Swapping Tanks?

[smokinjoe2122]

I have a 29 gallon hex tank at home, it has about 50+ lbs of live rock, biowheel, and 2 powerheads.... Stockwise, 2 false perc clowns, reef lobster, CC star and a pincushion urchin. Upon showing my tank to my parents and they having some interest, they asked how much more I had to spend to put some corals in the tank, or if I could have an anenome, which is something I'd like to do within the next 6 months... The cost of upgrading my lighting, skimmer, and creating a custom top that would fit would be $300+ for this tank. Not to mention its years old and has some wear and tear... I have always liked one of those "All in one" (I know this isn't completely true) nano-reef tanks, like the 24 gallon aquapod or the 29 gallon Biocube... I was thinking of having them "help" me around birthday time to buy one of these. How hard of a move would it be to get this tank up and running? Would it still be considered a new tank if I used water, the live rock, and some sand from original tank?? Is there one of these brands that are better than the other? (Obviously opnionated) I definitally want nothing smaller than the 24 gallon... Just looking for some opinions as this won't be for a few months, but I am definitally interested in making the purchase....

 

[ben1987]

its really easy to swao tanks over, not as stressful as some say. But im very laid back so...But those tanks are not ideal to keep anenomes anyway. You would also have less volume.

I would reccomend a tank and sump. 50 gallons or so. Why not upgrade instead of side step? the all in one tanks dont come with fantastic equipment for the money. Shop around for some bargains.

 

[smokinjoe2122]

its really easy to swao tanks over, not as stressful as some say. But im very laid back so...But those tanks are not ideal to keep anenomes anyway. You would also have less volume.

I would reccomend a tank and sump. 50 gallons or so. Why not upgrade instead of side step? the all in one tanks dont come with fantastic equipment for the money. Shop around for some bargains.

I actually have a 46 gallon, with a sump, skimmer, all that jazz..That I'm selling right now. I like the little tanks, even though I know how they are harder to manage. I spend a lot of time managing my tank I have now. Maybe someday when I own a home, I'll go back to close to 50 gallons or higher, but for an apartment person, not really my thing.. I know they don't have the best equipment, but I'd upgrade, plus the way I look at it, it's a complete upgrade to what I have now. I don't have a skimmer right now, and I also have about 15 watts of lighting which makes me sick... So I think I'd like to do a complete overhaul and get one of these... I know there are better deals peicing tanks together or what not, but for what I want it for, these seem perfect..

 

[ben1987]

not perfect for anenomes though!

 

[smokinjoe2122]

not perfect for anenomes though!

Ben, not that I'm not taking your answer into consideration, but why is it not "perfect" for anenomes? Is it flow? Lighting? Which unit are you basing this off of?

 

[ben1987]

flow, lighting and lack of water volume.

Anenomes are quite chosey about fow. 100% deffinate you would have to change the stock pump and add a tunze or similar. Then you run the risk of a nem getting minced by a power head. Aneomes walk. If it gets sucked in a power head while your out, it could nuke the whole tank been as there isnt that much water there. Tunzes claim to be nem proof, but they clearly arent. You only have to read rabbuts journal on here to know why.
Bubble tipped nems can be ok under the stock lighting on some of the more expensive out the box nanos. Its on the lower side of acceptable for these nems though. Ones such as malu nems need bright intense light from halides. Which will then warm the tank because there isnt that big of a water volume there. Then yo uneed the stability. Which you wont get cooking the tank with halides without a chiller. What if something dies and your water stats rocket, then the nem dies. thats the tank runind.

There are rare occasions when there is a success. Look at seffie on here/ But theres at least 3 of us thats lost anemomes. Not good odds. To give it the best chance id just look into something a bit different. Not having a go, i just dont like people being disapointed. Also nems dont die of old age. So if you kill one in days or weeks, your taking hundreds of years off its life/.

 

[smokinjoe2122]

flow, lighting and lack of water volume.

Anenomes are quite chosey about fow. 100% deffinate you would have to change the stock pump and add a tunze or similar. Then you run the risk of a nem getting minced by a power head. Aneomes walk. If it gets sucked in a power head while your out, it could nuke the whole tank been as there isnt that much water there. Tunzes claim to be nem proof, but they clearly arent. You only have to read rabbuts journal on here to know why.
Bubble tipped nems can be ok under the stock lighting on some of the more expensive out the box nanos. Its on the lower side of acceptable for these nems though. Ones such as malu nems need bright intense light from halides. Which will then warm the tank because there isnt that big of a water volume there. Then yo uneed the stability. Which you wont get cooking the tank with halides without a chiller. What if something dies and your water stats rocket, then the nem dies. thats the tank runind.

There are rare occasions when there is a success. Look at seffie on here/ But theres at least 3 of us thats lost anemomes. Not good odds. To give it the best chance id just look into something a bit different. Not having a go, i just dont like people being disapointed. Also nems dont die of old age. So if you kill one in days or weeks, your taking hundreds of years off its life/.

Well thanks for the info... I'll having to keep researching into what I want to stock and how I want to do it. I still would like to go with one of these nanos, but I'm sure there are a lot of people who have run into issues with them, or having thier livestock have issues with them. I know 100% of nothing about having corals, so that's definitally something I want/need to read up on. I know a little about the water quality, salt gravity needed, calcium, ect but as far as which ones will live under what lighting and what flowrate, I have no clue...

 

[rabbut]

A similar coral in looks to nems would be a torch Euphillia. They would be OK under the stock lighting and need indirect flow, so are a better option for a smaller tank. My Clowns host in mine too Being a hard coral though, you will need to keep Ma, Ca and Alk bang on the money for it to do it's best