Neon Goby Breeding, Overstocking 10/22/07
Hi.
<Hello>
I have a 28 nano cube with two ocellaris clowns, one yellow watchman goby, one firefish, one royal Gramma, one sixline wrasse, a neon goby, a mandarinfish, and a pistol shrimp and various other invertebrates.
<Entirely too much livestock in there, 2 or 3 fish are about maximum for that sized tank.>
I want to get a second neon goby to breed, but what are the differences in external appearances between males and females?
< http://www.wetwebmedia.com/neongobies.htm >
Also, I know that it is "not acceptable " to have a mandarinfish in that small of a tank, but I have a large supply of flatworms for both him and the sixline to eat.
<They do not generally eat flatworms unless they are desperate, and this is not enough for them at all.>
I was also wondering if I could breed copepods without a refugium for the mandarinfish.
<Not in large enough quantities economically.>
Finally, my royal Gramma is a bully to the firefish, who was in the tank first. What can I do about that?
<Not much, because of the similar body type this behavior is common, remove one of them.
His usual hiding spot from the Gramma is with the yellow watchman and the shrimp.
<Need more hiding spots, he should have his own bolt hole.>
Thanks!
Drew
<Welcome>
<Chris>

Stocking a 34G Marine Tank, reef  10/19/07
Hello , I have to say thank you for all the help your wonderful site has already provided myself with.
<Welcome from all of us.>
My question is about my reef tank its a red sea max (34 gal nano type two pumps protein skimmer all built in neat set up, do you know anything bad about that setup that should be changed?)
<The skimmers are often inadequate.>
All the levels chemical wise ( ph, salinity, nitrate , nitrite , calcium etc. etc. , are perfect as to wwm standards. I have currently some corals, snails, one very small maroon clown (wild not captive bred)
<Will outgrow this tank, they get big and mean.>
and one extremely small yellow tang
<Completely inappropriate for this sized tank, needs at least double at a minimum.>
and a green BTA that hosts the clown and about forty lbs of live rock and twenty five lbs live sand.
<Anemones are not really appropriate for small tanks and new tanks, they are very sensitive to environmental changes.>
I guess I've really been wondering am I overstocked?
<Yes, or soon will be, your current livestock will not do well in this sized tank.>
I also have a anemone crab that lives in the BTA with the clown is this ok? I did not buy the crab he hitch hiked in the BTA. I would like to add another fish but I am not sure I just want the specimens in the tank to be happy I am going to add a couple more pieces of coral though. Thank you so much for the help, your site saves a lot of marine life that would other wise have met a far too premature demise.
<I can't imagine the clown will allow anything else to live in the tank for much longer, they are very aggressive and territorial. Also in the future please spell and grammar check queries before submitting, we need to correct them before posting.>
<Chris>

Tridacna Crocea in a Nano  10/12/07
Hi guys, love the site. I'm planning a 29 gallon Oceanic BioCube for my new bedroom and I was thinking about adding a Tridacna Crocea clam. I know the light in the tank is not enough for this clam. But because the size and beauty of this clam I want one. I have found this site that customizes BioCube and could add 2 more 36 power compacts. This would give the system 144w and just under 5 watts per gallon. If I keep the crocea close enough to the top will it live happily? Thanks.
<This lighting should work out... but I do have concerns re keeping your water quality up and stable here. Have you read much re the captive care of tridacnids? Bob Fenner>

Acclimation, Over Stocking, Poor LFS Advice – 10/7/07
Hey guys!
<Hi Jason, Brenda here!>
First off, you guys need to know that I read all the stuff on your site almost daily and the information I get is priceless.
<Great to hear you are using it and find it helpful.>
That being said, I need a little bit of advice, or perhaps an opinion from someone that I’m not buying a bunch of expensive stuff from.
<Okay.>
I have a 10 gal tank with 10lbs of Fiji live rock, about a 3 1/2" live sand bed, penguin bio-wheel 150 filter, and the lights I got yesterday which are the Coralife Aqualight quad (96watt, 2 10,000k white, 2 7000k actinic).
<Is this a new system? No protein skimmer?>
I've been going to my LFS for a while and trust them. Yesterday I also bought 5 corals along with the light fixture (2 mushrooms, 2 star polyps, and a brain).
<That is too much for one week. Your LFS should have never sold you that much live stock, especially for a 10 gallon tank!>
I was told to put them all fairly low, so I did. Also, my LFS told me to keep the lights on for only 5 hours daily (6 hours the most). Is this correct?
<No, you want to replicate daylight, especially if you have fish. I would aim for 8-10 hours a day.>
I know it is possible to burn out the tank/coral (they lose pigmentation, correct?)
<Yes, but not with your lighting.>
but I wasn’t sure if 5 hours was sufficient.
<No, it isn’t.>
I was also told that after about a week, I could add more corals to the tank.
<Rule of thumb is one per week. However, given the fact that you only have a 10 gallon tank, I would stop where you are. What fish do you have?>
I was testing the water daily but now I’m testing every other day. Also my live rock has started growing coralline algae and looks very nice.
<Good!>
One piece is completely covered and has polyps growing on it as well. I also added 10 blue legged hermits
<Yikes, that’s too many! The rule of thumb is one per 10 gallons. Even with the rule of thumb, they are quite dangerous!>
and 3 turbo snails about a week ago. Another thing I feel compelled to ask is do corals need to be acclimated? I've read about drip acclimation and how to do it, but my LFS told me to just put the corals straight in.
<Oh my!!!! Of course they need to be acclimated. I question the trust you have in this LFS. Acclimation is a necessity with all livestock. Without proper acclimation your coral and any other livestock is in great danger>
It really threw me off, because I thought they were very sensitive.
<Oh yes!!!!! They certainly are!!!>
Well thanks a lot for your help! You guys are great!
<Girls too!>
Jason Lopez
<You’re Welcome! Brenda>

Lion fish and over stocking... reading  – 9/24/07
Hello, I want to know two things:
one: I have a 50 litre tank with 3kg of live rock and two common clowns 2cm each, a crab 1cm, a feather duster tube worm and a fire cleaner shrimp 3cm.
Is my tank over stocked?
<Likely to be so... in time, growth of the Clowns>
two: what size tank in litres do I need to have a lion fish?
Regards
Jason Hargitai (Cape Town, South Africa)
<Posted. Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lions&rels.htm
and the linked files above. BobF>

