Beginner to Nano tank

[jbozz]

Just started this hobby 1 month ago. 2 or 3 yrs ago my friend persuaded me to start, but i wasn't prepared to give it a try. Today, finally i'm ready to start one.

I did water change once a week, to improve water condition.

This is the link to my little 1.5 ft (30x19x26cm) tank

YouTube - Beginner Nano tank by JN23 part 2

And this is after 1 week

YouTube - Beginner Nano tank after 1 wk

Some of the photos of the fish i've

I monitor and ensure my water parameters as below
PH 8.4
NO2 0
NH 0
Salinity 1.020 - 1.021
KH 8

At the moment the fish are fine, but im thinking KH 8 should be raised to within KH 10 - 12 by using WEISS product.

 

[Ziggy953]

No to be the voice of bad news but with a tank that small you are going to have issues with the amount of fish you have in it. The tang should be in a 4' 90g+ tank minimum. The scooter blenny you have there feeds almost entirely on pods and a small tank isn't going to have the population to support it.

I noticed you posted another thread about keeping an anemone I would not suggest an anemone for your tank until you lessen your bio load and have the tank up and running for 8+ months.

 

[jbozz]

At this moment, i keep monitoring my water quality, and salinity to ensure the fish are in comfortable level on weekly basis.

So far, the fish are still fine.

May i know what kind of problems if the tank remain small but the fish is growing bigger and bigger each day.

 

[Ziggy953]

Tangs should not be housed in small tanks. They swim miles and miles a day in the wild. They need a large tank 4'+ 6' or longer is even better. With the amount of fish you have in that small tank you are going to have problems. The hippo tang alone can easily reach 12" in length. You are over stocked. I just see you having problems with algae, water quality, ammonia all kinds of things can happen with that many fish in that small of a tank.

 

[jbozz]

The blue tang have been in the nano tank since i first set up the tank on May 4th, 2008

It's more than a month. So far i've no problem with Ammonia, and nitrite, control them thru water change.

This is the first set up, which i've no knowledge on the water parameters & lightings.

Subsequently i added lighting and improve the water quality

 

[cmor1701d]

Please listen to the voices of expericene and reason. The fish will get too big for the tank. Before it does that it will suffer from the stress of being in a small environment. It may become territorial and attack other fish. It appears that you did not QT any of this fish, so an outbreak of Ich is also a good possibility.

There are too many potential problems form having an overstocked tank to address in a single post. You will need to start monitoring your water quality on a daily basis in a tank that size. You may also need to do daily water changes to keep your parameters in check.

From the 1st phot I see algae on the rocks and what appear to be diatoms on the sand. In the second I don't see other, nor do I see coraline algae growth anywhere. What changed?

 

[tamra&steven]

you should have a smaller blue tang in the tank if you want to keep one. once it gets larger you would have to get rid of it because as everyone said it wont be happy and will get territoral. it looks like you dont have much live rock in the tank either. in a tank that small a small change can cause major problem a little problem is a big problem in a small tank. i would get a smaller tang and more live rock. you can buy certain food for you bleeny, because if you noticed it doesnt eat whateve you are feeding your other fish, and will end up dying due to lack of food.

 

[jbozz]

it wont be happy and will get territoral

At this stage, the blue tang is trying to adapt with its new friend, i don't see any aggresion in him or her.

dont have much live rock

At the moment, the water parameters are in control, the fish has more space to swim around rather than bumping or restricted by the rock boundaries.

certain food for you bleeny

Which one u recommend?

will end up dying due to lack of food.

I wonder how long can a scooter blenny survive without food. He or she has been introduced to the tank few months ago. I don't see any sign of him getting weak, he or she is now clinging on the wall, seems enjoying doing it.

 

[Ziggy953]

The scooter blenny will survive for a while, but with such little LR and such a new tank I don't see him making it.

Smaller tang does not mean it will be ok in a smaller tank. Regardless of the size when you get the tang it requires a larger tank. There is a reason that people recomend 4' or longer tanks for tangs. They spend most of their time swimming around and picking at LR. In a small cube they can't do that.

Good luck with your tank. I've offered all I can.....

 

[fijiwigi]

If im not mistaken the tank is only 4weeks old Did it cycle? did you see the increase in Ammonnia and then nitrite and then nitrate? Your fish produce waste and you must have mature bacteria to digest the waste. Bacteria live on the surface areas with very little live rock you have very little surface area and more fish than a tank that size should have right off the bat. Usually you want to add your fish 1 or 2 at a time to slowly increase your bio-load.
I would assume your parameters may be ok now but definately test them every other day you may see another cycle since the tank is not fully established and that could possibly kill your fish.

 

[tamra&steven]

for feeding your scooter i recomend live tiger pods from reef nutrition they are live copepods, just remember add them into your tank with the lights off at night. as for your view on your LR not having much doesnt make your system beter at all. the scotter will live for a few months before it dies with out the food. anyways just sounds like you like to argue, why write in asking for help if you dont want to take it? or if you are nt even open to listening to the answer. have fun

 

[pat8you]

I was looking at your video. What is all the fish you have in your tank. I didn't reconize some of them?

 

[fishcrack]

A couple things to add -
I have a 24 gallon nano with 2 clowns and various corals (and a cleaning crew of course). I tried adding a scooter blenny on the advice of my lfs. My tank has been up and running for almost a year and I thought I had enough copepods to sustain him and so did my so called "expert" - he lasted about 3 months and mysteriously disappeared. I assume it was the issue of not enough food. Poor guy!

Secondly, I know everyone has posted about the tang in your nano. He may not looked stressed to you but as you said, you are new to the hobby. Look at it this way, imagine yourself living in a Cooper Mini with 5 of your closest friends. Maybe your have room to survive but there is a difference between survival and the best environment! As fish hobbiests, we want to provide optimal conditions. I know it's hard when you have a nano, but resist the temptation or buy a bigger tank. Just my 2 cents!

 

[tamra&steven]

i like it 5 friends living in a mini cooper haha thats perfect.to keep a scooter or mandarin you need to add copepods to your tank unless its larger 100ga or so and been running for long time reef nutrition makes a very nice product.

 

[DeepSea]

What do you think of having a 24 gallon tank with 2 wheeler's Watchmen gobies, 1 Bangaii Cardinalfish, and 1 Firefish.

 

[pat8you]

Thats probably a good list for that size tank deepsea. Just make sure you add slowly and keep an eye on your levels as you go.

 

[DeepSea]

thanks, I thought it was okay. Just wanted to make sure.

 

[CaPoNe]

I really hope you open up to opinion on this case, Iv been in the hobby for over 8 years now, and I used to get so mad when people told me that i couldnt put this in that tank or this needs to go in that. But at the end of the day they were right and everything they said came true, you have to be open for suggestion in this hobby or you wont get too far.. That tang in there is the equivalent of us being locked in the shower or something. Not to mention that they are prone to ich and many other diseases and parasites including hole in the head. And that little of a tank has very little room for ERROR.. Happy Reefing!!

 

[Tank2379]

Wow!!! That hurts...

 

[pat8you]

I don't think jbozz (original poster) has been on this thread for several months. Deepsea for future reference you will probably be better off just starting your own thread with questions. Especially with a thread that was so "contriversal" as this one some of the regular helpful people will not post on this thread because its older and had a lot of problems.