princesspeach12
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2020
- Messages
- 20
- Reaction score
- 74
Hello friendly reefers!
I should be sleeping, but instead I am planning a reef tank
Note: My lease says largest tank I can have is 20 gallons, but I really don't think a 22 gallon would be an issue. I wouldn't want to push it to a 30 gallon though. I am wanting to keep things low tech and simple as a start my tank, and will progress to more fancy equipment as I progress and learn more. I don't want a sump since it would push me over the gallon limit. I also do understand that filtration in a saltwater tank is mainly from live rock, not a filter like freshwater.
This will be my first reef tank. I am wanting to have pink pom pom xenia, blue/striped actinodiscus mushrooms, leather toadstool mushroom, green/pink/some color variant of star polyps, blue clove snowflake polyps, perhaps other clove polyp color variants, kenya tree or some other sinularia species. Pretty much all the "pest" corals; I like them as they remind me of flowers, snowflakes, or Alice in Wonderland. I might want to have frogspawn as well.
Fish wise, I am for sure wanting 2 ocellaris clownfish. I am wanting to have corals that they could choose to be hosted by, as I do not want to attempt an anemone in a "nano" tank, even if I wait a year for the water to be mature for one. I love the whole clownfish and anemone symbiosis, but will wait to try that til I can have a bigger tank. I've read that CB clowns will happily be hosted by various soft corals, LPS, powerheads, etc. so I want to give them some options at least.
I would love an orchid dottyback or six line wrasse, but wouldn't feel right putting them in a 30" tank, and would worry about the 6 line getting a bit grumpy in a small tank as it matures. I am interested in blue neon gobies though and scarlet cleaner shrimp. I am wanting a max of 2-4 fish (and if 4, it'd be nano fish like 2 blue neon gobies, unless they prefer to be kept singly)
Which brings me to the other part of my question, is a 22 gallon Mr. Aqua or Aquamax worth the added expense when I currently have a 20 gallon long available to use (just has to be cleaned out). I am only interested in it for the length, I could care less about the clearer glass, and actually dislike that it is rimless, as I am unsure how to add a lid to a rimless tank. I was thinking that the extra 6" of length would be nice for the fish though.
Next part, what specific equipment would you all recommend for lights, powerheads, etc? I fell in love with Kessils from youtube several years ago, so they are the only lights out there that I know. I loved how they shimmered, although a bit sticker shocked by the price.
Since I want a softie reef, is a skimmer recommended or necessary? What about a HOB on refugium?
I found a post where someone had a custom Oceanbox AIO added https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/388283-22-gallon-long-aquamaxx/ as a way to hide their heater, put filter media, etc. Would you think that is something that would be worth it in the long run? I don't like the fact that it has to be siliconed into place, especially if I go with the $$ 22 gallon tank, but like that stuff is out of site.
I was also thinking of just hanging an AC 110, and putting a heater in there. '
I am planning on getting dry rock from reef cleaners, as I don't want to worry about pests. I might try to find a couple small pieces of pest free LV locally to add to the biodiversity, but I'll take sterile rock over unwanted critters!
I am trying to start this tank on a budget, but I definitely prefer to buy than DIY, unless it is stupidly easy. I also would rather save up a few months for quality equipment then have to upgrade it down the road.
Rough plan is to
1) Cycle tank and cure dry rock, set up with sand
2) Add 1st coral
3) Once thriving, add more corals
4) Once comfortable managing several corals and keeping them happy, and they are growing and spreading well
5) Add 1st fish/shrimp (will be adopted from local person wanting to rehome)
6) Add more fish/shrimp (if wanting more than the 2 clowns)
I imagine I'll have the tank up and running for at least 6-8+ months before I am adding fish or shrimp. I want to give myself an easy out if I decide a reef tank is too much work, as I'd have no qualms rehoming corals, but would feel sad to have to rehome fish or shrimp as I'd be quite attached to them. I also would rather have to perfect water parameter management before fish are introduced.
