Stocking Question

[OscarWilde]

Hi there.

Sorry if this is the wrong forum but the Nano reef section is pretty quiet.

Just wondering about stocking for my new 15g Nano tank. I would certianly like to add an an Anemone for the clowns, what do you think would be sutible? I would also like to have a go at keeping some Corals. Is there a good beginner Coral that anyone can reccomend?

Was also wondering about some snails and crabs?

Cheers.

Wilde.

 

[ox5477]

anenome's are considered expert only stocking because of two reasons. The require a very mature and stable tank, and the other is that if it is not stable and the anenome dies, it can turn inside out and nuke the whole tank.

there are many easy photosynthetic corals out there are seen as good beginners. Off the top of my head I would say zoanthids, leathers and any form of mushroom. All of these require adequate light and semi-stable water parms but beyond that, you can just sit back and enjoy. They will get almost all of their energy through the light but they can benefit from a small dose of baby brine or phytoplankton occationally placed in the tank to suppliment the photosynthetic energy

 

[OscarWilde]

Urrrgh! Anenomes turn inside out when they die? Just googled anemone death and found a thread where someone said

After my Anemone died and I vormitted 3 times trying to remove it!

So gross! I'll be staying well away from Anenomes

Will definietly look in to some of those Corals though.

Cheers.

 

[SkiFletch]

Look into long tentacled plate corals, hammer corals, or frogspawn corals, these are prolly the easiest "anemone substitutes" out there.

 

[n3ont3tra]

Urrrgh! Anenomes turn inside out when they die? Just googled anemone death and found a thread where someone said

After my Anemone died and I vormitted 3 times trying to remove it!

So gross! I'll be staying well away from Anenomes

So you posted it for us?
That's like saying "This milk smells sour... drink it."


Anyway, clowns do not need an anemone or anemone substitute to thrive.

 

[OscarWilde]

So you posted it for us?
That's like saying "This milk smells sour... drink it."

Lol. I see what you mean!

Thanks for the pointers guys.

Good news! Amonia is back down to 0 again. Looks like the mini cycle is over.

Ive been doing some more research regarding the Aiptasias I have in my tank. Seems that they are considered a pest and that I won;t be able to keep Corals until I get rid of them.

Is this true of all Corals? Would any of the ones you have suggested be able to co-exist? They do look quite cool.

I've also found some more critters, a couple of things which look a bit like short fat slugs and a shellfish which looks a bit like a Venus flytrap.

 

[SkiFletch]

Aiptasia anemones have an exceptionally strong "sting". Their Sting are lysosomes on their tentacles that attach to any corals they touch and literally digest the coral on the spot. No coral I've ever known has a stronger sting or defense mechanism to counter aiptasia.

 

[PortValefanjosh]

So you posted it for us?
That's like saying "This milk smells sour... drink it."

Lol. I see what you mean!

Thanks for the pointers guys.

Good news! Amonia is back down to 0 again. Looks like the mini cycle is over.

Ive been doing some more research regarding the Aiptasias I have in my tank. Seems that they are considered a pest and that I won;t be able to keep Corals until I get rid of them.

Is this true of all Corals? Would any of the ones you have suggested be able to co-exist? They do look quite cool.

I've also found some more critters, a couple of things which look a bit like short fat slugs and a shellfish which looks a bit like a Venus flytrap.

Aiptasias are not that much of a problem i bought a second hand tank 7 months ago with well over 75 in soon as i found out what they were i got rid, but i still have about 10 left which keep comming back.But ive got corals too and they are not a problem at all.Some people think they are nice and keep them others hate them its up too you.But just before you go and buy everything to get rid of them dont buy pep shrimp as they only eat the very small ones and they always come back,try hot water or joes juice .

Aiptasia anemones have an exceptionally strong "sting". Their Sting are lysosomes on their tentacles that attach to any corals they touch and literally digest the coral on the spot. No coral I've ever known has a stronger sting or defense mechanism to counter aiptasia.

Thats if you put them next to the Aiptasias though. If they are nowhere near what harm can they do?

 

[SkiFletch]

They cant do harm if they're not touching corals. However do remember that their growth rate is exponential. For a while they wont be that big a deal and then one day you'll come back to find tons of them

 

[kkyyllee]

id get rid of the aptaisia asap unless ud like an aptaisia tank

 

[OscarWilde]

Actually I think I may have overestimated my Aiptasia problems. Are they creatures in the midde left of this picture young Aiptasias or Feather dusters? If not then I've probably only got about 5 or 6 Aiptasias.

Cheers.

 

[cuticom]

I can't see what you mean by the middle left, but if you mean in the bottom right cornerish those look like hydroids to me, the stems are too long and their wrong colour for aiptasia.

Oh just wait if you mean at the very bottom on the leftish they look more like feather dusters or other sort of worm then aiptasia, the tentacles are too even and symnmetrical.

 

[ox5477]

I see what you mean... and it looks like they are feather dusters to me... but look at the base of them. If they have their own seperate tube attached to the rocks... this should be a feather duster. Aipstaisa grow directly from the rock I believe