What to add to my 12g reef

[huskerdan25]

Hi everyone! Well, I have a 12g Aquapod that is 3 weeks old now. Last week, I put in a small cleanup crew of 5 mexican red-leg hermits, 2 scarlet hermits, 2 super tongan nassarius snails and 2 cerith snails. This crew did an amazing job and my rock looks crystal clean. I have a little algae growth on the sand bottom (3 inches thick) and a little on the glass but I expect that algae to be gone soon as well.

All of my tank parameters are solid. ph 8.2, Alk 4meg/L, Amm 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 1-2 ppm, Calcium 400, temp 77-79 degrees. Maxijet 900 seems to be providing sufficient flow as I have no cyano anymore (the hermits seems to like what little cyano was growing but after I adjusted the flow a bit, the areas where spots of cyano were growing no longer have it).

I eventually want to add corals but would like to have the tank mature for 4-6 months before tackling them. I was thinking that a shrimp or two might be next in order or one percula. What would be your recommendation? Also, if I go with a shrimp or two, will I need to supplement the tank with iodine as well as feed them or will a cleaner shrimp or blood shrimp be able to find food in the tank?

Do those with shrimp have an iodine test kit or there is no need for one?

Thanks for your advice!

Dan

 

[SW-FLguy]

I assume your tank cycled? Did you have an Ammonia Spike then high nitrites, then nitrates testing these level along the way of your cycle? 3 weeks seems a bit fast for a full cycle. As for your question about the shrimp and iodine I would say no need for it. Just keep your water quality high and the shrimp will be fine. I have had the same cleaner shrimp in my tank for over a year now and he is just fine with no special care. I do use Kent Marine Coral-Vite once a week on my 26 Gal bow front. That is really all the supplement I use and have had great success with my reef tank. I would definitly wait at least 6 months before you do coral. I succesfully have a number of corals thriving in my tank including hammer coral, torch coral, yellow and green star polyos, Xenia, red and blue mushrooms, and all kinds of zoos.

Also if you want to do a reef tank in the future you may want to concider keeping the number of fish you have in your 12g to a minimum. I would not put more then two fish and a shrimp.

This site has been very helpful to me and I am sure it will be for you. There are a lot of helpful people on here who really know their stuff and love to help new comers.....good luck....

 

[huskerdan25]

Yes, the tank has cycled. I had a very short cycle due to using LFS water, cured LR and live sand. In fact, I introduced a shrimp to force a cycle just for my comfort. I never saw a cycle prior to introducing the shrimp and my LFS said I probably would not see one because of what I used to start the tank but that it would help to know for sure. My LFS wouldn't sell me my cleaning crew until I force a cycle

I definitely will keep my fish to a minumum. I was thinking no more than 2 and a shrimp or 1 and 2 shrimp.

Thanks for your input and I look forward to more input from those who are experience and have had success.

Dan

 

[SW-FLguy]

Ok, sounds good. I think you will enjoy the cleaner shrimp the most. They are out all the time and are a lot of fun to look at, and if you put your hand or arm in the tank they will jump right on and start cleaning. Just don't freak when it molts for the first time....I thought mine had died...lol

A word of warning once you start doing corals their is no going back....you will be hooked...well at least my wife and I are...she is a nut I can't control her when we are at the LFS she wants this, and that and I have a hard time controling her...lol

 

[bonnie3188]

I have a talk of similar size and in it I have crabs, snails, a Coral Banded shrimp and two percular clowns. I have had them for about 5 months now and they are all healthy and happy! The shrimp doesn't bother the clowns, and is extremely entertaining to watch!
I also have some torch corals which seem to be going well and add colour to the tank.
Good luck!

 

[jasno999]

I have a 10 gallon tank currently. I went for a reef setup and this is what I currently have it it.

