Im25 Lagoon Build Thread

In the meantime I've been looking up fish to see if I can figure out a stocking idea. Haven't gotten very far with that though.

Do you have a favorite fish that you just really must have in this tank? If you can give us a starting point, we'd love to help you figure out the rest. I also find liveaquaria to be a good tool to start your research. You can sort the fish by size there and then see a lot of options. Pick a few you like and then do further research. It' s a great place to look around even if you're not buying from them.

 

I second liveaquaria as a good starting point for looking up the basics for fish/inverts/corals ... pay attention to tank size and aggression/feeding habits for sure ... I feel this site helps to rule fish out from the get go or allow for more research for desired fish.

 

I got my order from BRS from cyber week today ... it was like early Christmas. so fun! I got some flatworm exit, a frag rack, an algae sheet feeder thing, an ORP probe for the apex (only one I didn’t have), calibration fluid for probe, some Clownfish food, and a couple stray current probes. Oddly, there are no instructions so I’ll have to look them up.

Full Apex system?

 

Do you have a favorite fish that you just really must have in this tank? If you can give us a starting point, we'd love to help you figure out the rest. I also find liveaquaria to be a good tool to start your research. You can sort the fish by size there and then see a lot of options. Pick a few you like and then do further research. It' s a great place to look around even if you're not buying from them.

Well I'd really like a "pygmy" wrasse or a fang blenny. I've done research on all the fish that would possible to keep in a 25 gallon tank. I was thinking for a stock a cleaner shrimp, single clown, fang blenny, "pygmy" wrasse, a shrimp goby W/ pistol shrimp, and lastly the cleanup crew (few snails). The list on the first page is pretty much all the fish I like, that can go into a 25 gallon tank, if that helps at all.

Most likely I'll order all the livestock except for coral off of LiveAquaria because I've had good experiences with them in the past.

 

I second liveaquaria as a good starting point for looking up the basics for fish/inverts/corals ... pay attention to tank size and aggression/feeding habits for sure ... I feel this site helps to rule fish out from the get go or allow for more research for desired fish.

I went to LiveAquaria originally and found fish I like that can go into a 30 gallon and below. Then Looked at aggression and ease of care. Then I looked at feeding habitats and coral compatibility. Then I went and did research on every single one singly.

 

Well I'd really like a "pygmy" wrasse or a fang blenny. I've done research on all the fish that would possible to keep in a 25 gallon tank. I was thinking for a stock a cleaner shrimp, single clown, fang blenny, "pygmy" wrasse, a shrimp goby W/ pistol shrimp, and lastly the cleanup crew (few snails). The list on the first page is pretty much all the fish I like, that can go into a 25 gallon tank, if that helps at all.

I think your stock sounds pretty awesome. I remember reading about fang blennies before. Which species are you going with? Are you thinking of a designer clown? There's lots of shrimp gobies too, I quite like the yasha and the yellow watchman. Whichever species you go with, I think it sounds like a nice stock for your tank.

So I guess you're planning on getting all the fish at the same time? Sorry to say it, but I wouldn't. Your more timid species might dart into hiding and not want to come out. If you could, it would be best to stock the pygmy wrasse, goby and the pistol or both shrimp before you stock the fang blenny and the clown. If I were ordering online I'd do the wrasse, goby & pistol first, then the clown, blenny and cleaner later. You just want to give the more timid species a chance to get comfortable before introducing aggressors.

Will you be able to qt? It's no good to have to medicate in a tank with corals, because there are very few medicines that they will tolerate.

 

Full Apex system?

The rest of us are very jealous!!!

 

I think your stock sounds pretty awesome. I remember reading about fang blennies before. Which species are you going with? Are you thinking of a designer clown? There's lots of shrimp gobies too, I quite like the yasha and the yellow watchman. Whichever species you go with, I think it sounds like a nice stock for your tank.

So I guess you're planning on getting all the fish at the same time? Sorry to say it, but I wouldn't. Your more timid species might dart into hiding and not want to come out. If you could, it would be best to stock the pygmy wrasse, goby and the pistol or both shrimp before you stock the fang blenny and the clown. If I were ordering online I'd do the wrasse, goby & pistol first, then the clown, blenny and cleaner later. You just want to give the more timid species a chance to get comfortable before introducing aggressors.

