...especially in a small tank. They are also relatively to very difficult to keep successfully for most people. Never for beginners. And the hardy clams that will tolerate a new tank and lower light grow too big (T. squamosa and T. derasa grow to 18-24"). The blue clams need quite a lot of light for long term success. Trust me... stick with soft corals only and you will do wonderfully as you make your way up to bigger reefs <wink>. Not a matter of if, but rather when...heehee! With kind regards... Anthony> Thanks, Jonathan Pac

Mini tank I think I e-mailed a blank e-mail. <Yes, no worries> Any who, I am setting up a mini 10gal live rock marine tank that I am going to put a bubble tip anemone in and I was wanting to know if a 10,000k and a Actinic 03 tube would be enough because of the shallow depth (12")?  <Should be... but tough to keep such an animal, small size system...> I imagine the anemone will even be close than that due to climbing up the rock. Thanks for your help. Oh, I was also thinking about adding a small maroon clown for a partner maybe, but I didn't know if this would be to much bio load?  <Yes... maybe try a small tank-bred Ocellaris after the Anemone is established... in a few months> I have herd of people having 5gal tanks like that but I was wanting to know your opinion. I am running a CPR BakPak on the tank as well as a penguin bio wheel. Thanks <Please read here re such small systems: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/small.htm as well as the linked files at the top. Many easy pitfalls in such small volumes. Do go over the site re the "Sebae" Anemone (Heteractis crispa) as well... I would have you enjoy success, rather than frustration, failure. Bob Fenner> John fin)

CF Lighting for a 20gal I have a 20gal. L(24") deep FO tank and would like to start to add LR and inverts. I don't have much space for light due to the tank is mounted in the wall. Is one 55w CF combo 10k/dk. Blue light efficient enough? <It all depends on what inverts in particular you want to keep. They all have very different niches in the reef and very different lighting requirements. -Steven Pro> Shaun Nelson

Quick Lighting Question for a 20 Hey, guys! <Hello Paul, Steven this evening.> Thanks for the unbelievable website and the greatest content on the Worldwide Web. I find myself perusing the site everyday to see what will be asked and answered next. Just a quick question on lighting a 20 gallon (16 inches tall) I was using a PC system that just gave up the ghost after 6 months. (I won't mention the manufacturer but I think everyone out there will know which PC company I am talking about) <I don't, but respect your wishes not to bash anyone.> so I have decided to re-evaluate my lighting needs for this aquarium. I currently employ the services of various algae eating critters, 2 SPS (2 Acros. Loripes, Pociillopora Dam., and 2 Capricornis) a host of various self propagated leathers (Sarcophytons, Finger, Cabbage, shrooms, Capnella, Neptheids, Zoanthids of all colors, Protopalyathoas, Clavularia, Briareum, and Xenias) and some other propagated Gorgonians of various types. Oh yeah, 2 clams. <Wow! It has got to be more than a little crowded in there.> So with my entire tank spelled out for you, I did have a 2x55watt PC lighting system, if this were your tank, what would you choose: 1.) 2x65watt Custom Sea Life Smartlamp system 2.) 2X65watt Custom Sea Life Britelight system (1 Actinic and the other an 8800K or 10K bulb) 3.) or maybe a 4x55 Custom Sea Life Britelight system (2 Actinic, 1 8800K, and 1 10K) <If you were getting good results with the old lights, I would use either two 55watt lamps or two 65watt lamps. I prefer separate lamps, one actinic and one 8,800K. I like the aesthetics of simulating dawn/dusk with the actinic only.> Lastly, I was told I really should go with a Custom Sea Life Metal Halide 175w with 2x28w PC Prism Pendant. I feel that a MH lighting system would burn my inhabitants as well as my acrylic tank to a crisp unless I had it 15 inches off the tank. <Yes, truly overkill. Wait for the halides for your next, larger tank.> But all that aside, which would you choose if it were your tank? Also, which spectrum for the PC white light bulbs? 8800K or 10K? Smartlamp I don't think applies. Paul <See above notes for last two questions. Have a nice night. -Steven Pro>
Quick Lighting Question for a 20 Follow-up
Thanks Steven. Sounds crowded but in all actuality, they are all very small (frags if you will) many will be given away or traded. I definitely understand that as they grow bigger they will not stand for other corals infringing on their respective territory (Allelopathy). Truly understand that it sounds crowded but in reality these are very small corals. The plan is for another coral tank in the next 6 months to a year or two. I totally appreciate your comment though. I truly understand where you were coming from "<Wow! It has got to be more than a little crowded in there.>" All of these animals have either been grown and fragged by me (Marine Biology class) or from my friends at GARF. The exception is the clams. They were tank born and raised in the Solomon Island clam farms. They are just 1 inch or so. Nothing outrageous. Again I don't have one coral older than a 4 months in there. I would hate for a beginner (or anyone for that matter) to think that my tank's livestock level is a normal stocking preference or a highly acceptable practice for reefkeepers. These beautiful and fascinating animals don't need my help in their destruction, they need our help. We reefkeepers may one day hold the key to restocking depleted and over harvested reefs where they once proliferated. <Yes, agree with you completely. We all make comments/suggestions as we read through the emails and certain things tend to stand out. Also, we post and archive all of the Q&A's, so many times we make comments for others to read, too.> Anyhow, Thanks for your very valuable time. The PC company was JBJ. Lesson learned. <Will file away that bit of info in my head and on WWM. Thank you, Steven Pro>

