Bubble Tip for a noob

[FsuNole]

I'm about to begin my cycle for my 58 gallon and I am getting my final list of purchases together $+$=$$$ :lolspin: I have my fish list now I'm thinking of adding a few things to make it pop. First I'm probably getting some type of mushroom but most importantly second I'm thinking of getting a bubble tip for when I get my clowns. I will be running a quad bulb t5 on the DT and have 20 gallon sump with a mag 7 return, as far as power jets I'm running a Hydor 850. Will this setup be good for keeping an anemone? I'm not sure how much flow that gives them, maybe 1,250 gph? I'd like to add it as soon as possible to give me some life after the cycle.

What advice would you give someone just starting?

 

[Wretched]

Most people say wait until your tank is established. 2 years back when I started my nano I didnt wait and I still have my anemone. He split 3 times and is about 6"(all 3). Mine love high light, medium flow... also a little crevice in the rock to suction to

 

[ocellaris123]

My advice is to be patient. If your new at saltwater get used to keeping your parameters stable than think about getting an anemone. Also cover your powerheads because bubble tips have a bad habit of getting sucked into them.

Also how many watts are your T5's and what kind of fixture.

 

[milesmiles902]

Cycling is key to an aquarium.

 

[FsuNole]

My advice is to be patient. If your new at saltwater get used to keeping your parameters stable than think about getting an anemone. Also cover your powerheads because bubble tips have a bad habit of getting sucked into them.

Also how many watts are your T5's and what kind of fixture.

I haven't purchased my T5 yet but This is the fixture, its a Odyssea rated at 156 watts.

How would I cover my powerheads?

And I am going to wait till the cycle fully completes... Don't want to spend money only to have things die off!

 

[FsuNole]

Also I would love to add a mandarin. Is this going to be a one or the other situation?

 

[shifty51008]

I would strongly suggest waiting about 6 months after the cycle completes before adding an anemone. the clowns will be fine without one.

that light fixture isn't the best but should be fine for a BTA but you will have to replace the bulbs when you get it for better ones.

cover the powerheads with nylon stockings.

and I would deff wait a while before you add a mandy, get a good fuge and plenty of rock going to start raising pods, they will eat a ton.

 

[MelloW33]

Sounds like your lighting will be sufficient. In a 58 gallon, you don't need violent powerheads like a Vortech so you could be fine not covering them. You may just want to turn the powerhead off the day you add the anemone to let it finds its spot.

I've kept mandarins and e. quadricolor without any issues. The anemone will be up on the rocks and mandarins will spend most of their time zooming around the sand bed.

 

[FsuNole]

I would strongly suggest waiting about 6 months after the cycle completes before adding an anemone. the clowns will be fine without one.

that light fixture isn't the best but should be fine for a BTA but you will have to replace the bulbs when you get it for better ones.

cover the powerheads with nylon stockings.

and I would deff wait a while before you add a mandy, get a good fuge and plenty of rock going to start raising pods, they will eat a ton.

Cool thanks for the tip!

As far as a fuge, I don't really have the space and my sump takes up the entire bottom of the stand. I will be running about 20 lbs of rubble rock in the sump so I'm hoping that will provide them with a good spot to breed besides the main DT. I'm also going to buy a bottle or two of pods once I've got the tank going to help boost the population months before adding the mandarin. I am doing mainly a FOWLR tank so I won't be running a skimmer that would suck them up in the sump.

 

[shifty51008]

you have to be careful on other fish you buy also, alot of fish will also eat pods, wrasse are a big one. actually most fish will eat them but some more than others and if you have another fish that competes for the pods your mandy will not make it.

 

[FsuNole]

you have to be careful on other fish you buy also, alot of fish will also eat pods, wrasse are a big one. actually most fish will eat them but some more than others and if you have another fish that competes for the pods your mandy will not make it.

Damn... Getting a wrasse was high on my list too... I guess getting a huge pod population will be the first thing I'm going to need to work on. Would you recommend adding any type of micro algae to the DT since I'm not running a fuge? I know pods typically grow a ton with chaeto but I don't want the chaeto in my DT, maybe something more visually appealing...

