Help a newbie with a new 12g setup

[2poor2reef]

I run a 12g tank as my low-light polyp tank. I run 36w of power compact lighting and keep mushrooms, yellow polyps, buttons (zoanthids) and green star polyps. I would not attempt any lps or sps in that setup. I don't like to mix types anyway. I run about one third the water movement that a maxijet 900 would put out but I could use just a little more flow. I run a precision marine HOT-1 skimmer but that's probably overkill for a tank that size. I keep one lawnmower blenny that takes frozen foods and algae flakes readily but not all do and I sometimes regret keeping even one fish in a tank that small. I would NOT recommend two unless they were mated pairs of something like the smaller gobies. I use about 2 1/2 inches of oolitic aragonite as a substrate and keep spaghetti worms, bristle worms, pods, ministars and cerith snails as my clean-up crew. In terms of stability I find my biggest issue is salinity swings. I find the tank is too small for an higer-end auto-topoff system like a doser but I can rig a pint sized plastic bottle with a hole in the bottom the size of a pin prick that will drip a days worth of evap replacement pretty effectively. My thoughts.

[ November 04, 2001: Message edited by: 2poor2reef ]</p>

 

[lionfish1]

you are a newbie and are starting a 125gal tank, are you out of youre mind, what are you thinking, go with a 30gal to 55gal first, learn the hobby like the back of youre hand then go for 100+gal tank, cya.

 

[lionfish1]

my bad sorry I thought you said 125 gal, must be the hangover from last night, cya.

 

[Hyolee]

Hi,

I want to setup a new 12g reef. What do you recommend for sand bed? Type, brand, coarse or fine, etc. Also, since I am a poor starving student, I cannot have an elaborate lighting setup. I already have 2 18" endcaps for the tank and was wondering if that was sufficient, and if it is, what type of inverts can I keep. If I added one more 18", what additional types of inverts could I get. If I splurged and replaced the entire lighting with power compacts, could I get any inverts, including anenomes, sps, clams, etc? I also have a used Lee's aquarium 20" internal skimmer w/ tetra luft pump. Is that enough? Last, how much current do I need in the tank? Is a MaxiJet 900 enough or do I need something stronger.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Hyolee]

My bad, my internal skimmer is only 12-14". My goal for this tank is to have two fish and to have it packed with soft corals. Ideally, I would like to have clams and a couple hard corals like hammer, but I heard you needed good light for those.

 

[esmithiii]

Hyolee,

Couple of points:

1. Sand: If you can get Southdown from home depot, great. Do a search for Southdown on this board and it will tell you what to look for.
2. Lighting: Get the most you can afford. Check out this link http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=PA&Category_Code=Lighting
With NO bulbs, you will not be able to keep very much, maybe mushrooms. SPS, Clams definitely out.
3. I am not familiar with that skimmer.
4. Current sounds good, maybe too much in that small tank
5. I know you didn't ask, but get some really good books and read them cover to cover before you start. Tullock's natural reef aquariums is a good one.
6. Nano-reefs (Small reef aquariums under 30 gallons) are usually for very experienced reef keepers. They are usually very difficult to keep stable. Take it very slow, and I would start with a fish and liverock for six months or so. This is to keep you from throwing away alot of money and killing livestock. Do searches on this board for nano reefs.

Good luck.

Ernie

 

[Hyolee]

Thanks for the advice guys. I will prob get some aragonite sand. Does anyone know if araga - live is a ripoff (w/o fauna) or do you get good stuff. Better to get regular aragonite and add detrivore kit? I doubt I can get SD sand here in Los Angeles, unless someone knows otherwise?

I plan on doing this tank very slowly. I am no expert, but I've had saltwater b4 and have read Marine Aquarium Handbook by Moe. Not a dedicated reef book, but does have good info about saltwater in general. Plus I have been lurking on this board for quite some time.

What types of small fish are good for a 12g and safe with soft corals?

 

[Hyolee]

Thanks for the advice guys. I will prob get some aragonite sand. Does anyone know if araga - live is a ripoff (w/o fauna) or do you get good stuff. Better to get regular aragonite and add detrivore kit? I doubt I can get SD sand here in Los Angeles, unless someone knows otherwise?

I plan on doing this tank very slowly. I am no expert, but I've had saltwater b4 and have read Marine Aquarium Handbook by Moe. Not a dedicated reef book, but does have good info about saltwater in general. Plus I have been lurking on this board for quite some time.

What types of small fish are good for a 12g and safe with soft corals?

 

[Rich-n-poor]

fish wise you may consider a false percula clown or a dottyback or perhaps a royal gramma
_________________
Mercedes Benz 250

 

[danmhippo]

Liar, Liar, Poor starving student....Yeah right. Hyolee, I thought you mentioned you live in San Marino. This place is by no means a poor neighborhood. But thinking you are poor is good.....get you to think twice before you buy!

If you are not thinking of keeping ornamental shrimps, (and if I were you), I would keep just one fish(or 2).....Angler fish. Make sure you get equal size....otherwise the smaller one will quickly be visiting the stomach of the larger one.!!