New to Reef Frontiers.

[joker577]

Hey guys...I have normally been on Reefbuilders.com but i thought i'd give RF a try . I've currently had my tank up for about 3 weeks- 1 month and so far it's a 29 Gal BioCube with an added powerhead for about 360 GPH flow.I have 1-36 Watt 10000k Daylight strip and 1-36 Watt Actinic.The Deep Sea Bed is 4 inches of Crushed Arag Alive Coral.I have 1 false perc clown tank raised, 1 yellow tail damsel, 5 red leg hermit crabs, 9 blue leg hermit crabs, a decorator crab,3 turbo snails, and an anemone crab, along with a Sebae Anemone. So far my false perc hasn't taken to the Sebae but I'm hoping it will within the week ( I got it yesterday). Now I have a plan and I was wondering if you guys could help me out with some input. I'm thinking about getting a tank mate for the tank raised false percula now, and getting a clarki clown for the Sabae anemone...and also getting a carpet anemone with a wild false percula. Is that a good idea or no? Thanks guys
Brandon-

 

[LakeEd]

Brandon,

1st, and most importantly...

WELCOME TO REEF FRONTIERS!!!

Okay... now that the important stuff is over... on to your questions.

I'm a little concerned about your interest in adding too much more to a 29 gallon tank. You do realize that within a year, if cared for nicely, your Seabae will reward you by being about 12-16" across, with its tentacles about 4-5" long. Hummmm, does that sound like it will be a good 1/2 of your tank, because it will!

Then, if you do have a Carpet Anemone... that will also get to be 12-16" within a year if all tank conditions are good... so there goes your entire tank.

That is fine, if that is your choice... I just want you to understand the size these animals will get for us, even in captivity.


Okay... now that all that is over, my favoriate part.... PICTURES OF YOUR SETUP PWEASE!!!! hehehe

 

[returnofsid]

To start with, welcome to RF!!! Great to have you.

Now on to your tank and your questions. I will start by saying that it's never a good idea to put any type of Anemone in a tank as young as yours. They need a well established tank, 6-12 months. Your choice of a Sebae may end up biting you in the behind. They're one of the hardest anemones to keep in captivity. They're also pretty light demanding. The lighting you have on your tank really isn't adequate for any anemone. If you're wanting to stick with Compact Fluorescent lighting, I'd look for a fixture in the 2X65 watt range. That would still not really be enough lighting for anemones though, however, a lot of people, including myself, have had good luck keeping Bubble Tip Anemones in that lighting. Mine are Rose Bubble Tips.

Next, You currently have 1 Occellaris and 1 Yellow Tail Damsel. That Damsel will quickly grow. It will probably become too large for that tank. As it grows, it's going to get mean!! With those 2 fish, you'll soon be overloading your biological filtration. Adding more fish would be disastrous, IMO. If I were you, I'd try and trade the damsel to an LFS for credit. If you did that, you'd be able to put another Occellaris in your tank. I wouldn't recommend adding a Clarkii Clown though. Other than Maroon Clowns, Clarkiis are about the meanest buggers in the Clown family. I can almost guarantee that it would kill your Occellaris, which is one of the least aggressive in the family.

Carpet Anemones get HUGE. A 55 really isn't even large enough to house one. Having 2 different types of Anemones in your tank is asking for trouble. People with very large tanks are sometimes able to do it...but not always.

I'd also recommend not adding anything right away. With a tank that's only 3-4 weeks old, it's not even finished cycling yet. Also, do some research into the pros and cons (mostly cons) of deep sand beds.

I'd recommend getting rid of the damsel, adding another clown of the same species. Maybe taking the Sebae back and waiting to get an anemone until your tank is more established and you're able to upgrade your lighting. In a 29, you could have a couple clowns and probably only 1 more fish. A 6 Lined Wrasse would be good...or any number of fish from the Blenny or Goby family.

Sorry this isn't the advice you were hoping to hear. Do some good research into the needs of each fish, coral or invert before purchasing. It'll save you a lot of heart ache in the long run. Again, welcome to RF. We have a great bunch of friendly and knowledgable people here!!

 

[returnofsid]

Ed, I type about 100 WPM, how'd you get yours in before me??? lol

 

[LakeEd]

What can I say... I also sit at a darn puter all day and have quick fingers.

 

[LakeEd]

I'd like to also goin in the caution of taking any and all things with a Salt-Water tank VERY SLOWLY!!! I know how hard it is... especially on a 1st tank... seeing all the beautiful fish and colorful corals... but the faster you try moving, the more heartbreaks you will have ahead of you.

There are several phases of "New Tank Life" that your system still will need to go through... and all of them can be confusing and frustraiting in their own way. Do a ton of reading here, and on all forums you happen to visit... and don't ever hesitate in asking questions...especially here on this forum. I think you'll find everyone very nice and they are about the most helpful crowd around!

 

[joker577]

Heres a pic of my tank http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v286/joker577/100_2024.jpg
The sebae has occupied the corny of the tank on the left so that should be a fair amount of room for it. Also, do you think ocellaris wilds will take to a sebae? I've already returned a Condy to the place and I think they're getting tired of me lol

 

[Krish]

Welcome to RF!!! Hope you enjoy it here Going by your pics, it looks like you are experiencing some algae problems to the very top of the tank. This is normal if you are at all concerned. All new setups experience it and will get better as the tank matures. You've been getting good advice so far so the only thing I'd add is to be careful with the crushed corals. It may become a problem for you if not taken care of properly. They have a lot of air pocets for detritus/ waste to get trapped in so you will need to keep it vaccumed regularily whendoing your water changes. Also, if you aren't running a skimmer, I'd probably think about getting one. It well help tremendously with water quality. I used the AquaC nano on my 24gal Aquapod and it did wonders!