Looking for Small Reef Tank Suggestions Hello Bob, <Steven Pro this evening.> I have a 30 gallon full reef setup with wet/dry trickle filtration 30 lbs of live rock and 30 lbs of live sand. I know you advise against such a small system, I now know why (the tank has been up and running great for about 4 months, but it s very meticulous work). <Yes, inheriting less stable and prone to overstocking & overfeeding.> After reading "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" (extraordinary publication, second to none I have encountered) I have come to realize that I might have used larger grain crush coral mixed in with my substrate ( which consist of just fine Natures Ocean 'live" Aragonite) <I prefer the exclusive use of fine sand. This stops any detritus from finding its way in between the grains.> and was wondering if just placing this material directly into the sump section of my wet/dry would be beneficial? (Increasing buffer capacity, decreasing depletion of calcium, and maybe even some extra denitrifying bacteria?) <Probably more trouble than its worth to just do part of the unit. The benefits that you listed would be small, but there would be the added benefit of additional infauna/critters. Larger pieces are very good for promoting copepods and amphipods. But the drawback would be extra detritus accumulation in that section and more difficult to clean.> I was pondering the idea of turning the filter into a full refugium , would that be suggested for a system of this size? <Sure> To be honest I'm a bit scared of removing the bio-media from the filter. How would I go about this? <Go slowly, remove only a portion at a time. Perform a Google search for refugium on the WWM site for additional info.> Thanks for everything you've been a great deal of help, Mark L. <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Eheim filter for 29gal reef? Hello, I was wondering if an Eheim Ecco filter would be sufficient for my 29gall tall reef tank? <A good start for mechanical filtration (and space for occasional chemical)... I encourage you to add a skimmer, and investigate other possibilities (like using a live algae sump...)> or should I spring for a Eheim 2026 filter? Also I need a recommendation on a Reliable powerheads as I am having trouble with my Rios... I heard MaxiJet 1200's were ok, how about Eheim hobby pumps? <These are detailed on WetWebMedia.com as is a discussion and files of FAQs on marine filters/filtration.> thanks for the info, Ben Garbi <Please take a long look through the materials on WWM. There is a search feature on the Homepage and Indices. Bob Fenner>