 

[bues0022]

I see two things:

First, it appears as though your desired light does not have individual reflectors. Individual reflectors play a huge role in the amount of light output by the bulbs. I ran a 58ga with 4 bulb T5 and individual reflectors, and the BTA's were typically medium to high on the rocks. Less light will create a less happy nem, leading to it trying to find a spot even higher, and thus walking around. I know people can keep them with the amount of light you are getting (and even less PC lighting), but if you haven't purchased a light yet, I strongly suggest getting something (or doing a retro) with individual reflectors.

Second: "I am doing mainly a FOWLR tank so I won't be running a skimmer that would suck them up in the sump." This is somewhat in conflict with wanting to keep a BTA. They need higher water quality than what a skimmerless tank can typically provide. Unless you are very very diligent with water changes to remove the organics, levels will rise, leading to an unhappy nem, leading to walking, ending in either anemone death by hitting something it shouldn't like a powerhead, or you being so frustrated and perpetuating the myth that "nems just walk around". Please consider either a skimmer, or other regimented ways of removing disolved organics to keep water quality high.

 

[ocellaris123]

Sounds like your lighting will be sufficient. In a 58 gallon, you don't need violent powerheads like a Vortech so you could be fine not covering them. You may just want to turn the powerhead off the day you add the anemone to let it finds its spot.

I've kept mandarins and e. quadricolor without any issues. The anemone will be up on the rocks and mandarins will spend most of their time zooming around the sand bed.

Fwiw I have had a bta get sucked up in the lowest flow koralia before.

 

[FsuNole]

I see two things:

First, it appears as though your desired light does not have individual reflectors. Individual reflectors play a huge role in the amount of light output by the bulbs. I ran a 58ga with 4 bulb T5 and individual reflectors, and the BTA's were typically medium to high on the rocks. Less light will create a less happy nem, leading to it trying to find a spot even higher, and thus walking around. I know people can keep them with the amount of light you are getting (and even less PC lighting), but if you haven't purchased a light yet, I strongly suggest getting something (or doing a retro) with individual reflectors.

Second: "I am doing mainly a FOWLR tank so I won't be running a skimmer that would suck them up in the sump." This is somewhat in conflict with wanting to keep a BTA. They need higher water quality than what a skimmerless tank can typically provide. Unless you are very very diligent with water changes to remove the organics, levels will rise, leading to an unhappy nem, leading to walking, ending in either anemone death by hitting something it shouldn't like a powerhead, or you being so frustrated and perpetuating the myth that "nems just walk around". Please consider either a skimmer, or other regimented ways of removing disolved organics to keep water quality high.

I'm thinking of getting a Reff Ocopus if those water changes become a pain. Also the way I designed my sump I feel like I've got a good setup for trapping organic waste. After passing through the rubble rock (pictured on the right side) I have it going under a baffel then it has to go over another baffle about 14 inches away where it goes over, under, over for the bubble trap. I'm thinking that before it gets to the bubble trap is where I will be pulling the water from, that corner. The pic is below... Excuse the mess, I was in the process of moving to my new place when I took this pic.

 

[rayr18]

Also I would love to add a mandarin. Is this going to be a one or the other situation?

I would consider getting a ORA bred Mandarin..Ask your LFS to purchase one for you from the ORA. You may have better luck with feeding b/c they are tank raised..eating both frozen foods and pods. I would also make sure you the Mandarin eats food dropped into the tank before you buy.

 

[FsuNole]

Ora?

 

[shifty51008]

ORA = Oceans, Reefs & Aquariums

http://www.orafarm.com/products/

 

[bues0022]

A lot of crud can get trapped in rubble as you have shown. Be careful as that may turn into a nasty place for food to sit and rot and foul your water.

Thoughts on the light issue?

Also, as other have said, wait minimum 6 months for a nem.

 

[FsuNole]

A lot of crud can get trapped in rubble as you have shown. Be careful as that may turn into a nasty place for food to sit and rot and foul your water.

I've purchased filter socks for the drainage into the rubble. This should help that, right?