Years and years ago I knew I wanted a fish tank. I had started with the idea of a planted fish tank as an extension of my hydroponic experience but never thought I knew enough to responsibly get started. For years I would squirrel away a little money to my tank fund until I finally decided to check out some LFS in my area. I had it set in my mind I wanted a planted fish tank to avoid the need for water changes. Then I saw some freshwater shrimps and thought they looked so cool. Then I went home and researched, watched videos, and spoke with someone about their own shrimp experience.
I was finally ready. Went to my LFS, started discussing my plans and that's when it happened. I saw a skunk cleaner shrimp. Next I saw corals. Now mind you not only had it not crossed my mind but was not even aware it was an option! And I fell in love. All my planning out the door. I priced two systems, a cheap Fluval curved glass tank along with heaters, pumps, etc. and a RedSea Max Nano Peninsula G2.
Filed it with some sand, rock, and salt water. Off to the races we went. I decided since I knew so little and as a first tank choosing a smaller AIO system would mean less room for mistakes. I cycled with Dr Tims and dosed ammonia and watched the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates all spike and drop. Did a 30% water change and let it mature. I left the lights off for a month all while adding pods and dosing phytoplankton as a food source. After the month and countless hours watching reef info videos I set what I wanted parameters-wise.
-Salinity: 1.025 SG (>1.024; <1.026)
-pH: 8.1 (>7.5; <8.5)
-Alk: 8 (>7;<9)
I tested everything constantly feeling like a mad scientist. Learned about titrations and reagents. I went ahead now that I saw things were stable and the pod population was doing extremely well (I as a new reefer worry about everything, so was worried there were too many). And decided I should add my first fish. I went with clownfish mostly because of reading how hearty they are and how I want to make sure everything under my care lives as good of a life as possible.
Everything was going so well. I was overfeeding and catching myself making sure to keep this delicate system in balance. That's when I got a masterclass on clown behavior that set me back.
I did not get paired clownfish so the advice I got from my LFS is to get two of different sizes that way the bigger can be the dominant female and other the male. (I had to learn all about protandrous sequential hermaphrodites). An issue I now understand that I was not equipped for at the time was that the bigger fish had a birth defect that impacted his fin (exactly like Nemo ironically) making him slightly weaker. He bullied the smaller fish for the first week which seemed playful and normal until at some point the smaller identified this weakness and pushed back. It was then that I noticed the bullying seemed to go to far and I tried to separate the two but it was too late.
He was swimming weirdly and had a moribund way about him, clearly still alive but sort of having given up. I set up an emergency tank up and as I went to get him the other dragged him with his mouth in a brutalist way that really brought home how this is a wild ecosystem. I moved him but he unfortunately passed away.
This really made me scared, was it maybe ammonia or something water quality wise I did wrong? Was it a sickness? Ultimately all the water tests came back exactly how I would want them, and the other clownfish was doing great now that he had it all to himself.
I have not yet decided if I want to try to replace the clown but I am very afraid the same thing will happen again. As I talked with my LFS who tested my water as well to confirm it was solid I bought some macro algae which included my first new tank inhabitant: A blue tuxedo sea urchin. I was sure he would not survive as I transported him with no water and did not acclimate him at all as I had no idea he was hiding in the algae. I accidentally dropped him in and three weeks later he is going great wearing everything not nailed down as a hat.
I have backup systems in waiting for any failures and am monitoring remotely with the ReefATO+ from Red Sea that I check against a thermometer weekly. So far am very excited to to round out my stock list for this nano tank. I added some CUC of snails and one blue knuckled hermit which brought with them a feather duster worm and two of what look like the same unidentified snail shell HH. Currently have a post asking for help on that if you are feeling down to guess! I am excited at how much life is going well that there are so many copepods, some hydroid medusae, and even watched my snail spawn directly infront of me!
I was finally ready. Went to my LFS, started discussing my plans and that's when it happened. I saw a skunk cleaner shrimp. Next I saw corals. Now mind you not only had it not crossed my mind but was not even aware it was an option! And I fell in love. All my planning out the door. I priced two systems, a cheap Fluval curved glass tank along with heaters, pumps, etc. and a RedSea Max Nano Peninsula G2.
Filed it with some sand, rock, and salt water. Off to the races we went. I decided since I knew so little and as a first tank choosing a smaller AIO system would mean less room for mistakes. I cycled with Dr Tims and dosed ammonia and watched the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates all spike and drop. Did a 30% water change and let it mature. I left the lights off for a month all while adding pods and dosing phytoplankton as a food source. After the month and countless hours watching reef info videos I set what I wanted parameters-wise.
-Salinity: 1.025 SG (>1.024; <1.026)
-pH: 8.1 (>7.5; <8.5)
-Alk: 8 (>7;<9)
I tested everything constantly feeling like a mad scientist. Learned about titrations and reagents. I went ahead now that I saw things were stable and the pod population was doing extremely well (I as a new reefer worry about everything, so was worried there were too many). And decided I should add my first fish. I went with clownfish mostly because of reading how hearty they are and how I want to make sure everything under my care lives as good of a life as possible.
Everything was going so well. I was overfeeding and catching myself making sure to keep this delicate system in balance. That's when I got a masterclass on clown behavior that set me back.
I did not get paired clownfish so the advice I got from my LFS is to get two of different sizes that way the bigger can be the dominant female and other the male. (I had to learn all about protandrous sequential hermaphrodites). An issue I now understand that I was not equipped for at the time was that the bigger fish had a birth defect that impacted his fin (exactly like Nemo ironically) making him slightly weaker. He bullied the smaller fish for the first week which seemed playful and normal until at some point the smaller identified this weakness and pushed back. It was then that I noticed the bullying seemed to go to far and I tried to separate the two but it was too late.
He was swimming weirdly and had a moribund way about him, clearly still alive but sort of having given up. I set up an emergency tank up and as I went to get him the other dragged him with his mouth in a brutalist way that really brought home how this is a wild ecosystem. I moved him but he unfortunately passed away.
This really made me scared, was it maybe ammonia or something water quality wise I did wrong? Was it a sickness? Ultimately all the water tests came back exactly how I would want them, and the other clownfish was doing great now that he had it all to himself.
I have not yet decided if I want to try to replace the clown but I am very afraid the same thing will happen again. As I talked with my LFS who tested my water as well to confirm it was solid I bought some macro algae which included my first new tank inhabitant: A blue tuxedo sea urchin. I was sure he would not survive as I transported him with no water and did not acclimate him at all as I had no idea he was hiding in the algae. I accidentally dropped him in and three weeks later he is going great wearing everything not nailed down as a hat.
I have backup systems in waiting for any failures and am monitoring remotely with the ReefATO+ from Red Sea that I check against a thermometer weekly. So far am very excited to to round out my stock list for this nano tank. I added some CUC of snails and one blue knuckled hermit which brought with them a feather duster worm and two of what look like the same unidentified snail shell HH. Currently have a post asking for help on that if you are feeling down to guess! I am excited at how much life is going well that there are so many copepods, some hydroid medusae, and even watched my snail spawn directly infront of me!