Ten Gallon Nano Stocking Level Hello Bob, <Steven Pro this morning.> I enjoy reading your column. I find it very helpful and informative. My question is regarding a ten gallon nano tank that I started up five weeks ago. I would like to know if I can safely keep the following animals in it. I currently have: 2 True Perculas 1 Watchman Goby 1 Dragonet (pinkish in color) <The key word above is "safely". I would not recommend keeping anymore than two fish in a ten gallon tank safely.> 1 Bubble Tip Anemone <And I do not recommend people get host anemones unless they are willing to work hard to provide the utmost of care for those challenging animals. A ten gallon is just not large enough.> 2 Peppermint Shrimp 2 Blue Legged Hermits 6 Small Red Hermits 10 Astrea Snails 1 Sand Stirring Starfish (beige and brown in color) <I would remove this guy. He will surely starve in time in such a small tank.> 18 lbs of live rock 2 inches of crushed coarse coral Remora Protein Skimmer (Berlin Method) 1 Rio 90 Power Head 1 Rio 180 Power Head 10 Gallon Via Aqua Tank 1 32 Watt 50/50 Smartlight 1 18 Watt 50/50 Light Yesterday in my LFS, I learned that my Dragonet eats only Copepods. I'm fearful that this one will eventually run out of food. <Yes, he will if he hasn't already.> I'm planning to return the Dragonet and possibly replace it with another fish. <See above note. Just return, do not replace.> What kind of fish do you think would be a good fit with the Goby and Perculas? I'm thinking of adding a second Goby, but I'm not sure if this is a good idea. I have the Maxi Jet 1200 on the Remora so I have plenty of skimming, water flow and live rock filtration going on. Am I pushing my luck if I keep 2 Percs and 2 Gobies? Would I be better off in the long run if I just kept 2 Percs and the Watchman Goby? <Yes> What would be best to feed the Anemone and how often? It doesn't like Krill much, but seems to like Silversides. <Please read this article to see what is required of you to successfully house these creatures, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bubbletipanemones.htm> Will the Goby be okay eating formula1 and frozen brine shrimp? Brine shrimp is not a great food. Try finding some Mysis instead. The Formula I is fine.> I'm new to the hobby so any advice you can give me would be very helpful for me. Thank you very much for your advice. <My best advise is to get Bob's book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" and read it.> Sincerely, Scott D. <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

C. argi or C. acanthops in a Nano Bob: <Steven Pro answering questions at the moment.> I am new to salt water and have set up a 10 gallon nano-reef that is thriving (at the moment). I would love to add a C. argi or C. acanthops to this system (though I realize already that it is very small); the LFS has one of each that are only about 2.5 cm long and of course I am considering moving my little reef to a bigger tank (or simply starting another reef in a bigger tank where the fish could be moved). In general, is one of these species better for a reef tank than the other in terms of personality, aggressiveness, hardiness, or anything else? <They should be about the same. A bit of a roll of the dice as to whether either will eat any inverts you care about. Could only be recommended for your ten gallon tank as the only fish. -Steven Pro Thanks, Steve

