Super minimal clown FOWLR

[smp]

Hi all. I'm taking down my 90 gallon reef and I have had my two clowns for a really long time. Something like 7 years. I don't want to part with them. Would a 15 or so gallon tank with nothing but live rock, a heater and a powerhead or two be fine for them?

No light, no filter except for maybe a small HOB for carbon.
Totally minimal is the goal and I would like to use tap water so I can get rid of my RODI system (too much 'stuff' for a small condo).
Thanks all

 

[offshored]

Probably fine if you change out the live rock every now and then. I don't think the live rock will do well in tap water over time. I think the clowns will be fine if the water is treated a little with chemicals. Tangs and such seem to be much less tap water friendly.

 

[Toddrtrex]

What type of clowns?

 

[DoubleM 10]

they are gonna go from a world to play in to something that will be the minimum to live?

20long or a 30 gallon would be my recomend for the clowns. they still need room to live and play. i think a hob skimmer would not be adding to much. but thats just me

 

[smp]

Yeah I used an HOB when I first started in the hobby 7 years ago .. same clown, well, the female. They are ocellaris clowns. I didn't like the HOB. When I say I want a silent tank, I want a silent tank. I think stuff hanging off a tank is totally ghetto, but that's IMO.

Here is a pic:

I haven't done a water change on that tank in 3 years. I unplugged and forgot about the skimmer about 8 months ago and the return pump from the sump went off at about the same time. I was sick of the noise. Nothing changed. Don't get me wrong, there is algae and stuff it's not perfect but the fish are fine and I only have to clean the glass like once every 3 weeks so nutrients aren't a big problem. I have to tear the tank down because it's simply "too much stuff" for a small condo. The simplicity of my girlfriend's black moor fish tank is what did it for me. It's a 2.5 gallon tank, that's it. No heater, no filter, no fuss no muss. He gets a 100% water change weekly and he's been doing just fine in that little tank for 4 years. We just got him a 16 gallon tall however (my influence) and that's what prompted me to think that maybe I can keep my clowns.

 

[sandwi54]

I think a 20g will be ok for the clowns.

 

[LisaD]

I think you can keep a minimal tank, but still have it look nice and stay healthy with just regular (not super frequent) water changes. Even though ocellaris are smaller clowns, I'd at least keep them in a 20, 25H or 29. A 24 gallon nano cube might be ideal for you. - it would look good, no HOB stuff, and would be pretty silent. You could keep 15-30 lbs live rock, bare bottom or not, some hardy, low-light macro, even a few mushrooms and polyps if don't want to totally let go of the reef. If you don't keep a nano cube, consider a fluval internal filter, they are very quiet. There are in-tank skimmers, like Tunze, which while pricey are quiet. I'd use a skimmer, myself. If you don't, then definitely cultivate macro - at least some chaeto and a few types of caulerpa, to help keep the water clean. Lighting could just be a cheap PC top, like some use for refugiums, or maybe T5s. Some scarlet reef hermits and nassarius snails for CUC. If you have a sand substrate, I think you'd be able to add a shrimp goby/pistol shrimp combo to your tank, which would make it really fun.

I kept all my smaller tanks in this way, with treated tapwater, and they did fine. Think of it as a refugium you are using as a tank. As long as it's lightly stocked, it should do fine, and look great. Just a suggestion.

BTW, I have a 12 gallon nano cube at work, set up several years with the same shrimp goby/pistol shrimp, scarlet reef hermits and snails. Just the integrated internal filter (foam blocks, I took out the bag of charcoal and bag of biomedia). The tank is full of macro, and have live rock and sand. I change the water every couple months, top off weekly. Water is treated well water. I think the key is live rock/live sand/macro and light stocking.