any idea's on decorating tank

[sparrow]

I wanted to make my tank more colorful without looking fake. I know my lighting isn't strong enough for coral, but I was hoping I could brighten it up a little.
29 gal long FOWLR tank
9#'s LR
2 clown fish
Skilter pump supreme 250
2 20 w fluorescent lights
reef sand on the bottom
:notsure:

 

[mbrands]

There are fake corals that look pretty realistic.
I'd get more LR when you can. Good LR should have a signifigant amount of corraline algae (which comes in several different colors).
Also, you can keep some mushrooms and polyps with NO lighting, but your choices will be limited.

 

[jonny bolt]

yeah, could get a couple of mushroom corals, a yellow polyp, and a Christmas Tree coral. They are low-light and VERY hardy corals.
I agree, more live rock would be good though. Maybe get a different kind of live rock this time to accent the stuff you already have. Try Tonga Branch
Some of the artificial corals are done very well too.

 

[hagfish]

There are colorful (non-fish) creatures that don't require light. Here are a few...
Tube anemone (won't host clowns)
Sun polyps
some gorgonians
coco worm
some starfish - red, sea starfish (Fromia milleporella) is even reef safe in case you go reef later
fire shrimp
sponge
flame or electric scallops
I would also at least double the live rock you have. Try to find some with some good coraline on it.

 

[sparrow]

Thanks for all the great idea's! Now, when could I start adding to the tank, I just went through my cycle almost 2 weeks ago and added the second clown. The nitrites (less than .25) and nitrates (5.0) went up a little. This happened after I put the second clown in. I don't plan on getting anymore fish for a month or longer, but will it be okay to put LR, or anything else? Don't want to hurt the fish. Very new at this.

 

[hagfish]

I'd actually put more LR in right away, just make sure it's cured (buy precured). You want a zero reading on nitrites, anything more is basically poisonous to livestock and puts them at risk. Add some LR should help that since it will introduce some bacteria.
I would do that, then wait until your nitrites stay at 0 for at least a week or two. And if you'll be adding inverts you'll want nitrates to stay as close to 0 as you can get them as well. You can probably achieve that through weekly water changes.
Make sure you research all the animals listed. Most of them are considered to be a little harder to keep than some things since some require special feeding or attention. I think I'd get the coco worm or some other feather duster first because it should be pretty easy. Then maybe the shrimp (just keep SG stable for him/her). You may need to add some phytoplankton for the worm.
Really, shrooms and yellow polyps are simple to keep. But they may need a little more light than you have. That said, I kept shrooms and green star polyps under 1.5 watt/gallon of NO light for a few months with no noticable problem. But I wouldn't plan on doing that long term (long meaning one or more years).

 

[sparrow]

I'll start with the LR first and see if the nitrite go down. How often should I do a water change, since it is so new? The LR I have is very colorful, but wanted something different and didn't know where to start. Now, I know there are more to choose from. I see sponge listed, are they hard to keep?
My other readings are doing good.
SG 1.024
Ammonia 0
PH 8.2
temp 78-80
Thank you all, for all of the info and going to check out some of the things listed, haven't heard of a lot of them

 

[sparrow]

I just looked up everyones suggestions and the coco worms are very neat looking. I have the feather dusters on my LR, I didn't know what they were. I didn't realize how many different types of LR there was. Would you just start building upwards with the LR? If anyone has pictures of their tanks I would love to see them.:happy:

 

[hagfish]

For water changes, I would wait until about a week after your nitrites get to 0 and then do about a 10% change. Then try to get on a pretty regular schedule of something like 5-10% per week or maybe every two weeks. Some people even do it monthly. As long as your nitrates are staying low that's what matters.
I've never purchased a sponge other than those that came on LR. Sometimes they live and sometimes they don't. I think their supposed to be somewhat difficult to keep, but it can be done. I believe they are not supposed to be exposed to the air ever because it is very bad for them.

 

[hagfish]

Here's a pic of my tube anemone. A lot of those I see on the net do not do them justice.

 

[hagfish]

#2

 

[hagfish]

red sea star

 

[gfk]

hag fish, i just setup my 20 gallon tall today to cycle.
would you mind posting or emailing me: ccress@mail.csuchico.edu
and telling me what setup you have (filter, ph's, light etc)
and maybe a picture of your whole tank?
im ordering a corallife 96 watt quad 50/50 light once this thing has cycled. thanks

 

[sparrow]

I thought all anemones need special lighting and will my clown fish kill it since they are so small, or will they leave it a lone?
I also looked up christmas tree coral and they said it eats coral, will they get along with the tube anemones and the coco worm?
This is what I was thinking of getting, not all at once:
coco worm
a shrimp of some kind
tube anemones
mushrooms
christmas tree coral
starfish of some kind
hermit crabs
not sure on fish, I do like the PJ cardinals and royal grammas
and of course LR, I did like the tonga or fiji not really sure of the difference between them
I also liked the gorgonians, but they said they can be difficult
Now how is safe to add to a my tank and is it too small?
After looking at my list I'm thinking there is to much stuff
Great pictures! It's nice to see what others have since I have a little while until I can add many of the critters to my tank.

 

[hagfish]

Sparrow, tube anemone's are not true anemones. That's just a common name. They are not photosynthetic and require small meaty foods (brine or mysis shrimp) and I believe some filter feeding of phytoplankton. Make sure you do research on each of these items you've mentioned before buying them. I've never had a christmas tree coral so I don't know about them. The tube anemone will get pretty large so keep that in mind. You don't want anything to touch it since it will sting it.

 

[rubberduck]

Originally posted by hagfish
I've never purchased a sponge other than those that came on LR. Sometimes they live and sometimes they don't. I think their supposed to be somewhat difficult to keep, but it can be done. I believe they are not supposed to be exposed to the air ever because it is very bad for them.
dont try sponges unless u have a big and VERY mature tank. they need a refigium too

 

[hagfish]

gfk, some specs on my tank are...
20 gallon tall
2 powerheads, each about 150 gph
HOB filter
250 watt MH 10,000k
2 55 watt pc actinics
Tank has been up for about 8 months now. I'm at work and don't have a full tank pic available right now. I'll try to remember it later.

 

[sparrow]

I just got more LR with many different growths on it. The color is all different colors, so that helped a lot. I didn't like the LR look, but I just think I need more of it. I now have 21# and I filled up the back of the tank which looks very nice. My Nitrites are back to 0 and the nitrates are to 5, so I think everything is a ok. I still have the brown alge. I used my well water, so I will switch and buy it at the store for my water change.
I did hear the sponge is very hard. I really like the coco worms, but I read they could be hard to care for.
I will build it slow and before buying any thing else I'll do more research. I got a little over whelming looking everything up, so I'll do one at a time as I go. I feed brime shirmp to the fish every other day so with the tube anemone's that wouldn't be a problem. I'm still looking for what I may want. I did read the tube anemone's can be a problem if I go to a reef tank, but by the time I would go to a reef tank I will than buy a bigger tank. I still have a lot of learning to do. I am enjoying it though.

 

[hagfish]

I have a reef and my tube anemone has not caused any problem whatsoever to corals, fish, or anything. Just don't put immobile creatures close enough to it that they touch. And I'd be a little weary of having slow fish like mandarins in with them.
I don't think a coco worm should be too hard really. Just add some phytoplankton every 2-3 days and that's about all it takes.
Good idea about not using the well water any more. I would try to change that out as quickly as is safely possible.