New clownfish/anemone tank setup. Suggestions please

[Rendos]

I am in the planning process for a new Clownfish/anemone tank right now and would like suggestions.

So far I have a 24"X24"X15" tank that is drilled in one corner for a 1.5" sump drain, and 2 X 1/2" returns.
I am drilling the tank myself so I can put holes wherever I need them. I will also be making the black acrylic overflow box, sump, skimmer (recirculating type), and kalk reactor. I plan on acquiring a pair of clowns (maybe gold stripe maroons), and a haddoni anemone (blue, green, or red), or LTA. I plan on building up live rock in the cormer to cover the overflow box, and maybe planting mangroves in the live rock to grow out of the top of the tank. I will have a 250 watt HQI MH pendant (Ocean Light from Aquamedic) as my lighting. I will be building my own stand also.

Now to the questions...
1. What temp bulb should I use over this tank? I use 20K's in my reef tank, but wondered if 10K would be better for the anemone.

2. In my reef tank, I have a closed loop...should I create a closed loop for this tank, or is the circulation from the return pump enough?

3. How much sand should I use? I had a blue haddoni before and it seemed to like burying it's foot in deep sand.

4. Am I missing anything? Any suggestions? Any comments?

 

[Dlckwood]

Re: New clownfish/anemone tank setup. Suggestions please

1. What temp bulb should I use over this tank? I use 20K's in my reef tank, but wondered if 10K would be better for the anemone.

Yes, 10k will be the brightest but a 14k bulb will be more pleasing to the eyes and still plenty of light.

2. In my reef tank, I have a closed loop...should I create a closed loop for this tank, or is the circulation from the return pump enough?

What type of pump is it?

3. How much sand should I use? I had a blue haddoni before and it seemed to like burying it's foot in deep sand.

When I setup a tank for my clowns I used 4 inch. This is probably the min depth to make it functional.

4. Am I missing anything? Any suggestions? Any comments? [/B]

It all sounda pretty good. Good luck!
David

 

[Rendos]

Dlckwood- thanks for the response.

What type pump is it? - I have decided to go with a Mag 9 and use a OceansMotions Squirt to create a little bit of alternating current in the tank.

Does that sound like a good plan?

I figured I would need a deep sand bed...just wasn't sure how deep. I can go with a 4" bed, but then my tank will only have 11" of water. I may call and see if I can get the tank made to 18" tall.

Thanks.
Richard

 

[MarinaP]

My Haddonis seem to like 20K. 14K looks good, too. 10K is too yellow for MY eyes

You will need to figure out a way to cover sump drain, so the anemone will not get sucked in. Anemones are very creative when it comes to suicide attempts.

Unless you are dead set on having a DSB, you might want to use a plastic container filled with sand and place your haddoni in there.

 

[Rendos]

I do plan on making an acrylic cover for the overflow box. I use them on all my tanks, but usually they are to keep algae from growing in the overflow.

I am not dead set on DSB, but I wonder how natural it would look for the anemone to be in a plastic container.

 

[MarinaP]

Very natural if you surround the container with rocks It is your call, really.

 

[Rendos]

I called and had the dimensions of the tank changed to 24"X24"X18". That should give me the extra room for the sand bed. The tank should be here on Dec. 21. I will post pictures of it then.

 

[Rendos]

I built the stand for the tank this weekend. All I have left to do is stain it and polyurethane it. (and of course take pictures to post here)
I built the acrylic sump last weekend...20"X18"X12". I have water tested it but haven't added baffles yet.
I have also made the overflow box from 1/4" black acrylic.
I still have the skimmer and Kalk reactor to build, but I am making pretty good progress on everything so far.

 

[ReefWaters]

pikey,

Will the tank house the anemone and clowns ONLY? Just curious.

If your drilling the tank yourself, I would add at least a second 1.5" drain in case you ever want to increase the size of your pump. Better safe than sorry IMO.

My tank now is the exact same size as this tank. I am housing mostly SPS and with 5 powerheads and a return, I still have some dead spots that I hate. You may want to consider adding 2 more 1/2" returns if its not too late. Of course, that really depends on the inhabitants of the tank as well.

Just my thoughts. My opinion about building a tank is kind of like the saying about cutting wood. "You can always cut wood shorter, you cant cut it longer." In other words, you can always plug a return outlet or throttle back a pump, but you cant always add stuff very easily. I hope that makes sense and helps out a little.

Good luck and Happy Holidays.

ReefWaters

 

[willra]

Any updates? This sounds really cool.

 

[Rendos]

ReefWaters - it is only going to house a pair of clowns and anemone(s). I cannot imagine needing a second 1.5" drain with it only being a 45 gallon tank, but I understand why you suggest it in your case. I don't think I will need any more drains or returns for this particular setup.

willra - yes, as a matter of fact here are some pictures. I got the tank in today, I have the overflow cut...just need to drill the drain hole, and silicon the overflow in place. I also have the stand done, but no pictures of it yet.

first - the sump being put together...

next - the overflow grooves are looking pretty groovy...

and here is the tank...the cat is checking it for craftsmanship...

and this is what the overflow will look like once it is installed...

 

[Jacob D]

Nice job. The sump looks good and the tank looks really nice. Who made the tank for you? That's a glass tank right?

 

[Totlxtc]

Looking good Pikey!

 

[Lights Are Bright]

Pikey, what do you use for making your overflows? Is it easy? Also, where do you get your acrylic?
thanks.

 

[Rendos]

Merry Christmas and thanks everybody.

mothra - it is a glass tank and it is made by Ocean View Aquariums in Pascagoula, MS.

Lights Are Bright - I use a 3/8" straight router bit to cut the grooves in the overflow. I make myself an adjustable stop with a 2X4 and just move it everytime to get the spacing for the grooves.
I get my acrylic from USPlastics.com. I like them because they do not have a minimum order, and they are close so I get UPS ground service in like 2 days after the order.

 

[Rendos]

Alright...I took some pictures of the progress.
I got the stand completely finished...

And the tank is now drilled in all four corners on the bottom. There is a 1.5" drain hole (bulkhead) and a 1/2" return behind the overflow box.

I have the sump finished also, but no pictures since I added bracing around the top edge to keep it from bowing. I will get pictures of that taken soon.

 

[lebowski]

That set up is looking awesome.. I can't wait to see it in action!

 

[ReefWaters]

What is the marble looking thing?

 

[Project Reef]

Here are some pictures of a Japanese aquarist's anemone tank which is connected to his main reef. Hopefully you can get some ideas from these pics. Sounds like a cool project Pikey.

 

[Rendos]

lebowski - thanks... I can't wait to see it in action either.

ReefWaters - The marble thing is a book end to keep the overflow in place while the silicon sets.

Project Reef - Do you know the dimensions of that Japanese tank? That gigantea(I think that's what that is) looks like it covers the whole tank. That is more than likely the combo I am going with...gigantea or haddoni, and Onyx Percs. Thanks for those pics.