40breeder

[justjosh012]

i built a 40g breeder at my parents house with the live rock coming out of the top and the return drilled through the bottom, coming up a 3/4" pipe to the top of the little island, kind of copying a cool volcano tank my parents saw on youtube and liked. i went barebottom and open topped, and i know this limits my choices, but this is what im thinking.
fish:
Royal Gramma.. already have
sunburst anthias..
black ocelllaris.. QT
coral beauty..

inverts:
two pom pom crabs
four halloween hermits
about fifteen nerites
two skunk cleaner shrimp
two or three fiddler crabs to keep the top of the volcano clean
and a clam or two after the tank has aged a bit


would like to go with some of the fancier Zoanthids at the bottom of the rockwork and montiopra and other SPS higher up eventually.


here is my equipment:
one 150w aqua medic with 14k bulb
aqueon model 2 sump
vertex IN80 skimmer
two marineland maxi jet 600.. 1500 GPH in tank circulation
Rio 10HF return pump

does anybody see a problem with my stocking lists? will this equipment, particularly will the light support a clam or SPS in the future? my own tank is an agressive tank with easy coral most people consider pests in it... so i dont have alot of personal experience with many inverts or hard corals, any input is appreciated.

 

[milsj099]

add bigger fish than the royal gramma, or he may bully them

 

[sponger0]

I dont know if the Royal will bully....mine is extremely docile.

The coral beauty may wind up nipping corals...so keep this in mind.

Tank is a little small for anthias but people have gotten away with 1

 

[Mr. Fish]

When I had a royal gramma, it would protect its little territory and that's it.

I would not get the coral beauty if you want corals and clams. Some people have had luck with them being well behaved, but you would be pushing your luck especially with clams in the tank. Flame angels seem to have the best behavior, but I still wouldn't risk it.

Your lighting should be fine, just make sure you keep the most light demanding corals/clams directly under the light.

Since you went BB make sure to get a clam that lives in rocks like a Maxima and not a sand dweller like a Derasa.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[greech]

I don;t think the Fathead Sunburst Anthias have the same care requirements as others. Preety sure they live a little deeper and are more cave dwellers. I don;t think they need to be fed as much as other anthais either. Definitely confirm this but I think a 40B will be ok size wise.

 

[justjosh012]

Thanks for the input! the way i have the rockwork set up in two large pieces held together with instant ocean hold fast allows me to take all of it out in about 5 seconds, in two pieces. This make removal of any problem fish or invert an easier task, so i am fine with adding fish that can be a bit risky and removing if a problem develops. I am not dead set on the coral beauty, but i would like a dwarf angel of some kind. Potters are my favorite looking but from my research can be a bit difficult to establish, and i wont be able to monitor anything on a daily basis. As far as the anthias goes i will definately update with its progress over time.

 

[justjosh012]

changed the list a bit, but here is what i have in the tank currently
limbaughi chromis... i know its just a chromis but it looks incredible
black and white ocellaris
royal gramma
mis barred flame angel
bicolor blenny
sunburst anthias... still in qt

inverts
coral banded shrimp... seems completely non aggressive at this point and is fully grown
cleaner shrimp
4 fiddler crabs
5 turbos
15 blue reef hermit


i want to add more hermit crabs as they are massively entertaining while playing king of the hill ontop of the volcano, and seem to be excellent for CUC duties. Not to mention they are something you dont see in a reef every day.

 

[johnc99]

I would be concerned about the possibility of aggression between the gramma and the bicolor blenny. My blenny is in every single nook and cranny of my LR and stands up to my angel. _If_ yours is like mine, I can only imagine what would happen if he invaded your gramma's territory.

But I'll be very interested in your experience as your list is close to what I want for my 40B.

 

[justjosh012]

the royal gramma is very small, and extremely timid. I thought he was dead and didn't see him once for the first two weeks after i added him. However with the addition of other fish he is now coming out more. In my own limited experience the size of fish and the order they are added, along with a few other things, does quite a lot to curb aggression. Of course some fish will be aggressive/territorial no matter what, and there is aggression differences within species a swell.