Condy questions... Actually small marine, too much too soon... maint.  – 09/23/07
Love the website, its a wealth of info.
<Thank you>
I have a 24 gallon AquaPod and its only about 2 weeks old. We started it out with crushed coral, live sand, Instant Ocean, some live rock, a Damsel and a strawberry Basslet, 1 Condy anemone (he was a nice handful in size at first), 1 Chocolate Chip Starfish (he hasn't left the glass until now), 2 Emerald Crabs and 2 hermit crabs (wife couldn't resist getting more than just damsels in the beginning) a 1 Mantis Shrimp and some bristle worms (both been caught and disposed of).
<Whoa!!! This is way too much life for such a small, new system...>
The tank is cycling right now (brown algae all over the place, green starting) but my anemone is all shrunk down (his bottom is still inflated but his tentacles are all shrunk/shriveled up). I am wondering if he is in the process of dying, there is some stringy stuff around him, not coming from his orifice but more like off his outside.
<Might be...>
The Starfish is missing a choc-chip and he doesn't hardly move at all now and is camped out on the bottom and lifting his arms once in a while. Not sure if he is sick or dying.
<Likely the latter...>
Am I prematurely worrying
<Ah, no>
or is this tank and its inhabitants doing what they should be doing when a tank cycles?
<... they are doing what is too likely to happen from being jammed into too new a non-cycled system of this type... Dying from stress>
I don't want to kill anything/everything if I can do anything about it.
Bob in Florida
<... Time, past time for you to read. Start here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/small.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Lighting For A Condy In A Nano Reef 9/17/07
Hi,
<Hello Jane>
i <Ah, another querier with a broken shift key.>
have a nano reef, it is five gallons. I placed a Condy in it about a few days ago. It has burrowed it's foot in the sand. I think it's doing well as of now because I'm feeding it and putting in an iodine supplement. It looks healthy, as I can see. Right now there's about 25 watts of lighting, and the water is perfect. Is this an okay set up, and if not, what do you suggest. I'm open to more lighting, is that is necessary. Thanks, and let me know.
<Jane, the five gallon nano is much too small for keeping a Condy. Anemones are difficult to keep in a large system, let alone in a five gallon. The lighting itself should be sufficient if the lamp is at least 6000K, but my advice is to return the Condy, you will be asking for trouble down the road. Any fish/coral in the nano will be subject to stings from the anemone in such small quarters. And when the anemone dies, if unnoticed, your nano will become toxic to all other life present. James (Salty Dog)>
-Jane
<In future queries, please cap beginnings of sentences, proper nouns, etc. Makes our job easier if we do not have to edit before posting. Thank you.>

Re: Tank size + fish selection 9/6/07
Thanks for saving me some big $ and the fish their lives... I guess I'll stick with the gobies, blennies, etc. until I can get a larger tank.
Mike
<Wise move here, I think you will be much happier this way in the long run.>
<Chris>

Pajama Cardinal and Cleaner Shrimp… Not In a 12 Gallon Tank.   9/2/07
Hello,
<Hi Amanda, Mich here.>
I have a 12g with only one fire fish in it right now,
<And overstocked at that. Even this fish should be in a bigger tank!>
and am looking to add a pajama cardinal
<No, you shouldn't. There is not enough room.>
and a cleaner shrimp (due to a recent ich outbreak that killed off my Chromis and my false perc. clown fish).
<This would be a fine addition.>
However, I have read that cardinals tend to eat shrimp.
<Can.>
I have also read that cleaner shrimp services are valuable to fish and many won't eat them.
<Most times.>
Is the cardinal one of these or should I a different fish?
<You should not add any more fish to this system. It is too tiny for nearly all fish with the possible exception of a Cleaner Goby (Gobiosoma spp.).
Thanks in advance!
<Welcome, Mich>
-Amanda

Nano and pico systems... maint. & stkg. mostly – 08/26/07
Dear Mr. Fenner, Crew,
<Hi Michael.>
Firstly, thank you for all of the wonderful information/advise provided on your website, your site is a true GEM for novices like myself!
<I’m glad you like the site. Thanks for your kind words.>
I have been dabbling in the art(?) of fish keeping for a few years now but my experience has mainly been in freshwater fish. I have a couple of questions for you (I apologize in advance) and would greatly appreciate any information you are kind enough to provide.
<No need to apologize, we are here to answer questions.>
Setup:
My saltwater tank is a mere 17 gallons and I am currently using
1) an 1100 litre per hour external canister filter,
2) 400 litre max capacity protein skimmer,
3) air pump,
4) wave maker,
5) aragonite (2-3mm) substrate,
6) 12 pounds live rock,
7) 150W metal halide lamp,
8) 100W heater and a
9) 400 liter max capacity chiller.
*** I tend to buy equipment that is intended for larger tanks as I am not able to provide weekly water changes (work)***
<A larger tank in combination with your equipment would be much more stable and due to the larger amount of water less prone to fluctuations of physical or chemical parameters.>
I was on a business trip for three days and of those three days, my electricity seems to have been shut down for a total of approx 40 hours (electricity provider's fault). I live in Hong Kong and the weather here is somewhat on the hot side, my tank temp will actually rise to 33 degrees without my chiller.
Upon my return, I was absolutely horrified to find that all of my tank inhabitants had passed on =( (an extremely sad day).
<Sorry to hear that.>
I have been an avid reader of your site and haven taken your advise, my tank was not heavily populated (two clowns, three anemones) at the time of this "catastrophe".
<Anemones do not work in a 17 gallon tank in most cases. Likely the anemones died first and the declining water quality wiped out the fish.>
I have removed all of my dear inhabitants but my water parameters were off the chart...
Questions
1) I have done a 50% water change and have restarted all of my equipment but I was wondering if I should still change more water? I am presuming that testing will answer my question, <Exactly.> however, I was also wondering if I need to remove the contaminated live rock, substrate etc.
<Not necessary if you can fix the water quality. Fresh activated carbon in combination with water changes will help you to stabilize the system again. This could also be the right time to think about a larger tank if you have the space.>
2) My tank had been up and running for three months prior to this incident and my tank was heavily populated with stow-aways from my live rock, should I buy more live rock to replace my current load as I am afraid all life forms may have perished?
<Hopefully there is enough microfauna left to re-populate the system in a short time. If you fail to see living “stow-aways” during the next few weeks, adding some new life rock would be beneficial.>
Essentially, I would like your advise on how to get this nano tank up and running again!
<Hope my suggestions help. In addition, I recommend not to try clowns and anemones in this tank. Even without the electricity problem, this system possibly would have crashed. See here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i1/Clown_anemone/Clown_anemone.htm.>
My second question is probably one that you have been asked numerous times...
<There is a good search function on WetWebMedia.>
I recently received a tiny tank (present) which can probably hold about 3-5 cups of water. Interestingly enough the tank actually has an air pump, light (LED) and a heater (no filter, filter media, circulation pump). If I were to fill this tank with water from my saltwater tank (including fully cycled substrate and one small chunk of live rock), would it be possible to keep one shrimp in this tank? I was actually thinking of keeping perhaps an anemone shrimp.
<No, absolutely not. See http://www.wetwebmedia.com/palemonidae.htm and the linked FAQs for an overview. They need a cnidarian host and are not among the most easy reef invertebrates. A few cups of water will not allow many inhabitants. Success will depend on how stable you can keep this tiny world. Perhaps put a piece of life rock in there if you really want to use this tank and see what develops. Read http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_4/V4I1/small_world/It's_a_Small_World.htm and the linked FAQs.>
Thank you in advance! Michael.
<You are welcome. Marco.>