Will you be able to qt? It's no good to have to medicate in a tank with corals, because there are very few medicines that they will tolerate.

For fang blennies I was thinking a harptail blenny. I read that their one of the smallest fang blennies and are the most peaceful as well. Plus I like their coloring, it's nice but not too colorful that they'll be too much of a centerpiece. They also spend a lot of time swimming about also, but I think most fang blennies do anyways. I am leaning to designer clowns though. Most likely a naked, misbar or an mocha/ caramel variant of misbar. For the shrimp goby I really like the pink bars or even the randals.

Oh no, I never stock all at once. I am definitely gonna take 3-6 months to stock (I like to make sure the bacteria are adequate to handle the extra fish for a while). I am ordering all the stock online because there's no LFS near me that do saltwater except for your typical plain clown and chromis. There's a place a hour away but their hours are too weird for me to be able to go over with sports and everything else I have going on.

I did have a tank but my twin wanted it so he can make a dutch style planted tank. He really likes freshwater, he has 4 tanks. So I gave it to him. So I need to decide on what to do about a QT tank. Any suggestions on how to set that up and what equipment to use?

 

Full Apex system?

Yep! Not sure I could do this big tank without it! I’ve been ADHD my whole life and am super forgetful, distractible. I know it’s pricey and it came with my setup, but it was on my list of things to buy even before I got the setup I have. For me it’s totally worth it! I have everything but feeding automated. I do that randomly. I don’t feed every day and I mix it up between pellets, flakes and frozen. I have pumps and everything tied to feed timers to go off for a certain amount of time and come back on in an order I choose. This allows my return pump to level out the sump before my ATO kicks back on and screams because there is too much water. I have all the probes and do use them, but I also use my refractometer to check the SG and just use the probe to keep an eye on it. You can see the graph where it goes slightly up and down between top offs. I also use the temp probe to control heaters. I have 1 heater set as normal. I have a second heater controlled by apex. If temp goes above a certain level both shut off and lights shut off. I don’t think I get a lot of heat from my kessils, especially since it’s open top ... I also control my kessils from apex ... my mp10 and gyre too ... I love the eb8 and that each individual plug is controllable. I have a classic but there are some pretty cool features for the new model. I think if I ever have the money I’ll upgrade and move this setup to another tank or sell it. I doubt that’ll be any time soon! I’m sure I have a lot to learn about using the apex but I definitely love it!

 

I went to LiveAquaria originally and found fish I like that can go into a 30 gallon and below. Then Looked at aggression and ease of care. Then I looked at feeding habitats and coral compatibility. Then I went and did research on every single one singly.

That’s awesome!! I think I did the same thing! I bought my setup fully stocked with a clown, coral beauty, sixline wrasse and clown tang. I researched each one. Clown tang had to go to a bigger Home! I then searched and searched before deciding to add some banggaI cardinals, lawnmower blenny and a kole tang. So far it seems to be a nice happy family! Now I’m just trying to decide if I want to leave the clowns (I moved the clown to my 29 cube and got her a mate ... both currently in QT) alone or get them a blenny or something. I really love my lawnmower blenny! But I’d also like to have a tailspot blenny. Still deciding there. No rush!

 

So I need to decide on what to do about a QT tank. Any suggestions on how to set that up and what equipment to use?

I have a 20g, so like you, will only have to qt smaller fish. So, for my qt I have a 5 gallon with an Aquaclear 20 HOB and a nano pump like this....



for increased surface agitation and flow. In the filter I just have the standard biomedia and floss. It's barebottomed with a small heater and has 2 inch PVC elbows that the fish can use for hides. You never know, you may have an illness and/or have to use meds in qt. Rock and sand can carry pathogens and absorb meds, so it's best not to have that stuff in qt. I hung a shop lamp with a 6700K cfl bulb in it over the tank. The light is capable of growing plants and algae, so help to 'age' the tank, and the fish will get used to being in a lit tank. It's all pretty cheap and simple, plus it has a very small footprint. I've got mine out of the way on top of a short bookshelf.

