Changing To Nano Reef

[James42a]

Ok so i have spent time looking around reading other peoples journals, scouring the internet on prices etc and i have now began to forumulate a plan to convert my rekord 96. I have decided to use 10kg live rock, 10-20lb of caribsea aragonite live sand, an Arcadia Overtank Luminaire AF245M T5 with 4 24w tubes, an Aqua Medic Ocean runner Power Head PH2500. Aside from the obvious small other items such as test kits etc can anyone recommend a cheap R.O unit and an opninion on what the best brand of salt is - Amwell Aquatics currently have a deal on for 25kg of aqua medic reef salt for £59.99. I have looked through skimmers and if i have one it will be a Tunze 9002. Do you think the options i have listed above are good choices and is there anything you can see that i have missed?

I also will just mention that i intend on keeping a pair of Clowns and a pair of banggai cardinals aswell as a few soft corals and possible the odd SPS or LPS.

 

[steelhealr]

I"m not sure what the volume is on a rekord 96 but with 2 clowns in it...I hope it is around 30G's. SH

 

[James42a]

I"m not sure what the volume is on a rekord 96 but with 2 clowns in it...I hope it is around 30G's. SH

the tank is around 26 uk gallons

 

[Betta5]

the recommended is 30 US gallons so with 26 UK gallons im sure you will be fine there,

 

[nanocubeking]

2 clowns would be just fine in a tank that size. I think two bangai's would be fine as well.

 

[steelhealr]

I agree..to a degree. I had a Banggai..beautiful but boring fish. SH

 

[CageUK]

the recommended is 30 US gallons so with 26 UK gallons im sure you will be fine there,

I must admit I was a little shocked to read this!

Everybody I have ever spoken to and everywhere I've read on the forums have agreed that clowns would be fine in my 58ltr (15 UK Galls) Orca but the above statement seems to suggest that the tank is too small for them and by quite a margin?

Am I missing something (possibly a brain)?

I'm guessing that virtually every Orca and other small nano out there has a pair of clowns in it so I'm not worried about my guys, just a little mystified about this.

Hope you can enlighten me please!

Cheers

 

[nanocubeking]

the recommended is 30 US gallons so with 26 UK gallons im sure you will be fine there,

I must admit I was a little shocked to read this!

Everybody I have ever spoken to and everywhere I've read on the forums have agreed that clowns would be fine in my 58ltr (15 UK Galls) Orca but the above statement seems to suggest that the tank is too small for them and by quite a margin?

Am I missing something (possibly a brain)?

I'm guessing that virtually every Orca and other small nano out there has a pair of clowns in it so I'm not worried about my guys, just a little mystified about this.

Hope you can enlighten me please!

Cheers

That usually means in the long run. Clowns grow quite a bit so a fully grown pair would need a 30 gallon tank to be happy. I have seen a 3 gallon tank with a pair of clowns in it. Simply that pissed me off...

 

[CageUK]

That usually means in the long run. Clowns grow quite a bit so a fully grown pair would need a 30 gallon tank to be happy. I have seen a 3 gallon tank with a pair of clowns in it. Simply that pissed me off...

OK that makes sense I guess.

I'll keep an eye on ours for size then. We may well upgrade in the not too distant future so can transfer them if necessary.

On that note, I've noticed that in an LFS that we otherwise have a lot of respect for I've seen some marine life in 'tanks' no bigger than a jam jar including a clown and a boxer shrimp in the same jar! The boxer could barely turn around. The 'tanks' must be about 3" x 3" by 5" or 6" high

I'm assuming/hoping that this is a transitory stage and not permanent display home. It just doesn't seem right nevertheless.

 

[Betta5]

the recommended is 30 US gallons so with 26 UK gallons im sure you will be fine there,

I must admit I was a little shocked to read this!

Everybody I have ever spoken to and everywhere I've read on the forums have agreed that clowns would be fine in my 58ltr (15 UK Galls) Orca but the above statement seems to suggest that the tank is too small for them and by quite a margin?

Am I missing something (possibly a brain)?

I'm guessing that virtually every Orca and other small nano out there has a pair of clowns in it so I'm not worried about my guys, just a little mystified about this.

Hope you can enlighten me please!

Cheers

I was meant to mean, the 2 clowns and 2 cardinals would be happy in the tank, can see how you read it and what you mean. A 15 gallon is seen at the complete min to keep a pair it but its down to how you feel. Im sure you could keep a pair alive in a 5 gallon. It also depends on the fish, my clown would just sit and guard his cave 24/7 only leaving to eat. He would have lived in his 15 gallon until he died and be fine. (i let him go to a massive display tank at a local museum and i still see him when i visit, well i think its him)

anyway my point was its really down to you and then fish, if that makes sense

 

[@ombomb]

The thing to remember is that there is a big difference between keeping a fish alive and keeping it well. Just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be done.

I have a single clown fish (about 2 inches) and a sixline wrasse (about 2.5 inches) in a 24USG cube and personally I think they're both starting to get a bit too big for the tank.