Fish etc. for 16g Bow Mini Reef

[alohami]

I am in the planning stages of a 16 gal bow front mini-reef. First of all is a 16 gal considered a nano? I think I would like a pair of small percs and would like at least one other fish. I do not want to crowd, so how many can I comfortably put in there and what fish would you recommend?
Also, once my system is established, can I have an anemone or a clam in a tank this size? :happyfish

 

[lefty]

I would consider a 16g a nano. After all, that's only four more gallons than the famed Nano Cube =). I would recommend just putting the two clowns in the tank. You could go with three, but I feel that two is a much more comfortable number for a 16g tank. But if you really have your heart set on three, I'm sure you could do it. Just watch your water parameters closely and keep the water pristine. It's not that having three fish would crash your tank or anything, but for the sake of the fish and their happiness, I would go with two. Fish need room to themselves, and I'd be concerned for their happiness to put more than two in a 16g. You could always put a cool invertebrate in the tank instead . Like, say, a shrimp, sea star, or crab or two. But it is your tank so you ultimately get to decide. I would recommend a Clown Goby or Royal Gramma.
You could put an anemone in your tank eventually. Keep in mind they aren't the easiest creatures to care for. They require very specific conditions and a lot of light. It can be done, though.
You could also keep a clam, but most of them grow very rapidly and require metal halide lighting. If you do get a clam, I would recommend a Maxima for your tank size. They don't grow as fast or get as large as some of the others. They say that the larger the clam, the easier they are to take care of. But if you were to buy a large one, it would most likely grow out of your tank quickly. Like anemones, clams need a very stable and well established tank.
-lefty

 

[alohami]

Going by what you have said and the research I have done since, I've decided hold off on the anemone and clam until I'm further along in this hobby and have a bigger tank & stronger lighting.
I love the variety of softies available, so I'm looking forward to concentrating on those for awhile. Two clowns to watch would be just fine. I definately don't want to overload my system. Would rather have less and have it be healthier. :happyfish
Thanks for your help in both my threads lefty!!!

 

[lefty]

Glad I could help.
Don't forget that some invertebrates are as fun to watch as the fish themselves. =)
-lefty

 

[alohami]

That's true too. I like the camel back shrimp. Would one be suitable for me? What would you suggest Lefty?

 

[lefty]

The only concern I have about the Camelback Shrimp is that some have been known to eat corals. So your soft corals may be at a risk with them. But I would suggest maybe doing a bit more research of your own. I'd help you out more but I really need to do some homework =).
My personal favorite is the Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (or just "Cleaner Shrimp"). They will clean your fish and your tank. Think Jacques from Finding Nemo . I've also heard they're a riot to watch. They'll crawl all over the tank looking for something to clean. Not to mention they'll clean your hand if you stick it in the tank =).
The tank I got for Christmas isn't set up yet, so you may be a bit wary taking advice from someone who doesn't even have a tank set up (LOL) but I have done extensive research (we're talking hours here) on all the critters I plan on purchasing.
Hope this helps!
-lefty

 

[alohami]

Yeah, I planned on doing more research on the camelback (and everything else) before I even thought of putting it in the tank...I learned my lessons from my first salt water failure years ago!
I have a toddler so I want things that will be fun for him to watch. I'm definately doing a pair of clowns and a cleaner shrimp sound great. I do want to get into the corals, so I definately don't want anything that will make a buffet out of them. Anyone have any other suggestions for things that are fun to watch and coral safe?

 

[vibe]

i had my nano set up for 3 years until the "crack incident". i now have a new one up and running and i should be adding corals early next week. my nano had a six lined wrasse, PJ cardinal, and high-fin goby/pistol shrimp pair all in a 10 gallon nano reef. 3 fish is definitly possible. i do not count bottom feeders when it comes to fish, but thats just me .
cleaner shimp is a definite. i would also suggest maybe a blood red shrimp:yes: . beautiful red color and harmless. perfect for nanos!
as for the clam. i have tried maximas in my ten gallon. the first one past away because i was a newbie and had only 26 watts of light over my tank. i upgraded my lights to a 2x40 watt moonlite hood fixture. and tried a purple maxima. resulter were sucessful however i still think that they can THRIVE only under metal halide and i would not suggect getting a maxima. however maybe you could try a baby squamosa? less light is needed and they can look just as cool as maximas. the guy buy me has blue squamosas and im thinking about trying it when my tank is more established. thats another thing, dont add a clam until atleast 5-7 months if not longer.
hope this helps. here is a pic of my old tank so that you can get a good idea on what is "possible". notice the maxima on the sandbed to the left.