 

Yep! Not sure I could do this big tank without it! I’ve been ADHD my whole life and am super forgetful, distractible. I know it’s pricey and it came with my setup, but it was on my list of things to buy even before I got the setup I have. For me it’s totally worth it! I have everything but feeding automated. I do that randomly. I don’t feed every day and I mix it up between pellets, flakes and frozen. I have pumps and everything tied to feed timers to go off for a certain amount of time and come back on in an order I choose. This allows my return pump to level out the sump before my ATO kicks back on and screams because there is too much water. I have all the probes and do use them, but I also use my refractometer to check the SG and just use the probe to keep an eye on it. You can see the graph where it goes slightly up and down between top offs. I also use the temp probe to control heaters. I have 1 heater set as normal. I have a second heater controlled by apex. If temp goes above a certain level both shut off and lights shut off. I don’t think I get a lot of heat from my kessils, especially since it’s open top ... I also control my kessils from apex ... my mp10 and gyre too ... I love the eb8 and that each individual plug is controllable. I have a classic but there are some pretty cool features for the new model. I think if I ever have the money I’ll upgrade and move this setup to another tank or sell it. I doubt that’ll be any time soon! I’m sure I have a lot to learn about using the apex but I definitely love it!

Wow sounds impressive. I hope to have a tank like that when I’m older and out of college and such.

 

I have a 20g, so like you, will only have to qt smaller fish. So, for my qt I have a 5 gallon with an Aquaclear 20 HOB and a nano pump like this....



for increased surface agitation and flow. In the filter I just have the standard biomedia and floss. It's barebottomed with a small heater and has 2 inch PVC elbows that the fish can use for hides. You never know, you may have an illness and/or have to use meds in qt. Rock and sand can carry pathogens and absorb meds, so it's best not to have that stuff in qt. I hung a shop lamp with a 6700K cfl bulb in it over the tank. The light is capable of growing plants and algae, so help to 'age' the tank, and the fish will get used to being in a lit tank. It's all pretty cheap and simple, plus it has a very small footprint. I've got mine out of the way on top of a short bookshelf.

I think I’ll do something like that. That sounds just like my freshwater QT though.

 

My freshwater QT was exactly the same before I started using a sponge filter there instead of an HOB. My qt's sit right next to each other and look nearly identical. The difference is flow rate and saltwater.

 

Alright so next I’m wondering is about coral. I know Coral depends on lights and flow rate. But what would be some good starter corals? Like something easy to care for and is decently hardy.

 

Pulsing xenia and green star polyps are softies and super easy. Be careful with them though, they can grow well enough to take over, so it's best not to attach these guys to your main structure. I keep xenia on it's own rocks in the sand. A lot of folks say that zoanthids, (another softie), are easy too, and while it can be true, it's not always so. It may be dependant on species. For example, a lot of people report super slow growth with a designer variety called Rastas. I have a small frag of those zoas and they have given me so much trouble! Don't let me throw you off of zoas though. Plenty of people have better luck with them than I have.

Another I've found to be easy going and a fast grower would be a Duncan, which is an LPS. Other LPS's I've had good luck with are acanthastrea, a candy cane trumpet coral and favias. My tank is only about 6 months old and is under T5 lighting, (though I will be upgrading to LED), but most of my corals are doing quite well. If you'd like, you can see a list of what I have in post #1 of the thread linked in my signature. There's quite a few good examples here of great 'beginner's' tanks. Here's a couple that come to mind.... thesoulpatch KristaD

Souls Adventure!
Kristad's Salt Aquarium

 

Pulsing xenia and green star polyps are softies and super easy. Be careful with them though, they can grow well enough to take over, so it's best not to attach these guys to your main structure. I keep xenia on it's own rocks in the sand. A lot of folks say that zoanthids, (another softie), are easy too, and while it can be true, it's not always so. It may be dependant on species. For example, a lot of people report super slow growth with a designer variety called Rastas. I have a small frag of those zoas and they have given me so much trouble! Don't let me throw you off of zoas though. Plenty of people have better luck with them than I have.

Another I've found to be easy going and a fast grower would be a Duncan, which is an LPS. Other LPS's I've had good luck with are acanthastrea, a candy cane trumpet coral and favias. My tank is only about 6 months old and is under T5 lighting, (though I will be upgrading to LED), but most of my corals are doing quite well. If you'd like, you can see a list of what I have in post #1 of the thread linked in my signature. There's quite a few good examples here of great 'beginner's' tanks. Here's a couple that come to mind.... thesoulpatch KristaD

Souls Adventure!
Kristad's Salt Aquarium

I was looking around on YouTube and online, and found those come up a lot. I do like how they look though.

