30 soft coral reef with pygmy angel harem

[powers2001]

random shots

Hi my name is Mitch and I started my first marine tank in 1999 with a 10 gallon tank, an undergravel filter, and a little percula clown named Bozo. I have moved a few times in the last 16 years and have had to tear down just as I was starting some setups. I have had reef tanks off and on ever since but never had such a desire for such a coral packed tank as this, it's just starting. Well here is an equipment list:

TANK

30 Gallon Long Innovative Marine Nuvo Fusion. 36 inches long with back chambers and currently running without the screen top. This tank is sharp and clean looking. I've always liked long tanks so the fish have more room to swim.

STAND

Currently using a 2x3 and plywood stand made by a friend. This stand was for a 50 gallon tank I previously had setup. I will eventually get the IM stand for this tank.

EQUIPMENT

Two Aquaillumination Nano LEDs and being controlled by my Apex. These lights have three types of LEDs: white, blue, and royal blue. They will do for now as will switch to AI Sols I already have.

Two Ecotech Vortech MP10s. Controlled by Apex. One ran continually on a different tank for 5 years in pluse mode. Need I say more?

Tunze 9004 Skimmer. I've been running this on this tank for three months now and I'm very pleased. Love how it skims the water's surface. Lots o' skimmate!

IM Midsized Biopellet Reactor. Circulating water with no pellets ATM.

inTank Media Tower. Built like a Sherman tank with Chemi-Pure Blue in the bottom and Reef Nutrition Gracilaria macroalgae on top, lighted by a JBJ Nano-Glo fuge LEDs on reverse cycle.

Replaced back-chamber return pump with a Sicce Silent 0.5 Submersible. It's only pumping out one return nozzle because the other one has been taken out and covered to allow more room for the skimmer.

Tunze Osmolator 3155 ATO. Having problems with this. I think the back chambers are too dark for the light sensor to work properly so I moved it next to the DT lights. Draws FW from an Elite-Aquatics ATO Reservoir.

Neptune Systems Apex. The single best thing I've ever bought in this hobby. It runs circles around the ReefKeeper I had. pH, ORP, Salinity and of course temp probes. Modules: WXM, VDM, PM2, AFS, BOB, also but not running AWM and ALD.

Other equipment not connected and I don't know if I'll incorporate them are a kalkwasser reactor and ozone generator. Also Red Sea test kits for Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium, and Nitrate.

 

[Ahruk]

Welcome Can't wait to see more of what you do with this tank.

 

[powers2001]

Thank you but to tell you the truth, the tank is tore down at the moment for a move.

 

[Ahruk]

Oh cool well can't wait to see your new tank

 

[Tahoe61]

How many in a harem? Are we talking Cherub Angel? They are awesome little fish, so much color and activity. Mine however munched on corals and clams. How did you introduce them? What do you feed them?

 

[powers2001]

Oh cool well can't wait to see your new tank

Slowly setting it up. It will be cycling then I will wait one or two months after the cycle is complete before adding livestock. I will have some extra money around Xmas so I will probably add the first livestock then but I will post progress on the setup starting now.

 

[powers2001]

How many in a harem? Are we talking Cherub Angel? They are awesome little fish, so much color and activity. Mine however munched on corals and clams. How did you introduce them? What do you feed them?

A harem is 3 or more and I will get probably 4 in case one dies I will still have a harem. Yes, the Cherub Angel with the neon blue body and little orange face. They are an awesome nano fish and I love to see them cruise around all day picking on micro algae. I will introduce them all at the same time, one a little larger than the others that way it will help ensure he becomes the male and the others females. I will feed them standard fish fare alternating between omnivore food and herbivore food with macroalgae. It is recommended all marine angels get macroalgae in some form from time to time and I will feed dried nori and live gracilaria when I have it.

Knock on wood none of my angels picked on corals from what I observed but that is why I'm stocking softcorals, fish are less likely to nip them because they are less palatable and recover from nipping faster. I've never had more than one angel in a nano at one time so this is an experiment for me although I've heard of it being done with much success. I'm undecided as to what other fish I will add if any but two or three bangaii cardinals have crossed my mind.

 

[powers2001]

Some more on feeding. I plan on getting IM's gourmet grazer. Nori grazing by grazing fish especially angels has been known to keep grazing fish from aggression and picking on corals. It's also good for their health. I also want to feed live, red gracilaria macro-algae with the gourmet grazer.

A variety of foods is necessary with dried food being good, frozen foods being better, and live foods best. I also like to feed adult frozen mysis shrimp once a week. The omnivore diet I've been using lately is Elos sv.M2. It is small granules, produces little pollution, and has a patented vitamin delivery content. When the fish get bigger I will switch to Neptune Systems Crossover Diet which is another patented fish food this one coated with coral food. The coral food is a powder detaching from the granule dispersing it into the water column feeding the corals while the fish food part feeds the fish. A 2-in-1 food.

