New to the reefin world

Hey how goes it?

Names Nick. I been all over the net looking for a good forum. I've come to the conclusion this and nano-reef will be a good start.

I have a 55g, a 20 long, a aqueon 16g widescreen.

For my first project I am going to start with the 16g. I have a orbit marine led, two 225gph power heads, live sand, 37lbs of dry rock, and have a ro/di unit as well as a 100w jager heater on the way.

Just doing a low tech softy/lps tank. I'm trying to avoid doing a sump or anything too fancy on this tank. Just a ATO. Just to get my feet wet.

Anyways, happy to be here and can't wait to meet you all

 

Hi Nick and Welcome to 3reef.

So are the 55 and the 20 empty or are they fresh?

Sounds like you have been collecting materials.

Nanos can be a tad touchy because of the decreased volume of water, going with a softy tank initially is a good idea as is the ATO. Do you have any fish plans for the 16 gallon?

 

Well the 55g was my freshwater tank... up till a petco fish brought in anchor worms and they slowly killed most my fish.

I bought the 20g long as a qt tank so I could medicate the fish and clean the hell out of my 55g tank.

Well the few surviving fish have been moved into a 6g fluval edge and the other tanks are now empty.

I havent put much thought into fish yet. Originally I planned on a coral only tank up till I started learning about salt water fish and their relationship with each other and their environment. Its so interesting I decided I nust have some fish as well.

Im limited with nano tanks I imagine... so I figured I would get a clean up crew, a goby, a clown fish or two, and from there ill have to do some reading and take suggestions.

The 16g is a odd size. 30" wide by 18 tall by 8 deep iirc

 

Yeah go with corals for awhile, there is always time for fish down the road. You have to remember to feed the corals though since you'll really not have anything to feed fish wise and the corals do a little better when there is some bio-load to the tank.

Some Xenia, Sinularia (Cabbage coral), Capnella (Kenya Tree), Actinodiscus (Mushrooms) are all great soft corals.

 

So what do you feed a coral only tank? I will still want a small clean up crew correct?

 

Personally I like Rod's frozen food. You'll need to be careful about over feeding though. Just a very small/tiny amount once a week should do it, basically you're just introducing some organics to the tank. You can try not feeding initially until the tank has aged a couple months but you'll probably see better color and growth. Pretty much any crushed flakes or pellets will work as well. With nanos tanks you need to be pretty religious on the water changes when in comes to saltwater.
For a 16 gallon two snails and a couple smaller hermits should cover it. Like fresh water snails need algae to eat so you do not want too many and you do not want to introduce them to a sterile tank.

 

Welcome to 3Reef you picked a great forum with a lot of very knowledgeable people in all aspects of the saltwater hobby.

I have been doing this for years and still constantly learning. What could I say to a beginning reefer(huh there is so much and could cause sensory overload). Use the KISS principle (keep it simple stupid)

How do you plan on cycling your tank?

Is a protein skimmer on your list of equipment?

+1 on the RO/DI unit.

What brand test kits are you going to use?

Always ask people opinions here or any other forum before buying things. In this hobby it can save a lot of money. Remember that the main objective of Local Fish Stores is to sell. Not saying that there are not honest people but money does talk. No compulsive buys!! Ha ha we all get bit by this so expect to!

As Corailline mentioned things can be a bit touchy do to tank size. Keeping up you WC and tests will keep things looking good and allow you to keep your parameters in check.

When we become complacent in this hobby is when bad things happen especially on the smaller tanks(IMO).

I second that Softy/lps is a good place to start

Patients truly is a virtue in this hobby.. Do not rush things

Good luck and we look forward to your build progress

 

WC's are a nano's best friend.You do not need much of anything else provided they are done regularly.A cuc is not really necessary but you could add a few.

 

Welcome!!!

 

This is a tough question to answer because of the amount of variables, tank size, number and types of coral, filtering system utilized, circulation, water parameters, how often WCs are made and more. Clean up crew (CUC) is necessary, the type and numbers vary depending on, again, size of system, numbers of coral, types of corals. SPS corals require different food than LPS and softies. Too many variables to give a stock answer such as flake food or ground pellets. Yes, some corals will benefit from them BUT they have to catch the particles first.

Better food items are available formulated specifically for coral. Search the Internet under coral food or some other directive. You will get thousands of links to search. Next comes trial and error. Some coral foods on the market quite simply are next to worthless. I’ve tested most in our aquaculture facility and have settled on a few that work quite well for us. I put that in bold because what works for one may not work for someone else, again because of the variables involved.

One thing you can be sure of... If the coral’s polyps are not open when you are feeding, they are not feeding. So, the first thing is to get them to open up BEFORE you start adding food. There are products on the market to do just that.

I’m not sure I’m allowed to mention specific products on the forum. So if anyone wants further information you’ll have to PM me. I’ll be happy to help anyone with the complex feeding regimen we go through to get good color and growth in our corals.

Lighting plays a huge roll in coral growth, color and health. I’ve spent thousands of $$s testing different lighting systems. Don’t expect your first choice in lighting to be your last. I’ve gone through MHs, T5s, LEDs, Combos of all types looking for that “right” light. When I found it wouldn’t you know, a manufacturer comes out with the newest, latest whiz-bang light that appears to be better than the one I chose. It never ends and I suspect we are in the beginning of a lighting evolution. Answer? Research successful coral growers, buy what they recommend, use them and plan to stay with that fixture for one to two years before changing. Because corals do best with stable conditions not only water but all the parameters including lighting.

One more thing I’ve discovered, the older my system gets the better my corals do in growth and color. New systems are very unstable, even after they cycle, for up to a year. Keep in mind, when people say the cycle is completed they are not correct! The cycle continues for the life of the system. It’s kept “in balance” by water changes and constant monitoring of water parameters by the keeper.

Happy Reefing,

Dick