Re: Nano/Pico Tanks. Nano and pico systems – follow up – 08/27/07
Hello Marco/Crew!
<Hi Michael.>
Thank you once again for all of the wonderful information. All of your advise is duly noted! =P
<No problem.>
In a country where English is somewhat of an "exotic" language, it really is quite difficult getting advice on this wonderful hobby/lifestyle. Even with the numerous pet shops it's hard even getting the "correct" name for most (>90%) of the fish/inverts/coral out there =(
<Such can happen everywhere. Ordered some fish recently and not one single fish delivered actually was of the species ordered.>
Thank you once again and have a great evening!
<Cheers. Can barely remember that evening, so I guess it was good!>
Michael
<Take care. Marco.>
<<Marco is German, works at Stuttgart U.... RMF>>

Cost-conscious Bio cube 14 optimization... Mis-mixed, crowded tiny SW sys...    8/15/07
Hello and thank you for being such a great resource for hobbyists like myself. I have the following set up:
BioCube 14, hood removed, clamp on K-2 Viper 150w 14k metal halide.
Blue filter sponge and heater in first chamber, Chaeto is in front of top intake grill
Cut out part of divider b/w 1st and 2nd chamber to increase overflow
Live rock rubble in the 2nd chamber
Rio 800 in the third chamber
2-3" Carib Sea Fiji Pink sand bed
<Needs to be more or less... see WWM re>
Tank runs 77-78 degrees
For livestock, I have:
1 Watchman Goby
1 Tiger Pistol Shrimp
1 Sixline Wrasse
<Not enough room...>
1 Neon Goby
1 Fire Shrimp
1 White Anemone Crab (Porcelain)
2 Turbos
1 Big Nassarius
1 Crocea Clam
<Definitely not enough room>
Green Candy Canes
Orange Zoos, Green Zoos,
<Dangerous here>
Red Mushrooms, Green Mushrooms
Orange Gorgonian
Lavender Tube Anemone
<!?>
Orange Tree Sponge
Flame scallop
<Misplaced period>
Montipora
Yellow Porites
Pulsing Xenia
Soft Leather Tree Coral
Green Favia Brain
Green Ricordea
I do 20-30% water changes at least weekly, top off water daily, dose calcium and carbonate daily.
I use filter floss and change every few days, and alternate using carbon, phosphate sponge, and soon I'll also use ChemiPure and Purigen.
I just added some ChemiClean Red Slime Remover
<A very poor idea... see WWM re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/maralgcidefaqs.htm>
for the first time to help some struggling zoos. I'll change the water in 48 hours.
Algae is light, but ever-present. Nitrates are low
I use Oceanic Sea Salt
<Not a fan of this brand...>
and RO water reading 23 TDS ppm
Given this set up, I have a few questions:
1) Feeding, Trace Elements, and Water Changes--I've only added trace elements once, 4 days ago, but after reading a few of your articles I'm worried about toxic buildup. Are regular water changes really enough for all the unique needs of the specimens I have?
<Should be, yes>
I feed the fish a rotation of Marine Cuisine, Mysis, Daphnia, Brine Shrimp, and diced bits of cocktail shrimp; bigger feedings are every other day, with lighter snacks in between. I also dose 1/4 tsp of Kent Phytoplankton and Kent Zooplankton every 4 days, along with 20-25 drops of Coral Vert (only every couple weeks). Trace elements from the Oceanic Sea Salt, along with this feeding schedule is probably enough to keep the xenia, clam, sponge, and scallop happy filtering the water, but do I need to supplement iodine for the xenia and crustaceans?
<Yes... I would add during water changes>
How about strontium and molybdenum?
<Not likely... enough should be supplied through the water...>
How about Essential Elements? Magnesium?
<Need to test for to assess>
Do I need to feed small amounts more frequently? What is the ideal feeding schedule (I work from home)
<Need to read re the individual needs of the life you list... posted/archived on WWM>
2) Someone told me that Purple Up would take care of most of my micronutrient needs that I don't already get from salt or feeding. Is this true?
<No>
3) Should I get a protein skimmer?
<Yes, I would... but... see below>
Is there one you recommend that's a good value and not overkill?
<Posted>
If I get a small protein skimmer, what do I need to do differently re: dosing, supplements?
<posted...>
4) Is a UV sterilizer overkill?
<ditto>
5)Calcium and Carbonate--do these need to be shaken to suspend sediments that settle out of solution or can I just draw from the clear liquid at the top of the container? Can I mix one or both of these into my auto top off water?
6)Periodicity--I like running my lights, how long of a daylight schedule is too long? How much is pushing it? Do Equatorial corals normally get about 16 hours of light?
7) Is my lettuce Nudi getting all he needs from the light?
8) Are my flame scallop, clam, and orange tree sponge getting all they need? (New Additions)
9) Is it ok/good to siphon/agitate the sand bed? Which problem is worse, buildup of waste in the sand, or subjecting everything to temporary spikes in water pollution/toxicity?
Any help finding these answers would be greatly appreciated. You guys ar great, thanks!
<Have just skipped down... You should learn to/use the search tool and indices on WWM... and quickly. The mis-mix of livestock you have is very tenuous... a crash is tentative... What you really need other than an education cart before the horse... is a much larger system... And soon. Read for now... start saving for the larger world, and keep your eyes, senses trained on this tiny over-crowded mess. Bob Fenner>

Mandarin fdg. Mis- over-stocked nano   8/3/07
Hi Bob. Love this site - thank you for this great resource! I have a quick question regarding the Mandarin -
<Mmm, actually there are more than 120 Callionymid species...>
I know that you recommend a tank of at least 100 gallons which can house sufficient live rock to sustain the number of copepods necessary to keep the fish healthy for a prolonged period. I really like this fish, and have been trying to research whether or not he could be kept in a Nano if I frequently added live copepods to the tank to replenish the supply, and, if so, if you could suggest the best product/retailer for live copepods?
<Mmm... there are some outfits that are starting to sell such... but I assure you... growing your own is the only practical, cost-effective means...>
Also, if this won't work, is there any other live food that is proven to work for this fish without fouling the water quality?
<Again... not really/practically... too easy to have human nature result in loss...>
I have a 16 gallon nano with about 20lb of live rock and a 2" live sand bed. Its current inhabitants are a very small cowfish
<... misplaced>
(I am planning on moving him to a bigger tank when he outgrows my Nano),
<Will be dead first... perhaps taking your other stock with it...>
several corals,
<?>
2 snails, 5 hermits, one coral banded shrimp
<... trouble. Stenopids are too predaceous to be kept in such a setting>
and a cleaner shrimp.
<Will be consumed>
In addition to the Mandarin (which I will only add if I can resolve this food issue) I may add a pair of clown fish,
<No my friend. You don't have the space here>
but then I would be done. I perform 10% water changes once a week and have an in-sump CPR skimmer, with the Viper 150watt HQI metal halide clamp-on light. Thank you very much in advance for any advice you can give me. Lindsey.
<I strongly suggest your starting a savings program... ala Dale Carnegie... and buy a much larger system... You've got the "pet-fish fever" (along with the rest of us addicts) that only more useful space can alleviate (temporarily). Bob Fenner>

