How Accurate

[jimi priest]

so i am starting a saltwater tank with an old 30 gallon with a 20 gallon sump ( figuring 50 gallons of water is better then 30) and i wont be talked out of it i have the support of some people who know what there doing and im going to do it no matter the horror story's because i am confident i can keep the water stable and for that using live rock as main filtration the aquarium calculator says i only need 21 pounds of live rock would you guys call that correct ( im planing a fish only with live rock for starters then ill branch out depending on my success

 

[Colin_T]

50gallons is fine for a marine tank. However it won't be 50g after the rock goes in. As to how much rock depends on the number and type fo fish you have in the tank. Also how often do you plan on feeding them.
If there is only going to be a pr os clownfish in the tank then it is probably heaps of rock.
Is there going to be a skimmer on the tank?

 

[SkiFletch]

You might find that such a small amount of LR will actually look empty in your tank, then again you may not... You'll have to find out yourself

 

[jimi priest]

yes im having a skimmer ( i was told that having a salt water tank with out one is suicide ( i have learned that this isnt nesseceraly true but makes life easier) well i want a pair of common clowns a mandarin goby a fuzzy dwarf lion ( or a fumanchu lion depending on how much space they need ) maybe a flame angle or a few damsels ( i know that would be over stocked im thinking all these as a possibility at the moment i have some substrate enugh salt to make the tank full marine and some water changes the lights ( for coral if i have the ablity to go that way) a few power heads the pump for the sump( the sump itself) the dividers for a live sand bed in my sump ( by the way should i buy it or can i make my own by putting sand around some live rock) the return tube and a bunch of possible ideas

 

[Colin_T]

I wouldn't keep a lionfish with small clowns or the mandarinfish. It will try to eat them and if it eats the mandarinfish it will die. Mandarins have a poisonous mucous on their bodies.
A live sand bed is simply a 4-8inch deep sand pit in the sump or tank. You can add some beach sand to a section of the sump and allow the water to flow across it.

 

[jimi priest]

alright ill actualy think im going pair of clowns ( and latter an annenime(sp) the mandarin (or a pair) the flame angle and maybe 3-4 damsles ( maybe the blue one ( not blue devils but the other ones _ or is that over stocked ?

 

[Musho3210]

well, i hope you know what your diving into with a mandarin in a smallish tank.

 

[jimi priest]

from what i have read and seen they only get to be about 3 or 4 inches and there water needs to be great but if its the last fish i add by that time i sould be able to work out the kinks

so that isnt over stocked? normaly i would say no but marine is stocked differently

 

[Colin_T]

the mandarin will be fine in that size tank. I am more concerned about the clowns taking it over and kicking hell out of everything else. If you have ocellaris or skunk clowns it shouldn't be a problem, but if you have clarkii, spine cheeks or tomatoes they will want the tank to themself when they start breeding.
How long, wide & high is the 30g?

 

[jimi priest]

its a 30 long and im deffently going ocellaris becouse i have always like them the most ( maroons are nice but between the 2 i like bright colors)

 

[Colin_T]

don't know how big a 30long is, sorry.
maroon clowns are much more agro than any other clown. They also get bigger, about 4-5inches for the female and about 3inches for the male.
Ocellaris are probably the most peaceful of the clowns and only get to about 3inches max. good choice

 

[jimi priest]

yeah i injoy them and rough estemate my tank is 36"l 12"w 16"h

 

[Colin_T]

ok, you should be fine with a pr of ocellaris, a mandarinfish, a pygmy angel and a coulpe of small peaceful damsels. You could also have a few shrimp and hermit crabs

 

[tropicalwaters]

do some reserach on a mandarin fish. they are considered difficult becuase they require live pods to survive. Some people have had sucess getting them to eat mysis but you should not count on yours to do that. Also, when you actually buy the mandarin they may already be starving so it does not matter if you feed it it will probably die anyway. Just make sure that you have a good pod population especially if you get a refugium that would help in producing them.

About the damsels i dont think there is such a thing about "peaceful" dasmels they will nip and stress each other out if they dont settle down, but that my experience with them. I would add these last or perhaps the clowns, and if you plan on mating them count on them harrasing the other fish in there. i would eaither stock the clowns and the angel ( may pick at corals if you get them) but not all of them 6-7 fish in a 30 G is pushing it IMO just not enough room.

 

[Colin_T]

the tank is getting a 20g sump as well.

Chrysiptera hemicyanea & Chrysiptera parasema are pretty peaceful damsels.