Green Mandarin.....

[fish_NEMO]

What do you think of this set-up.....
This is what ive got....

Display aquarium - 915 x 450 x 450mm (48gallons)
Sump - 600 x 300 x 300mm (10gallons)

Thats all the equipment that i have at the moment, i havnt got the sump divided into chambers yet its just a simple aquarium at the moment, not shure how i should get i done thow, any plans would be good, of someones else......

for my livestock -

50lbs of Indo-Pacific LR
i want 1 1/2 inch of LS how much would i nead also from Indo-Pacific

For my Livestock i was thinking this -

- Green Mandarin (3)
- Kaudern's Cardinal (3)
- Tomato Clownfish (2)

- Carnation Tree Coral, Blood Red (1)
- Brain Coral (1)
- Brain Worm Platygyra Coral (1)
- Spotted Mushroom (1)
- Thin Finger Leather Coral (1)
- Brain Coral, Trachyphyllia (1)
- Green Fluorescent Mushroom (1)
- Red Mushroom (1)
- Brain Coral, Wellsophyllia (1)

- Electric Blue Hermit Crab (15)
- Marble Sea Star (1)
- Blood Red Fire Shrimp (1)
- Banded Trochus Snail (30)
- Ritteri Anemone (1)
- Maxima Clam (1)

With the fish i plan to try to breed them but not that bothered, with the Corals do i have to many? will they cover my tank nicely? with my inverts do i have a big enouf clean up crew?

with the equipment i am going to go through and add the equipment as i go!

INPUT!:rollface:

[Alaskan Reefer]

I'd avoid the green mandarin in a tank so small. They generally eat pods only, and supporting just one often takes a big display tank and a big refugium. A low percentage of them will eat other things -- good idea to find a mandarin that's already eating prepared foods before buying or it will most likely starve. You've got plenty of livestock to fill the tank.

[Teremei]

that (3) you posted I'm hoping your not planning 3 mandarins in a 48. A male and female mandarin would be ok in a 6 mo. old 120 gallon (minimum)

Your tank would be ok with 1 green mandarin. The 4 most important things. .

Lots of live rock
tank matured for over 6 months
attached refugium breeding ground for pods
get one that eats frozen before you bring him home.

I've had one successfully for 6 months so far based on these 4 things. And he was very thin when I got him. He even ate frozen there, they just weren't feeding him enough. They also didn't have 80# of LR like I do.

[Teremei]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6935611#post6935611 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Alaskan Reefer
I'd avoid the green mandarin in a tank so small. They generally eat pods only, and supporting just one often takes a big display tank and a big refugium. A low percentage of them will eat other things -- good idea to find a mandarin that's already eating prepared foods before buying or it will most likely starve. You've got plenty of livestock to fill the tank.

Yes and also you have to be ready to take special care of these guys (unless you have a HUGE tank with TONS of LR). . You can't just squirt food in the water and expect the mandarin will get fed. You've got to get a clear jar on the sand and manually get some good food in there. (mysis, frozen brine soaked in selco, formula 1 pellets, ect. . .)

[travisurfer]

id add a lot more rock if you want a HAPPY mandarin

[Swanwillow]

justto add- another no to a mandarin, much less three...

and I doubt you'll see much, if any breeding in that tank-the corals are all going to have a hey-day eating any eggs/babies produced.

a fish instead of the mandarin that noone thinkis of: leaffish, is one... they need to be fed live ghost shrimp and things like that. BUT they are cool!!!

but, with 3 cardinals, 2 clowns, I am thinking only one more fish. It doesn't seem like a heck of alot, but it really is. LESS IS BEST!

[fish_NEMO]

OK so what if i got only 2 Mandarins, buy them only if their eating frozen foods, and mayby get some more LR mayby 55-60LBS? they are really beautiful fish and i really dont want to give them up, regarding the breeding my goal latter in life is to breed Tangs so i want to get a huge amount of breeding knowledge under my belt, and i really dont mind if many dont survive ill just transfor as many as possable to another spare 10gallon that i have..... also if i get Mandarins at a small enuf stage can i get them to switch to flake/frozen? is it hard?

