Watch This Space!

[Liam50]

Ok guys i know you get hundreds of people asking for help with their first reef and believe me i have read as many as i can so i don't ask you guys the same questions as you have already answered hundreds of times before.
Right on what tank i'm going to use, i'm planning on getting a Boyu MT50. Now when i put 80 litres into the calculator on here and it said 9 kilos of live rock. ( if i say something thats wrong please just point out.) My first question is what skimmer can i get in the lid as the tank doesn't come with one? I thought TMC are good but i have read mixed views on it but i do like the look of their "compact" range i would rather avoid deltec as they seem rather pricey. Also i was planning on not using RO water simply cause the guy in the LFS said not to bother but as we all know they sometimes give out not the best advice. Obviously i would rather not have to fork out on an RO machine if i didn't have too but i want a nice healthy reef so if i have to i will. Also i really want to have some nice fish in the form of a goby and possibly a pair of clown fish. But i really want to do this slowly so i don't mess anything up. So after i get my tabk filled with sand, water and live rock wait for the cycle to finish then, i assume its best to add small inverts that have a very small impact on the bio load. At the point of after the cycle is it best to add corals? Or things like crabs and shrimps? If its corals could you list some easy care ones. From my research i found some supposedly easy ones, if you could just confirm for me that would be great:

Clove polyps
Toadstall polyp
candy cane coral
open brain corals
bubble coral (i understand this can be aggressive)

if you could list some others just encase these corals are hard to get hold of also if you could warn me about any of these corals.

Crabs

i love the little hermit crabs at the LFS would these guys be suitable?

Clams

What about a crocea clam? I know it seems like i'm asking random questions which i kinda am but i just want to get an oversight of things so i don't walk into the LFS and buy a whole load of creatures that are doomed. Specially as most are actually wild fish i would feel bad as they had a good home in the wild and i've just killed them in captivity.

Shrimp

Skarlet cleaner shrimp?
Blood fire shrimp?

Finally are there any diseases that exist only in saltwater that are common? I know the obvious ones in freshwater ie ich and other diseases.

i'm sure i will think of something to ask later but yer thanks in advance, i hope i don't bore you but i do promise to take many photo's and show you guys as soon as i manage to kick my mum out of the out-house.

 

[Donya]

I'm not the best one to help with most of those questions since I'm not really a coral person, but I will hop in on one of them...

i love the little hermit crabs at the LFS would these guys be suitable?

Depends on what they are! Always try to get an ID before buying, at least to the genus level. Not all marine hermits are ok with all stocking lists.

 

[Harry1996]

clams need loads of light and the tank you have dosent have the right lighting

those corals are easy to look after.
other ones are mushroom corals,zoathids and like all soft corals

 

[Liam50]

How does this stocking level sound?
8 kgs of live rock with the following:

Leather corals
sponge corals

red leg hermit crab
2 skunk cleaner shrimps

royal dotty back
pair of clowns
possibly a pair of bangaii cardinals?
some sort of goby i'm undecided at the moment.

 

[nick87]

How does this stocking level sound?
8 kgs of live rock with the following:

Leather corals
sponge corals

red leg hermit crab
2 skunk cleaner shrimps

All the above will be fine.

royal dotty back
pair of clowns
possibly a pair of bangaii cardinals?

The clowns and dotty back are going to need 25 gallons imo, and 30+ gallons for the bangai

 

[seffieuk]

Liam

Right on what tank i'm going to use, i'm planning on getting a Boyu MT50. Now when i put 80 litres into the calculator on here and it said 9 kilos of live rock. ( if i say something thats wrong please just point out.)

Oh we will why have you chosen that tank? If you bought the boyu 550 you get six gallons more and the weir at the back to store skimmer and heater, which are included in the tank

Also i was planning on not using RO water simply cause the guy in the LFS said not to bother but as we all know they sometimes give out not the best advice. Obviously i would rather not have to fork out on an RO machine if i didn't have too but i want a nice healthy reef so if i have to i will.

For a reef imo RO is essential, you will have fewer problems. You can buy RO water from lfs very cheaply

Also i really want to have some nice fish in the form of a goby and possibly a pair of clown fish.

With a 20 gallon tank you are right on the edge of exceptable for a pair of clowns, you could have a goby and probably one other fish

But i really want to do this slowly so i don't mess anything up. So after i get my tabk filled with sand, water and live rock wait for the cycle to finish then, i assume its best to add small inverts that have a very small impact on the bio load.

Indeed, cycle, cuc, fish and then corals

At the point of after the cycle is it best to add corals? Or things like crabs and shrimps?

Your cuc will have hermits, snails etc but shrimps should be left a while

We are very happy to help you - please start a journel, it is great for you to read back but helps others as well


Seffie x