Dark_Knightt's Reef - 20g

Dark_Knightt

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So the story about how I got my tank is crazy.
I wanted a snake, but my mom said no, but that I could have a fish tank. I think she meant freshwater, but I immediately thought of getting clownfish. 2 weeks later, the night before I was supposed to buy the tank and equipement, my dad, who hasnt been involved in this process, thought I wanted a freshwater tank, so I wasnt allowed to get clowns :( .
Then, I decided to make a PowerPoint and go "business man mode" on my dad. He let me get the clowns finally, to my satisfaction.

Everything was going well, until I had my first big problem: cyano outbreak !!
Man, was I scared. Eventually I bought some ChemiClean and it cleared it up in about 3 days.
Flash- forward 3 months or so, my 15th birthday (current age). I bought my first corals: Green tip torch, bubble coral, GSP, Candy Cane, Duncan, and a free discosoma 'shroom.
A bit later, I got a horrible bacterial bloom, so I bought a UV sterilizer from my LFS (Big Als Newmarket, for anyone in Ontario, Canada). 2 days later I wake up and my tank is crystal clear, for the first time in a while. I scrape the algae off the glass, and now it is really nice.
Clean Tank 1.JPG

I know it looks cloudy, trust me its not im just using an old camera. Tank is crisppp.

Hardware :
-Top Fin 20g Silenstream Power Filter (FW and SW)
-Top Fin 100W heater
-20g rimmed glass aquarium, Top Fin.
-Coralife Thermometer
- UV Sterilizer, an chinese brand whos name I cant read.
- Sicce, Voyager Nano Power Head
- AI Prime HD16

Live stock (in order of purchase):
- 2 ocellaris clowns (F: Delilah, M: Maximus)
- 1 emerald crab
- 4 blue leg hermits
- 4 margarita snails
- 1 skunk cleaner shrimp
- Green tip Torch, Bubble coral, duncan, GSP, Candy Cane, White Spotted Discosoma 'Shroom
- ORA Blue Mandarin, Female. (Not in the tank in the pic above, i got her a few months later)

I want to add one more fish so please let me know some suggestions.

I know tank isnt most impressive yet, but will be updating this thread as much as possible.
 
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H3rm1tCr@b

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The tank looks really good! I might recommend a little more live rock though. For the fish, you should look into shrimp gobies and pistol shrimp. They are great little guys to have and your tank would be perfect for one.
 
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Dark_Knightt

Dark_Knightt

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The tank looks really good! I might recommend a little more live rock though. For the fish, you should look into shrimp gobies and pistol shrimp. They are great little guys to have and your tank would be perfect for one.
Sweet! Is it okay to add more live rock even though the rock I have in there has been there for a while?
 

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Sweet! Is it okay to add more live rock even though the rock I have in there has been there for a while?
Of course! I've never had any problems with it from what I remember. Speaking of which, I just got a lot of new rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater for my tank. I did and still have some algae issues, but they're slowly going away.
1598890076952.png
 
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Dark_Knightt

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Does anyone know if I could add a firefish to my tank? Or will the clowns hurt it? Also, would captive bred mandarin be too complicated??
 
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Dark_Knightt

Dark_Knightt

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Of course! I've never had any problems with it from what I remember. Speaking of which, I just got a lot of new rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater for my tank. I did and still have some algae issues, but they're slowly going away.
1598890076952.png
What size is this tank?
 
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Dark_Knightt

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You could also try a Royal Gramma, those guys would be able to hold their own with the clown. Or maybe a Bangaii cardinalfish.
I do like grammas, wonderful colours. I tihnk im going to try my hand at a mandarin. My friend at my LFS said that he would personally ween one onto prepared and frozen foods. Then ill put him in a QT for a month or more with pods and feed him prepared and frozen to make sure he'll eat. Think thats an okay, if not good idea?
 

H3rm1tCr@b

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I do like grammas, wonderful colours. I tihnk im going to try my hand at a mandarin. My friend at my LFS said that he would personally ween one onto prepared and frozen foods. Then ill put him in a QT for a month or more with pods and feed him prepared and frozen to make sure he'll eat. Think thats an okay, if not good idea?
I'm not sure. They have super fast metabolisms and such... but I think it MIGHT be possible. Just make sure to do a lot of research before hand!
 
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Dark_Knightt

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I'm not sure. They have super fast metabolisms and such... but I think it MIGHT be possible. Just make sure to do a lot of research before hand!
Ive been doing lots of research for about 4 months now so i think i understand what i need to do. But if anyone has any tips they are welcome.
 

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Looking good!
 

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I do like grammas, wonderful colours. I tihnk im going to try my hand at a mandarin. My friend at my LFS said that he would personally ween one onto prepared and frozen foods. Then ill put him in a QT for a month or more with pods and feed him prepared and frozen to make sure he'll eat. Think thats an okay, if not good idea?


I wouldn't do a Mandarin in such a small and new tank. Generally you need a bigger more established tank. I have one but it is trained on Mysis and still has copepods to eat while I'm at work.
 

H3rm1tCr@b

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Ive been doing lots of research for about 4 months now so i think i understand what i need to do. But if anyone has any tips they are welcome.
That’s good! Most just dive in and it doesn’t often go well for them. Personally I’ve never kept a mandarin but I think you’re to a good start
 
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Dark_Knightt

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That’s good! Most just dive in and it doesn’t often go well for them. Personally I’ve never kept a mandarin but I think you’re to a good start
Im planning on buying a new tank to quarantine the mandarin. So im gonna get my friend at my LFS to ween it onto pellets and frozen foods, and while hes doing that dose the pods into my display. Then when the fish is on prepared foods ill put him in the QT and keep feeding him prepared foods while growing pods in the display. Once i put the fish into the display, ill use my QT to grow pods.
 
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Dark_Knightt

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That’s good! Most just dive in and it doesn’t often go well for them. Personally I’ve never kept a mandarin but I think you’re to a good start
So Ive also thought about maybe getting a female ruby red dragonet instead of a mandarin. Are those any easier to keep ?
 
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Dark_Knightt

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I think they might be a little easier to keep. I have heard that the scooter dragonets in general are easier to train onto prepared foods like brine shrimp and pellets.
My LFS said they would train one onto prepared foods for me, so i would jsut stock up the DT and QT with lots of pods, then take her home and feed mostly pellets in the QT for about a motnhs. Also, i need to know 1) can you quarantine ruby red dragonets like you cant mandarins, and 2), what size QT should i get. WOuld 5 or 10g work ? Daily adding pods, feeding 3 times a day?
 

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