Fish Only Tank!

[johnfluevogs]

I am looking to set up a ten gallon fish only tank with two clown fish in it. What are some important things to consider.

I have the following equipment

wisper 20 filter
Jager 10 gallon heater
live sand bed 1" thick
15w strip light


Do you recommend Live Rock?
What other things would you recommend?

Thanks

Jeff

 

[Anonymous]

Ask this question in the Nano Tank Forum. Yes I would use liverock. You will need to do weekly water changes.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes on the rock also.

What does the whisper filter do?

 

[Anonymous]

A bit of live rock and you're set. The filter is only needed to circulate the water.

Jim

 

[Anonymous]

I ran a simple 10g with an undergravel filter (with dolomite) for years with about 6-8 fish in it. Had a trio of 3 stripe damsels spawn in it several times so they must have been happy.

live sand and live rock are optional.

I would recommend you add plant life like macro algaes(caulpera profilera) or true marine plants (turtle grass) as the first thing. And then do the rest.

Makes for a much easier system to maintain.

 

[Anonymous]

I ran a simple 10g with an undergravel filter (with dolomite) for years with about 6-8 fish in it. Had a trio of 3 stripe damsels spawn in it several times so they must have been happy.

live sand and live rock are optional.

I would recommend you add plant life like macro algaes(caulpera profilera) or true marine plants (turtle grass) as teh first thing. And then do the rest.

Makes for a much easier system to maintain.

I had a 10 gallon about 18 years ago witha underground filter with a damsel and some crabs. It was just fine. I kept a Condy too.

 

[johnfluevogs]

So, a mechanical filter (i.e. Wisper 20 with carbon) is not needed!!

 

[Anonymous]

No, but you DO need circulation. A small powerfilter works just fine for this, and it leaves you the option of running carbon if needed. Otherwise, just use a small powerhead.

Jim

 

[Anonymous]

...and please only get Ocellaris or Percula clowns. All the rest (well, most of the rest) will outgrow a 10 gallon quickly.

 

[johnfluevogs]

Yes, Ocellaris and/or Percula clowns only... since this will be for the significant other, she is excited about those mostly because of there populaity.


Is there any suggestions on keeping one of each?
Is that a problem?
Would you suggest two of the same?

thanks
Jeff

 

[HClH2OFish]

Ummm...what about Cinnamon clowns? Only reason I ask is that we've had ours for about a year and he's same size as when we got him...only about 1"

 

[HClH2OFish]

would recommend you add plant life like macro algaes(caulpera profilera) or true marine plants (turtle grass) as the first thing.

What do you do if the caulerpa goes sexual and fouls the tank? In a 10gal, that's recipe for disaster...

 

[Anonymous]

would recommend you add plant life like macro algaes(caulpera profilera) or true marine plants (turtle grass) as the first thing.

What do you do if the caulerpa goes sexual and fouls the tank? In a 10gal, that's recipe for disaster...

Caulpera profilera is a very well behaved caulpera. In addition the idea is to get it established as the very first thing.

I did have some feather caulpera foul a culture tank immdeiately after it arrived. It had been in shipment for 3 days and was placed in a tank where other plant life had already gotten nitrates down to 0.0. So between shipping shock and no nutrients it did foul the tank.

I have never had caulpera profilera present any problems. Not even attaching itself to the rocks. And I have never had any fouling of a tank with any plant life where there was nutrients and light available.

On the other hand parameters rapidily go to correct values (like nitrAtes to 0.0) because the caulpera profilera is there.

 

[Anonymous]

would recommend you add plant life like macro algaes(caulpera profilera) or true marine plants (turtle grass) as the first thing.

What do you do if the caulerpa goes sexual and fouls the tank? In a 10gal, that's recipe for disaster...

Caulpera profilera is a very well behaved caulpera. In addition the idea is to get it established as the very first thing.

I did have some feather caulpera foul a culture tank immdeiately after it arrived. It had been in shipment for 3 days and was placed in a tank where other plant life had already gotten nitrates down to 0.0. So between shipping shock and no nutrients it did foul the tank.

I have never had caulpera profilera present any problems. Not even attaching itself to the rocks. And I have never had any fouling of a tank with any plant life where there was nutrients and light available.

On the other hand parameters rapidily go to correct values (like nitrAtes to 0.0) because the caulpera profilera is there.

Your experience is unique. Caulerpa prolifera (as in proliferate) is an incredibly invasive and destructive species. Here in California it is considered such a pest that any lab that works with it has strict protocols; all rooms and tanks containing it have biohazard signs and must be locked at all times. Google "Mediterranean AND Caulerpa" and you'll see what I mean.

It smothers benthic life and releases toxic compounds. Couple this with the possibility that it might go sexual in your tank, and you have a very unsuitable algae for a reef tank.

Here's what Eric Borneman has to say about Caulerpa:

"In particular, I am very unfond of Caulerpa (Figure 5). It is invasive and very difficult to eradicate. It is toxic to fish and has many metabolites - and releases them when the organism degenerates during spawning. Acidic rhizomes etch carbonate (Figure 6) and these algae can kill other more desirable species by overgrowth. I have had it grow right through the stalks of soft corals. Many aquarists say that it has not been a problem for them. My response? Just wait. It will. I guess my big question regarding Caulerpa is why use it at all when so many more desirable species of macroalgae exist, like Chaetomorpha species, or others (Figures 7 & 8)."

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/eb/index.htm

 

[Anonymous]

Borneman has valid ideas but does not specifically point to profilera. And I do agree that other species of macros or true marine plants can do the same work.

My experience is that chaeto, non prolifera types of caulpera, shaving brushes, blades, money plants, gracillaria all require much higher lighting. To the point they did not establish themselves when profilera thrived. In fact under the higher lighting grape seems to be crowding out the profilera.

Meanwhile, my tang eats them all. So if any are toxic please don't tell my tang.

 

[wade1]

I would say
1- you may certainly use a carbon based mechanical filter on a fish only system. I see no reason not to since you are just keeping a couple of fish and it will assist you in keeping the tank clean and ammonia levels in check (nitrates matter little to fish).

2- For algaes, stick to the more rigid growth forms... halimeda, shaving brush, etc. Many of them are from FL... they will look good in a tank like that and the low lighting should support them alright.

 

[Anonymous]

Ummm...what about Cinnamon clowns? Only reason I ask is that we've had ours for about a year and he's same size as when we got him...only about 1"

They get large over time, mine are easily three inches long now.

 

[Anonymous]

does any one have a good pic of Caulerpa Prolifera??

I did a google seach but got crap pics

 

[Anonymous]

Caulpera profilera has long wavy "leaves" with "runners" in between.

www.floridapets.com has some nice pictures of that and other macros /true marine plants.

 

[Anonymous]

Borneman has valid ideas but does not specifically point to profilera. And I do agree that other species of macros or true marine plants can do the same work.

My experience is that chaeto, non prolifera types of caulpera, shaving brushes, blades, money plants, gracillaria all require much higher lighting. To the point they did not establish themselves when profilera thrived. In fact under the higher lighting grape seems to be crowding out the profilera.

Meanwhile, my tang eats them all. So if any are toxic please don't tell my tang.

But Bob, you specifically said Caulerpa prolifera (and it's prolifera, NOT 'profilera') was an OK macroalgae to use. My experience, and that of many others including Eric, reflects otherwise. He didn't need to point to C. prolifera specifically, he was talking about the entire genus.