Re: stocking nano, Mandarin    8/4/07
Thank you for your response. I actually already have 2 larger tanks at home - the Nano is in my office, so a larger tank there is not really an option. Clearly I will rule out the clowns based on your advice, and I will remove the coral banded shrimp.
<Ah, good>
I am a little confused by your comment that I am overstocked. I currently have only one fish (albeit a misplaced cow fish),
<This fish needs a volume times larger alone...>
two shrimp
<The CBS is trouble here...>
and snails and hermit crabs. By way of corals, I have one frag of zoanthids (about 10 polyps),
<Too toxic...>
about 1/2 square inch frag of blue Clavularia, a baby Montipora, about 4 polyps of Lord Acanthastrea and two Ricordea mushrooms. I also have <she cringes in anticipation of a serious trousering> a very small Goniopora.
<Yikes!>
the Goniopora is on the sand and well away from all the other corals. I know you feel strongly about these corals, and I can only say that I was given it as a gift for my bigger tank at home and have imported it to this tank because the clownfish in my bigger tank were messing with it. I am sure you will tell me that its short-term demise is inevitable, and I'm sure you are right about that, but all I can do at this point is learn as much as possible about the coral and try my best to keep it alive.
<And not add to problems I hasten to mention>
I am feeding it liquid life BioPlankton and reef- roids and hoping for the best.
I was also curious about the "human nature resulting in a loss" part of your response.
<Mmm, "to err is human" sort of thing... It seems (more likely absolutely appears) that our species (esp. in the west) is bent of "acquisition" tendency... Consuming, buying, putting more and more... in this case, livestock in any given container>
I am not concerned with the expense of obtaining food for the fish, and if I do get one, I will be committed to its well being - which is why I am asking if -ruling out the cost- the fish can be healthily maintained by purchasing food. I don't feel like I got a clear answer...
<Mmm, let me try again: More than expense, food involved here... The physical size of the world directly bears on the health of what we keep... psychologically often more than physiologically. This tank's too small... Is this clear?>
I don't deny that I have the fever, but I am trying to be responsible (if you rule out the cowfish indulgence). All that said, I have learned so much from your site and I totally appreciate the tough-love
approach. The biggest lesson in my induction into this hobby has been that LFS are seemingly universally staffed by individuals who are either mendacious, overly optimistic or well meaning but poorly informed - your site is a magnificent and much needed resource. Thanks again.
<Ahh, just like presidential et al. public elections... the "consumer" gets what they "pay" for/choose. Thank you for your kind words. BobF>

Re: Mandarin  stkg., fdg.    8/4/07
Thank you. No Mandarin for me, then. Tank is too small :)
<Yay! :! B>

Stocking Suggestions for the 34g Red Sea Max  7/26/07
Hi everyone. Hope all is well. I just have a quick one for you this morning... I am purchasing a Red Sea Max next month and I'm just planning ahead as far as my fish go. The main fish I want to have in the tank are a mated pair
<Mmm, a misnomer here... live in haremic settings, trading in/out females...>
of Flasher Wrasse (probably Carpenter's Flashers). Here are the other fish I wished to add as well as the order in which they would be placed:
1st: Yellowheaded Jawfish
2nd: Purple Firefish
3rd: Mated Pair of Flasher Wrasse
4th: possibly a yellow-tail blue damsel
I will allow sufficient time between additions to allow for the Bio-Load and also so the fish can become established (especially the Jawfish). I was considering 2 to 3 weeks between additions.
Does this all appear to be sound?
<Might work... though the space limitation is going to be challenging on the Flasher Wrasses psychologically>
Thank you for your time. It is much appreciated.
--
Chris
<Cheers, Bob Fenner>

New Kenya Addition. Acclimating a new Kenya tree to a nano setup – 07/20/07
Hello to everyone, and thank you for your recent help.
<Hi. I’m glad we were helpful.>
I was given a 3-4" purple Kenya tree yesterday and she (we'll go with she, its just easier and nicer than "it") is concerning me a bit. I know that softies can take a while to properly acclimate to their new surroundings so I am remaining patient and hands off. <good> But its slumped over, to the point where its polyps are on the sand bed, about 1/2 way up the base "stalk." I have about 60w of PC light in a 10 gallon tank that houses the Kenya, with a ocellaris <see http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nemoproart.htm>, three hermits and a couple Ceriths. I thought the Kenya would make a nice addition, especially at the great price of zero dollars. I have kept close tabs on my params, s.g. 1.024, ph 8.2, nitrates 5.5-5.7, don't recall my alk readings (I didn't write them down for some reason) but I know its the high 6 to low 7 range. <Those parameters sound adequate for this coral.>
I felt uneasy about taking the Kenya, because I hadn't done enough research on it, but when it's free its hard to say no.
<Imagine what tremendous discipline living by the sea would need. This time you are lucky. The Kenya tree can be kept in your system and will probably thrive.>
Especially to such a beautiful specimen, very vibrant purple, nice thick stalk. I could go on and on...and begin to creep myself out (hahaha). Please help with anything you think I could do. I am furiously searching the web for as much info as I can on care guides and the like. You guys are always helpful.
<Be patient and keep your hands out. Kenya trees and their close relatives are among the most easy corals. Keep up the water quality and it will likely be upright again in one to two weeks. In the meantime fix your lack of research. Be prepared that this species is capable of taking over your tank and that there are not many other species of corals that be kept as tank mates in this small system.
Take care. Marco.>

Candy cane melt... nano no-no  - 7/20/07
Hello, great information highway that you guys and girls have here. I love searching through the FAQ pages. Always trying to learn, its a must! Ok, so yesterday afternoon everything was good with my tank. I did water tests, salt 1.026 nitrite 0 nitrate 0 phos 0 ph 8.4 Cal 400 alk 11 temp 78. Later that night I noticed the web like stuff that the fire worms put out to feed. But a whole bunch. Didn't think anything of it though. Then when I got home from work this morning I noticed my candy cane had melted.
<!>
I bought this coral 2 weeks ago and it actually looked to be healthy and growing. Any ideas?
<Two weeks? Likely a system/acclimation issue>
Lighting is pc 18 w 50 50 daylight and 18 w 50 50 actinic. Also have a fuge hob mod. Any ideas?
<Re?>
Thanks in advance. Happy reefing. Oh yeah I did about a 1/2 gallon water change. Its a 3 gal pico
<Here's the problem... the size of the system...>
and going to do another 1/2 gal when I wake up. Also I removed the candy. I run carbon in my other filter. Any ideas and what else could be a result of the candy melting?
<All sorts... Please read on WWM re the family's "Systems", "Disease"... and that of Scleractinian, Cnidarians period. Bob Fenner>