Nano Marine Systems and Sand Beds Hi WWM Guys, <Steve Pro in this morning.> I'm planning on converting my show tank to LR, DSB and sump/Refugium filtration with a Protein Skimmer. I would like to experiment first with a 10G setup. <Ok, but everything is far less stable in small aquaria and not always a good example if things do not work out well.> My current QT, is 10G with UG filtration. I plan switching to a Rubbermaid container with sponge filter that is run in the sump of my show tank (once I add the sump). Anyway for this 10G tank, I was thinking of a 4" DSB and no less than 10lbs of LR.. I plan on having 1 false Percula and maybe an anemone for it. (I can't remember if they live around anemone's or not)..  <Ocellaris clownfish, as well as all clownfish and several damsels, are associated with anemones, but I cannot recommend an anemone in such a small tank.> Finally one or two hermit crabs. <I prefer the scarlet reef hermits.> I don't plan on having a skimmer or other filtration. An air pump and stone for aeration and one or 2 Rio 50 or 90 PHs, for wave action. Do you think the bioload will be low enough to have just natural filtration? <One fish in a ten should be ok.> Thanks, Glenn <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Building a Nano-Tank & Going on Vacation - Jason forgets to introduce himself... Robert- I am in the process of gathering information and supplies to start a small reef tank (28g). I know its kind of small so I plan on starting with just Live Rock and Live sand and slowly stocking it. I am in an interesting situation and would appreciate your opinion. <<so far, so good - with diligence, one can keep a fine 28.>>  First off, the only things I currently have are a 28 gallon tank, 2x55 watt PC light hood, 2 x Hagen 301 pumps, CPR backpack IIR Skimmer, and a 150 watt heater. I do not plan on keeping a sump, so basically I only have to purchase Live rock (~45 lbs Fiji), live sand/aragonite mix (~60 lb), salt, and some test kits for the initial setup. <<call me crazy, but with that much live rock and sand, were you going to put water in this aquarium? Best to do one pound per gallon on each of those.>> Now for the problem. I can have everything up and running in less than 2 weeks. However, I will be on vacation for two weeks at the end of Dec. into the begin of Jan. There will be nobody around to watch the tank at all. Now I'm not sure whether or not I should wait until I get home in Jan to start, or if I should do it now. <<if you are only putting live rock in the tank, I think it would be no big deal... not like it's going to jump out, need to be fed or something - easy.>> From what I understand, the first month after adding live rock/sand is pretty slow. <<certainly in a tank of this size, you should be going very, very slow anyway.>> So since I'll be away for some of that time, I won't have to resist the temptation to tamper. <<this is true, but you'd better start working on resisting.>> I have asked some people and they seem to think that leaving the tank with just the pumps and heater running (no lights or skimmer) would be fine. <<I would run the lights like normal, perhaps a little less.>> The only problem might be evaporation (can I cover it tightly? or would that inhibit oxygen exchange). <<you could... mix your salt very weak, say 1.018 or 1.019 and let it go... by the time you get home, it will be higher, but not too bad. No to the cover, yes to oxygen inhibition.>> Should I put the lights on for only a couple hours of the day using timers? <<ah yes, now we're cooking with gas!>> Would I need to add something to decompose (somebody suggested a small dead fish) to build up the ammonia levels? <<no, likely the live rock will take care of this for you.>> Should I run the skimmer (but then I would need somebody to empty the cup)? <<yes, probably the one thing you wouldn't want to leave unattended for two weeks. It can wait until you get home, just keep in mind that some hideous stuff may collect when you fire it back up.>> Also, a bit off of the topic, but, the CPR skimmer comes with optional accessories. A bubble trap, a surface skimmer, or a combo of the two. I didn't know if my tank would benefit from any of these. Do you have any experience with this product? Do you recommend any of these accessories? <<in fact I do, I have the surface skimmer box for my BPII, and as the case with any protein skimmer, there is a layer of "stuff" just on the top of the water that is very reactive in the skimmer, if only you could get it there. The surface skimmer helps do this and makes the BPII more efficient. As for the bubble trap, you have a IIR - where the R is for reef - this has additional channels in the design which are supposed to help with bubbles - you should probably wait and see how well things work until you get this item.>> Thanks for your time, I hope to hear back from you....... Jeff <<No problem. Cheers, J -- >>

FAQ small system Hi Mr. Fenner, <Steven Pro this evening.> I got a 20 gallon tank because of space, I want to have a fish-only tank. I'm using sand, like 20 lb, I also have like 10 lb of live rock, 150 watt heater, AquaClear 201 powerhead with a Quickfilter ( I plan to add another), a Lee protein skimmer, I have a Coralife Hydrometer and a Tetra complete test kit.  Right now I have a blue Damsel, and two brackish fish, it has been running for like a week. <Too many fish for such a new tank. You are going to be best off taking back all three for right now. I saw below where you wish to return them all anyhow.> I added packed bacteria "Cycle" to make the process faster.  <Maybe of minimal benefit. Will not speed things up though. The best you can hope for is it added beneficial bacteria, but that comes with liverock, too.> After the tank is cycled I going to get rid of the fish and get a Clownfish, a bicolor blenny, which other fish can I add? -Rene <You can add one more fish total after the other two. Possible ones include a Firefish, a Cardinalfish, a Hawkfish, a tank-raised Pseudochromis, etc. -Steven Pro>
Re: FAQ small system
Hi again I got rid of the two brackish fish, got the other powerhead, and got running the protein skimmer, also got the light. I forgot to add in my last mail that the tank was filled with water from a friend's mature tank. <Of no real benefit.> I kept the damsel, today I checked levels, the ammonia is near to 0 and the nitrites are < 0.8 I going to get a clown fish, and I was wondering if I can have an anemone in that tank. <Please do not add another fish until ammonia & nitrite are both zero. No, I cannot recommend an anemone for your tank. Tank is too small, anemones are too challenging, and are not needed to keep your fish happy, healthy.> Do I need more Live rock? <I like to see a tank have about one third of is volume taken up by liverock. The pound per gallon rule does not really work well.> Do I have to let the protein skimmer running all the time or can I have it running in 12 hr shifts? Rene <24/7>

