29g Saltwater Nano Tank

[BluewaterBoof]

This is the tank as of right now:
View attachment 136610
My goal for today is to get rid of as much algae as possible.

I really like your scape work!

I haven’t gone back and read through the whole journal but I saw in the beginning that you had mentioned you weren’t using a sump. Is this still the case? Having a refugium filled with chaeto does absolute wonders for out-competing other algae.

I once had a 29gal reef with no sump and what I did was get an HOB filter similar to an AquaClear with a clear lid, put chaeto in there, and then put a small light on top of it to grow out the chaeto. Essentially an HOB refugium and it did wonders for bringing the phosphates down and keeping the annoying algae in the display from growing out of control even with heavy frequent feedings. I would still get a bit of hair algae growing on the rocks but my two emerald crabs were able to mow down what the chaeto couldn’t starve out. Might be worth it to try something like that if you are continuing to fight the algae in your tank.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I really like your scape work!

I haven’t gone back and read through the whole journal but I saw in the beginning that you had mentioned you weren’t using a sump. Is this still the case? Having a refugium filled with chaeto does absolute wonders for out-competing other algae.

I once had a 29gal reef with no sump and what I did was get an HOB filter similar to an AquaClear with a clear lid, put chaeto in there, and then put a small light on top of it to grow out the chaeto. Essentially an HOB refugium and it did wonders for bringing the phosphates down and keeping the annoying algae in the display from growing out of control even with heavy frequent feedings. I would still get a bit of hair algae growing on the rocks but my two emerald crabs were able to mow down what the chaeto couldn’t starve out. Might be worth it to try something like that if you are continuing to fight the algae in your tank.

Thanks!

Yes, sadly no sump. I like the concept of a refugium, but I figured I wouldn’t have enough space... sounds like it may be worth getting into to.

No new algae is forming though, which means I have the lighting time down.
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Do you guys have any experience with extreme rainbow bubble tip anemones? My LFS is selling some pretty dang beautiful ones, and I just got payed...

 

[PheonixKingZ]

What's an extreme rainbow bubbletip anemone?

I have experience with bubbletip anemones but never heard of extreme rainbow ones.

Bubbletip anemones are easy to care for. Give them clean water, lots of light and a bit of food each day. They grow rapidly and will divide each year if kept under good conditions. If they do divide, one half will usually stay put and the other one will wander off and find somewhere else to live.

It’s kind of hard to explain, I wish I had a picture. Apparently these are pretty rare, because I can’t find anything online that looks like them.

This is the closest I could find:

I assume they are pretty similar?

Also, would it be best to wait a little while longer before getting a nem? Or is it prime time now?

Gotta love reef tanks!
I had two large absolutely beautiful micromussa/acan colonies living next to each other for the longest time. I came home from work one day and they had duked it out while I was gone. They obliterated each other and I was heartbroken. They were easily my two favorite corals at the time and to just have the entire colonies wiped out was a hard pill to swallow.

Ah, sorry for your loss man, that’s tough.

Maybe I should move them over more...?

 

[BluewaterBoof]

Maybe I should move them over more...?

I’d say that depends on how the water moves where they are at. If the water current moves in a direction that would push any sweepers away from the other corals then you should be fine. Sweepers, as far as I saw with my corals, never traveled “upstream;” they always drifted and flowed with the water current.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Some good pictures of the mushroom!!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I’d say that depends on how the water moves where they are at. If the water current moves in a direction that would push any sweepers away from the other corals then you should be fine. Sweepers, as far as I saw with my corals, never traveled “upstream;” they always drifted and flowed with the water current.

They are about 1 inch apart right now, and I saw the current sort of pushing the shroom over a bit.

I’ll move them tomorrow.

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I’m super excited about this anemone!! Can’t wait to get it, if I am ready for it.

Do you think $80 for a small one, say 2 inches across is a good deal?

