# new reef nano tank



## diavids (May 10, 2010)

Hi Everyone, 
I'm into week 5 into my first nano reef 20 gal tank. I'm a total newbie when it comes to anything salt. But i thought i'll post a picture or two and see what everyone things so far. I used live sand and live rock. After two weeks i added my first coral (it was on a piece of liverock i bought) sea mat (i think that is what it is) also a kenya tree coral, week 4 one mushroom cap, week 5, green zoanthid. There is a few other odds and ends growing on the live rock, a couple small feather dusters i do believe. When i got my first live rock it came with a hermit crab, since then i have added more crabs and some snails. But after the crabs ate one of my snails i decided that i had too many hermit crabs so returned them to the lfs except for two. I do have some empty shells in the tank for the hermit crabs in case that is why they went after the snail. I am really interested in getting more corals but do plan to get a couple fish and shrimps. thinking of a goby and shrimp pairing and maybe eventually a clown fish (do i need to get two or do they do fine singular) Any suggestions would be apprecaited. to my water, things have been good all the way through, guess having the live rock and sand has helped with cycling the tank. My latest numbers: Ammonia 0, Calcium 18 (i have been adding reef code A twice a week to boost the calcium), KH 10, Phosphate .25 (been told this is is normal for a new tank), Nitrate and nitrite both at 0. I was doing weekly small water changes but told to do twice weekly instead, just a small amount. I'm using ro water for top up. to the lighting i have two blue stunner strip lights, 1 white/blue led stunner strip light plus i'm also using a t5 coralight 10,000k intil i can get another white stunner led stripe. the brown algae has started but i have read that is normal, i have been wipping it off the front glass. Sorry for such a long post. Here are a few picture and thanks for reading. oh dear, i wasn't able to load the pictures, i will try again.


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## diavids (May 10, 2010)

http://pbr425.photobucket.com/albums/pp334/diavids/IMG_0200.jpg?t=1373347156

i tried to upload this photo of the tank.


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## diavids (May 10, 2010)

http://pbr425.photobucket.com/albums/pp334/diavids/IMG_0202-1.jpg?t=1373347275

photo of full tank, didn't mean to post the other photo


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## diavids (May 10, 2010)

i'm not sure i'm doing the photo bit right. I forgot to mention, i have a small hob filter, (no filtering matieral) two pumps (one for marine and one from my freshwater set up) i expect i have enough water movement for now. thanks everyone


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## JTang (Apr 21, 2010)

Great start! Tank is looking good so far. 

You don't really need to keep clowns in pair. One is good for your nano setup.


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

looking good !


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## crimper (Oct 20, 2010)

Looking good, keep us posted.


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## diavids (May 10, 2010)

thanks for the comments. Yes so far (touch wood) things are looking pretty good. I'm in no rush for fish, want to get some more corals in place first. I do have a hitchhikers i'm not sure what to do about. Wedged in the live rock i have a clam. I finally decided that i need to get it out of the rock, so managed to shake it out. It was wedged in there pretty tight and there was no way it would have gotten out on its own. I've had the guy in my tank about 3 weeks now so i guess it must be eating somehow. I know its alive as its shell opens a bit. I placed it basically on the same level of the tank it was before but on the rock, instead of inside. I know nothing about these animals, its not very large about 1 1/2 inches. i don't want it to die and pollute my tank, so i guess i better figure out if it needs to be feed, i know with freshwater filterfeeders the tank needs to be cycled for a long time before there is enough food floating around for them. thanks for everyone's help.


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

does it look like an oyster ? what coler is it ? does it have a bright blue purple rim?


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

update ?

?????????????


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## diavids (May 10, 2010)

http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp334/diavids/IMG_0210.jpg

hello, the link above is the latest photo of the tank. Its doing well i do believe. I picked up some new corals and the branch type liverock which is in the photo. Its been 6 weeks now. Honestly i really don't know the name of the new corals i picked up. Maybe someone looking at the photo can let me know. I know everything is soft corals. You should be able to see what is in the tank, a clam or oyster. Its alive whatever it is. I'm thinking about putting a sponge in the HOB filter, should i bother? I'm also wondering if i should think about getting a skimmer for the tank? In a week or two i guess i'll be stocking the tank with fish. I'm going to get a couple of Banggai cardinal, there are a few locally bred ones where i shop. there also have one pajama cardinal. Which would be the best fish for the tank. or one of each. I read that Banggai cardinal should only be kept in pairs or singly. Eventually i want to get a goby or 2, which is the most peaceful type for this size of tank. Apprecaite everyone's help. I'm very happy with the tank so far.