[gtriamy]

if u get 2 mandarins, u better make sure they"re mated, 50 gallons doesn't really seem like there's enough room anyways. i'd say go with one, if u REALLY are dead set on one, and try and get one that is already trained on eating frozen food, and if u do find this, don't EVER, under any conditions, allow the animal to be fed live food, this will extinguish any behavior constraints for feeding.

[Teremei]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6937390#post6937390 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gtriamy
if u get 2 mandarins, u better make sure they"re mated, 50 gallons doesn't really seem like there's enough room anyways. i'd say go with one, if u REALLY are dead set on one, and try and get one that is already trained on eating frozen food, and if u do find this, don't EVER, under any conditions, allow the animal to be fed live food, this will extinguish any behavior constraints for feeding.

I don't know where you got this info. My mandarin eats pods and from time to time when I want to feed him he eats frozen. Then goes back to pods. He will NEVER stop searching for live food. That is their natural survival behavior.

[fish_NEMO]

are the corals in my tank hard to keep? or are they easy?

[fish_NEMO]

what is a Green Spoted Puffer? how big do they get? are they marine safe?

[Teremei]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6940723#post6940723 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fish_NEMO
are the corals in my tank hard to keep? or are they easy?

Not neccessarily. But you'll need alot of light for those brains. I'd go atleast T5 or VHO. 300w atleast.

[fish_NEMO]

can anyone give me some links to what these lights look like, cus ive been told that 36watt special designed bulbs will do it?

http://www.worldofwater.co.nz/index.php?cat_id=86&catname='T8%20Tubes%20Saltwater'

[Teremei]

you've been REALLY misinformed if they told you, you can keep ANYTHING in a 36w light. Even mushrooms won't thrive very well (even though they MAY survive). .

I'll let someone else post a link. Put it this way. I bought a $50 favites brain and after a few weeks wasn't looking very good. I gave it away because I wanted it to survive. And I'VE got a 200 watt PC (power compact = low end of the light styles). 2 weeks later in a friends better lighting, the brain is better.

You should take some time and do a lot more reading before you jump into this. Research each individual fish, and coral seperately hear and read alot. Because there can be alot of hardships in this hobby if you are not well informed.

[fish_NEMO]

I have read alot about my corals and invert also my fish but i am still not shure how it works? cus SERA is a top brand in Great Britian.... and i dont know why they would say this.......

Sera Blue Sky - Bright blue, intense daylight for freshwater and marine aquariums.

- Bright as the tropical daylight sky
- Stimulates light conditions of the tropical reivers and lakes

Sera Deep Sea Special - Actinic blue light

- Specific Spectrum from 380-450NM, stimulates deepwater light
- Stimulates light condtions of the natural reefs
- Promotes coral and ornamental algae growth
- intensifies colours of invertebrtes

I dont get it, this is a top brand of aquarium gear, i dont think you can buy better where i live.... (very expensize) what type of lighting system should i be getting then?

[Teremei]

I don't know maybe NZ $ is more than US and it just threw me off? I'm not sure maybe they are just termed differently (the watts).

So I better let someone else come in here who can figure this out. Because I am stumped. I'll just leave you with this. For the types of corals you want, the type of light you will require, will be atleast around $250 US. Because those brains require alot of light. You should also try to feed them once a week or so. (frozen meaty food like mysis and shrimp peices)

[fish_NEMO]

Does anyone have any links to a site where they sell GOOD sumps, just so i know what i should be looking for?

[Swanwillow]

okokok, SLOW DOWN....

first, if yuo want corals, you'll need ALOT of wattage for your lights. The only aussie/NZ people I know are down in the seahorse forum... you MAY sneak down there, and ask them where to buy things, what to do...

start the post with OT: I need help in New Zealand and you will hopefully get help!

