Low-maintenance recommendations for coral/anemone for a beginner?

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

I have a 29 gallon biocube with a glass cover. 26-30 pounds of live rock and 30 pounds of live sand (~1" depth).

• InTank Media basket with filter floss, nitrate filter pad, Chemiure Elite and Purigen. Made a big difference vs. the original filter! My water looks and smells lovely
  
• 2 Ocellaris Clown fish (one black and one orange) and 1 Azure Damselfish. Fed every-other day with frozen brine shrimp, about 1/4 of a bubble from the packaging tray it comes in.
  
• CUC of various hermits, snails, and starfish (Brittle and Asterina). Once a week 3-5 bottom feeder sinking waffers, broken in half and scattered about.
  
• Water parameters monitored with API (meh) and stable.
• Ammonia and Nitrite are 0-ppm
• Nitrate hovers at 20-ppm with the nitrate filter pad. I can't get it lower.
• 8.3-pH with a buffer.
  
• I use a refractometer for salinity and since I'm using LFS saltwater (they use RO/DI) it stays at 1.023.
• Tank was donated to me so the light is some single-strip LED that has white and blue LEDs. Daytime (all LEDs) and moonlight (blue only) switch. The LFS does have some MantaRay(?) LED units that seem to look the part (remote control, sunrise, sunset, moonlight, storms, etc.) so it's an option.
• No protein skimmer. Don't really want one but will get if absolutely required.
  
• hydor - Koralia circulation powerhead.
• 2.5 gallon water changes weekly. I was doing weekly 5 gallon changes but it was making no difference with water parameters.

Okay, I'm looking to eeeeeeease myself into the "next level" and that's where my questions are. I've been reading in two other forums and trying to figure out where to start but I can't find anything definitive/helpful. I'm hoping this will be a start.

1. What is a hearty coral or anemone (NO APTAISIA! I already battled that!!) that is easy to take care of but provides a pop of color and variety that my tank needs?
2. What additional tests will I need and recommendations of manufacturers (I really don't like the API color indicators as my colors never seem to match what's on the card).
3. What additional feeding will be needed (if any) and doping (e.g. calcium)? I'm not keen on getting additional devices, like a reactor, unless absolutely necessary as I don't have much space for them. There is no space between the tank and the wall.

​

Thank you

 

[Baby Ray]

Anemone- If you want something to host your clowns then a bubble tip anemone would be the best and they get pretty big for a 29 (even though I have one in my 29 and I love it ) If you are looking for an anemone that is smaller, and your clowns won't host it then I would recommend rock nems (I have one of these too ). Rock nems can be put right next to each other without bothering each other and you can get some that are super colorful
Hope this helps

 

[Ashley L]

Whatever you do, make sure you get your Anenome first because it will move around and can sting/kill your coral till it decides where it wants to stay put. Bubble tip anemones are the least aggressive and mobile in my experience. You will need a protein skimmer. You also will need to get a good test kit to measure parameters of your coral, such as the salifert test kit that tests your calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. Buy a good salt like Red Sea coral pro salt and you won't have to add these as much because the salt will provide this as well. As for coral, stick to a few easy to keep items at first such as green star polyps, Xenia, and mushrooms and then ease your way into keeping LPS corals at first. I really like the salifert test kits, they seem to be the best bang for your buck as well. Make sure you have a good heater, lighting, and look into coral food. My corals go nuts for reef roids! As for adding elements, like magnesium, calcium, etc.. I like to use brightwell aquatics product line. Good luck!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yea RBTA. I had the jbj nano. I landed the nem on a rock front and center and it never moved. It lives on light and I feed it once a week or so.
My to ocelaris still haven't hosted my nem after many months you may consider a different fish nem pairing for that.
The fewer hard corals you have the less ca and mg you have to worry about and it's likely regular water changes will work for that.

I am a firm believer you need to have some form of mechanical filtration on any small tank. Period. The jbj is not good at getting food poo out and will build up on you in the back chambers. If you want to ease the maint look into a mech filter even a $50 canister. Plug and play. Works better than any skimmer I had in the jbj.
If the tunze nano will fit in ther I also recommend those.

Going skimmer less is actually a pretty advanced technique. You need excess nutrient export and you need to decide how you want to get it out.

Don't know if you have enough light. You would have to use a meter. Lux or par. Lux is cheaper and take you to the next level. Esp if you type in lux here on the site.

Pretty sweet tank there. Me I put that nem on the left on that little shelf.

 

[kevantheman35]

The most hearty anemone species I have ever kept are maxi mini carpets.
They seem to do well in a wide variety of lighting and parameter conditions.

 

[Lynn52]

For colorful easy corals you can do mushrooms and zoas/palys. They are small, easy to care for and colorful. Their light and water stability requirements are not as specific as an anemone. For anemones you need very intense lighting and a stable, mature tank.

