True "mixed reef". Possible?

DaveWJunior · 03/30/2014, 12:46 PM

I've got my 150gal tank cycled and ready for fish. Talking to the wife about our stock list and everything she sees she wants a little bit of (don't they all?). I have already ordered a pair of false perc clowns and a CUC. Clowns will be in the QT starting Tuesday.
I guess my question is, is it possible to have a little of "everything" in a 60x24x24 tank? CUC, blue starfish, serpent stars, urchuns, gobie, clowns, BTA, Haddoni, (after the tank matures a little, of course), SPS, LPS, leathers, a yellow tang, fairy wrasse, mandarin dragonet (once the pod count is up)? This woud be slowly all added over a long period of time and the general list may change. What do you think? My initial thoughts were clowns+host, watchman gobies, and a few wrasse and one or two different tangs, but her thoughts have me thinking.

150dt
40galsump w/refuge
Skimmer
Maxspect LEDs,
Carbon, GFO, and Bio-pellet reactors (won't run unless needed)
Alk/cal dosers ready (maybe an upgrade to a calcium reactor)

ca1ore · 03/30/2014, 12:56 PM

You certainly can have a true 'mixed' reef; there are countless examples of folks running them. Requires pretty aggressive filtration/nutrient export. I would always advocate the use of GAC in any tank containing both hard and soft corals; though others may demur.

maddmaxx · 03/30/2014, 01:29 PM

ive ran a very mixed reef before in a 125g. can easily be done with the proper research of each inhabitant...

lhm nole · 03/30/2014, 04:28 PM

i did it for a little while but notice lps and zoas not opening all the time and even a few heads dying here and there and realized my nepthea was the size of a basketball and even though I ran carbon my tank was off even had sps rtn that I had for a year for no reason..As much as I hated to do it removed the nepthea only leather I had in the tank and didnt change anything else my sps lps and zoas are all doing great again.. I think since I had the nepthea for so long and as it grew my carbon was just could not keep up and he was also in the middle of my flow pattern which from what I read will make a huge difference

youngfish · 03/30/2014, 08:04 PM

you need to research each coral in mixed reef. SPS requires low nutrition environment but some LPS may want Dirty water.... You can't mix them in that case.
So do your research and put compatible ones together just like how you introduce fishes.

triggreef · 03/30/2014, 08:14 PM

Keep alk stable at all times& you will not have problems.

d2mini · 03/30/2014, 08:39 PM

My system has zoas, shrooms, LPS and SPS... as well as gorgonians, a display refugium with macros and mangroves... and for CUC i have various stars, urchins, cucumbers, crabs, hermits, snails and shrimp. What I do not have is leathers. Tried them once or twice and they didn't do great for me.

Reefvet · 03/30/2014, 08:44 PM

This looks pretty mixed to me.

DaveWJunior · 03/31/2014, 06:23 AM

Thanks for the votes of confidence, folks! ReefVet, your 120 is probably the look shes wanting, but with a SLIGHTLY higher fish load. How difficult would it be to use your computer paint program and label some of the corals for us and post the pic here? I'm going to start off with a few fish, then add a couple of nems this early this summer. Hopefully I'll be able to get some corals in there by the end of the year or late next winter. I suppose I should get some pictures of it up soon.

thegrun · 03/31/2014, 07:19 AM

It will be difficult to keep a mandarin in the same tank as two wrasses, they will get to the pods before the mandarin has a chance.

terrypercula · 03/31/2014, 07:47 AM

It's absolutely possible. There's a balance you need to find and once you do it's so rewarding.

E.Rude · 03/31/2014, 08:23 AM

The problem that I had with a mixed reef was controlling the spread of softies like sinularia, mushrooms and zoas. I imagine that nutrient control would have helped curb their spread, though.

d2mini · 03/31/2014, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveWJunior

Thanks for the votes of confidence, folks! ReefVet, your 120 is probably the look shes wanting, but with a SLIGHTLY higher fish load. How difficult would it be to use your computer paint program and label some of the corals for us and post the pic here?

