Marine /nano Question

[AK77]

The bubbles on the rocks is being caused by algae growing on it. I have exactly the same thing going on at the moment in my nano, where I added ocean rock to the live rock. Its nothing to worry about in itself.

I would however recommend you test your nitrate and phosphate levels in the tank. There looks like there is a lot of green algae developing on the back of the tank, which is a sure sign that one or both are at elevated levels than what you ideally require. Do this before you go adding any corals.

What do you have by way of a CUC (clean up crew). Do you have snails and hermits in the tank too?

Good beginner corals include:

Leather corals (toadstools, finger, etc)
Kenya Tree
Zoa's
Mushrooms
Green star polyps

+1 to looking for a new home for your hippo tang. Before long, it will be too big for the tank.

 

[beechey]

i dont have any thing for a clean up crew but there is a snail in the tank whitch i see from time to time
was gonna get some next weekend the algie seems to come when the light is on,
i might try and trade the regal tang for some clean up guys

i like the look of the kenya tree

 

[AK77]

The tang is probably worth in the region of £30 retail. You should be able to get a fireshrimp and snails and one or two hermits in exchange, although probably not from your LFS.

The algae will be feeding on nitrates and phosphates in the water, that is generated by the fish waste. Testing the water is paramount before you go adding anything though.

 

[beechey]

ok ill have to get a test kit also

like i said ive had to jump straight in with marine due to getting it all for free could not turn it down lol

 

[AK77]

lol I don't blame you. Its definitely not bad for a freebie!

 

[beechey]

ive got a little nemo fish that bites me every time i put my hand in the tank is this normal??

also can i feed them my discus food? ie beefheart, shrimps or tetra tropical food!

 

[AK77]

ive got a little nemo fish that bites me every time i put my hand in the tank is this normal??

also can i feed them my discus food? ie beefheart, shrimps or tetra tropical food!

Its quite normal. Clownfish are territorial by their very nature. The food you mention will probably be ok. A lot of the tropical food contains spiralina and ocean fish derivatives. I would recommend the Ocean Nutrician #2 pellet food. The clowns love it and it really boosts their immune system. One of my clowns had an ulcer and the other some kind of slime/fin rot disease. I didn't medicate and just ensured they were well fed. Both made a full recovery.

Frozen foods will also make a nice treat. Mine adored lobster eggs. You can probably pick them up from your LFS.

 

[beechey]

lol thats good then i just fort i had one angry clown fish goin the lfs on sat now goin ask about trading the tang in , my little girl is not happy lol she says she wants a star fish instead ?
could i do that?

 

[AK77]

For a tank your size, I wouldn't recommend it. Starfish in general only do well in larger aquariums where the is an abundance of algae and fish waste and other organisms to feed upon. Species such as Linkia are especially difficult to keep. Most last about 6 months before dying. Other species like brittle starfish tend to fair better, as they move quicker and can access more areas.

You might want to consider a tuxedo urchin. They are much better suited to nano tanks and provided you target feed it, it should do very well. They are also very attractive too.

 

[beechey]

im glad you a urchin as i seen one of them at the fishshop i liked

 

[jennybugs]

Stick with a tuxedo urchin as many urchins are rock borers and can aslo move the rock about and grow very large.
The red legs poking out of your rock if singular could still be brittle starfish...most of theirm is hiddedn in the rock. My live rock is full of them and at feeding time I just see these little red and striped legs waving about from the rock

The tank you've got is a very nice one. You've got good lighting in there and once you've got hold of the basics you'll be able to concentrate on more corals other than softies You'll need to keep a close eye on the heat of the tank in summer as I understand these tanks can run quite hot, but all in all well done!

 

[beechey]

im strting to think that the green algie is happening due to direct sunlight on to the tank as the tank is next to the window and she has taken the curtains down!!

so sat i reckon im goin to swap the regal tank for a CUC ( turbo snails, shrimp, urchin) any thing else? ive been naughty and bought 3 anomes of ebay lol only a quid each

do i need anything else ?
also in a nano tank water changes do you recomend weekly and if so how much?

no star fish in tank there brissleworms they come out when light is off 1 is massive a goog 5-10cm from reading up there quite good as the scavengers

can i add more fish??

 

[AK77]

im strting to think that the green algie is happening due to direct sunlight on to the tank as the tank is next to the window and she has taken the curtains down!!

so sat i reckon im goin to swap the regal tank for a CUC ( turbo snails, shrimp, urchin) any thing else? ive been naughty and bought 3 anomes of ebay lol only a quid each

do i need anything else ?
also in a nano tank water changes do you recomend weekly and if so how much?

no star fish in tank there brissleworms they come out when light is off 1 is massive a goog 5-10cm from reading up there quite good as the scavengers

can i add more fish??

If memory serves, those anemones you mention are the little red beadlet anemones that are collected from around the British coastline. They don't do well in marine tanks because of the temperature. Typically the maximum temperature for them is around 18c. When you consider the tropical marine tanks we keep are around 24c-28c, which is why they tend not to last long and something that the sellers usually fail to mention on their listings.

ALWAYS research any fish, coral or critter you intend to buy for your tank. Never be tempted to impulse buy, as the chances are you will run into problems as a result. 3 anenomes popping their clogs in a nano tank simultaneously, is liable to create enough ammonia to take everything else with it.

I know its tempting to fill your tank with loads of cool things but I would strongly recommend that you cease all buying until you've spent a good deal of time reading up about all aspects keeping marine fish and particularly, nano tanks. Due to their size, they present more challenges to maintain them and things can spiral out of control much quicker than in a large aquarium. There is lots of information in the FAQ sections, and if you are unsure, then just ask in here. Its much better to do this, rather than say spend £50 on livestock, only for it to all die a week or two later and killing something needlessly.

Start a new journal with all the information you have about your tank and its contents over in the journals section. There, people can read about it and advise you on how best to proceed and can see the progress you make with it. It also greatly helps other beginners to learn too.

I'm not trying to chew your ear off, but I promise you, you will run into all sorts of problems and disappointments if you don't arm yourself with the knowledge on how to best care for the creatures in your tank.

 

[beechey]

na its all good learning by the day

 

[beechey]

got myself a cleaner shrip today seems expensive at £15 but what a beauty , seems happy in the tank didnt get any snails or crabs yet as there is 2 lfs near me and one sells them for a £1 each and one sells them for 2.50 so guess which one is sold out!!!

also do the feather dusters have any benifit for the nano tank?