Question for a beginner with a small tank I hope to not overwhelm you with my typing here but I think more information for you makes you able to give me a better answer so..... here goes: (and thank you for being of such a service to the internet Aquarist) <a pleasure...Anthony Calfo> I'm an experienced freshwater aquarist, meaning I've learned that there is always something to learn. My wife is being VERY supportive of me trying a Marine aquarium and I need to keep it that way. :-) <understood and agreed> I was given a 20 gallon aquarium and buying a larger one (remember the wife thing) was not an option. I know it's small, I'm hoping attention and prompt care will get me through. To this baby aquarium I've added a single SO fluorescent, 100W heater (keeping up nicely) and a Skilter.  <do search the net for DIY plans to modify this unit and really make this Skilter work> I bought 15 lbs of Arag-alive and added that with 15 lbs of normal aragonite. Not sure of the size but I would say it was like beach sand. I have about 2-3 inches of sand. <you need more sand, my friend (or a lot less... 1/2 or less or 3+ for safety> I KNOW when I am done I will have thrown away just about all of what I have just listed (with the exception of the sand) and that's okay. I can sneak in parts here and there (honey look what So-and-so GAVE me!) but for now it has to sustain something that "looks cool" so she will be more inclined to agree with upgrades later on. <you're not implying that you would "misrepresent" anything to your very empathetic wife are you?<wink>> Here's what I picture as the end result: ~20 lbs live Fiji rock from FFExpress. <be sure to get FULLY cured rock... partially cured is a stinky fib> "Some" fish (I know that's broad but I'll explain in a bit) One of the FFExpress "reef cleanup crews" <don't be in a hurry for this crew in a young tank> I need to add the rock in about a month (or longer) because of financial considerations.  <all the more reason to get Fully cured rock, or you must cure it in a separate vessel for 2-3 weeks on arrival> In the meantime I need to get something interesting in there. Here's what I mean by "some" fish: 1-3 damsels now (thinking 3 to prevent a bully thing with just 2?) <resist most damsels... tanks is too small... really a heartache. With the exception of the Chromis damsels... of them you can have three, they are peaceful and school nicely> Rock goes in when I get it a tang  <tangs are also too big and inappropriate for the tank. Not responsible in the long run> and or a dwarf angel <a fine choice most likely> some time after /maybe/ some beginner hard or soft coral later on (I'll keep reading/researching for ideas on that) <hmmm... you will be very restricted because of lighting and coral aggression in the 20gall. Perhaps just some Zoantharians like button polyps or mushrooms instead> So, does that sound do-able? Should I start the tank with the damsels or is there another hardy beginner fish that looks good (read: far different form a fresh water fish) that I might try? Sound okay adding that rock in a month or so? <actually, three blue or green Chromis damsels would be fine> I realize that this plan is fraught with hazards and I may well make a stinking mess. I don't want to. If there's a glaring error in my plans maybe you can point it out now? Thanks in advance for ANY help and I will continue to read your fine website (and look for your books locally). <do keep reading, learning and growing. Kindly, Anthony> -Lee
Re: Question for a beginner with a small tank
Thank you very much for the ultra-fast reply.  <very welcome, my friend. Anthony> I would have written back to thank you yesterday but I got so sidetracked while looking for the Skilter modifications you suggested that I stayed up till midnight just reading things and dreaming of a larger tank. :-) <sounds like time well spent!> >> you need more sand, my friend (or a lot less... 1/2 or less or 3+ for safety<< Understood. More sand in my future! >> you're not implying that you would "misrepresent" anything to your very empathetic wife are you?<wink> << Oh of COURSE not. "Honey, it's a learning thing. Now I can do a larger one right!" Again, thanks for the reply and I'll be reading and reading and reading and.......-Lee <and be sure to pass what you learn on to others in kind <smile> Anthony>

