Is this stocking ok?

[Gramma20]

Hi all,
I am planning to start a 20 gallon mixed reef. It will have the following:

1 tangaroa goby with 1 pistol shrimp
1 clown goby
1 flame cardinalfish or 1 red stop light cardinalfish
1 royal gramma
5-10 dwarf hermit crabs
5 trochus snails
5 astrea snails

Is this too many things? Also, which corals should I have that are good for beginners? I will be using a Mars Aqua 300w about 40 cm above the tank.

Also I am going to do a 29 gallon fowlr tank with a valentini puffer.

Is this tank size large enough for it? What should I feed it for its teeth? Can I get away with 20 pounds of live rock instead of 30 because there’s only 1 fish?

Thanks in advance

[scattered]

Hi,

Let's just talk about the mixed reef. Do you have any experience keeping reef tanks? A 20G is a small water volume. Keeping water parameters consistent is the most important consideration when keeping coral. At least 3 months of solid parameters after adding vertebrates should be attained before adding coral. This includes calcium and magnesium. A fair acid test - if your tank is more or less algae free and producing coraline algae, you can probably add coral. That doesn't mean you can eschew normal testing.

Your vert stocking list feels a little high to me and I personally stock heavy in a 13.5. Automated daily water changes are on my todo list (May). I have a similar bio load I think.

Add a conch, they are the best (I will fight anyone who says different and I'm a little man)

I will never again put hermits (or many crabs)
in a tank.

[laverda]

The royal gramma will be the most aggressive so add them all at once or add it last. They should be ok in a 20, not more than that. If your using dry rock give you tank extra time after cycling to add all the fish and use a good bacteria booster.
I think putting a potentially 4” fish in a 29 gallon is pushing it and would aim for a bigger tank for it.

[Uncle99]

No mandarin if tank is less than 1 year.
20 is too small for mandarin, food source too small

I would not use any crabs at all.... just trouble

[PCguy21]

I wouldnt get any crabs or cleanup crew until the tank had algae in it.. They will all just starve and it takes months for algae to really apear asside from diatom

[Gramma20]

Originally Posted by scattered

Hi,

Let's just talk about the mixed reef. Do you have any experience keeping reef tanks? A 20G is a small water volume. Keeping water parameters consistent is the most important consideration when keeping coral. At least 3 months of solid parameters after adding vertebrates should be attained before adding coral. This includes calcium and magnesium. A fair acid test - if your tank is more or less algae free and producing coraline algae, you can probably add coral. That doesn't mean you can eschew normal testing.

Your vert stocking list feels a little high to me and I personally stock heavy in a 13.5. Automated daily water changes are on my todo list (May). I have a similar bio load I think.

Add a conch, they are the best (I will fight anyone who says different and I'm a little man)

I will never again put hermits (or many crabs)
in a tank.

I will be keeping it as a fowlr tank for a while until the parameters are good for corals. I forgot about conchs. Is a tiger conch or a fighting conch ok? I will reduce the number of snails to 3 trochus and 3 astrea and I will have 5 hermit crabs.

[Gramma20]

Originally Posted by laverda

The royal gramma will be the most aggressive so add them all at once or add it last. They should be ok in a 20, not more than that. If your using dry rock give you tank extra time after cycling to add all the fish and use a good bacteria booster.
I think putting a potentially 4” fish in a 29 gallon is pushing it and would aim for a bigger tank for it.

I will be adding the gramma last. I will probably be using dry rock and I will be sure to have the tank completely cycled. I've heard bacteria boosters don't do much in saltwater. I will be quarantining all the fish and I will keep the inverts in the tank to keep the live rock cycled.

I was told on another forum that 29 gallon was fine for a valentini puffer. Maybe I will keep it in a 29 gallon then upgrade it if it gets to 4".

[Gramma20]

Originally Posted by Uncle99

No mandarin if tank is less than 1 year.
20 is too small for mandarin, food source too small

I would not use any crabs at all.... just trouble

Which is the mandarin?

Wondering why everyone on here doesn't like crabs?

[Gramma20]

Originally Posted by PCguy21

I wouldnt get any crabs or cleanup crew until the tank had algae in it.. They will all just starve and it takes months for algae to really apear asside from diatom

Can I feed them seaweed/nori?

[laverda]

Originally Posted by Gramma20

. I will probably be using dry rock and I will be sure to have the tank completely cycled. I've heard bacteria boosters don't do much in saltwater. I will be quarantining all the fish and I will keep the inverts in the tank to keep the live rock cycled.

I don’t know where you heard that. It is especially important when using dry rock. Bacteria will just show up over time, but you want a variety to prevent problems.

[laverda]

Originally Posted by Gramma20

Which is the mandarin?

Wondering why everyone on here doesn't like crabs?

Your list does not have a mandarin on it, so not sure why he said that. Although I do agree it would not be suitable for a tank that size.
I have a few crabs in my tanks. The wrong ones can be predatory towards snails and fish. Even good ones will kill snails for their shells as the grow larger if shells are not available.

[Gramma20]

Originally Posted by laverda

I don’t know where you heard that. It is especially important when using dry rock. Bacteria will just show up over time, but you want a variety to prevent problems.

I heard it from another forum. Is aquavitro seed or seachem pristine ok?


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[Gramma20]

Originally Posted by laverda

Your list does not have a mandarin on it, so not sure why he said that. Although I do agree it would not be suitable for a tank that size.