Marine Ich, Tang in a Nano 7/10/07
I am writing this to you as I have tried to find an answer on the internet but am having trouble. I seem to find partial answers to my problem, but I'm not sure how to put them all together. I have a 24 gallon nano-cube with 2 false perculas, 1 hippo tang <way too small of a tank for this fish, needs 6+ feet of swimming space, which means 100+ gallons> and a yellow-faced clown goby. <Can be difficult to feed.> The aquarium has about 24 lbs of live rock 5 different corals and a few inverts (1 skunk shrimp, 3 snails, and 2 emerald crabs). My problem is after a 3 week quarantine in a 10 gallon tank everyone was doing well, no signs of stress, no disease etc. <3 weeks is a little short, I consider 4 to be the absolute minimum for QT to be useful, and longer if possible.> It was very hot for a few days about 1 week ago but I was doing well with keeping the temperature pretty stable 78.5-80 degrees buy using a fan and blowing it over the water and around the tank. Then one day I left for a few hours and came home to find my room mate had turned off the fan because it was too noisy and was watching T.V. (which also puts out alot of heat). <And current programming makes me want to bang my head into the wall.> The temp. when I left was 79, and when I returned home 3 hours later it was 85. I tried to cool the tank down slowly over night but the temp. dropped again to 78 overnight. Everything seemed fine but a day or two later I noticed Ich on my tang; and since then it just seems to be getting worse. <Probably inevitable in this small stressful environment for the tang.> Everyone in the tank is still eating and swimming well, no signs of resp. distress, or stress in general, but my problem is I can't treat the aquarium with anything because of the inverts and corals, and I can't catch the tang without ripping apart the tank and causing more stress so I don't know what to do. <At some point all fish will have to be removed and the tank allowed to run fallow, just a question of when.> I have tried really hard to stay away from chemicals but I'm at a loss. <There is nothing out there that is effective and reef safe.> I went to the live fish store and the owner told me to just feed them well, keep the water in good condition and eventually they will build up a resistance and over come it I suppose my question is do I rip apart the tank to get the tang or will the fish eventually overcome the Ich if I feed them well and not stress them out to much, and just continue to do water changes, and make sure the H2O quality is pristine. Thank-you
Leana
<They will not overcome the parasite, they may develop some immunity to it, but this is not complete or permanent. At some point it is pretty certain that it will reappear. However the long term chances for the tang in such a small tank are not good at all either with or without the ich.>
<Chris>

Re: Marine Ich Tang in Nano Cube. 7/11/07
Chris... Thank-you so much for the fast reply (I realize that you have many e-mail every day.) <Welcome>
I just have a few more questions...so even though my fish had zero signs of Ich up until the large temperature fluctuation (which I believed to precipitate the current situation) and the store guy said that it was ok to have a baby hippo tang for a little while in the nano cube (I was told that they grow slowly and that for now the nano cube would be fine) it is not? <I don't think so, for one, very small tangs have a terrible survival rate in any tank, and two, the physiological and psychological damage begins very early where stunting and abnormal behavior take hold.> I am so confused and don't know what to believe anymore, as I was also told that to quarantine a tang would cause it more stress (the reason for only three week quarantine) as they do not do well with being alone. So my questions then lean to:
1. What is the best medication(s) when I put them in the quarantine tank.
<I would use copper here, even though tangs and clowns are fairly sensitive to it. Make sure you get a good test kit, ideally from the same brand as the copper treatment. Probably want to test 2X a day to make sure the dosage does not get to high.>
2. Will placing all the fish in the 10 gallon quarantine tank from the 24 nano cube stress them out?
<Yes, but the other option is having their gills destroyed by the Ich.>
3. Should I just take the tang out and put him in quarantine or do three fish at a time at a time in the tank.
<The 24 needs to run fallow to rid itself of the ich, so all must go somewhere.>
4. Contrary to my belief...if I get additional cleaner shrimp they will not help control the ich?
<Lots of people do recommend this, including some here, however I do not as none of the studies I have seen indicate that either the shrimp nor various cleaner fish consume this parasite, although they will tend the wounds left from their detachment. >
As you see I'm still confused, and am trying to do my best with what information I have been given.
Thank-you once again.
Leana
<This is an area where there are lots of different ideas on what to do, it is difficult to find a consensus. I would make sure to read our FAQs on Ich treatment and see what has worked for others.>
P.S. There have been no feeding problems as the clown-faced gobies, and the fish are still eating from my hand.
<Good sign.>
<Chris>

