bio load question

dabrybry · 11/15/2010, 01:57 PM

Hiya all,

Preparing to start my first salt tank. So far I have a drilled 20 gallon plumbed to a 10g fuge and a 10 gallon sump. Once the tank is ready for fish/corals I was going to try to have a fairly diverse selection of livestock. My original goal was to have some sps, some soft corals (zoas, mushrooms) a clam or two, mated pair of clowns and a BTA for tjem to host on. Is this too high of a bio load for my setup? I would also like to have a wrass and a blenny or too. I want to make this as optimal for them as I can. Am I shooting for too much here? I was also considering keeping some shrimp and maybe a few arrow crabs in the fuge.

Thanks in advance for any help, comments or suggestions,

Bryan

aleonn · 11/15/2010, 03:31 PM

20 gallons for an anenome isn't much room. They sometimes walk around and sting corals as well. Clams are a little more advanced, and require good lighting; most rules-of-thumb recommend adding them after the system is established and stable for about 6 months. Should be ok in your system eventually, I think. What lighting system do you plan on? I think your bioload will be fine in your setup.

I like how your 20g is drilled, that's a great step towards reef keeping

.

Sugar Magnolia · 11/15/2010, 03:34 PM

20 gallons of space is going to be tough with an anemone and corals. BTA's have the potential to top out at 12" so coral placement will be a big issue. Not to mention, if it decides to start wandering, which they sometimes do, you'll have some problems there with the anemone stinging corals. If you do go with a pair of clowns, go with a pair of either perculas or occelaris as they are the smaller of the clownfish species. Even though you will essentially have ~35ish gallons of water volume, you only have the 20g of space and 2 clowns in that size tank is going to be about it for fish stocking. The two clowns will quickly develop their territory over the whole tank and will likely attack and kill any new additions.

IslandCrow · 11/15/2010, 03:42 PM

I agree with aleonn on the anemone. Just the anemone in a 20g would probably be fine. The anemone plus corals is probably not a good idea. That's not a bioload issue, just a real estate issue. Basically, the anemone gets whatever real estate it wants, which according to Murphy is going to be wherever you just put your favorite coral.

As for fish, personally I'd just stick with the two clowns, but with the additional 20g from the fuge, bioload-wise, you're probably fine with 1-2 additional small fish. Here, though, you'll once again be facing a territory issue. Most fish actually get along quite well if given enough space. As they start getting crowded, however, they start getting more hostile. Just to give you an idea, my six-line and maroon clown ran into territory issues in a 46g tank.

dabrybry · 11/18/2010, 02:47 PM

Going to be using MH with 2 t5 actinics. Averages out to about 8 wpg, prolly less since theyll be suspended over the tank. Are there any small anenomes I could consider that wouldnt out grow my tank? As far as the anenome travelling around the tank, im prepared to go through/learn whatever i5 takes to make it happy emough where it has no reason to crawl around the tank. I was most like gonna go with some false perculas

. How do clowns do with inverts?

Angel*Fish · 11/18/2010, 02:52 PM

As far as the fish go, double check to make sure the type you get will stay really small. Red Sea Mimic blennies are tiny, if you can find one. I wouldn't get two blennies unless they are a mated pair - they'll fight in that size tank. But if you get a small highfin goby which lives on the bottom and a small blenny that likes hidey holes up in the rock they might get along. When stocking a tank that size choose fish that have different habitats.

11/15/2010, 01:57 PM	#1
dabrybry Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: tennessee Posts: 21	bio load question Hiya all, Preparing to start my first salt tank. So far I have a drilled 20 gallon plumbed to a 10g fuge and a 10 gallon sump. Once the tank is ready for fish/corals I was going to try to have a fairly diverse selection of livestock. My original goal was to have some sps, some soft corals (zoas, mushrooms) a clam or two, mated pair of clowns and a BTA for tjem to host on. Is this too high of a bio load for my setup? I would also like to have a wrass and a blenny or too. I want to make this as optimal for them as I can. Am I shooting for too much here? I was also considering keeping some shrimp and maybe a few arrow crabs in the fuge. Thanks in advance for any help, comments or suggestions, Bryan

11/15/2010, 03:34 PM	#3
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	20 gallons of space is going to be tough with an anemone and corals. BTA's have the potential to top out at 12" so coral placement will be a big issue. Not to mention, if it decides to start wandering, which they sometimes do, you'll have some problems there with the anemone stinging corals. If you do go with a pair of clowns, go with a pair of either perculas or occelaris as they are the smaller of the clownfish species. Even though you will essentially have ~35ish gallons of water volume, you only have the 20g of space and 2 clowns in that size tank is going to be about it for fish stocking. The two clowns will quickly develop their territory over the whole tank and will likely attack and kill any new additions. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

11/15/2010, 03:42 PM	#4
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	I agree with aleonn on the anemone. Just the anemone in a 20g would probably be fine. The anemone plus corals is probably not a good idea. That's not a bioload issue, just a real estate issue. Basically, the anemone gets whatever real estate it wants, which according to Murphy is going to be wherever you just put your favorite coral. As for fish, personally I'd just stick with the two clowns, but with the additional 20g from the fuge, bioload-wise, you're probably fine with 1-2 additional small fish. Here, though, you'll once again be facing a territory issue. Most fish actually get along quite well if given enough space. As they start getting crowded, however, they start getting more hostile. Just to give you an idea, my six-line and maroon clown ran into territory issues in a 46g tank. __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?

11/18/2010, 02:52 PM	#6
Angel*Fish cats and large squashes Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Houston Posts: 5,951 Blog Entries: 1	As far as the fish go, double check to make sure the type you get will stay really small. Red Sea Mimic blennies are tiny, if you can find one. I wouldn't get two blennies unless they are a mated pair - they'll fight in that size tank. But if you get a small highfin goby which lives on the bottom and a small blenny that likes hidey holes up in the rock they might get along. When stocking a tank that size choose fish that have different habitats. __________________ Marie So long, & thanks for all the fish! __________________________ Current Tank Info: Pairs: flame angels, cherub angels, Red Sea mimic blennies, yellow fin fairy wrasses, clowns, mandarins, blackcap basslets, shrimp gobies, damsels, dispar anthias, yellow clown gobies, threadfin cardinals --- Tanks: 100g reef, 2 x 30g refugiums

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11/15/2010, 03:31 PM	#2
aleonn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 4,041	20 gallons for an anenome isn't much room. They sometimes walk around and sting corals as well. Clams are a little more advanced, and require good lighting; most rules-of-thumb recommend adding them after the system is established and stable for about 6 months. Should be ok in your system eventually, I think. What lighting system do you plan on? I think your bioload will be fine in your setup. I like how your 20g is drilled, that's a great step towards reef keeping .

11/18/2010, 02:47 PM	#5
dabrybry Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: tennessee Posts: 21	Going to be using MH with 2 t5 actinics. Averages out to about 8 wpg, prolly less since theyll be suspended over the tank. Are there any small anenomes I could consider that wouldnt out grow my tank? As far as the anenome travelling around the tank, im prepared to go through/learn whatever i5 takes to make it happy emough where it has no reason to crawl around the tank. I was most like gonna go with some false perculas . How do clowns do with inverts?