Okay, so I'm looking to start with corals...

[pagf14]

I have a fully cycled 29 gal. tank. I currently have no fish for it, and I am looking to start a reef tank. However, I am a total newbie when it comes to corals. My only condition for this tank is that it also has an anemone and 2 maroon clowns. What corals would you reccomend? Are my lights good enough? (Nova Extreme 28" fixture) I open to anything.

 

[str8salt]

Specs on light fixture? Off hand I waould say to be careful of what type of corals you put in your tank. Amenomes tend tomove without warning. Then they sting and get stung by your other inhabitants. Lighting will be a critical issue for what corals will work for you.

 

[jackri]

Ditto on above... need more info on lights... and anemones can move at will. Zoo polyps are great beginners though and very hardy

 

[nordy]

Lighting is important and it is critical for anenomes. T5 HO will work, if the wattage is adequate. Of more concern though for sucessfully keeping corals and anenomes is that your tank should be established and mature before adding anenomes! They need excellent water quality and a stable tank to live so I would suggest starting with some softies and waiting awhile before adding an anenome.

 

[pagf14]

Okay, so the lights are Nova Extreme T5 HO lights, one actinic and one flourescent bulb. I believe there are 125 watts. Are these sufficient? I have done a lot of reading on anemones, so I'm pretty sure I could meet its water quality needs. I was thinkng a bubble tip, nothing terribly expensive.
Once I finish with the LR additions and such and am ready to stock the tank, wht corals and such would you recommend? Should I add the corals before the anemone, or vice-versa? Help me out, I know nothing. Really, nothing.

 

[skadwick]

I am pretty sure, although i have no experience with it, that anemones do much better with tanks that have been set up for a while. So that being said I would go with polyps, or get a toadstool first.

 

[snakeblitz33]

We also need your water parameters, how old your tank is (maturity) and how much internal flow you have in your tank, not including filtration system or return pump.

 

[nordy]

Originally Posted by pagf14
http:///forum/post/2935917
Okay, so the lights are Nova Extreme T5 HO lights, one actinic and one flourescent bulb. I believe there are 125 watts. Are these sufficient? I have done a lot of reading on anemones, so I'm pretty sure I could meet its water quality needs. I was thinkng a bubble tip, nothing terribly expensive.
Once I finish with the LR additions and such and am ready to stock the tank, wht corals and such would you recommend? Should I add the corals before the anemone, or vice-versa? Help me out, I know nothing. Really, nothing.

The Nova Extreme T5 lights are good-I have 324 watts on my 55 gal tank and my anenomes have done well under them. That's about 6 w/gal and I think your setup might be on the borderline for sufficient wattage. Can you take a look at the bulbs to be sure of the wattage? My T5's are 4' long and have a nominal rating of 54w each. T5's come in arange of sizes and wattage ratings so you should be sure before go ahead and think about an anenome.
Agree with SnakeBlitz-water parameters, flow and maturity of your tank are important factors to take into consideration before adding any corals and/or an anenome.

 

[pagf14]

The tank itself has been cycled for about 2 months, although it has no fish and only the cleanup crew, which consists of a few snails and a crab. I'm running two Hydor Koralia #1's and I've got a Fluval 405 canister filter. The sand bed is 1.5 inches deep, and there is 33 lbs. of live rock. The official wattage on the bulbs is 155 watts total for two T5 bulbs. Did I miss anything?

 

[shrimpi]

you should wait another 3-4 months before adding an anemone. I also think that your lighting is borderline. I would upgrade the lighting (youll have 3-4 months to save money) and just buy a new 150w sunpod or equivalent. You wont be sorry you upgraded.
In the mean time, get some mushrooms, palys, zoos, leathers, and try a euphyllia (frogspawn/hammer etc).
Good Luck
Jess

 

[pagf14]

Sure, money's not an issue. But, what exactly is a sunpod?
And, has anyone ever heard of a foolproof way of preventing anemones from getting sucked into powerhead intakes? Just in case.