I’ll check those out through the school day.

 

I was looking around on YouTube and online, and found those come up a lot. I do like how they look though.

I’ll check those out through the school day.

I can tell it’s getting close to a holiday. I need to teach but I want to look at fish tank threads all day!

 

Wow sounds impressive. I hope to have a tank like that when I’m older and out of college and such.

Thanks! I always dreamed of having a tank like this and I could never even have fish growing up because my mom has a phobia of them. She can’t stand to look at them! Not even cartoon fish for some reason! anyway ... went to get our son a betta and “small tank” last June and left with no fish and a 38 gallon bowfront setup! That quickly exploded to tanks all over the house! Finally downsizing and paying more attention to sw! Got my first tank setup right at a year ago and then this tank fell in my lap in April! It was a deal I couldn’t pass up! So now I’m just working on downsizing my fw tanks and getting more organized!

 

Alright so next I’m wondering is about coral. I know Coral depends on lights and flow rate. But what would be some good starter corals? Like something easy to care for and is decently hardy.

Easy ones are usually going to be soft corals, meaning no skeleton. They can usually handle less pristine water and don’t use as much calc, Alk and mag as those building skeletons, so those parameters usually stay in check with regular water changes.

Next are going to be your LPS. Large polyp stony. These are things like acans, trumpets, hammers, blastos ... these all build a skeleton and form a colony over time ... often in the shape of a ball if left alone. Sometimes they will follow the contour of the rock and build less skeleton. These will need closer attention to calc, Alk and mag parameters.

Next is your SPS. Small polyp stony. These are the sticks and plates most of the time. Acros, stylos, birdsnest, monti, chalice ... most require very stable parameters and use a lot of calc, Alk and mag to build skeletons. Most people with LPS and SPS dominated tanks end up dosing one or more of these parameters at some point. It will depend on your amount of corals, size/growth rate of colonies and type of salt used so there is no standard for when to dose. Just watch parameters.

Lastly are NPS. Non photosynthetic corals. These are like the beloved Dendros a few of us have. These guys require regular feedings to thrive. They don’t host the symbiotic algae like the other corals do. I don’t feed my dendros daily like some people say. I have lots of fish and I’m sure there is plenty fish poop and food bits though. In an extremely clean tank I wouldn’t suggest this! I also target feed every head really well about once a week. They are popping out new heads and opening really big! These guys also build skeletons!

Like fish, do lots of research! Don’t impulse buy corals as they too have differing needs for light, flow, water parameters and fish compatibility. Certain fish are prone to eat spicy fix corals. (Lol maybe they are spicy? Specific! ) lol also, some are very passive and others are quite aggressive with long sweeping/feeding/stinging tentacles! This will need to be taken into account when placing. I also wouldn’t get something that grows extremely large extremely fast as it will likely outgrow the tank quickly. (Example: though technically not a coral, certain anemones get HUGE! You also want to wait for a nicely aged tank for a nem. About a year.)

Ask lots of questions! I have a ton of corals. Some I’ve done extremely well with and some I’ve failed severely with! Don’t let failure stop you. Just use it as a tool and keep going!

Ones I might recommend after the tank is nicely cycled ... and probably not right off the bat. Mushrooms, zoas, leathers ... maybe some LPS like acans, trumpet or Duncan ... personally I’d wait on euphyllia, especially torches, as I think they are a little more sensitive and need a better established tank. I grow hammers and frogspawn well but have 1 remaining torch out of 4 or 5 and my tank is quite established. Easier sps I’ve noticed to be stylo/pocillopora (I can’t grow birdsnest to save my life) and montI cap or Hollywood stunner chalice. I wouldn’t start here though ... but I wouldn’t call those hard.

 

I can tell it’s getting close to a holiday. I need to teach but I want to look at fish tank threads all day!

I read half of one of the threads. My teachers didn’t give as much work as usual so I had lots of time today to do whatever.