1- four strip damsel (Black/white)
1- Brittle Starfish
30+ - nasseriuth snails (Yes too many and need to stary getting rid of some- got them cheep on e-bay)
2 - Turbo snails (Need to sell one or give one away)
2- Blue leg hermit crabs

Corals:
1 - Bubble Coral that is gettign pretty dran big
1 - Xenia (Small and new adition to tank)
1- Leather (New adition and of a nice size for tank)
5 - Mushrooms on a large rock
1- Rock with sand polups that has been growing and spreading. A few polyups fell off drifted i nth etank and now I have bunches of polyups in several locations. (I am hoping that a nudibranch problem I had with the polyups is done or close to done)

I see this tank as 95% done. If I was to add anyhtin else it would be some more hermits (2 red leg) or maybe 1 peppermint shrimp. I love inverts so I would liek to get somehting liek a shripm that was reef safe. But I am nto concearned right now because my tank is super full.

I jsut want to continue good upkeep and hopefulyl the corals will grow and grow. I also need to do cleanup because I have a lot of old snail shells i nthe tank that clutter it and make it look bad. So some cleaning and good upkeep is where I am at right now. But I wanted to you see what I fit into a 10 gallon so you woudl have any idea of what you coudl do with your tank.

My one regret- All of my coral is of a pinkis color. I don't have any contrast in coloring between corals. So maybe one day I might need to fid somehting that is a yellow/gree/or blue to add some contrast. However that may require the removal of on of the current coral residents.

 

[huskerdan25]

Well, it was an exciting day yesterday as I added a true percula clown to my tank. He is very small, around .5 inches. I took 45 minutes to acclimate him. Once he was placed into the tank, he hovered near the front of the tank near the middle for about 10 minutes. Within 20 minutes he was checking out his new home and within 30 minutes, he had figured out where the flow areas were and started playing in it! Providing me with a lot of laughter watching him constantly go over to the flow and letting it push him close to the glass, then going back again. He seems a bit spooked at first by the hermits and snails but he's gotten used to them. Haven't tried to feed him yet but will try tonight. I hope he eats but there are plenty of pods in the tank that he can chow on if he wants (I've read several sources that say pods are a source of food for clowns). He looks happy and he has the entire tank to himself.

I'll wait a couple of weeks to put in another fish, probably a firefish or a yellow watchman goby. I'll probably add an invert, most likely a blood shrimp, a month from now. I can get one for $33 which I think is pretty good as I have heard many people have to play closer to $50 for one.

Corals will still be out a few months. Want to make sure I keep my fish and inverts happy and stay consistent with my water management before adding corals. It'll be an exciting day when I start adding corals!

Thanks to all for their input!

 

[jasno999]

Sounds great. Goold luck with the tank and fish.

 

[FishFrik]

Have you consider of keeping a pair of clowns? A pair is very entertaining to watch! You can get away with 2 clowns and a firefish in a 10G. I've seen a set up like that in a clown breeding book. Just a thought

 

[huskerdan25]

I added a true percula last week and I added a Fire Shrimp last night. I probably will add another fish in a week or two and most likely it will be a Purple Firefish, Yellow Watchman Goby or a Tail Spot Blenny (though I need to research the blenny more to find out if he will eat corals).

The percula seems to be very happy having the tank to himself and he is eating whatever I put in the tank as long as it can fit in his mouth. I purchased some veggie pellets that have cyclopeeze in it but many of the pellets are too big to fit into his mouth. He is a tiny percula so I have to pick out the smallest of the pellets to feed him. I also feed him mysis shrimp and the same is true with it. If the shrimp is too big, he'll approach it and then just let it fly around the tank. So, I have to try to find smaller morsels. I also have pure cyclopeeze and I have to smush the flakes to make them small enough. Hoepfully he'll grow a bit bigger soon and I can just drop food in the tank but at least I have the Fire Shrimp to pick up whatever my clown can't fit in his mouth.

Anyone have the Tail Spot Blenny? My LFS has one and it is just the coolest looking fish. Someone warned me that he may eat corals and since I plan to introduce soft corals eventually, I don't want to put him in the tank only to have to remove him when I am ready to add corals.

Dan