 

[Colin_T]

Try to find out what the scientific name of the anemone is before you get it. Some anemones are nasty and the fish won't go in them. Others kill everything around them. Most anemones will grow to at least 6 inches in diameter and any corals near them will be attacked. Some anemones will ready over 2 feet in diameter, hence the need to know scientific names so we know exactly what species you are dealing with.

The following link is for a book by Gerald R Allen and has all the known sea anemones that are used by fish, and tells you how to identify them. It doesn't have the rainbow bubbletip anemone in but it does have other species. It's a field guide for identifying different species and doesn't tell you much about their care in captivity.
Field Guide to Anemone Fishes and Their Host Sea Anemones by Daphne G Fautin - Paperback - 1992 - from Milliway's Books (SKU: 3.164) (biblio.com)

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Anemones wander around when first added to a tank and this is more likely to happen if they don't have enough rock to hide among. Some will crawl onto the front glass and stay there, others crawl into a rock crevice and come up from out of the rocks.

When the shop gets the anemone, make sure they don't damage the base. There is a suction cup on the bottom of anemones and if you damage this, it can kill the anemone.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Try to find out what the scientific name of the anemone is before you get it. Some anemones are nasty and the fish won't go in them. Others kill everything around them. Most anemones will grow to at least 6 inches in diameter and any corals near them will be attacked. Some anemones will ready over 2 feet in diameter, hence the need to know scientific names so we know exactly what species you are dealing with.

The following link is for a book by Gerald R Allen and has all the known sea anemones that are used by fish, and tells you how to identify them. It doesn't have the rainbow bubbletip anemone in but it does have other species. It's a field guide for identifying different species and doesn't tell you much about their care in captivity.
Field Guide to Anemone Fishes and Their Host Sea Anemones by Daphne G Fautin - Paperback - 1992 - from Milliway's Books (SKU: 3.164) (biblio.com)

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Anemones wander around when first added to a tank and this is more likely to happen if they don't have enough rock to hide among. Some will crawl onto the front glass and stay there, others crawl into a rock crevice and come up from out of the rocks.

When the shop gets the anemone, make sure they don't damage the base. There is a suction cup on the bottom of anemones and if you damage this, it can kill the anemone.

I’ll call my LFS and ask, although I’m doubtful they will know.

The ones they have in the display tank are absolutely massive. The tentacles on the big ones are at least a foot long.

Do you think (tank maturity wise) I am ready for a nem?

 

[Krib32]

Its recomended to wait a year before getting an anemone.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Its recomended to wait a year before getting an anemone.

A YEAR? Max I heard was 6 months...

 

[Colin_T]

You don't have to wait a year for an anemone. If the corals are fine in a month, then get the anemone. In the mean time, try to get photos of the big and small rainbow anemones at the shop so I have more to go on.

 

[Krib32]

You don't have to wait a year for an anemone. If the corals are fine in a month, then get the anemone. In the mean time, try to get photos of the big and small rainbow anemones at the shop so I have more to go on.

Its highly recomended since they are sensitive to prameter swings. One a tank hits the 1 year mark parameters usualy have stabled out.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

You don't have to wait a year for an anemone. If the corals are fine in a month, then get the anemone. In the mean time, try to get photos of the big and small rainbow anemones at the shop so I have more to go on.

I'll get some photos next time I go!

Its highly recomended since they are sensitive to prameter swings. One a tank hits the 1 year mark parameters usualy have stabled out.

I think I'll wait at least 6 months, just to make sure everything is stable.

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I'm going to upgrade my light to something like this:

It's $100 at my LFS. Expensive, but I think it will be well worth it in the long run...

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Morning!

Just fed the clownfish mysis shrimp. Also fed the zoa and the mushroom, and the shrimp. (Wouldn’t that be cannibalism? )

Anyway, the shrimp really liked the mysis. I plan to feed mysis tonight as well.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Update! Added a small blue nem that I just found.

Obviously my crappy camera does no justice for this beautiful mushroom...

Clowns are now hosting near this cave!!