FiRsT pRoP sYsTeM, cOmMeNtS PlEaSe!!!!

[fish lad]

hi all

right, i have been keeping marines a while now and would like to start a prop tank for xenia, rics and mushrooms. you know the easy types then sell them on the web or at club meets

i want to do this to cover my costs on salt and get new species with swaps and that, and i do not think anyone can justify spending £200 a year on salt (and yeah im english)

basicly i have the problem of space, i am only 16 so pretty much it has to be in my room. so noise is a lil factor

i was thinking a 36"l x 24" w and 7" height. would this be reasonable? also what thickness of glass do you recomend?
flow would be a MJ 1200 on its own would this cover it?
lighting would be 2 36W 50/50 pc bulbs, will this be too much for rics?

also how are you lot filtering your tanks? i just spent 2 hours going through the "show off your prop systems" and see no rocks at all.

and last question for now, do i need a skimmer for this?

thanks a lot in advance

steve

[jake levi]

For starters you have 3 genus that have 3 different lighting requirements.

Xenia need more light then the other two, mushrms do better in low lights and ricordea are in between, they could do alright with the xenia, the mushrms will turn brown with overproducing xanthallae. They'll grow alright but losee their bright colors for the brown, also, they dont do as well in the
heavier water flow the xenia like.

Whynot just get a couple 20Longs ? With a 4' shop lite over them and if you want more light for the xenia just put a clampon spot from the hardware store with a 26watt compact flo in it.

I like live rock so ahve it in all tanks. Different strokes for different folks, use what you like. A couple HOB filters would do the tanks with a small powerhead on the opposite end, mushrooms actually dont need the extra powerhead.

A couple 20s will give you experience and wont be a lot to take care of. I do advise a substrate of crushed coral for the buffering. Follow th KISS prinicple for now. I doubt you'll need a skimmer.Noise would be negligible 10' away.

[fish lad]

can i ahve the diamensions of a 20 long please, we do not have them over here

but i do have a 30" x 12" x 15" sitting here doing nothing

[jake levi]

For all practical purposes that is a 20L, only difference is a 20 is 13" H and 12.5" wide.

So take two of those, put your xenia, ricordea , anthelia and other light and water movement likers in that and the mushrms and other low light low water movement ones in that.

a 20-26 watt flo will raise very nice discosoma and sarcophytons and sinularia.

[fish lad]

thanks jake