I greatly appreciate any comments or advice!
I should be sleeping, but instead I am planning a reef tank
Note: My lease says largest tank I can have is 20 gallons, but I really don't think a 22 gallon would be an issue. I wouldn't want to push it to a 30 gallon though. I am wanting to keep things low tech and simple as a start my tank, and will progress to more fancy equipment as I progress and learn more. I don't want a sump since it would push me over the gallon limit. I also do understand that filtration in a saltwater tank is mainly from live rock, not a filter like freshwater.
This will be my first reef tank. I am wanting to have pink pom pom xenia, blue/striped actinodiscus mushrooms, leather toadstool mushroom, green/pink/some color variant of star polyps, blue clove snowflake polyps, perhaps other clove polyp color variants, kenya tree or some other sinularia species. Pretty much all the "pest" corals; I like them as they remind me of flowers, snowflakes, or Alice in Wonderland. I might want to have frogspawn as well.
Fish wise, I am for sure wanting 2 ocellaris clownfish. I am wanting to have corals that they could choose to be hosted by, as I do not want to attempt an anemone in a "nano" tank, even if I wait a year for the water to be mature for one. I love the whole clownfish and anemone symbiosis, but will wait to try that til I can have a bigger tank. I've read that CB clowns will happily be hosted by various soft corals, LPS, powerheads, etc. so I want to give them some options at least.
I would love an orchid dottyback or six line wrasse, but wouldn't feel right putting them in a 30" tank, and would worry about the 6 line getting a bit grumpy in a small tank as it matures. I am interested in blue neon gobies though and scarlet cleaner shrimp. I am wanting a max of 2-4 fish (and if 4, it'd be nano fish like 2 blue neon gobies, unless they prefer to be kept singly)
Which brings me to the other part of my question, is a 22 gallon Mr. Aqua or Aquamax worth the added expense when I currently have a 20 gallon long available to use (just has to be cleaned out). I am only interested in it for the length, I could care less about the clearer glass, and actually dislike that it is rimless, as I am unsure how to add a lid to a rimless tank. I was thinking that the extra 6" of length would be nice for the fish though.
Next part, what specific equipment would you all recommend for lights, powerheads, etc? I fell in love with Kessils from youtube several years ago, so they are the only lights out there that I know. I loved how they shimmered, although a bit sticker shocked by the price.
Since I want a softie reef, is a skimmer recommended or necessary? What about a HOB on refugium?
I found a post where someone had a custom Oceanbox AIO added https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/388283-22-gallon-long-aquamaxx/ as a way to hide their heater, put filter media, etc. Would you think that is something that would be worth it in the long run? I don't like the fact that it has to be siliconed into place, especially if I go with the $$ 22 gallon tank, but like that stuff is out of site.
I was also thinking of just hanging an AC 110, and putting a heater in there. '
I am planning on getting dry rock from reef cleaners, as I don't want to worry about pests. I might try to find a couple small pieces of pest free LV locally to add to the biodiversity, but I'll take sterile rock over unwanted critters!
I am trying to start this tank on a budget, but I definitely prefer to buy than DIY, unless it is stupidly easy. I also would rather save up a few months for quality equipment then have to upgrade it down the road.
Rough plan is to
1) Cycle tank and cure dry rock, set up with sand
2) Add 1st coral
3) Once thriving, add more corals
4) Once comfortable managing several corals and keeping them happy, and they are growing and spreading well
5) Add 1st fish/shrimp (will be adopted from local person wanting to rehome)
6) Add more fish/shrimp (if wanting more than the 2 clowns)
I imagine I'll have the tank up and running for at least 6-8+ months before I am adding fish or shrimp. I want to give myself an easy out if I decide a reef tank is too much work, as I'd have no qualms rehoming corals, but would feel sad to have to rehome fish or shrimp as I'd be quite attached to them. I also would rather have to perfect water parameter management before fish are introduced.
I greatly appreciate any comments or advice!