 

[NaH2O]

First of all: Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!! We're glad you stopped by

Next, I want to talk alittle bit about your anemone. I would strongly urge you to do some more research about anemone care. The lighting on your system is insufficient for anemones, and would either require you to upgrade lighting or return the anemone....otherwise the outcome won't be good. Sebaes are considered one of the more difficult anemones, so that needs to be taken into consideration, as well. Your desire to keep more than one species is understandable, however, two different species of anemones in a small tank is a bad idea, as the anemones will combat each other. It was mentioned how large carpets can get, and it will easily take over the majority of your tank. Also, carpet anemones have been known to consume other fish (non clownfish and other inverts) in the tank, and in a smaller tank you are giving it more of an opportunity.

Please read through both of these links:

How to care for your anemone

Anemone FAQ's (very detailed and requires Adobe Acrobat)

Also, in such a small tank, I wouldn't add more than one species of clownfish. Stick with the species you have, and simply add a mate.

Your tank is very young, too young for an anemone, IMO, so please take it slow. Most tanks should be well established at least 9 months before adding an anemone. Research everything you can before buying to make sure you can meet the livestock's requirements. You will save alot more money by researching first, compared to buying something and it dies in your care, or you have to return it. Bad things happen quickly in a reeftank.

Hope this helps!

 

[Damsel13]

Welcome to Reef Frontiers! Nice looking young tank.

 

[returnofsid]

Your LFS may be getting tired of you...however, they aren't giving you very good advice. If they sold you a Condi without explaining that Condis have NO business in any reef tank, that's their problem. Condi's are Atlantic anemones. There are NO clowns in the Atlantic. Sometimes Condi's host, but they're more likely to EAT your fish than host them. Also, if they sold you a Sebae without at least asking some basic questions about your tank...ie...age, size, lighting system, that's also their problem. Although now it's become your problem. There's no way that anemone is going to survive for long under those lights and in that new of a system. Just explain to the LFS that you've been doing some research and learning more and you've come to realize that your tank isn't ready for any anemones at this time.

 

[joker577]

What's the difference between a new and an older setup if the parameters are fine? And the lady told me she would take it back and trade me a Bubble Tip Anemone that's 30$ more for free. Also, I'm going to take back my tank raised clown and try and give back my yellow tail damsel and try and get a wild Clown tomorrow.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Welsome to a really fun site!

The older the rock gets, the more saturated with different bacteria plus flora and fauna that aids in keeping the water stable and full of life. With live rock, more is better and the longer it's in the same tank, the better. Can't add much to what everyone else has said, I agree 100%. Sebaes are hard to keep. They either die or outgrow the tank. Many carpets sting, and all are advanced marine aquariest species. When you have more rock and a more established tank, try a RBTA.

 

[joker577]

Well what i'm doing today is taking back the clown and sebae...and next week she's giving me a free bubble anemone and i'm getting a wild clownfish. I also have another question...I have a 3-4 inch crushed coral bed in my tank...is that good or bad to have because I was considering replacing with finer sand but my tank is already setup with live stock. How would I do that?

 

[returnofsid]

CC is more known to cause nitrate problems, which ends up creating algae problems. Deep sand beds are also much more involved as far as maintenance goes. Without proper maintenance, a deep sand bed will cause a lot more problems than 1" of sand. Finer sand is usually less work, though more difficult if siphoning the substrate is needed. Siphoning isn't usually needed if you've got the right clean up crew. A mix of CC and finer sand is needed for some fish that burrow in the sand. I wouldn't worry about that right now though as your tank isn't really large enough for any of these fish.

I'd stick with the tank raised Clown if I were you. They're known to be hardier and less apt to get diseases. I'd also really consider upgrading your lighting before getting the RBTA. They still need a lot more light than you're offering your tank.

 

[Krish]

I have a 3-4 inch crushed coral bed in my tank...is that good or bad to have because I was considering replacing with finer sand but my tank is already setup with live stock. How would I do that?

See post #8. And to add to that, I ran a cc sand bed before and nitrate issues out of this world! Not totally to blame on the cc, but it did contribute. I've personally had best success with no sand at all (bare bottom) but it is an acquired taste

 

[joker577]

Changed the sand bed to a finer sand...will be posting pics when it clears up. All my live stock is in a bucket.. poor guys

 

[returnofsid]

They don't need to be in a bucket. Even though the water's cloudy, they'll be okay in the tank. There's less of a chance of an ammonia build up in the tank than there is in the smaller quantity and non filtered water of a bucket.

 

[joker577]

I had to empty out all the water and such..so i'm making sure the parameters are ok first.

 

[returnofsid]

Ahh okay. Next time, if possible...buy a couple Rough Tote garbage cans cheap and use them to save as much water as you can. I have 1 of those for storing RO/DI water and I'll be starting to use another for storing mixed salt water, as soon as I can find room for it...lol.