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## diavids (May 10, 2010)

http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp334/diavids/IMG_0202.jpg


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

looks like a musle


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## diavids (May 10, 2010)

thanks for the information. Guess i just let it be. It's not doing anything. Its alive as it opens its shell slightly. I checked the water today, everything good: ammonia and nitrate at 0, Calcium 19,KH 12,Phosphate .25 (i can't seem to get it lower). I did a small water change after the reading. I'm doing slight water changes twice a week right now. Its almost been 7 weeks since i started this tank, maybe almost time to think about getting some fish in there.


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## diavids (May 10, 2010)

Hi Everyone. Small little update. Week 7, i picked up fish. Two Banggai Cardialfish. I only put the fish in the tank a couple hours ago, one is out in the front and the other hiding in the back. These two were by themselves in a tank at the store for a while and the owner thinks that they may be a pair, one is a male, he's not sure by the other. So what are ppls opinions on these fish, i know these two were bred locally. the owner told me to start food wise with frozen worms or brineshrimp but they should also eat pellets. My thoughts on fish was either these or a goby. the owner suggested that i get the banggai first as his opinion on goby's is that they could be aggressive so they should be added as the last fishes. I will post pictures once the fish settle down. They are sweet.


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## diavids (May 10, 2010)

Not a good day with the tank. I have no idea what is wrong. One of the Banggai Cardialfish died on me today. the other one i'm not sure what is going on. Its in the back of the tank near the bottom, doesn't seem to be panting. I had to rearrange some rocks to get the dead fish out so maybe its just stressed. I retested my water today after the fish died and even took a sample to the fish store where i bought the fish. I figured it had to be something but was told, that the numbers are fine. this is the results i got today. Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0, Nitrite 0, Ph 8.0,Calcium 19 (380), and KH 10 (179), Phosphate .25. the temperature is a bit warmer than i want, its about 81f right now but looking at the temperature at the store's tank when i was there, its about the same. I asked them what salinity they kept their tanks at, and its the same as mine. 1.023. Maybe its just too early to add fish, but the owner who has been doing reef tanks a long time told me, that my tank was ready for fish. My hermit crabs and snails are good, the soft corals i have added to the tanks these past weeks have grown and look healthy. I'm feeling a bit sad right now but the fish is still alive. I wonder if it the heat with the stress of moving to a new tank. I did take 2 hours (drip method) before moving the fish to the tank yesterday. If the fish doesn't survive, i think i'll have a none fish reef tank for a while. any help would be apprecaited.


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

2 hours for drip ? i noramly do 20-30 mins


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## diavids (May 10, 2010)

I learned my lesson and i won't take that much time next time. But i always take my time added new fish/shrimp to my tanks, even in my freshwater tanks. I usually take a least a hour using the drip method, is that too long? I was also told that my tank temperature is too high. With the warm weather i'm having a hard time keeping the tank at 76f, its been between 78 and 80f this past week. I have put a fan near the tank and the temperature is keeping at 78f. i'm going to wait until the weather cools down before i try fish again. i want to add more coral. So when i do add a fish what is a really hardy one to start with. I really like goby's, maybe just get one of them, or two if the tank is large enough. i noticed with some ppls tanks the corals are on the sand, or are they on rock rubble which is on the sand. i'm sure i'll get this figured out eventually. At least i haven't killed any of the coral yet.


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## Aaron27 (Sep 15, 2010)

Hrmm... my tanks are on my main floor which always warm in the summer. My 2 tanks typically run 79-82F in the summer and 77-78 in the winter.

Most of corals seem to do ok (although I'm not an expert), and I don't believe the fish have a problem with it = I haven't had a fatality in 6 months, but I suppose that doesn't mean they love it haha.

I drip for 30-40 minutes usually.


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

fish 30 mins fast drip coral no acclimatization inverts 1-1.5 hours


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## diavids (May 10, 2010)

thanks for the information. I really apprecaite the help. I picked up a feather duster today along with another Zoanthid. I know the feather duster needs to be fed. How often should i do that. I have Arcti pods which is food for fish/invertebrates and corals. On the bottle it says daily but that is problity too often, what would be a good schedule, twice a week, once a week?


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## diavids (May 10, 2010)

Hi everyone, tank is doing well. the fish i got two weeks ago healthy and happy. Corals are growing. Numbers are good in water quality except Phsophate is still at .25 and Calcium is still under 400. its been 10 weeks now, do you think its safe to add some shrimp? the lone fish i have is a firefish and maybe i could add something else? Any suggestions would be apprecaited. Or should i wait to add more livestock. I'm going to take a trip to the fish store today and see if they have received anything new. thanks


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