That's not his tank.

And coral you can start to add after your tank cycles. Start with the easier softies. Then after a few months try some LPS. SPS are the hardest, and although they can do "ok" earlier, the magic age of a tank for sps to really start doing well seems to be around one year old. It's generally recommended to wait until the tank has been running for around 6 months before adding an anemone.

phillrodrigo · 03/31/2014, 10:01 AM

It can be done but something wont be 100%. If the water is too clean the lps wont be as nice. If the water is slightly dirty the sps will have slower growth and corals will be off a bit. They will survive but maybe not thrive

Mael · 03/31/2014, 10:33 AM

I think it can be done pretty easily but as others have been mentioning your choice fo coral and age of tank will play a decent role. I feel as though I have been lucky, mine has been running for about 6 months now and all my LPS looks good and so does the SPS, but I think I picked eaier SPS, like the birdsnest frags I have are coloring up nicely and showing new groth tips. The montis arent growing quick at all but are keeping nice color.

Big thing is to provide each one with the light and flow they like most.

edit: Should note I also dose the base elements(red sea ABC+) and feed plankton to all the small polyp coral, even some roti as well.

CoralBeauty13 · 03/31/2014, 12:49 PM

Just research everything, each thing you want to purchase, do research. I have re-scaped my tank so many times because of coral growth and chemical warfare, and keeping up with the right balance of chemistry. It's been a daily job. Please don't just go buy what youtube vids will show you. I have lost fish that got attacked because of being same color or type of another in the tank. I have quit buying anything at the moment, and just focusing on what I have. Many fish will run the bio load crazy. Just be-careful, because yes, everything she(me) sees, she'll(me) want.

03/30/2014, 12:46 PM	#1
DaveWJunior Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 40	True "mixed reef". Possible? I've got my 150gal tank cycled and ready for fish. Talking to the wife about our stock list and everything she sees she wants a little bit of (don't they all?). I have already ordered a pair of false perc clowns and a CUC. Clowns will be in the QT starting Tuesday. I guess my question is, is it possible to have a little of "everything" in a 60x24x24 tank? CUC, blue starfish, serpent stars, urchuns, gobie, clowns, BTA, Haddoni, (after the tank matures a little, of course), SPS, LPS, leathers, a yellow tang, fairy wrasse, mandarin dragonet (once the pod count is up)? This woud be slowly all added over a long period of time and the general list may change. What do you think? My initial thoughts were clowns+host, watchman gobies, and a few wrasse and one or two different tangs, but her thoughts have me thinking. 150dt 40galsump w/refuge Skimmer Maxspect LEDs, Carbon, GFO, and Bio-pellet reactors (won't run unless needed) Alk/cal dosers ready (maybe an upgrade to a calcium reactor)

03/30/2014, 12:56 PM	#2
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	You certainly can have a true 'mixed' reef; there are countless examples of folks running them. Requires pretty aggressive filtration/nutrient export. I would always advocate the use of GAC in any tank containing both hard and soft corals; though others may demur. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

03/30/2014, 01:29 PM	#3
maddmaxx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 3,003	ive ran a very mixed reef before in a 125g. can easily be done with the proper research of each inhabitant... __________________ One Life One Shot Current Tank Info: 40B Mixed reef

03/30/2014, 08:14 PM	#6
triggreef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: East Hampton, CT Posts: 2,917	Keep alk stable at all times& you will not have problems. __________________ 200g DD Marineland. Acro and monti heavy with some birdsnest, LPS, and zoas. 125g FOWLR

03/30/2014, 08:39 PM	#7
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	My system has zoas, shrooms, LPS and SPS... as well as gorgonians, a display refugium with macros and mangroves... and for CUC i have various stars, urchins, cucumbers, crabs, hermits, snails and shrimp. What I do not have is leathers. Tried them once or twice and they didn't do great for me. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