[xxaquanutxx]

Heya!

Two things I have learned over time with reef keeping is: Usually when the majority tell you you have too many fish, you usually do and that you need to have patience and do a lot of research! 70% of what I learned was backed up by a lot of people here at RC, for which I am truly gratefull. There is a book I found which for me is one of the best intros to reef keeping. "Natural Reef Aquariums" This book helps explain everything to you and helps you understand why you would need certain lighting, tank size, fuge, sump, etc. I would definitely invest some $$ into a couple good books and read them through a couple times before you start. And yes i did say read them through a couple times... you would be surprised at what you missed the first time through! Good Luck!

[xxaquanutxx]

By the way "Natural Reef Aquariums" is by John Tullock.. *I keep a copy at work and am constantly reading it over and over!

[sinder255248]

These bulbs probably do promote coral growth, as do T5 lighting, but you have to have enough of them to get the necessary light for your critters. One bulb just isn't going to cut it, I have 2 x 150w Metal Halides over mine with 110w of T5 Actinics and even that isn't enough for some. I'd go for either a 2 x 150w metal halide fixture or a 6 bulb t5. If you stay with the bulbs that you have, you'll need to get about 6 of them, and even then that will limit what you can keep. Metal Halides fixtures are pretty cheap on ebay, why not try to get 1 250w fixture and buy a 10-14k bulb to go in there.

Here is a 250w lighting fixture on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-250W-Metal-Halide-Complete-Lighting-Package_W0QQitemZ7720576448QQcategoryZ46314QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Bathel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6935524#post6935524 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fish_NEMO

- Green Mandarin (3)
I don't believe you'd be able to keep 3 ... they don't typically get along well together and a limited food supply for them as they almost always eat live food that your tank will need to supply. YMMV - Here is a good link to Mandarinfish (http://www.reefcorner.com/SpecimenSheets/mandarinfish.htm) .

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6935524#post6935524 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fish_NEMO
- Carnation Tree Coral, Blood Red (1)
- Brain Coral (1)
- Brain Worm Platygyra Coral (1)
- Spotted Mushroom (1)
- Thin Finger Leather Coral (1)
- Brain Coral, Trachyphyllia (1)
- Green Fluorescent Mushroom (1)
- Red Mushroom (1)
- Brain Coral, Wellsophyllia (1)
- Electric Blue Hermit Crab (15)
- Marble Sea Star (1)
- Blood Red Fire Shrimp (1)
- Banded Trochus Snail (30)
- Ritteri Anemone (1)
- Maxima Clam (1)


Carnation Tree Coral is considered Expert Only by Drs. Foster site with low light level and medium to High flow in tank. Here is a link (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=645&N=0)

Brain Worm Platygrya is listed as Easy to care for, moderate flow and light. Here is a link (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=445&N=0)

Mushrooms should be easy ... I won't bother with a link

The other brains should be about the same as the first one listed ... you can look them up on Drs. FS site and read up on the little differences they have.

Thin fingure Leather, is listed as moderate care needing High light and medium to High flow. Here is a link (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=673&N=0)

The Ritteri Anemone is listed as difficult care needing high light and strong flow. It's also agressive .... you are going to have a crowded aquarium ... you might want to stay away from agressive coral and Anemone.

The maxima Clam is going to need high light.

I did not take the time to look upo the shirmp and snails.

To be honest ... I don't feel that you have really spent enough time learning about what you want to keep. It seems more that you have decided by what looks good rather than what would work together. I don't mean this to be mean ... I'd just hate to see you waste a lot of money.

The equipment you have is going to really determin what you can keep also ... you are going to need to look more into your lighting and what types of pumps you are going to use ... it's going to be tough to fit all this stuff in with all the differnt varing requirements ... that's not to say it can't be done ... but you'll have to have a lot of knowledge and the correct equipment to pull it off.

Good luck and keep us posted