 

Easy ones are usually going to be soft corals, meaning no skeleton. They can usually handle less pristine water and don’t use as much calc, Alk and mag as those building skeletons, so those parameters usually stay in check with regular water changes.

Next are going to be your LPS. Large polyp stony. These are things like acans, trumpets, hammers, blastos ... these all build a skeleton and form a colony over time ... often in the shape of a ball if left alone. Sometimes they will follow the contour of the rock and build less skeleton. These will need closer attention to calc, Alk and mag parameters.

Next is your SPS. Small polyp stony. These are the sticks and plates most of the time. Acros, stylos, birdsnest, monti, chalice ... most require very stable parameters and use a lot of calc, Alk and mag to build skeletons. Most people with LPS and SPS dominated tanks end up dosing one or more of these parameters at some point. It will depend on your amount of corals, size/growth rate of colonies and type of salt used so there is no standard for when to dose. Just watch parameters.

Lastly are NPS. Non photosynthetic corals. These are like the beloved Dendros a few of us have. These guys require regular feedings to thrive. They don’t host the symbiotic algae like the other corals do. I don’t feed my dendros daily like some people say. I have lots of fish and I’m sure there is plenty fish poop and food bits though. In an extremely clean tank I wouldn’t suggest this! I also target feed every head really well about once a week. They are popping out new heads and opening really big! These guys also build skeletons!

Like fish, do lots of research! Don’t impulse buy corals as they too have differing needs for light, flow, water parameters and fish compatibility. Certain fish are prone to eat spicy fix corals. (Lol maybe they are spicy? Specific! ) lol also, some are very passive and others are quite aggressive with long sweeping/feeding/stinging tentacles! This will need to be taken into account when placing. I also wouldn’t get something that grows extremely large extremely fast as it will likely outgrow the tank quickly. (Example: though technically not a coral, certain anemones get HUGE! You also want to wait for a nicely aged tank for a nem. About a year.)

Ask lots of questions! I have a ton of corals. Some I’ve done extremely well with and some I’ve failed severely with! Don’t let failure stop you. Just use it as a tool and keep going!

Ones I might recommend after the tank is nicely cycled ... and probably not right off the bat. Mushrooms, zoas, leathers ... maybe some LPS like acans, trumpet or Duncan ... personally I’d wait on euphyllia, especially torches, as I think they are a little more sensitive and need a better established tank. I grow hammers and frogspawn well but have 1 remaining torch out of 4 or 5 and my tank is quite established. Easier sps I’ve noticed to be stylo/pocillopora (I can’t grow birdsnest to save my life) and montI cap or Hollywood stunner chalice. I wouldn’t start here though ... but I wouldn’t call those hard.

I’ve done extensive research on most those corals and I’ve watched vids to see what people recommended for beginner corals. I have ideas on what I want but nothing set In stone cause it’s all dependent on my tank layout

 

So I ended up not ordering anything today since we got snow around were I live. I've also been pretty busy, but I have been looking for some good deals and I see some on Marine Depot. So I hope to place an order by wednesday.

 

So after some researching I’m indesive between an AI Hydra 26 or 2 AI Prime HDs. Does anyone got any opinions on them?

 

I don't have an AI, and never have. What I do know is that Nart runs a beautiful and growing mixed reef, in an IM25, under a single AI Prime HD. I know he's put quite a lot of research into his lighting and has measured the PAR that light puts out in the tank. He may have even experimented with an additional AI, but I'm not sure about that.

 

Depends what you are corals you are planning to keep in the IM25 will determine what you need.

1 x AI Prime HD is plenty for all softie corals, LPS corals, and easy SPS/some hard SPS corals.
If you are planning on a SPS dominant tank, then you'll either want 2 x AI Prime HD or 1 x Hydra 26 HD.

I would personally go with 1 x AI Prime HD to begin with... and if you require more lighting... you can always buy another AI Prime HD.
Essentially the Hydra 26HD is the same as 2 x AI Prime HD. Except that the light clusters are closer together in the Hydra 26HD. Whereas if you have 2 individual AI Prime HD, you have the option to adjust the angle and height for each puck.

I've had great success growing corals with just 1 x AI Prime HD in the IM25. Ample lighting for all the corals.
I tried tossing on the second one, but I ended up burning some of my corals because I was not able to dial down the correct intensity setting, so currently I am just running 1 AI Prime HD in a mixed reef.