 

[alohami]

WOW Vibe, your tank looked great! I'm so excited to get mine going...hope it looks as good as yours! I plan to take it slow, so it will be awhile.
Did your 2 - 40w moon fixture happen to be an orbit? How did your corals do with your setup? I am looking at an orbit on everyone's favorite auction site that has 2 - 40w daylight, 2 - 40w actinic plus a lunar light. It seems like it should be pretty good for corals. I'm going to wait on the clam until I have more time under my belt and a bigger tank with stronger lighting.
I've never heard of a baby squasmosa, but I'll do a search and check it out. I know clams need a well established tank, but what about corals? Can some hardy ones be added shortly after cycle is done? How many shrimp can I have? And crabs?
Thanks for the info and the photo inspiration!!!

 

[vibe]

the light that you are thinking about, does it have 4 bulbs? and yes it is the orbit light or atleast that is what it is called now. i love it and its the best thing i ever bought for my tank.
first thing that should be added after the cycle is a clean up crew. for my ten gallon it consisted of 10 blue leg hermits, 10 astria snails, 1 turbo grazer snail, 3 half inch conches, and a scarlet cleaner shrimp.
as for corals, yes there are one that you can put in after the cycle. i would try something easy and hearty. try some zooanthid colonies, or some mushrooms to start. these are great begining corals because they can me placed at the bottom of the tank so it leaves room for future, more light demanding corals

. the star polyp frag in the picture wasmy first coral after my tank wipe out (when i was real newbish, and had no lighting). its a hearty beautiful coral. whats not to like :joy: .
as for the shrimp question. i had a cleaner shrimp and a small pistol shrimp. but i dont count the pistol shrimp. i would say about 2-3 shrimp but thats pushing it. try to stick with 2 shrimp. i highly recomend a cleaner shrimp and blood red shrimp. both are awsome inverts and wont cause any problems to a reef system. and btw here is my new ten gallon set up. this one will look better than the first trust me:

 

[alohami]

Vibe - This is part of the description in the auction for the lights:
"Create the ultimate dawn to dusk effect with the pro-grade, Orbit. It packs our SunPaq Dual Daylight (10,000K & 6,700K), our Dual Actinic (460nm & 420nm) and our Lunar Light together in one sleek, fan-cooled fixture. Offering the leading technology in 24-hour lighting this system catapults you into the future of reef keeping. The 20" Orbit features a professional grade, powder-coated aluminum housing with splash lens, 1-40w Dual Daylight & 1-40w Dual Actinic lamps with independent controls, ultra-quiet high output fan, 1-Lunar Light with independent power source, and Docking Mounts for elevating the Orbit above the aquarium. Includes- adjustable legs, 1 dual daylight bulbs, 1 dual actinic bulbs, 1 lunar lights, 3 cords and 2 switches."
It appears to me that it only has two bulbs plus the lunar light, but I don't quite understand how the "dual" thing works. :notsure: I did see a picture of your light in another post and it looks the same.
I'm glad to hear I can go with zoos and shrooms to start. I like the looks of those. And I will take your advice on the shrimp. I just want to make sure I have enough light to keep everything healthy. If you don't mind, could I email you the link and you could take a look at it? I just don't want to spend over $100 on lights that I'll have to upgrade soon. THANKS!!!

 

[vibe]

yeah that sounds like my light. the "dual" thing means that each bulb runs on its own built in ballast, so you can separetly run either the atinic, or the 10k, or both. bascially you can creat a cool dawn/dusk effect. the light is sufficient enough for a lot of things, no upgrade is necessary.

 

[alohami]

Cool. I'll take the plunge and "Buy It Now". I figured I'd be ok with it. I'm not going to get into any crazy high maintenance stuff. Just some pretty easy care items until I am a bit more educated.
Thanks again for the help Vibe!

 

[vibe]

no problem, and good luck:joy: