Getting reef tank ready for fish- mandarin, flatworms,etc

[Scubagirl12]

Hey guys, I just want to get some feedback on my 12g tank and get it in tip top shape for a possible fish or two in the next couple of months.

Currents Stats:
pH 8.3
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Alkalinity 3.75 mEq/L
Temp 75

Current Livestock:
Serpent star
Peppermint Shrimp
6 red legged hermits
2 astrea snails

Current Coral:
Fox coral
Xenia
Kenya Tree
Zoos
Platygyra brain
Floridia Ricordia
Red Mushrooms
Blasto merletti



QUESTION #1
I add trace elements once a week and am planning on buying some coral food this week. What do you recommend? Marine snow, cyclopeeze? I want something all around good for everything I have.

QUESTION #2
I also recently have had an outbreak of rust colored flatworms. I have increased the circulation in the tank. I have also given some of the smaller pieces of rock a freshwater dip in which the flatworms fell right off! BUT how will corals feel about a freshwater dip? Any other ideas of how to get rid of them?

QUESTION #3
I want a mandarin fish. I would prefer to buy one from another hobbyist who has trained it to eat other foods such as mysis. But can I not just keep the supply of pods up by buying them bottled or cultivating them myself outside of the tank? What else should I be concerned about? If you feel negative about my keeping a mandarin, what would you recommend?
If I don't get one, I would probably get 2 of these, any suggestions?
Ocellaris clown
Citrinus clown goby
Purple firefish
Yellowhead jawfish

QUESTION #4
I am about to move my tank. I have moved it before and am not too worried about my livestock. But now my tank is more mature and there are tons of feather dusters in the sand bed and coraline algae on the acrylic. I was planning on leaving a few inches of water. Will the algae and feather dusters die? What should I do about them? The move will take a few hours.

Thanks!

 

[austinsdad]

QUESTION #1

Be very careful with those trace elements. Can easily overdo it. Lot's rely on water changes.

QUESTION #3
I want a mandarin fish.

I think the mandarin should be left to larger tanks. I'd opt for the clown and goby. One will perch and swim. The other (clown) will swim.

QUESTION #4
I am about to move my tank.

Maybe 3 containers. One w/3 gallons or so to transport the critters. Will need a PH or oxygen for the stay in the bucket. Need to be able to keep that temp decently stable too. Another for the coral. That too will need air and temp stability. Got a power inverter fo the car? Assuming you're doing a car trip. Can plug small PHs into it.

Ya know, I can't help but wondering if for a 12g tank, you could lower the water by about 1/3 and carry the whole thing. Never did anything that size before. Maybe someone else has.

One thing I can tell you for sure, you're gonna need some premixed, aged, ready to go SW for a PWC after you get it all set back up.

 

[Sadielynn]

Re: Getting reef tank ready for fish- mandarin, flatworms,et

Hey guys, I just want to get some feedback on my 12g tank and get it in tip top shape for a possible fish or two in the next couple of months.

Currents Stats:
pH 8.3
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Alkalinity 3.75 mEq/L
Temp 75

Current Livestock:
Serpent star
Peppermint Shrimp
6 red legged hermits
2 astrea snails

Current Coral:
Fox coral
Xenia
Kenya Tree
Zoos
Platygyra brain
Floridia Ricordia
Red Mushrooms
Blasto merletti



QUESTION #1
I add trace elements once a week and am planning on buying some coral food this week. What do you recommend? Marine snow, cyclopeeze? I want something all around good for everything I have.

QUESTION #2
I also recently have had an outbreak of rust colored flatworms. I have increased the circulation in the tank. I have also given some of the smaller pieces of rock a freshwater dip in which the flatworms fell right off! BUT how will corals feel about a freshwater dip? Any other ideas of how to get rid of them?

QUESTION #3
I want a mandarin fish. I would prefer to buy one from another hobbyist who has trained it to eat other foods such as mysis. But can I not just keep the supply of pods up by buying them bottled or cultivating them myself outside of the tank? What else should I be concerned about? If you feel negative about my keeping a mandarin, what would you recommend?
If I don't get one, I would probably get 2 of these, any suggestions?
Ocellaris clown
Citrinus clown goby
Purple firefish
Yellowhead jawfish

QUESTION #4
I am about to move my tank. I have moved it before and am not too worried about my livestock. But now my tank is more mature and there are tons of feather dusters in the sand bed and coraline algae on the acrylic. I was planning on leaving a few inches of water. Will the algae and feather dusters die? What should I do about them? The move will take a few hours.

Thanks!

Serpent star

Depending on the star it may be an optunistic feeder that will eat fish , also may get to big for a nano

QUESTION #1
I add trace elements once a week and am planning on buying some coral food this week. What do you recommend? Marine snow, cyclopeeze? I want something all around good for everything I have.

I dont generally feed the corals they pull out from the water column I feed our fish cyclpoezee and oyster eggs along with some mysis and pellets a couple times a week and our corals pull from that . The blasto and LPS will benifit from direct feedings of some mysis shrimp ...

QUESTION #2
I also recently have had an outbreak of rust colored flatworms. I have increased the circulation in the tank. I have also given some of the smaller pieces of rock a freshwater dip in which the flatworms fell right off! BUT how will corals feel about a freshwater dip? Any other ideas of how to get rid of them?

There is a product called flat worm exit ... You can do a dip in fresh water or with lugols iodine ticks the corals off but dont leave them there it is just a 3 minute dip.. . If you use the flatworm exit besure to siphion out the flat worms as they can /will foul your tank and quickly ... And do increased water changes . I have never used the FWE but did have a few that came in on a coral I diped it in fresh water with lugols for 3-5 minutes rinsed by swishing in water and placed into the tank . Thankfully I havent seen any since

QUESTION #3
I want a mandarin fish. I would prefer to buy one from another hobbyist who has trained it to eat other foods such as mysis. But can I not just keep the supply of pods up by buying them bottled or cultivating them myself outside of the tank? What else should I be concerned about? If you feel negative about my keeping a mandarin, what would you recommend?
If I don't get one, I would probably get 2 of these, any suggestions?
Ocellaris clown
Citrinus clown goby
Purple firefish
Yellowhead jawfish

Bad idea on the mandarin almost impossible to train to eat frozen foods ... Culturing pods is tedious and buying them can get down right expensive ... Just leave out the mandarin and blennies these fish really are not for the nano period , and are more of an expert only fish .
Skip the jaw fish they prefer a bit deeper sand bed (3 + inches)
The other fish will be fine but you should only put in 2 fish as you will be pretty much maxed on your bioload at 2 fish .

QUESTION #4
I am about to move my tank. I have moved it before and am not too worried about my livestock. But now my tank is more mature and there are tons of feather dusters in the sand bed and coraline algae on the acrylic. I was planning on leaving a few inches of water. Will the algae and feather dusters die? What should I do about them? The move will take a few hours.

Thanks!

IF you support the crap out of the bottom on a wood surface you may be ok to move with a bit of water ... I would recommend changing out the sand keeping a few cups to seed new sand and pitch the rest ... Your feather dusters and coraline will probably not survive tho
click on link
moving a tank

 

[lando]

QUESTION #1
I add trace elements once a week and am planning on buying some coral food this week. What do you recommend? Marine snow, cyclopeeze? I want something all around good for everything I have.

I would suggest you stop dosing any trace elements in such a small tank. Regular water changes will be more than enough to replenish any depleted trace and minor elements and buffers in your tank.

QUESTION #2
I also recently have had an outbreak of rust colored flatworms. I have increased the circulation in the tank. I have also given some of the smaller pieces of rock a freshwater dip in which the flatworms fell right off! BUT how will corals feel about a freshwater dip? Any other ideas of how to get rid of them?

I would not do a FW dip on any corals. You can try a hypodalinity dip with a SG of around 1.009.

QUESTION #3
I want a mandarin fish. I would prefer to buy one from another hobbyist who has trained it to eat other foods such as mysis. But can I not just keep the supply of pods up by buying them bottled or cultivating them myself outside of the tank? What else should I be concerned about? If you feel negative about my keeping a mandarin, what would you recommend?
If I don't get one, I would probably get 2 of these, any suggestions?
Ocellaris clown
Citrinus clown goby
Purple firefish
Yellowhead jawfish

I would skip the dragonet. A 12gal is simply too small to support the natural food these animals need. Even if it accepts a prepared food it will likely not be enough to sustain it long-term. I like the clown goby and purple firefish as option.

 

[Sadielynn]

QUESTION #1
I add trace elements once a week and am planning on buying some coral food this week. What do you recommend? Marine snow, cyclopeeze? I want something all around good for everything I have.

I would suggest you stop dosing any trace elements in such a small tank. Regular water changes will be more than enough to replenish any depleted trace and minor elements and buffers in your tank.

QUESTION #2
I also recently have had an outbreak of rust colored flatworms. I have increased the circulation in the tank. I have also given some of the smaller pieces of rock a freshwater dip in which the flatworms fell right off! BUT how will corals feel about a freshwater dip? Any other ideas of how to get rid of them?

I would not do a FW dip on any corals. You can try a hypodalinity dip with a SG of around 1.009.

I agree skip the dosing if you are not testing for it . Your water changes should do the trick , if not then consider dosing with a 2 part dosing regimine designed for nanos .
Lando I have done most of my corals in FW dips with lugols and have not had any losses from doing it , just dont let it sit there for more than 5 minutes .... We had seaspiders in our out door tank and when I dipped them the little bugger fell off there were 2 that I found however if you dip fw do so with caution .

 

[melosu58]

I also agree with the others about Dosing. Frequent PWC`s will dose all you need in the tank. IMO your tank is too small for a mandarin.

 

[Lance M.]

In regards to moving it, like austinsdad says, you could probably siphon out 1/3 or 1/2 the water into buckets and put the corals/livestock in the buckets and then carry the tank. When I had my 20 set up in my dorm room all I did was fill a 5 gallon bucket with tank water and put my corals in it and another 5 gallon bucket with some of my bigger lr pieces in it and then carried the tank half full with ~20lbs of lr, all the sand, and half full with water. I left my clean up crew in there, just making sure the rocks didn't move around or fall. I had battery powered air pumps to keep the 02 up.

I agree with everyone about everything else.

HTH

Edit: I now remember I also left my sixline in the tank when moving it because I couldn't catch him.