Micro reef scavenging hey Robert, <Anthony Calfo in your service> I have a sally light foot and believe he has eaten a fish of mine......... <very unlikely if at all possible with healthy fish. Will scavenge the dead and dying though> so I want to rid my tank of him/her..........first........how to rid the tank of him/her.......... <sink an open mouthed glass jar with meaty food in it... lean it against the rocks... it will scurry down in, but not be able to scurry up and out as easily> second what crab/shr. etc......would keep the tank and/or live rock clean............ <I suspect the sally is fine, quite frankly> my tank isn't terribly huge............it's quite small actually.....only 15 gallons..........so I don't need a huge amount of cleaning.......but something.............I already have 3 snails................had 5 but two died...........but do you have any other suggestions.............I'm planning on getting a few peppermint shr. because they are cheap and can be kept in a group <you honestly don't need another crab... three snails and three shrimp and you are already pushing your luck. If you must, some tiny blue leg hermits would be fine> but I'm assuming they won't do much for my rocks <depends: what is growing on your rocks?> if I'm wrong please correct me.......but if I'm not please suggest something that'll keep the rocks clean. thanks a lot... Shayne <hold out for a bigger tank, my friend or do not be tempted to stock with too many dependant scavengers... perhaps the two snails starved to death as the tank is unlikely to grow enough microalgae to sustain 5 snails. One rule of thumb is 1 snail per 10 gallons!!! So you should be grateful to have 3 still living. To then make another crab and three shrimp also compete for food is asking a bit much. Best regards, Anthony>

Hey - Setting Up Mini Reef, Seahorses and Cnidarians... Ughh Hey Bob, <Anthony Calfo in your service> I am looking into setting up another Marine set up in a 20 gallon tank I had used for sea horses. (I was looking to get back into freshwater but after 3 years in the marine world the fish just don't appeal to me like they used to) So far I plan to have a normal 20 gallon glass tank, a Prizm protein skimmer,  <do consider upgrading the skimmer... Euro-reefs are quite effective, and lest anyone think I am a strong proponent of this specific brand that I recommend so often...my first choice is a Tunze> 40 lbs of live sand, and live rock. For lighting I am going to use 110 watts of PCs.  <hopefully you'll be growing seagrass for the seahorses under this nice light, otherwise too bright long term for them without diffusing it> I plan to keep a pair of seahorses from Ocean Rider, and possibly one of the following: a mandarin, a 6 line wrasse, or a pair Percula clowns. <the latter two species just would not be responsible... their activity will out-compete the seahorses for food even without aggression (which you may very well expect from the feisty six0line)... the mandarinfish...I just don't even want to go down that road <G>> The only way I would buy a mandarin is if I could fine one at the LFS that was already eating frozen mysis shrimp to the sea horses. I know that it is hard to find one that accepts food but hopefully I will have some luck.  <no comment on another mandarinfish likely to die within months (I guess that was a comment...hehe)> I have also read that the 6 line wrasse will eat frozen mysis and I have seen a 20 gallon tank with sea horses and the wrasse in it.  <even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes> The clowns would be the third option if the other two did not work out.  <how about some more appropriately slow and passive fish like Firefish?> I also want to try my hand at some easy corals and possibly a clam.  <unnatural for seahorses and mandarins from their seagrass habitat. They are stung and killed by anemones and coral more often than any other fishes in captivity because of this unfamiliar exposure to stinging cnidarians. The clams are OK, however> Could you suggest some corals that would live on my 110 watts of light and would want a low to medium current?  <plenty, but none with seahorses> This time around I am going to use patience to my advantage and hopefully this system will not end up how the last system housed in this tank did. Thank You, Jonathan Pac <kind regards, Jonathan... Anthony Calfo>