03/30/2014, 04:28 PM	#4
lhm nole Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 1,199	i did it for a little while but notice lps and zoas not opening all the time and even a few heads dying here and there and realized my nepthea was the size of a basketball and even though I ran carbon my tank was off even had sps rtn that I had for a year for no reason..As much as I hated to do it removed the nepthea only leather I had in the tank and didnt change anything else my sps lps and zoas are all doing great again.. I think since I had the nepthea for so long and as it grew my carbon was just could not keep up and he was also in the middle of my flow pattern which from what I read will make a huge difference

03/30/2014, 08:04 PM	#5
youngfish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 58	you need to research each coral in mixed reef. SPS requires low nutrition environment but some LPS may want Dirty water.... You can't mix them in that case. So do your research and put compatible ones together just like how you introduce fishes.

03/30/2014, 08:44 PM	#8
Reefvet Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,941	This looks pretty mixed to me.

03/31/2014, 06:23 AM	#9
DaveWJunior Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 40	Thanks for the votes of confidence, folks! ReefVet, your 120 is probably the look shes wanting, but with a SLIGHTLY higher fish load. How difficult would it be to use your computer paint program and label some of the corals for us and post the pic here? I'm going to start off with a few fish, then add a couple of nems this early this summer. Hopefully I'll be able to get some corals in there by the end of the year or late next winter. I suppose I should get some pictures of it up soon. __________________ 150gal starfire glass DT, Vortech MP40's + MP10, Maxspect LEDs. 40 gal 5 chamber sump with refugium. Carbon, GFO, biopellet, calcium, Kalkwasser reactors. Tunze ATO. Dosing pump. Apex. 2 QTs.

03/31/2014, 07:19 AM	#10
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	It will be difficult to keep a mandarin in the same tank as two wrasses, they will get to the pods before the mandarin has a chance.

03/31/2014, 07:47 AM	#11
terrypercula Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Buffalo,NY Posts: 4,354	It's absolutely possible. There's a balance you need to find and once you do it's so rewarding. __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: IM Nuvo Fusion 10, Kessil A160, Tunze Osmolator 3155, Ecotech Vortech MP10

03/31/2014, 08:23 AM	#12
E.Rude Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 323	The problem that I had with a mixed reef was controlling the spread of softies like sinularia, mushrooms and zoas. I imagine that nutrient control would have helped curb their spread, though.

03/31/2014, 10:01 AM	#14
phillrodrigo Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: quaker hill ct Posts: 2,433	It can be done but something wont be 100%. If the water is too clean the lps wont be as nice. If the water is slightly dirty the sps will have slower growth and corals will be off a bit. They will survive but maybe not thrive

03/31/2014, 10:33 AM	#15
Mael Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Phoenix Posts: 1,351	I think it can be done pretty easily but as others have been mentioning your choice fo coral and age of tank will play a decent role. I feel as though I have been lucky, mine has been running for about 6 months now and all my LPS looks good and so does the SPS, but I think I picked eaier SPS, like the birdsnest frags I have are coloring up nicely and showing new groth tips. The montis arent growing quick at all but are keeping nice color. Big thing is to provide each one with the light and flow they like most. edit: Should note I also dose the base elements(red sea ABC+) and feed plankton to all the small polyp coral, even some roti as well.

03/31/2014, 12:49 PM	#16
CoralBeauty13 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 597	Just research everything, each thing you want to purchase, do research. I have re-scaped my tank so many times because of coral growth and chemical warfare, and keeping up with the right balance of chemistry. It's been a daily job. Please don't just go buy what youtube vids will show you. I have lost fish that got attacked because of being same color or type of another in the tank. I have quit buying anything at the moment, and just focusing on what I have. Many fish will run the bio load crazy. Just be-careful, because yes, everything she(me) sees, she'll(me) want.