New 20 gal tank: Anemone & Lawnmower Blenny questions

[Stoffer]

I've just set up a 20 gallon reef aquarium; it was cycling for 2 weeks, yesterday I removed the crushed coral and replaced it with sand, and today I put in 4 fish: a true percula, lawnmower blenny, neon blue goby, and a six line wrasse. I've had a banded shrimp and 2 red hermit crabs in there for a day as well. I want to get a bulb-tipped anemone from a site online, but I'm not sure if I should wait to let the tank settle down and establish itself more before I do. What do you think?

Also, I currently have a whisper filter, but once my magic mud comes in I'm going to replace it with a ecosystem40 setup. My question is, how much algea will I get? I have my light on 6 hours a day and the tank gets some direct sunlight in the morning for maybe an hour. Will it be enough to support the lawnmower? If not, what should I feed it? What I feed my fish now is frozen mysis shrimp and Spirulina flakes, will that support everything in my tank?

Also...if I end up getting that anemone, how do I feed it? And how often? And I guess I'll throw this in: what do I feed it?

 

[reefrunner69]

I want to get a bulb-tipped anemone from a site online, but I'm not sure if I should wait to let the tank settle down and establish itself more before I do. What do you think?

It is generally felt you should wait for a year before getting an anemone, this gives you and the tank time to mature.

I also feel you should not have added that many fish to a new tank. Is it still cycling? What are the ammonia and nitrite reading?

My question is, how much algea will I get?

To many variables to say. In a 20g tank I do not believe your tank will accumulate enough of the right kind of algae to support a lawnmower blenny, but it should eat the food you feed to the other fish as well.

I would go for a larger variety to feed your fish. I use a homemade food made with raw seafood, nori, flake and vitamin supplaments.

 

[Stoffer]

It was cycling with about 18 lbs of live rock for 2 weeks, and I got the water checked at a local privately-owned saltwater aquarium store before I put anything in. The ammonia and nitrate levels were at 0.

If I can't get an anomone, is there anything else I can add to my tank to give it a more color full look?

 

[tkos]

Eventually you could add some nice corals. That will give you color as long as you have enough light for them. Make sure the tank is nice and stable, probably wait another month or so.

I would stay away from an anomone in a tank that small and new. They are very fragile creatures that don't do well in captivity.

 

[wseaton]

I agree 100%, and I got money on the tank going through another interum ammonia cycle with such a radical change in biology. At least a minor one.

I wouldn't touch an anemone for several months either, if at all. These guys need real stable tanks, which is do-able in a smaller tank, but not until it stablizes, which is months away. Personally I think some of the soft corals are better looking than anemones, and in a mature tank are easier to care for.

Some ideas for color asumming you have good lighting on the tank: Derasa clam and some feather dusters, a nice cleaner shrimp. Maybe a starfish or two.