Hope this helps.

 

Depends what you are corals you are planning to keep in the IM25 will determine what you need.

1 x AI Prime HD is plenty for all softie corals, LPS corals, and easy SPS/some hard SPS corals.
If you are planning on a SPS dominant tank, then you'll either want 2 x AI Prime HD or 1 x Hydra 26 HD.

I would personally go with 1 x AI Prime HD to begin with... and if you require more lighting... you can always buy another AI Prime HD.
Essentially the Hydra 26HD is the same as 2 x AI Prime HD. Except that the light clusters are closer together in the Hydra 26HD. Whereas if you have 2 individual AI Prime HD, you have the option to adjust the angle and height for each puck.

I've had great success growing corals with just 1 x AI Prime HD in the IM25. Ample lighting for all the corals.
I tried tossing on the second one, but I ended up burning some of my corals because I was not able to dial down the correct intensity setting, so currently I am just running 1 AI Prime HD in a mixed reef.

Hope this helps.

I’ll try one AI Prime HD and if need be, I’ll get another. But if I can find a Hydra 26 on sale for a decent amount I’ll most likely get that. Since if I eve have to get a second light it’d be cheaper.

 

The rocks just came in!

 

Alright so time for a update!
I’m torn between a few scape ideas. I’ve gotten lots of cheaper stuff in the meantime too. Next I’m getting the RODI System and then I’m gonna make my Saltwater mixing station.

 

Great to see an update! Torn between scapes you say? Well, I'll share a some things that came to mind after it was too late to change my own scape... lol. First, I wish I had more sand space available for the species that I now know I prefer to keep in the sand. Some would require a small rock to get started on but not all. Currently I have rock flower anemones and favias whose permanent spots are at the bottom. I'd also like to have a lobo or two and a clam someday. Add this to the small rocks that I have to keep xenia, which I like, but don't want on my main structure. I also wouldn't mind a small island with green star polyps. Either of these might take over a rockscape, but are beautiful, so best kept isolated. So, you see the idea... there's a lot of stuff that likes low light or is best kept away from your scape, so consider that with your scaping, and leave more open sand if you can. It was definitely a big project for him, but I love Nart 's IM25 scape. He's utilized the rock very well and has plenty of room for coral placement, yet the sand is almost completely open. I guess it's a personal choice, but I think that type of scape gives you the best options if you want a full mixed reef someday.

Really consider the other corals you want too. For instance, might you want an acan or zoanthid garden? You'll need some good surface area for either. Perhaps you'll want to try some SPS corals some day, and they generally like high light and flow. The branching types can create a lot of shade below them though, so better consider where your high points are going to be in relation to the areas that you want for lower light corals.

Anyhow, I didn't mean to go on and on. I rushed things a bit in my excitement to get my tank running, and while I love the look of my scape, there are some challenges in placing corals. Hope this helps!

 

Great to see an update! Torn between scapes you say? Well, I'll share a some things that came to mind after it was too late to change my own scape... lol. First, I wish I had more sand space available for the species that I now know I prefer to keep in the sand. Some would require a small rock to get started on but not all. Currently I have rock flower anemones and favias whose permanent spots are at the bottom. I'd also like to have a lobo or two and a clam someday. Add this to the small rocks that I have to keep xenia, which I like, but don't want on my main structure. I also wouldn't mind a small island with green star polyps. Either of these might take over a rockscape, but are beautiful, so best kept isolated. So, you see the idea... there's a lot of stuff that likes low light or is best kept away from your scape, so consider that with your scaping, and leave more open sand if you can. It was definitely a big project for him, but I love Nart 's IM25 scape. He's utilized the rock very well and has plenty of room for coral placement, yet the sand is almost completely open. I guess it's a personal choice, but I think that type of scape gives you the best options if you want a full mixed reef someday.

Really consider the other corals you want too. For instance, might you want an acan or zoanthid garden? You'll need some good surface area for either. Perhaps you'll want to try some SPS corals some day, and they generally like high light and flow. The branching types can create a lot of shade below them though, so better consider where your high points are going to be in relation to the areas that you want for lower light corals.

