Equipment list for a 25g nano

[Atlantic Fish]

Well first off, Ive got a 25g tank. I have kept freshwater for a long time and now its time to move on.

This is what I know. I want to get a yellow tang, maybe a 2 clowns, a cleaner shrimp, an anemone, and maybe a couple of turbo snails. I would like to get some nice algae growth happening..

I have a floresent canopy, which I need to pick up a bulb for.

Here is the equipment I have picked out.

Skilter filter 250
Some live rock
Ebo jager 100w heater
chushed coral for substrate
and a marineland 550 powerhead.

My questions are:
1. What type of bulb do I need to keep an anemone?
2. Is the equipment ok for the type of set up I want?

I would appreciate all the suggestions and info you have.
THANKS.

 

[Atlantic Fish]

??? ???

 

[rYdar]

head warning, anemone are VERY hard to keep alive < requires high lighting and good current >. heres a site for help http://www.nano-reef.com/index.html.

why not go with 2 or 3 smaller powerheads making different patterns of currents, that would be more life like and preferly by the corals etc. Yellow tangs get big so i would say no unless you're thinking of getting a bigger tank sometime soon.  25gal tank would keep at MOST! 3 small-smallaverage fishes. Flouresent lights aren't strong enough for reef unless you're planning to just keep fish. Also you'd need a hydrometer, test kits etc,. Other than that, go on and read about that site it helps a lot! good luck!

 

[dattack]

I wouldn't advise placing a yellow tang in a 25 gallon.  It's just too small for a yellow tang.

Also, anenomes do require a larger space also and frequent feeding.  Anenomes do much better with Metal Halide lighting from experience.  Others have said that anenomes only require feeding but in a tank setting, lighting is just as important.

 

[Atlantic Fish]

A couple of power heads sounds cool.  But will a clown do ok without its anenome? I dont really want to spring for metal halides right yet.  So if I forget the tang, what other fish would work well with a clown? Any suggestions??

Thanks guys for your replys

 

[dattack]

A clown can do quite well without an anenome.  Have the tank up and mature for a few months if you have to have to anenome.  This way the water is stable and the chances of your anenome surviving is much higher.  
Make sure you do research on the anenome and find one that is a host anenome for the clown.

 

[Atlantic Fish]

So an anenome could live once a tank is well stabilized under a uv light??  And the equipment list, does it sound ok??
Thanks for your help again...

 

[dattack]

The equipment list sounds O.K. but I think the Skilter is a poor skimmer.  If you use this and want to keep an anenome, you have to do at least biweekly water changes.

A 25 gallon has no room for error.  A small spike in ammonia/nitrites could definitely kill the anenome fairly quickly.  Also, the anenome needs a lot of room to roam around and could eventually grow to big too fast and could kill whatever is in it's path.

I suggest you read up more about anenomes before purchasing one.  There are different types of anenomes and I can't give you all the info because it's too generalized.

 

[Atlantic Fish]

Thanks Dattack, greatly appreciated...I really need to read up some more. Saltwater tanks just look so cool.  I know a 25 is small.  Sould I be looking at a hang on skimmer instead?

 

[Atlantic Fish]

This sounds really risky for a 25g. Im getting kind of turned of from the idea. I would hate to spend so much time and effort in a small tank to have everything killed just from a quick little spike which is a huge change in a small water volume..

 

[dattack]

I would jump into different forums such as www.reefcentral.com or www.reefland.com and ask about the anenome in particular.

Just get ready to hear lots of strong opinions about anenomes.  I don't know anenomes too much to have one yet.  Although there are a few out there that would always tell you never to get an anenome, I would like to try it one day.  Right now, I have to many other things to worry about (fish,corals).  

 

[dattack]

Here is a search for anenome in Dr. ROns (expert marine biologist) on different anenomes.  

http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=324921&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending

 

[Atlantic Fish]

I was talking with a really good friend of mine yesterday.  He has a 35g saltwater.  He has floresent bulbs and has only been able to keep an anemone for only a few months, which he suspects is due to the lack of Metal Halides.

Hense, I have decided to go fish only.. :-/

2 clowns, a cleaner shrimp, a couple of turbo snails, coral beauty.

Sound OK??
Could I get some more opinions on the SKILTER without an anemone??
Thanks

 

[Atlantic Fish]

I have been talking about creating a 25g saltwater. I presently have a 35g cichlid tank.  Well this morning, I thought that I would empty out my 35 and put it all into the 25g.  Then turn my 35g into a saltwater instead. Giving me 10 more gallons of space, more room for fish and rock and also a little more room for error.  After hearing from everyone, I have decided to go "fish only".  

So here is my question, I guess a hang on protein skimmer would be much better than my original idea of a skilter filter?
What do you recomend as a decent skimmer for a fish only system in a 35g.
I thought i would stock it with:
Live rock, chushed coral for substrate a couple of marineland 550 powerheads

And for fish:
2 clowns, a cleaner shrimp, a couple of turbo snails, coral beauty, a small tang, and possibly some other community fish, any suggestions??

 

[eseow]

I'm currently running a 20 gallon saltwater tank with live rock and live sand. It will soon house an anemone, but I still in the process of monitoring tank conditions. I don't think Skilter will do much skimming, its not tall enough to get good air to water contact time. I'm currently using a SeaClone Skimmer 100 and a HOB filter (Marineland Emperor 280) with Chemi-pure in the secondary media container. Its been running for 1 month now and all the water conditions are perfect accept for phosphates. Will find out source of phosphate production soon. As for lighting, I'm using 130 watts total (65 watt 10k & 65 watt 03 Actinic Blue) JBJ Formosa Deluxe. Ph has remained constant also @ 8.2. I wouldn't recommend the Tang, need bigger tank. Swap cleaner shrimp for small Sally Light Foot Crab, great for cleaning Live Rock as were Cleaner shrimp will eat fish food. Also, if you setup the tank, monitor the temperature before adding or using the heater. You may have heat from filter, skimmer or power head to keep it constant. I have none in my tank, and with an AC'd room @ 74 Deg F, its never lowers below 77 Deg F. Turbo snails are good, and also add Blue leg Hermits. I have 3 snails & 2 Hermits. You may want to keep some Macro Algae in the tank to prevent excess Micro Algae growth also.  *thumbsupsmiley*