I have a few crabs in my tanks. The wrong ones can be predatory towards snails and fish. Even good ones will kill snails for their shells as the grow larger if shells are not available.

I plan to add at least 10 extra shells of different sizes for the hermits. I don’t mind them killing snails occasionally as long as it is not a lot of snails.

Also someone told me to have about 1 snail per gallon (when there is enough algae). Is this too many? I would probably not do that many anyway.

[Uncle99]

Originally Posted by Gramma20

Which is the mandarin?

Wondering why everyone on here doesn't like crabs?

Sorry, my mistake, somehow I read mandarin in the list, but your right it's not there.

Crabs are opportunity feeders.
That opportunity can be anyone in your tank they can catch.
They are useless at algae control except emeralds and bubble algae.
Except for snails, I skipped the CUC and went with making and deploying perfect on point stable water with low nutrients at all times.

I have no algae anywhere and not one.

This is LFS marketing.

[Kriegad]

Might be tough to keep sps in a tank that small with clown gobie. They can nip at sps and can do damage if you don’t have a lot of colonies for them to graze from. If no sps would probably be fine.

[Gramma20]

Originally Posted by Uncle99

Sorry, my mistake, somehow I read mandarin in the list, but your right it's not there.

Crabs are opportunity feeders.
That opportunity can be anyone in your tank they can catch.
They are useless at algae control except emeralds and bubble algae.
Except for snails, I skipped the CUC and went with making and deploying perfect on point stable water with low nutrients at all times.

I have no algae anywhere and not one.

This is LFS marketing.

I thought they just keep the tank cleaner (eating uneaten food) so I don’t have to vacuum the sand. The ones I’m getting are dwarfs (1 inch adult size) so I think the only thing they can eat are snails? It wasn’t recommended by my lfs, but on another forum.

[Gramma20]

Originally Posted by Kriegad

Might be tough to keep sps in a tank that small with clown gobie. They can nip at sps and can do damage if you don’t have a lot of colonies for them to graze from. If no sps would probably be fine.

I won’t be keeping sps because the lights for the, are kind of expensive. Just soft corals and lps. What corals would you recommend?

[Kriegad]

You could start with a finger leather of some kind and/or some zoas. Once you have some success with those you can move into lps. I personally love me some big acans in a nano. There are some really awesome looking nano tanks on you tube, you could check some out to get some ideas of what corals you like. A really cool nano I can remember seeing had some big acans and chalice. A big torch in the background.

[Uncle99]

Originally Posted by Gramma20

I thought they just keep the tank cleaner (eating uneaten food) so I don’t have to vacuum the sand. The ones I’m getting are dwarfs (1 inch adult size) so I think the only thing they can eat are snails? It wasn’t recommended by my lfs, but on another forum.

If you like them then sure, go right ahead.

Had one stalk and catch a small clown in his claws, then march around with him.
Never again. Reef safe.......sure......

A red leg, only 3/4 inch at best. Became the tank bully. Unfortunately he required elimination.

Some love them, I don't trust them.
My snails array takes care of any non-calcareous algaes.
Not lost any snails!

[Uncle99]

Dup

[scattered]

Mandarins do not need tank volume to suit their activity level like a tang, the restriction has always been due to their dietary restrictions. These are not mid or upper column dwelling fish, they 'climb' the rockscape like mountain goats. Biota Aquaculture Mandarins are raised on frozen and dry and do not 'need' a live food source. Live food is almost always avail to supplement/restock a tank/refugium as well.

All that said the mandarin is not a beginner fish and setting a 1 year goal to age a tank is a good idea for most who are new to marine/reef. Keep stable tank parameters for a year and one should feel comfortable taking on the more difficult challenges

[Gramma20]

Originally Posted by Kriegad

You could start with a finger leather of some kind and/or some zoas. Once you have some success with those you can move into lps. I personally love me some big acans in a nano. There are some really awesome looking nano tanks on you tube, you could check some out to get some ideas of what corals you like. A really cool nano I can remember seeing had some big acans and chalice. A big torch in the background.

Can I have a frogspawn? I will get some zoanthids. Should I buy a smaller or larger coral?

[Gramma20]

Originally Posted by Uncle99

If you like them then sure, go right ahead.



Had one stalk and catch a small clown in his claws, then march around with him.

Never again. Reef safe.......sure......



A red leg, only 3/4 inch at best. Became the tank bully. Unfortunately he required elimination.



Some love them, I don't trust them.

My snails array takes care of any non-calcareous algaes.

Not lost any snails!

I will try them first then if they kill any fish I will get rid of them.

[Gramma20]

Originally Posted by scattered

Mandarins do not need tank volume to suit their activity level like a tang, the restriction has always been due to their dietary restrictions. These are not mid or upper column dwelling fish, they 'climb' the rockscape like mountain goats. Biota Aquaculture Mandarins are raised on frozen and dry and do not 'need' a live food source. Live food is almost always avail to supplement/restock a tank/refugium as well.

All that said the mandarin is not a beginner fish and setting a 1 year goal to age a tank is a good idea for most who are new to marine/reef. Keep stable tank parameters for a year and one should feel comfortable taking on the more difficult challenges

I will not be keeping a mandarin. But that information is good to know anyway.

[laverda]

Originally Posted by Gramma20

I heard it from another forum. Is aquavitro seed or seachem pristine ok?


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I have not heard of either of Those products. There is a very large discussion on the other forum with a 2 in its name about bacteria additives.