Anyhow, I didn't mean to go on and on. I rushed things a bit in my excitement to get my tank running, and while I love the look of my scape, there are some challenges in placing corals. Hope this helps!

Yea I’ve taken all of that into consideration. But still torn between minimalistic scape idea or possibly something that’s interesting like a mix between pillars and arches. I’ll post the pics I’ve taken of ideas I️ like. But I’d really like welso/ trachy (Supposedly if I️ remember correctly they’re classified the same thing now)some day too. Possibly even scolys and lobos as well.

 

 

 

They all look good ,I like it too look as natural as possible not like some crazy atlantian ruin lol. The first one leaves room to add islands if you want.

 

They all look good ,I like it too look as natural as possible not like some crazy atlantian ruin lol. The first one leaves room to add islands if you want.

Yea I’m leaning towards that one. Leaves the ability to have islands for corals such as Xenia and GSP.

 

They all look good ,I like it too look as natural as possible not like some crazy atlantian ruin lol. The first one leaves room to add islands if you want.

Yea I’m leaning towards that one. Leaves the ability to have islands for corals such as Xenia and GSP.

 

Well I haven’t kept this thread up to date since I’ve been busy. But... something came in yesterday

 

Ru-roh... When I click the link, it leads to an error.

 

Ru-roh... When I click the link, it leads to an error.

Really? That’s weird. Well I got the Aquatic Life 3 Stage RO System and the Dual DI System

 

Awesome!

 

Awesome!

Just need to get salt and a light and I’ll be starting to cycle the tank while I get ready my quarantine tank.

 

So yesterday I went to my LFS and they have a tomato Clown. He’s about an inch and a half. I know he’s been there for a few months. And a few times I’ve seen him with ick but he’s still goin.
I’ve read up on the tomato clowns and looked up care requirements, tank mates, etc. I was wondering if I could get a tomato Clown instead of a percula/ ocellaris? And if so what changed would I have to make to my stocking plan?

 

So yesterday I went to my LFS and they have a tomato Clown. He’s about an inch and a half. I know he’s been there for a few months. And a few times I’ve seen him with ick but he’s still goin.
I’ve read up on the tomato clowns and looked up care requirements, tank mates, etc. I was wondering if I could get a tomato Clown instead of a percula/ ocellaris? And if so what changed would I have to make to my stocking plan?

Hmmm. I think I’m leaning towards no now... I’ve read lots of stories of where they get very dominant and that seems like that could for sure be a problem

 

Hmmm. I think I’m leaning towards no now... I’ve read lots of stories of where they get very dominant and that seems like that could for sure be a problem

I was going to say the same. Clowns can certainly have attitudes, but I've read that the larger varieties like tomatoes and maroons are much worse for aggression than perc/oc clowns. Also, the IM25 is BEAUTIFUL tank, but remember that a 25 is still considered a nano. If a fish has reputation for aggression, you can be sure it will arise in tighter spaces.

 

I was going to say the same. Clowns can certainly have attitudes, but I've read that the larger varieties like tomatoes and maroons are much worse for aggression than perc/oc clowns. Also, the IM25 is BEAUTIFUL tank, but remember that a 25 is still considered a nano. If a fish has reputation for aggression, you can be sure it will arise in tighter spaces.

Yea that’s what I was thinking. Thanks for replying

 

Quick Update! So I finally got my RODI unit set up and flushed. Now just for the lights, salt and refractometer

 

Yay! A very important part of the process is done, and that always feels good. Starting with RODI from the get go is a smart move. No hauling water from the LFS for you.

 

Yay! A very important part of the process is done, and that always feels good. Starting with RODI from the get go is a smart move. No hauling water from the LFS for you.

Yeah, getting one was a priority. I don't think any of my LFS actually carry RODI water except for one 45mins away... So I'm glad I thought ahead. Another benefit of it is, I can mix water for my high tech planted tank too, so I can-control dosing and algae more aswell.

 

I mix RO into Freshwater tanks to make softer water for the fish we want. My tap is harder than a rock! Also, don't forget that you can drink RO instead of buying bottled water.

 

I mix RO into Freshwater tanks to make softer water for the fish we want. My tap is harder than a rock! Also, don't forget that you can drink RO instead of buying bottled water.

That's what I'm doing currently until I get Salty Shrimp Remineralizer.