Taking Stock...(Stocking Selections), Reef   7/7/07
Crew,
<Scott F. your Crew Member tonight!>
I figured that I have maxed out my welcome on free advice, so I just made a donation to WWM via Amazon. Good idea, and I hope it helps. I intend to keep this up periodically.
<Thanks much for the generous donation. As you mention, WWM is a free service, so these donations help us to continue to bring you lots of great information each day.>
I have a 110g with 65-70lbs live rock with some macro (which I prune), a Gold Banded Maroon Clown, a BTA, two Cleaner Shrimp, a Pacific Sailfin Tang, a Brown Combtooth Blenny, a small Tree Coral, 4-5 hairy Green Mushrooms, and a bunch of hermits and snails. Skimmer is a Coral Life Super Skimmer. My guess is that circulation is around 1,200-1,400 gal/hr. I am working on a home-made refugium (my wife is not happy) in which I intend to house/grow macro for nutrient export.
<An unhappy spouse is a sure sign that your project is going well! Don't tell her that I told you- but keep up the good work!>
Currently, readings are ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, pH 8.3, calcium 400, alk 3.5 meq/L, temp 77-79F. Lighting is by 6 54W T5 HO (4 10,000K and 2 460nm actinics). I do a 10% water change each week with RO/DI water, and top off with RO/DI water.
<Sounds like good husbandry to me!>
At least twice a week I travel to one or more LFSs to look around at what is available. I see the same fish every time--the Blue Hippo, Yellow, Orange Shoulder, Kole, and Naso Tangs, the various Clowns and Damsels, Butterflies (I am considering a copperbanded butterfly), Mandarins, and a bunch of fish I know aren't suitable for my tank (Wrasses, Triggers, Groupers, Puffers, Lions, etc.). Other than what I've purchased, and a $120 Bluespot Jawfish which I haven't purchased and am not set up for, nothing that I've seen really excites me. I really like Tangs, but I know that they are territorial and can get large.
<Yep...And they need correspondingly larger quarters to house them in as they grow...That Sailfin is going to get HUGE, and will need larger quarters in the not-too-distant future.>
Since I already have a Sailfin, I was thinking of leaving it at that.
<Absolutely.>
I really like to watch my tank at night after I come home from work--to stare at the rocks to see what is growing on them, poking out; to watch my fish and inverts work everything over. My clown is actually very interactive and seems to like human companionship.
<Very interesting!>
Anyway, I know that this may be an impossible question to answer, but I really would like some suggestions on some interesting fishes that would do well in a peaceful semi-reef tank with my stocking list. I like the idea of a diverse, but small, mix of fish from the same general geographic area, which in my case is the Indo-Pacific. I would rather have a mix of mostly smaller rather than larger fish, as it's neat to watch fish dart in and out of the cracks and caves of my live rock.
<Ahh...a hobbyist after my own heart! I prefer smaller fishes, myself. I'm very partial to smaller Blennies and Halichoeres species Wrasses. They are peaceful (for the most part), colorful and interesting. I also like fishes like Assessors (although they are a bit pricey) and Pseudochromis (for example, P. porphyreus, my personal favorite). If you like something a bit more "confident", but still small, colorful and interesting, how about a Flame Hawkfish, Neocirrhites armatus? Other possibilities would be a small group of Cirrhilabrus species Wrasses, or (gasp! An Atlantic fish!) a Royal Gramma (G. loreto)! An awesome fish, IMO.>
I thought about spending hours on sites like saltwaterfish.com, because they tend to have a lot of fish listed with pictures/descriptions, but there is so much conflicting information about fishes out there.
<There is conflicting information everywhere, so you do need to take advice with a grain of salt, as they say, and base your decisions on good information and a healthy dose of intuition!>
Moreover, I worry about ordering livestock via internet.
<There are many excellent e-tailers out there that you can order from with confidence, such as Live Aquaria, Marine Center, etc. Not always a concern when dealing with reputable businesses..>
It's hard not to be tempted though, because most of my area's LFSs really stink. Today I spent an hour looking at one in particular, and I was SHOCKED at the livestock. I counted no less than 10 fish with visible signs of Ich, as many scratching against rocks, one butterfly that was covered in cotton like fungus, several tanks with dead fish (while no less than 5 employees wandered the aisles), almost all fish looked starved or stressed, including lots of cleaner wrasses, and a 3 foot pelagic reef shark of some sort swimming circles in a 200 gallon tank. Like insurance agents or stock brokers (maybe that's not a good example ;-p), I almost think that one should have to hold an occupational license to own/operate a fish store.
<Well, it's a business, but dealing with living creatures requires a great deal of compassion for the animals, and a level of care and commitment that goes beyond just moving them in and out as merchandise...There are many outstanding retailers out there, so don't be discourages by a few bad examples.>
I will save "What soft corals would mix well with my tree coral and mushrooms?" for another day.
Thanks.
Andy
<And I will save my answer, "More Tree Corals and Mushrooms", for another day, too! Try a monospecific aquarium and be different! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Heavy One Gill Breathing....but only new fish... Too crowded small SW tanks  – 07/03/07
Hi guys/gals..
Thanks so much for this site...I cannot tell you how many times I have had problems solved by searching your archives....
This time I have a strange one.....
I have a 24 gallon AquaPod set up as a reef tank... lots of live rock, live sand... etc. I have enclosed a pic for the looking. Currently, there are only three small fish in the tank.... a maroon clown,
<Misplaced here... too aggressive a species to keep with other fishes in this small volume>
a yellow wrasse, and a pygmy angel
<Not enough room...>
.... who have all lived well and happily for some time now. A while back I added a blue-spotted jawfish
<Yikes... will likely launch itself out...>
for a little personality (love those fish!)....and had about a week and a half of great enjoyment before he started acting funny. He hid more, started breathing heavy (sometimes out of one gill), and became pretty lethargic.
<Stress... not enough room...>
I removed to a hospital tank thinking it may have been ich, although I couldn't see any external parasites, and attempted hyposalinity. He didn't get any better and went down a few days later.
<...>
I liked the fish so much that I decided to hope that that was just bad luck and try again.....alas, to the same end result.
>...<
Both times the fish was fantastic for about a week to a week and a half and then developed symptoms....mainly the breathing heavy out of one gill, slow movement, one of them actually tried to jump out of the tank at one point!...
<My friend... these opistognathids can't live like this... they are "high strung"... need room, a dearth of aggressive, mobile tankmates...>
I have now added a small, much cheaper blenny to see what may happen. and I think he is starting to perform the same. I have also lost quite a few of my turbo snails!.....
<... Let me skip ahead and try hypnotizing, making strong suggestion to you here: You NEED a MUCH larger system... Like myself, possibly, to either Silicone in your front door and fill your residence up with water! Or, get on out and go diving some times, places... where you can practically realize how little present aquarium you have>
I don't understand....water quality is perfect, all the corals and three other fish are rockin...but anytime I add one more. especially a bottom dweller....I have this problem.
<... is "psychological" rather than physiological...>
Could I have a problem with my sand bed? Those blue-spotted jawfish sure like to move around the sand...and the blenny splits his time between the top of the rock and in the sand bed...could it be a temperature fluctuation thing?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Tod
<Are you SCUBA certified? Like adventure travel? Either come on out with us, and/or save for that much bigger "world"... Your tank's too small. Bob Fenner>

Re: please advise tank capacity/ disease – 07/03/07
Bob,
Sorry I forgot to send the reply so you knew what I was talking about. I was hoping you could recommend a tank size and equipment for what I currently have with a little room for some additions maybe.
<Thank you for sending this along again, with the prev. corr. You need at least sixty or so gallons plus to keep what you list, including the Anemone... and then, to keep an eye out for the latter's possible movement. And I cannot emphasize how much value you might realize by reading re the species, groups of organisms you list, are considering... on WWM, elsewhere... AHEAD of their acquisition>
(way later I promise) I also found through my readings that you are in San Diego and maybe you have a store here??!!!!
<Ah, no my friend. Many years ago yes... but the last were sold, closed in the early nineties>
If so where is it and if not can you recommend a better LFS/Tank supply for me I lost trust in my current store after this last addition of livestock and their lack of real knowledge.
<Oh! There are some excellent (though few) stores locally... Aquatic Warehouse, Octopus' Garden... do develop and enrich a relationship with one or two clerks... that you come to trust... find out their work schedules... visit when they're about>
Already planning a trip the Lee-Mar this weekend!
<Really!? A great excursion... in N. County, San Marcos... Am sure you'll find it very interesting... and the folks who run the company very nice people>
I totally got thrown into this hobby and am now hopelessly devoted to getting better and loving every moment of it! Thanks again, I am reading as much as my 15month old will allow! : )
Rachael
<Life to you my friend. Bob Fenner>

