Small Nano, Big Question!

[tanyauk]

Hi Guys! I kept freshwater fish for 10 years, decided to set up my first marine Nano. It's 30 litres (8US gallons, 7UK). I put live sand in yesterday with salt water. Tomorrow will buy some live rock.
what are your suggestions for clean up crew? something friendly, colourful and small?

 

[adam.crouch]

My tanks 7ish Gallons and ive got

Clean up crew!
10 cerith
10 nausirus
3 turbos
1 blue hermit
1 coral banded shrimp

 

[AndyS]

Hi Guys! I kept freshwater fish for 10 years, decided to set up my first marine Nano. It's 30 litres (8US gallons, 7UK). I put live sand in yesterday with salt water. Tomorrow will buy some live rock.
what are your suggestions for clean up crew? something friendly, colourful and small?

1 x Peppermint shrimp, (usually smaller than cleaner shrimp, though a cleaner would probably be ok)
2 x Scarlet Hermits
2 x Blue Legged Hermits
about 5 snails, try to get a variety

Avoid Sally Lightfoot crabs, large hermits, arrow crabs.

 

[tanyauk]

thank you!!!!! what about unusual fish like mandarins, jaw fish etc? something suitable for a small set up?

 

[callell]

No manderins IMO are not an easy fish to either feed or keep healthy

 

[steelhealr]

Unfortunately, an 8 G nano tank is not a good marine system for fish. If you MUST...I wouldn't go larger than neon gobies. I wouldn't add a clown. They need space. Why not make it an invert tank.....shrimp..inverts....SH

 

[tanyauk]

Hi! I didn't want to keep fish, I have 400l freshwater tank full of fish, I wanted something weird and unusual! shrimps, hermits, I really liked harlequin shrimp. Yes mandarins are not suitable, did some research on them, shame.. they are so cute!

I put my living rock in! It's been there for 2 days now, noticed few brown polyps and one tiny shrimp, about 4mm long, also have some red grass stuck to the rock, keeping the lights off for few days..

 

[AndyS]

Hi! I didn't want to keep fish, I have 400l freshwater tank full of fish, I wanted something weird and unusual! shrimps, hermits, I really liked harlequin shrimp. Yes mandarins are not suitable, did some research on them, shame.. they are so cute!

I put my living rock in! It's been there for 2 days now, noticed few brown polyps and one tiny shrimp, about 4mm long, also have some red grass stuck to the rock, keeping the lights off for few days..

Id put the lights on personally, if like you say you have a few brown polyps then if you want them to survive they need light, they may not survive anyway but they will have more of a chance with some light.

 

[tanyauk]

hmm, i read somethere that it's better to keep the lights off in the new set up..But if you say so..I will put them on

 

[AndyS]

hmm, i read somethere that it's better to keep the lights off in the new set up..But if you say so..I will put them on

It depends, if your rock is cured then you can go right ahead and put the lights on for your normal daily interval, some people choose to slowly increase the amount of light each day, but polyps need light to survive.

Andy