25 gallon reef Bob, <Anthony Calfo in his stead, Ari> What a site! For a beginner (I'm on my second tank) this is Heaven-sent. Thanks. <thank, you!> My question is relatively basic. I have just purchased a 25 gallon reef tank -- equipped with everything I need. In Chicago we have a great shop called Old Town Aquarium that is very customer service oriented, <huge and famous!> so that's the first step. My question, however, is about which kinds of fish I can put into my reef tank once it has matured and the inverts and [some hardy] corals are thriving. Believe me ... I'm through the trigger and eel phase, but I'm still enamored by the fish themselves and would like to have a tank with some good fish (maybe 2). I know that gobies and blennies are good, just as Royal Gramma are, but do you have any suggestions outside of these? Any would be great. < a shoal of Firefish (royal/queen sp if funds allow), or cardinal fish would be great...very peaceful and small. Also, Blue reef Chromis (Blue with black stripe...not the blue/green pacific sp)> I heard that I cannot have one of my favorites -- long nosed hawk fish -- because of its appetite.  <pretty frisky, and may harass snails and shrimp. Probably OK though> Thanks for your time and assistance. Best Regards, Ari Klein <do look into joining a good local aquarium society like CMAS/Chicagoland. Also. there is a good marine conference in Chicago in 2003 to look forward to (www.theimac.org). And on March 23rd of this year, The Midwest Marine Conference as well with four speakers including myself and Eric Borneman (www.masm.org, follow link for conference). Anthony>

At my wits end Hi Bob, <You reached Steven Pro this fine morning. I am part of the WWM crew and taking my turn answering some of the daily mail.> I have been attempting to keep a reef tank for about 5 years now. I have had very little success. I am currently running a ten gallon tank with about 20 lbs of live rock. <Truthfully, it is very difficult to successfully keep such a small tank.> I have a plenum and a power compact light. <How much light?> The chemistry is good as far as I can tell. The Spg is 1.025, ammonia-0,nitrites-0,and nitrates-0. Supplements with Calcium, Iodine, Strontium/Molybdenum. <This sounds good. Calcium and alkalinity would be also nice to know.> Filtration is a hang on the back Aquaclear. I know that sounds funny but it is a mechanical/biological filter isn't it? <Yes it is.> The water quality is good, but I am getting red slime algae and nothing is flourishing. <Red Slime Algae is a type of Cyanobacteria, usually associated with elevated levels of nutrients.> All the inhabitants are is two very small polyp rocks and a Percula clown fish. I must say that I have a ninety gallon tank waiting in the wings to be set up. However, after my repeated failures and frustration I am seriously reconsidering even going the route of a big tank. This is something that I have always wanted, but I am tired of not being able to maintain livestock and wasting money. I have been reading lots of articles and doing research, but no matter what I try I can't seem to succeed. Sorry about the length of the letter, I am just at my wits end. Any suggestions? <I can give you a few suggestions. Whenever I setup a reef tank, there are a couple of must haves for me. 1.) Purified Source Water (reverse osmosis or de-ionized) 2.) Efficient Protein Skimmer 3.) Good Lighting (minimum of 3 watts per gallon, sometimes more depending on the corals kept) Thanks, Valerie <I hope you do not give up yet. Respond with your lighting and perhaps I can give you some more advice (what wattage, how many lamps, what kind of lamps, how long since they have been replaced, etc.) -Steven Pro>

12 g system The system I got is 12 g with a built in wet dry filter and Clear for life venturi protein skimmer with 27 watts 6700 K and 9 watts 7100K lighting. Is the tank lighting good enough for my stocking plan and do I have enough space for these invertebrates: Emerald Crab x2, Red Leg/Left Handed Hermit x9, Scarlet Reef Hermit x6, Bubble Tip Anemone, Harlequin Shrimp x2, Bumble Bee Scavenger Snail x3, Burrowing Cerith Snail x3, Anemone Shrimp, Dancing Anemone Shrimp, Anemone Crab, Yellow Polyps, Button Polyps - Colored, Feather Duster - Pink and White, Breadcrumb Sponge <Of the above, I can only recommend the following; 2-3 Scarlet Reef Hermits, 2-3 Bumble Bee Scavenger Snails, 2-3 Burrowing Cerith Snails, Yellow Polyps, and Colored Button Polyps

Small Marine Aquariums
Book 1:
Invertebrates, Algae
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by Robert (Bob) Fenner
Small Marine Aquariums
B
ook 2:
Fishes

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Small Marine Aquariums
Book 3:
Systems

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by Robert (Bob) Fenner
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