12 gallon nano tank question... CBS, not...    7/2/07
Hi
<Hello there>
My 12 gallon aquarium has now completed it's cycle. At the moment it is filled with 7 kg of live rock.
<Okay>
Here is my proposed list of livestock:
1 x yellow clown goby
pair coral banded shrimp (small)
<Trouble here... Stenopids get too large, this species too predaceous... for this small volume>
branching coral for goby to perch on
various other corals
3x mini hermit crabs
Do you foresee any problems with my selection?
<Mmm, yes. The CBS will likely consume the Hermits and the Gobiodon>
Is it possible to add a green clown goby without fighting between the 2 species?
<Mmm, no, not likely>
I know that the coral banded should leave the goby alone
<Also not likely. There is a very high percentage chance/potential that this fish will be consumed in time>
and also adding a damsel in this size tank would be cruel.
Thank you for your help.
Albany
<Mmm, I would look to another species of shrimp... Perhaps a Lysmata instead here. Far more likely to "get along". Bob Fenner>

Nano lagoon project...  6/30/07
Hi Mr. Fenner,
<Dominique>
Hope you're having a great summer. My 2 years old 90 gal reef is doing great (me too, am on vacation...) and I would like to start a minimalistic nano tank as an aside.
<Ahh!>
The concept would be a micro lagoon: 20 x 10 x 6 inches high = 5 gal, 5mm sugar fine sand bed, 2 live rocks. The tip of one LR would be emersed with a very small red mangrove on it.
<Don't stay tiny...>
The only pieces of equipment would be a micro powerhead (5-6x/hour turnover), a small 7,5W heater (a pad placed under the sand), and a normal living room spot lamp with an incandescent 50W full spectrum plant growing spot bulb. I would do weekly water changes (as I do with my 90 gal).
Planned livestock: macro-algae (Ochtodes/blue ball + red Gracilaria), one red mangrove, a white pompom xenia frag, small mushroom corals, green star polyps, 1 pompom crab (L. tesselata), 1 blue stripe pipefish (Doryrhamphus excisus).
<Mmmm, really needs much more room... won't feel comfortable in these confines... Have you seen this fish, this genus... in the wild... Moves back from divers approaching...>
Does-it make any sense? Could you please give me some advices/inputs?
<Start slow... the simpler life first... Develop and adhere to your maintenance routine religiously>
I have been searching on the net and in my books but still one doesn't find as much about a lagoon concept and what would be its more typical fauna (Anthozoans and others) as for a reef and it's such a tiny set-up...
A few questions:
-Too small for a single 7cm pipefish?
<Yes, IMO; behaviorally>
-Is there any chance this lighting would be fine for the mangrove?
<Yes>
-Would a Fiddler crab or a Red Claw crab fit in there (adaptable to full salinity 1.025, danger for tankmates, escaping from open tank even if rocks are not touching tank walls...?)
<Yes>
-Or a Sally Lightfoot?
<Mmm, no... too predaceous, large, skittish>
-Is it healthy for the system to use under the sand heating in such a set-up?
<Yes... very worthwhile>
Sorry to send you such a long mail for a so tiny plan...
Many thanks!
Dominique
<Enjoy your holiday... Life! Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Emerald Crab Death... Sm. SW set-up mis-mixed lvstk.  – 06/28/07
Hello,
I'm Jarrid, I have a 10 gallon tank with liverock, a yellow tailed damsel, Talbot damsel,
<Damsels (one) need more room than this Jarrid>
2 snails, a coral banded shrimp,
<Is more than semi-predaceous... No fun for your damsels to be crowded with something that will constantly be trying to eat them...>
2 emerald crab and a curly cue anemone.
<All mis-placed here...>
Recently I found a Emerald crab claw floating on the surface and 3 days later found the shell completely eaten out. I can only assume my coral banded killed him
<Highly likely... or that it died from some other cause... dissolved or was consumed... or that it is a molt...>
but I haven't seen them fight or even pay any attention to each other. The other emerald crab is fine with no signs of a fight. The emerald that died has plenty of algae to eat and I have excellent water quality with bright colored active fish and a good colored growing anemone, I feed the animals a variety of frozen brine shrimp and squid, usually a different food each day, I make sure there is food left for the shrimp. What could have killed my crab?
<Aspects of water quality (lack of biomineral and alkalinity most celebratedly), the other Mithraculus (nee Mithrax) the CBS... You have an untenable, unsustainable mis-mix of life here. Please take the time, make the effort to read re each of these species on WWM... Their Systems, Compatibility in particular... You need a much larger system, or... Bob Fenner>

20 Gal Nano Tank Stocking 6/26/07
Good Day, (please pardon the email address, it's about 10 years old. Also, I'm sorry if I already sent this message today, but this email is saying I sent nothing.. You can delete previous info from posting.. Thank you!)
<Hello>
I really enjoy reading about saltwater fish! Especially the vast amount of information on this site. I read about 2 hours each night and don't think I'll ever be able to read everything, and have yet to be bored.
<Good to hear.>
Here is my setup: (About 2 months old, cycled with live rock and fish that are in other tanks now)
20gal high nano tank
aqua clear 30 filter (rated at 150 gph)
standard included florescent lighting
Nano Fission skimmer
Maxijet 600 (rated at 160gph)
Heater
1 inch sandbed of sugar sized granules.
about 7 lbs live rock ( I plan to add about 1lb a week until I have between 15 and 20 lbs) - most pieces of live rock are very small, so there is tons of surface area.
Other ornamental rock.
Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, all at zero
pH 8.2
SG 1.025
Fish:
2 small (1 inch each) False Perc. Clowns
1 (1.5-2inch) Bi-Color Blenny
1 (almost 2 inches) Fire fish
Inverts:
2 small (.5-1inch shells) snails (not turbo)
1 smaller sized Scarlet Hermit
The only thing I plan on adding fish/invert wise would be a few more members for my clean up crew. Am I missing anything?
<Not that I can see.>
Do you foresee any problems with this setup? I guess I'm saying, did anything make you think "hmm, that's a bad idea" ?!
<I'm not a fan of tanks this size, but seems like you have what you need to make it work.>
Is the system overstocked for now?
<Probably a little, but not terribly so.>
I have read over many articles about lighting and am simply more confused than I was before. My question though is will my lighting be sufficient if I plan on adding a small anemone? ( I will wait a few months to ensure the tank is ready)
<No, needs much better light, and really a much larger tank. A small tank like this is just too inherently unstable to support an anemone successfully.>
And for my last question, I was in the LFS today and saw a product by Kent (
I believe) that's supposed to enhance the "purple algae" in the tank while "not adding to the growth of green/brown algae". Thoughts about this?
<Save your money and skip it.>
Thank you for your help.
E
<Welcome>
<Chris>

