Meditterranean Sea aquarium

[Ahmet Comlekcioglu]

Hello everyone,

For my reefing experience; I have kept a nano tank with Jaubert system and it was successful and I was happy with the result. At the moment, I am unable to setup a new reef aquarium since I am abroad studying masters degree. However, I will settle down next year somewhere that has a coast to Meditterranean Sea and I want to setup a reef aquarium that will be long running. Last time I went swimming to the Mediterranean Sea, I saw many magnificent coloured fish and creatures. That urged me to set up a meditterranean sea aquarium. Than I researched on internet that what kind of creatures that I can find in the sea and keep successfully in a reef aquarium.

I have found a couple of creatures that I want to share here.

1. Snakelock anemone(anemonia viridis) I know that this specimen is very hardy and very nice coloration. I wonder there is anyone who kept this with tomato clown fish living together.
2169297473_148fcd5de3_b.jpg

2. Apogon Imbertis (mediterranean Cardinalfish) the orange coloration, nice two lines on eyes and mouth breeding of this fish struck me and I want to keep it.

3. Tomato clownfish: this is also a very nice fish and I like to keep it a lot. this is not a Mediterranean fish though.

4. Mediterranean rainbow wrasse(cords julis):

5. Meditterranean boxer shrimp(stenopus spinosus):



I am open to any suggestions and opinions for keeping these creatures successfully and with that, I would like to enhance my knowledge in reef keeping. I am also open to any reef books and articles that might be relevant and significant. Many thanks.

Kind regards,
Ahmet

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[Sm51498]

Learning how to keep a reef aquarium is a bit like eating an elephant, you just have to do it a little at a time. You've no doubt got a nice head start with your nano on learning the fundamentals of reef keeping so I'm not sure where you would need to start. Are you interested in a particular methodology for reef keeping? Do you have any questions about something specific?

 

[wkscott]

Although the Mediterranean can be very warm seasonally, it can also be quite cool in the winter. Mixing creatures from this area with creatures from fully tropical waters (tomato clownfish) may not be the best move. Also, anemones from the Mediterranean are not natural with clownfish and could be preditory and actually eat the clownfish and even eat the native Mediterranean fish.
I guess you'll just have to try it and see.

 

[Ahmet Comlekcioglu]

Learning how to keep a reef aquarium is a bit like eating an elephant, you just have to do it a little at a time. You've no doubt got a nice head start with your nano on learning the fundamentals of reef keeping so I'm not sure where you would need to start. Are you interested in a particular methodology for reef keeping? Do you have any questions about something specific?

Thanks a lot for your interest and reply! I agree with your analogy, that is "eating elephant". Aquariums are controlled environment and therefore; putting all kinds of different creatures at a time, if any chance they do not die in the first day, this will only create a chaos. So I am aware of the fact that I should make a good design and planning before I start.

The Berlin method of filtration is the most popular one. But I have a good experience with the jaubert system and I want to continue to use that method but not in the main display, in the refugium. The Jaubert's DSB might turn into a nutrient sink. To fix the problem; I want to introduce a swirl filter to the return, lower the flow from the main display for the effectiveness of the swirl filter. After the swirl filter, there should also be filter socks to trap any detritus that passes the swirl filter. The refugium's volume should be at least half of the main display's volume. In addition to this, the main display should have no sand for the easiness. For the easiness, the swirl filter will also allow me to do easy water changes. In the first months, the population will be low and therefore I will not introduce a protein skimmer in first months.

Other design principles that I would like to consider are lowering electric consumption, lowering budget of everything while not using ineffective products , lowering the sound level.

I should have provided some graphic content but "Does my plan and design sound well?"

My specific question for now is that what are the methods available to prevent DSB system becoming a nutrient sink?

Although the Mediterranean can be very warm seasonally, it can also be quite cool in the winter. Mixing creatures from this area with creatures from fully tropical waters (tomato clownfish) may not be the best move. Also, anemones from the Mediterranean are not natural with clownfish and could be preditory and actually eat the clownfish and even eat the native Mediterranean fish.
I guess you'll just have to try it and see.

Thanks for your reply and interest. I consider your point and for the initial plan, I should not introduce any fully tropical creatures. I have heard that some people have made tomato clown fish accepted to the anemone sulcata, though I have never seen that. Therefore I am cautious and it would be discouraging to see anemone eating a clownfish.

Additionally, the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea in summer is alike full tropical seas and oceans and the animals in the sea are adaptable to lower levels. If I setup a mediterranean biotope, it would be easy to maintain in lower level of temperatures since things do not change fast in the lower temperatures. How much lower is such as - reef aquariums are usually kept around 25-26 Celsius degrees, I would keep the temperature around 20 Celsius. That way, I would lower the speed of evaporation, lower the electricity bill and I might not even need any heater- making the system less prone to equipment breakdowns.

 

[Sm51498]

Other design principles that I would like to consider are lowering electric consumption, lowering budget of everything while not using ineffective products , lowering the sound level.

I should have provided some graphic content but "Does my plan and design sound well?"

