Post your Nano Reef Fish/Inverts Here!

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

I thought I would start a thread where folks can post details and information about their reef animals, along with a picture if possible. Hopefully this thread can serve as a sort of quick reference guide to anyone seeking information about a potential fish, coral, anemone, clam, sponge, crab, octopus, or any other metazoan reef dweller that they might want to add to their nano reef tank.

Feel free to post any and all relevant information you think might be useful to others trying to keep an animal successfully--a photo, the common and scientific name, what you feed it, how often you feed it, what lighting you keep it under, what kind of current it experiences, how long you've had the animal, what size tank it's in, how aggressive it is, any significant tankmates it has, how hardy you feel the animal is, and any other relevant information.

I enjoy trying to push myself and see if I can keep difficult animals, but I do *not* encourage others to do it (as I'm sure you'll realize if you've read any of my posts in response to information requests on other difficult species), but if someone is determined to try, I will try to provide them with the information required to give them the greatest chance of success. There will always be people who want to push the envelope, and if they succeed and can figure out why and how, that helps everyone else who would like to keep those animals -- that's how the hobby advances.

With that in mind, post away, and thanks for your help!!!!

Matt Wandell

PS The original thread for this topic was titled "Suitable Nano Reef Fish", and can be found here:
http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=36093
This thread has some glitches, so please don't try to post to it.

 

[Anonymous]

Here's an example...

This is my green open brain. I believe the species is Trachyphyllia geoffroyi, but I'm not positive. This coral has been in my 6 gallon tank for approx. 6 months, and was in my 30 gallon tank for a year before that. The lighting on the tank is one 65W 6500K bulb, and one 13W actinic PC bulb. The coral is approx. 6" from the bulbs. The coral sits directly on the sandbed, and is in a pretty moderate amount of flow area in the tank. I never directly feed the coral, although it will accept pieces of shrimp or frozen food. The rest of the tank is fed Golden Pearls and phytoplankton, but I doubt the coral is receiving much nutrition from these. The only supplements I add are Kalkwasser and Kent Buffer. This coral is in direct contact with a colony of Green Montipora digitata, and neither coral is damaged.

 

[brandon4291]

I want to add my experience with the Marquesan Boxer Crab, Lybia Tessellata. Also called a pom-pom crab in many LFS.

I can not speak highly enough of this animal, it is the single hardiest marine specimen Ive kept. My boxer crab willingly eats marine fish pellets and frog pellets, does not harm my other inverts other than occasional but not damaging food stealing. It has survived a 6 hour temperature spike that killed most of my corals, as well as salinity fluxes that were too quick and rather stressful to my pico reefs (when I was in a hurry and careless).

I have owned two boxer crabs, and one has been alive in the reefbowl now for about 1.5 years. They don't get too large and are just about the ideal crab for a reef as far as Im concerned.

Brandon M.

http://www.vibrantsea.net/boxer17_anilao18.htm

 

[investigator1]

This is my Green Clown Goby. He is ever so tiny. He acts just like a clownfish in the corals. But, instead of swimming he just sits on the coral and sways in the current with it. He eats a tiny sliver of brine once a day. He is non-aggressive and prefers to run instead of fight. He will never out grow my nano like a normal clown and presents an almost non-existant bioload. I plan on getting one more so they can breed. To me this is the perfect clown-esque fish for a nano tank.

 

[reefann]

WOW Brandon I love the pic of that marquesan boxer crab, I'll have to check them out!!!! You get yours off a site or at the LFS?
Thanks JJ
BTW all the other pics are awsome to.
Ill have to get some decent pics soon to post
EDIT* sorry Matt do you want us to strictly post possible fish/inverts and exp. Was my post off topic? Just to clear that up before it gets destorted from what you were originally going for.
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economic depression
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Honda Gold Wing

 

[jamey]

this is my derasa under 20k

 

[jamey]

clam under 20k

 

[jamey]

sry for double post. how do i downsize a pic to submit it?

 

[Anonymous]

Bumblebee shrimp in my pico reef

 

[Anonymous]

Hey, Matt, here's the Sexy Shrimp yoi asked for!

 

[Len]

Bar none, these are my favorite fellas:

 

[Len]

Oops! Here they are:
Helfrichi Firefish 8)

 

[Anonymous]

....drool...

 

[brandon4291]

I am having great success with a juvenile coral banded shrimp, stenopus hispidus. In the feeding posture, it's about the size of a quarter with claws curved in, ready to box.

I observe it removing dead tissue from transplanted zoanthid colonies commonly in a new pico reef of mine. Sometimes I think it picks a little too hard, but it is by far the smartest shrimp I have seen to date. Comes out in the day to feed on cyclopeeze, makes trails in the substrate and moves into the refugium to pick around for food.

It has the striking color and manageable bioload I am looking for in a sub-gallon pico, along with a lack of shyness that lets others see it regularly.

I wonder if it would get along with a miniature boxer crab, some think it would kill the crab eventually.

http://www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/pga ... ng_30.html

 

[Anonymous]

A confession to make...I've been keeping what's called a "ghost" or "white" ribbon eel in my JBJ 12 gallon nanocube for approx. 2 months now. I have to point out that this is NOT a ribbon eel in the genus Rhinomuranae. The scientific name is Pseudechidna brummeri. It has a very long thin body like a typical ribbon eel, however. I've estimated it to be about 2.5 feet long, although it is about the diameter of my pinkie. I tested for ammonia daily after I added him because I was very concerned about the large bioload. Apparently this eel is generally very difficult to feed in captivity, requiring live shrimp or fish. I've been able to wean mine onto thawed table shrimp. I feed him about 3-4 pea sized pieces every 2-3 days. This eel is NOT reefsafe. He consumed two peppermint shrimp I had housed with him. There are also some assorted soft (and one stony) corals in the tank as indicators of water quality. So far the corals seem to be doing fine as well.

 

[Sabelotodos]

Well, not much to say really, just wanted to add a pic of my tank to the collection. I admired the others so I figured I'd give it a shot too.

 

[Anonymous]

Helfrici fire fish? arent those expenisve..ive seen them go for about 2bills each??? and whats the largest tank considered a Nano???heres a pic of my clam....

 

[Gilman]

My new favorite inhabitants are the Rose BTA and pair of Sexy Shrimp....You can kinda see one of the Sexy Shrimp in the middle of the RBTA. I still like the zoos though too of course.

Gil

ps I consider anything 20gallons or under a nano (not including a sump or hob filter which add water volume). This is a debated topic of course as some people think they top out at 30 gallons.

 

[UnderGrad]

My anemone shrimp. Not quite as active as peppermint or skunk cleaner shrimp, but they add some diversity and do a good job as scavengers.

Arlan

 

[Mihai]

Sabelotodos,

is that a Goniopora or an Alveopora in the lower left corner? How is it going for you? How long have you had it? Looks great!

M.