12G Nano - Livestock Sugestions.

[Nitro350Z]

I currently have a 12G Nano tank with a 5G RDSB. Filtration consists of live rock, live sand, and an Eclipse 1 hood ( Carbon cartriges and Bio-Wheel). Lighting is 2x 36w PC retrofit into hood ( 10000K + Actinic), Flow is created by 3 pumps - 2 PH (400l/h & 700l/h) + 100g/h eclipse filter pump)

What I was planning to put in there was:
2 true or false percs
1 Yasha goby
1 Randall's Pistol Shrimp or Candy Stripe Pistol Shrimp

Does that seem good? Any changes or suggestions?

After about a year when my tank is fully mature, will I be able to add some type of clown hosting 'nem? Also will it be possible to add a maxima clam? my sand bed is ~3-6" with the most being at 4" that leaves ~11" below the lights on the sand bed.

So far, after the initial cycle, my parameters have rock solid up until one or two chunks of Xenia found they way into one of my powerheads, which caused the tank to be covered in Xenia parts. This caused a large spike as I wasn't able to fish it all out the first time I tried, and I'm guessing that is what caused the rest of the Xenia to melt on me. I've recovered from this and have covered the intakes of my powerheads with sponge to stop this from occurring again. Thankfully nothing was in the tank other than the Xenia(now all gone) and a bunch of hermits which all survived without a problem.

Temps are almost completely stable. I've been keeping it at 80F and it drops 1 deg down at night to 79 then back up to 80 when the lights turn on. No overheating or temp swings at all. Must be pure luck :rollface:

Well I'm open to suggestions and criticism.

Thanks.

 

[Nitro350Z]

Also wondering what corals others would suggest?

 

[Illuminati]

High bioload, you'll have to keep up on water changes and water quality.

Light is not strong enough for either an anemone or a clam.

 

[jellyous]

For corals, you should stick with hardy zoanthids and soft corals, but make sure you do your research on the certain ones you are interested in. I have zenia, and several different zoas, mushrooms and such, which are really easy to care for. I have the same tank.

 

[BiggySmalls]

hey colin, are nano cube dx's able to support an anemone?

 

[Illuminati]

I have seen bublle tip anemones in a stock biocube so I guess it's possible.

 

[Nitro350Z]

Don't the Nano Cube 24G DX's come with 2x 24w 50/50 bulbs? So shouldn't 2x 36w lighting in a shallower tank provide more light?

Maybe it is possible to get an "easy" 'nem such as a BTA?

 

[benya29]

i would put a purple pseudo and a blenny mayb a small wrasse or somtin..........unless ur gonna dose ur tank......stik to polyps zoanthids mushrooms ect. put a cleaner in there theyre the most fim thing to hav

 

[Nitro350Z]

Cleaner Wrasse? is that what you meant by cleaner? I thought those were not recommended because their diet only consists of parasites and very few tanks can actually support their needs? or am I confusing them with something else?

 

[kathainbowen]

I'm betting he meant a cleaner in regards to a cleaner shrimp or some form like the fire or skunk cleaner shrimp.

Cleaner wrasses can be quite difficult to maintain, especially in a small, nano- or pico- sized tank. The best success results I've heard with them is maintaining the cleaner wrasse in a large, heavily populated environment where they can engage in their natural behavior to feed, in addition to prepared foods. This is not to say that I haven't also heard of success with cleaner wrasses in smaller tanks with smaller populations. Just the experience I've heard with them is that they are "easier" or, really, more forgiving as per their keeping in tanks with larger populations to pick off of.

Cleaner shrimp, however, are quite easy to maintain. They are scavengers and will eat frozen, freeze dried, or flake foods, as well as whatever they pick off of fish. They are also great fun to watch as they will actually climb onto a fish.

On a side note.... if the tank is going to be in your bedroom or where you sleep/nap/have quiet time.... skip the pistol shrimp. You'll end up wanting to fry it, grill it, or serve scampi within a few months! At least, that, again, has been the trend among people I have known to keep them, or accidentally end up with them as hitch hikers in bedroom tanks. =/

As per coral wise, mushrooms and zoos are pretty much some of the easiest corals to keep (although, for every generalized statement like that, there are exceptions, like certain zoas, rhodactis mushrooms, and some ricordia). Most leathers can be quite easy, as can the colt coral. However, the colt coral can also be very messy with a slime when stressed, which can get onto other corals and bother them. Star polyps, and many other members of the same family can be easy and fun, too, sometimes too easy, taking over tanks like Xenia. Yellow colonial polyps are also very easy to keep and spread.

 

[benya29]

i find the coment about the pistol shrimp to be hilarious because i had a diamond goby and i heard about the relationshups they share w/ pistols so i went to my LFS and saw there pistols i was there about 10 min tryin to pik som out w/ my brother i wanted to break the glass he snap snap every 3 secs.......i will never house 1

 

[Eskie]

You said your parameters were rock stable. I'm curious, what are your nitrates like with the biowheel in the tank?

 

[Nitro350Z]

First, Thanks for the suggestions/Comments. My tank is not in my bedroom, it is in the living/dining room (very open concept and such) noise from the critters wont be too much of a problem. Just Curious, How loud are Pistol shrimp? Havent actually heard one for myself yet.

As for my nitrates, now they're at 0. before they used to start low, usually ~5, then climb to ~10-15, then a water change would lower them again and it continued like this a while. But around the time of adding the RDSB they stopped climbing (Wasn't the RDSB tho, way too early) and then either the RDSB seeded really quick or my DSB in the tank started working, not sure which, nitrates fell to zero and havent moved since.

 

[benya29]

theyre loud enough to ruin ur concentration...

 

[kathainbowen]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9296835#post9296835 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nitro350Z
First, Thanks for the suggestions/Comments. My tank is not in my bedroom, it is in the living/dining room (very open concept and such) noise from the critters wont be too much of a problem. Just Curious, How loud are Pistol shrimp? Havent actually heard one for myself yet.

Picture this. Remember when Snapple first came out and little kids discovered that the caps on the bottles could be a really fun, yet incredibly annoying toy to run around with? About like that for some of the louder ones. Other pistols are softer, sounding more like a person clicking their teeth. It really varies from animal to animal, and can also vary from the situation of their using this little, weird ability of theirs. The Snapple cap is roughly the absolute worst case scenario, but this repeated clicking in your personal, quiet space, can most certain drive a body insane with lust to drive the little bugger from the tank and possibly seek a recipe for shrimp cocktail.