My specific question for now is that what are the methods available to prevent DSB system becoming a nutrient sink?

I'll address my thoughts to your questions from the bottom up.

Preventing your DSB from becoming a nutrient sink:
This is actually quite a simple thing to do. Primarily, put good particulate filters in front of your DSB to prevent excess detritus from getting into it. These could be filter socks, sponges or polyfil. Secondly, clean out your dsb from time to time. I know this last one is a bit of a departure from the standard Jaubert methodology but it will be the single best way to prevent your sandbed from becoming a nutrient sink.

Your plan:
Sounds great to me! I love the idea of a regional display. I think you are on the right track with the ideas that you have shared too.

Design considerations:

For saving electricity the two biggest things you can do is use propeller style powerheads for your source of flow and not rely on your return pump for any real amount of flow and use new pumps and equipment. New pumps have gotten so much more efficient than the old ones and propeller pumps generate huge amounts of flow for very little electricity. a smaller return pump also makes less noise. In general, propeller pumps like Tunzes are quieter than Vortech pumps. running without a protein skimmer quiets a system down quite a bit too but obviously that is not for everyone. The biggest sound issue for me is that I hate splashing water. I use the Bean Animal drain design and would never use anything else. ever.

 

[Ahmet Comlekcioglu]

I'll address my thoughts to your questions from the bottom up.

Preventing your DSB from becoming a nutrient sink:
This is actually quite a simple thing to do. Primarily, put good particulate filters in front of your DSB to prevent excess detritus from getting into it. These could be filter socks, sponges or polyfil. Secondly, clean out your dsb from time to time. I know this last one is a bit of a departure from the standard Jaubert methodology but it will be the single best way to prevent your sandbed from becoming a nutrient sink.

Your plan:
Sounds great to me! I love the idea of a regional display. I think you are on the right track with the ideas that you have shared too.

Design considerations:

For saving electricity the two biggest things you can do is use propeller style powerheads for your source of flow and not rely on your return pump for any real amount of flow and use new pumps and equipment. New pumps have gotten so much more efficient than the old ones and propeller pumps generate huge amounts of flow for very little electricity. a smaller return pump also makes less noise. In general, propeller pumps like Tunzes are quieter than Vortech pumps. running without a protein skimmer quiets a system down quite a bit too but obviously that is not for everyone. The biggest sound issue for me is that I hate splashing water. I use the Bean Animal drain design and would never use anything else. ever.

So sorry for the late reply. I will keep your recommendation and thoughts in mind. I am still not able to start this project but I have found my old nano aquarium's pictures and I want to share them.

Btw, the aquarium is still ongoing with very little maintenance. The aquarium was abondoned when I went abroad last year. I am still abroad. The last two pictures with tomato anemones are the most up to date pictures. They were taken like a month ago. The tomato anemone is the easiest sea animal I have ever seen. Do not require light, if the temperature is low, the metabolism slows and anemone becomes like a tomato. If the temperature is high, it closes again but with lots of mucus around. It does not mind too much the salinity level. If you feed, it will grow and split. If you do not feed, it will survive very long time and becomes smaller and smaller; later disappear. I fed last month with a cooked cow meat, nothing happened. I had not have frozen shrimp at that moment though. If you aerate the aquarium well, the salinity below 1026, maybe 1024-22, feed with frozen sea food; the animal will appreciate much and this will result bigger red tomato anemones- like bigger than hand palm-.

 

[Reefer79]

Hello everyone,

For my reefing experience; I have kept a nano tank with Jaubert system and it was successful and I was happy with the result. At the moment, I am unable to setup a new reef aquarium since I am abroad studying masters degree. However, I will settle down next year somewhere that has a coast to Meditterranean Sea and I want to setup a reef aquarium that will be long running. Last time I went swimming to the Mediterranean Sea, I saw many magnificent coloured fish and creatures. That urged me to set up a meditterranean sea aquarium. Than I researched on internet that what kind of creatures that I can find in the sea and keep successfully in a reef aquarium.

I have found a couple of creatures that I want to share here.

1. Snakelock anemone(anemonia viridis) I know that this specimen is very hardy and very nice coloration. I wonder there is anyone who kept this with tomato clown fish living together.
2169297473_148fcd5de3_b.jpg

2. Apogon Imbertis (mediterranean Cardinalfish) the orange coloration, nice two lines on eyes and mouth breeding of this fish struck me and I want to keep it.

3. Tomato clownfish: this is also a very nice fish and I like to keep it a lot. this is not a Mediterranean fish though.

4. Mediterranean rainbow wrasse(cords julis):

5. Meditterranean boxer shrimp(stenopus spinosus):



I am open to any suggestions and opinions for keeping these creatures successfully and with that, I would like to enhance my knowledge in reef keeping. I am also open to any reef books and articles that might be relevant and significant. Many thanks.

Kind regards,
Ahmet

I have about 10 snakelock anemones. They are very hardy and multiply rapidly. They do not host clowns though and pack a serious punch/sting. The tank they are in, only have clowns and bubbletips. They will kill other fish and corals with their sting so I keep them confined. Mine are green, pink and tanned.