 

[rjl45]

1. Not sure your light is strong enoungh. Not all LEDs are the same. Some of the "strip" lights are great for fish only, but don't provide the light needed to grow corals or an anemone. Listen to Saltyfilmfolks and measure your light first, and research it a little. No sense in investing a bunch of money in corals, if you can't keep them alive because lack of light. The most important food source for coral, is light. Start wih soemthing cheap, but has great colors; zoas, mushrooms, green star polyps, then move into LPS. If you decide to do an anemone, start with that, but they need a stable system.
2. You may want to pick up the calcium, magnesium, carbonate test kits, but in my experience, if you do regular water changes (weekly or biweekly), testing these aren't as important, because your new supply of water will replenish anything the corals pull from the water column. Now, if you get into SPS corals, you will need to watch those numbers a little closer, because SPS are more demanding and tend to pull those nutrients from the water column much faster.
3. I have a small nano too, and do not run any reactors or "fancy" filters. About 6 weeks ago, switched to an upflow algae scrubber (which I made for $30) and fits perfectly in the back compartment. My numbers have stabilized and everything is very happy. There are lots of methods to assist with nutrient export, and it is important to understand that nutrient export is a necessity. Most common method is water changes. After that people use; protien skimmer, GFO reators, carbon, purigen, chemi-pure, etc...all help remove nutrients from the system. Remember, everytime you add food, you are adding nutrients into a closed system. What goes in must come out, or you create an imbalance. Even though your fish eat all the food, they still process it, then release it back into the water (poo) then cuc or corals process it then release to the water, then bacteria process it, and eventually you are basically left with nitrate and phosphate. A lot of the media reactors will help with this final step of removing the nitrate and phosphates. I have grown to really like the algae scrubber, because it basically does the same thing, naturally, but costs nothing after it is set up.

Just my opinion Best thing about this hobby, there are a lot of ways to approach it and so many solutions to the challenges we all face. All part of the fun!

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

You're going to need a protein skimmer, and eventually you will need dosers. The skimmer will do things other filtration will do at less cost. The dosers will bring the serious stability needed for a good time in keeping a reef.
From my own experience, one of the most dummy proof systems is the Red Sea system. It does get a little expensive if you have a 100g+ tank, but otherwise it's pretty decently laid out. I was pulling out my hair and watching algae destroy everything before as I listening to everyone's personal opinions on fragmented systems cherry-picking different approaches.

You've got a lot to learn, but good luck!

 

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

Wow, thanks for the input everyone!

Yes, a year of reading various forums, researching, and I'm still learning! I'm at the point where I feel the tank is stable and I'm ready for the next level.

• Agreed, that skimpy LED strip light is going bye-bye. I need to get a 16"-18" modern unit as mentioned before I buy any additional livestock! I have a complete 14,000K metal halide light I can sell to help defer that cost. The lamp is too darn hot & bright for the tank!
  
• For a skimmer I'm thinking the Tunze as it will fit in my second chamber and gets good reviews. I was using the skimmer that came with the tank but after the media basket modification it now longer would fit/mount.
• My CUC is doing a really good job keeping the tank clean but I'm going to let the hermits die off whenever they do and stick mostly to snails. I had an Emerald Crab and wouldn't mind getting another one some day.
• Never heard of an "upflow algae scrubber", got a thread on that explaining what it is/does?

From what I've researched so far, Epicystis crucifer (a.k.a. Rock or Flower anemone) and mushroom anemones (Rhodactis & Ricordia) look like safe options for now.

 

[rjl45]

Never heard of an "upflow algae scrubber", got a thread on that explaining what it is/does?

There's 2 basic types of algae scrubbers, upflow and waterfall. For sump-less systems (mainly nano) the only option is upflow. Basic idea behind them is to provide an optimum location for algae to grow, and once established it will out compete algae in you DT. As algae grows, it pulls the nitrates and phosphates out for the water column, and once a week pull the algae out of the scrubber and throw it into the compost bin, nutrient export. I'm still getting it established, but have seen significant improvements in my water quality.

I have been meaning to post a thread here on R2R, but haven't...sorry, but really busy. Here is my dyi thread on my local forum in Colorado. Hope I'm not breaking any rules linking to that.
http://www.marinecolorado.org/forum...elf-projects/637061-upflow-algae-scrubber-uas
I'll be happy to answer any questions. I have to credit SantaMonica for my inspiration.

 

[GreatWhiteTang]

Get a test kit for calc. Mag. Alk. Phos. These are the tricky ones to balance .. In a 29 I would use a premium reef salt and do frequent water changes rather than dosing .. And generally speaking if your p.h is off and requires a buffer .. You should look into the alk. Calcium relationship and switch to a two part supplement .. Once this is stable corals shouldn't need much extra effort ..

 

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

GWT, what brand(s) do you use for a test kit?

 

[GreatWhiteTang]

I have em all Red Sea salifert and Api .. Usually I'll test with Api .. And if it comes back out of normal I'll double check with the Red Sea kit ... For pretty much all perimeters .. Phosphate I only use salifert .. Idk why just always seems accurate for me

 

[rjl45]

I have posted my upflow algae scrubber thread to R2R, in case you are interested in reading it.
https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/240710/
I am very happy with the results so far.

 

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

That UAS set looks good and sounds good. I like the 100% bio-filtration concept.

 

[rjl45]

It's working for me and I'm really happy with the way my tank is looking. Good luck!

 

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

Excellent video for beginners on test kits!