 

[nanoman28g]

Welcome back to the reefing world.

 

[powers2001]

Thanks nanoman,

I've been out of a running tank for only 4 months but it seems like a long time. What happened was I had the Apex temperature probe out of the tank for 18 hours and all the while the probe was reading ambient air temperature. Well the heater was oversized quite a bit to begin with and stayed on continuously for 18 hours solid driving the temp up to 115*. Needless to say the heat killed everything and I haven't had the chance to rebuild. It was one of those heaters without a built-in thermostat and it never shut off by itself. Lessons learned.

 

[powers2001]

Here is the solar panel and solar charging regulator for charging 12 volt batteries used to power powerheads during power outages. This is a sneak peek for a project using a Tunze nano wavemaker, Tunze safety connector to connect the wavemaker to a low voltage backup battery, solar charging panel and voltage charging regulator. The battery will kick in for short outages like a few hours at a time but when the outage is for days, the solar panel keeps the battery charged. I bought these two things from Harbor Freight Tools. The breif-case panel was $79 and the regulator was something like $12.
https://goo.gl/photos/uLqQe3UqQTE2WPDb8
https://goo.gl/photos/uLqQe3UqQTE2WPDb8

 

[powers2001]

Ok here are some thoughts for a plan. There will be minimal flow for corallimorphs, zoanthids and trees. If the pygmies can't get by on minimal flow (reef fishes need moderate flow for exercise in captivity) I will have to get seahorses. I'm going to get an all-in-one just for raising live foods. Macro algaes and pods.

 

[stunreefer]

When the time comes to add angels make sure to thoroughly socially acclimate them prior to allowing physical confrontation. C. argi can be very aggressive, and 30 gallons is pretty small to attempt more than one.

 

[powers2001]

When the time comes to add angels make sure to thoroughly socially acclimate them prior to allowing physical confrontation. C. argi can be very aggressive, and 30 gallons is pretty small to attempt more than one.

I disagree with everything you said. There is no need to socially acclimate them. They are no more aggressive than paired clowns. And a 30LIM is pretty big for 4 nano fish. I don't plan to attempt anything. I plan to succeed.

 

[stunreefer]

There is no need to socially acclimate them.

Have you ever attempted pairing angles, let alone establishing trios or harems? A "dump and hope" approach does not set you up for success.

They are no more aggressive than paired clowns.

Have you ever kept C. argi before? This statement might hold merit if you're referring to Maroon clowns.

And a 30LIM is pretty big for 4 nano fish.

While C. argi might be considered a nano fish in hobbyist terms, mixing them can prove difficult.

I don't plan to attempt anything. I plan to succeed.

Excellent! I hope you do

 

[powers2001]

I would like to read about your success with forming trios and harems of dwarf angels.

 

[powers2001]

Have you ever attempted pairing angles, let alone establishing trios or harems? A "dump and hope" approach does not set you up for success.

Have you ever kept C. argi before? This statement might hold merit if you're referring to Maroon clowns.

While C. argi might be considered a nano fish in hobbyist terms, mixing them can prove difficult.

Excellent! I hope you do

I have raised multiple angels in the same tank and I never observed aggression. I've been bit aggressively by a pair of captive bred ocellaris clowns I raised.

 

[stunreefer]

For what it's worth, we're all on the same team here. I was offering advice aiding you towards success.

I would like to read about your success with forming trios and harems of dwarf angels.

I've been in the industry over a decade and have paired countless angels, formed many trios and a few harems. I've shared my current office reef here which houses a pair of angels. I briefly discuss social acclimation in this article I wrote last year. I have a follow-up of that which hasn't been published yet.

I have raised multiple angels in the same tank and I never observed aggression. I've been bit aggressively by a pair of captive bred ocellaris clowns I raised.

Aggression towards our hands ≠ Aggression towards tankmates.

I'm going to bow out of this one. Again, I wish you best of luck.

 

[powers2001]

For what it's worth, we're all on the same team here. I was offering advice aiding you towards success.
I've been in the industry over a decade and have paired countless angels, formed many trios and a few harems. I've shared my current office reef here which houses a pair of angels. I briefly discuss social acclimation in this article I wrote last year. I have a follow-up of that which hasn't been published yet.
Aggression towards our hands ≠ Aggression towards tankmates.

I'm going to bow out of this one. Again, I wish you best of luck.

Stunreefer, I'm impressed with all the work you done in this hobby to understand grouping angels. I'm glad you''re on my team and your help is greatly appreciated. It is my sincere hope that you subscribe to this thread of mine and continue to offer advice and I look forward to reading all of your articles.

 

[stunreefer]

Thanks, I'm here for ya!