Nano Tank Critique - 6/25/07
Hello-
<Hi there! Scott F. here today!>
Thank you for providing all the help and (seemingly) endless supply of knowledge in regard to saltwater aquariums. I read about 1-2 hours (or more) per night of your site, and feel l will never be able to read everything. This is truly an addictive, and enjoyable hobby.
<I agree on both points!>
My tank is as follows:
-20gal high nano tank
-Aquaclear 30 filter
-standard florescent lighting
-Fission Nano Skimmer
-Maxi Jet 600 powerhead
-1inch very fine (sugar) grade sand bed
-about 7 lbs live rock with a ton of surface area (all small pieces) and also ornamental rock. I plan on adding about 1 lb live rock per week until I hit about 15 lbs
-ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, all zero
-ph is 8.3
-SG is 1.025
<Sounds good so far!>
For fish - I have 2 small (1 inch) false Percula Clowns
1 Bicolor Blenny (2 inches)
1 Firefish (2 inches)
-all are doing well and eating well.
<Good to hear...>
I also have a Scarlet Hermit Crab and 2 snails (about 1/2 in shells, +/-)The only live animals I plan on adding are some more inverts - more for the 'workload' than appearance (any suggestions??) and about 6 months or so down
the line, a small, hardy anemone.
<Oh...Well- I have to give my two cents on the anemone. Really, I'd avoid an anemone in any small system. My rational is twofold: First, water quality and environmental stability are so important to anemones, and the challenges of keeping such stability in a small volume of water are many. Second, you really need high intensity lighting (ie; metal halides) for overall anemone health, and such lighting can potentially overheat a small system.>
Questions:
Is there anything about the setup that is jumping out at you saying "what are you thinking?!"
<The anemone is the only thing that really stands out as a potential problem.>
-Is the bioload too much for this system?
<No, but I would not add any more fishes.>
-how do you feel about dry foods such as plankton/krill/etc. I normally feed frozen.
<I'm a big fan of frozen foods myself. I rarely, if ever feed dry foods. Nothing bad about most dried foods-I just like the "control" I get from thawing, cleaning and feeding frozen foods.>
-My skimmer has only been up and running for about 12 hours... How long should it take to start collecting the skimmate (I have been reading, but there's not a whole lot about Fission skimmers on the site)... That I could find.
<Give it a day or so. If you're not getting skimmate, further adjustment may be necessary to get production.>
Thank you very much for the help!
Eric
<My pleasure, Eric. Sounds like you're on the right track! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Nano Tank Critique (Pt2) - 06/27/07
Thank you for the quick response about my nano, and after some reading, I agree with you about the anemone..
<I'm glad that you did. In reality, anemones just don't do well in the long-term in most cases. The vast majority expire in mere months; others may hang on for a year or two and then die "mysteriously". Their husbandry requirements are still not completely understood, and they simply should not be attempted in anything less than a fully dedicated system, IMO.>
Will 'fake' anemones work to 'host' the
clowns? I know that's a wide statement with variables, but "generally speaking?"...
<Hmm.. Hard to say. The bottom line is that most of the Anemonefishes that are offered for sale are captive bred; many have never even seen an anemone, let alone lived among one. They might instinctively go to a real or fake one, but it's really a dice roll!>
I actually have an idea/suggestion about Fission Nano Skimmers... I was reading a lot about protein skimmers and I think I found something that will work a LOT better for this particular model. I read that in order to get the best production out of a skimmer, the intake needs to be near the top inch or so of water, where most of the proteins collect (correct phrasing?.. I think you know what I mean)... If you set up the Fission exactly how it recommends, it puts the intake at about 6-8 inches below the surface. To fix that-- (carefully, the plastic seems a bit fragile... haven't had any problems yet...) It's a bit hard to explain w/ words, but essentially if you utilize the 2 elbow joints that are included and rotate the pump location so that the pump and skimmer section are side by side and the intake is on the top side of the pump, it puts the intake within an inch of the top surface. After a bit of adjustment I saw much improved production and it's really pulling out some gross stuff..
<Excellent! Thanks for sharing! You are right on about surface-active proteins..>
Just thought I'd throw that out there.
Thanks again for the fantastic site and quick responses.
Eric
<And thank YOU, Eric, for sharing your idea...That's what WWM is all about! Regards, Scott F.>

New 10g stocking question, sand-sifters, SW   6/23/07
I am in the process of setting up a new 10g nano-tank. I have done my research on here and various other websites and I was just wondering if a Clown Trigger is a suitable tank inhabitant for my new tank...
<Heeee! How about a pair? A trio would be even better!!!>
SIKE! Nah,
I'm just foolin ya... I was really just wondering what a good sand sifting species would be for this tank.
<Perhaps a few Nassarius snails>
Like I said, I have looked around on here,
and read some books and what not, but I am having trouble finding a suitable species for my size tank. I have a HOTB refugium w/LR and Chaeto and nice population of pods. I was thinking of a dragonet, but I'm still undecided.
I was also thinking of Rainford's Goby. I was also considering a mated pair of Yellow-headed Jawfish but other than burrowing, I can't find much on their sand-sifting abilities. Any suggestions or help is appreciated.
Thank you.
--
Chris
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marsiftfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Help! Everything is dying, induced prob.s from mis-stocking a small SW sys.
<Yeeikes!>
Since November 2006, I have had a 24 gallon salt water aquarium. All the parameters (ph, nitrites, ammonia, nitrates, salinity, temperature) are in the normal range. I do bi-weekly water changes. Up until a week ago, the tank was thriving and doing well.
In the past week; I have had my 6-line wrasse,
<Needs more room...>
the Chromis, the goby, and
the feather duster all die.
What I have left is a Clarks Clown Fish,
<Perhaps the aggressor, factor here>
an anemone,
<This is too small a volume to house this animal>
2 skunk shrimp, 2 crabs, 1 starfish,
<Species?>
mushrooms,
<Toxic with the anemone...>
and snails.
Prior to the death of any fish I had added some live rock with purple-teal mushrooms established on the rock. A couple of days later, I found 2 dead fish. So, immediately I checked everything and everything was in ideal ranges.
<Mmm, I/we should qualify your stmt. that "Everything you tested" seemed perfect... There are many aspects for which there are no tests (currently)>
After the death of the 1st two fish; we found a break in the pump wire and thought that my fish my have been electrocuted. We replaced the pump.
<Yikes!>
Today, I found my Gobi in the "mouth" of my anemone. I didn't know that an anemone was a carnivore.
<Oh yes...>
So, now what do I check. I am in the dark about what to do. Please Help!
Janet
<Pretty simple and yet time-involved... You need to read re the species you have... their Compatibility, Systems especially... on WWM... Please learn to/use the search tool, indices... What you list is incompatible, too crowded to "give you much chance" of success... Likely negative interaction twixt the anemone and shrooms poisoned all... Bob Fenner>