# Other Aquarium Forums > Marine Tanks >  Interested to get started in marine tank...

## beetlejuice403

Hi all, am interested (always been fascinated) to start a marine tank (a NANO one) for my little gal (actually also for myself...  :Grin: ), however, have almost zero knowledge (even after reading up articles on the Net & browsing another local forum) about it & would like to hear advises/ suggestions from all experts in here...

1) Tank - Am intending to buy a 2nd-hand Gex Genoah 235 Tank set (24 cm cube) from a friendly bro in AQ (comes with the original GEX light & hang-on filter).
2) Sand - Intend to collect (I know I may violate some laws here but...  :Opps: ) from the beaches here over the weekends... Will throughly wash it & then boil it before introducing to tank. (is it enough?)
3) Liverocks - Hopefully can get some pieces from the bros in here as visiting the Fish Farms is abit inconvenient (without car & have to bring my gal along...). Don't mind paying a token sum for it.  :Smile: 
4) Livestocks - For these, really need some advices... Think most probably will start with a FOWLR set-up (always liked the behaviour of clown fish, so what other livestock can co-live well with it?). How much livestock can the tank accomodate? Which LFS can I visit to get these healthy livestocks @ reasonable prices?
5) Water - Will be using aged tapwater & then adding in some marine salt (courtesy of the bro whom I'll be getting the Gex tankset.)
6) Water change - What will the frequency be like & how much?
7) AOB - Any other things/ issues that I'll need to take note of? Please do enlighten me...

Had learnt a lot on Planted tank ever since I joined AQ, so now hope to learn slowly also about marine tank... Cheers!!

PS: Anyone who got spare liverocks to spare, do PM me & I'll reply to you ASAP. Thanks!

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## BFG

Not an expert here but I'll chime in my personal opinion though.

1) I'll forget about small tank if I were you. Minimum 2ft cube and above are ideal believe me. You'll soon get the collectivirus sickness and you'll be buying a lot of corals and fish....... :Grin: 

2) Don't do this. You do not know what is hiding in those sand. Or what have been placed on it.

3) That's ok but do you know about liverock in the 1st place?

4) A small tank can only support a small number of livestock.

5) No, no, no, and definitely no tap water at all for a marine setup. You'll need ro/di water to mix with the salt.

6) Depending on the amount of livestock you have. Some do weekly water change while other monthly.

7) It seems you haven't mention what equipment would go with the tank, stuff like the wavemaker, skimmer, lighting, chiller, media reactor and what not.

A saltwater setup is very different than a freshwater planted tank setup. It require more funds, more effort and more time than what a planted tank require. You cannot leave the tank unattended compared to a freshwater tank setup. The number of equipment needed is larger compared to a freshwater tank. My advice is if you are really interested in having a marine tank, get a proper setup that include a tank, sump and cabinet. But if you still going for the nano setup, be prepared to do twice a week of water change.

Hope this helps! :Smile:

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## samhon

yeah brother,

from what you have mention, it seemed you would need more information before starting a marine, hope you are not offended

i have been reading for 4 years, visited friends who own marine tanks but yet i still am not willing to try due to the budget and commitment involved.

I don't wanna kill any livestock, the most i would go for is just live rocks and minimum invertebrates. watching liverocks can be very rewarding  :Smile:

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## Orion

I hoped to share my experience. I have just given up my 4ft marine tank because it's too costly to maintain. 

I currently have a small tank Nano and I can say that it is only possible to keep hardy fishes like damsel, gramma and clown fish no problem. I have only 3 fishes inside and is filled with some marine rocks only. Live rocks and coral is totally impossible to survive and it merciful not to buy and put them in. (Its like locking a Siberian husky in the closet) Won't last long and then the tank will stink and... finally give up.

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## Kristen

Hi! I'm no expert and I realize that I learned alot of things the hard way. However, once you do step into the world of marine, you realize you just can't stop. One tank is not enough lol. Let me warn you though, initial set up will be expensive, even for a small tank. However, setting up well in the beginning will save you money on livestocks so it shouldn't be so bad.  :Smile:  

1) Tank - The larger the tank, the more stable the water parameters, which is all important. However, you do need two kinds of bulbs for your tank, if you ever want corals (and you will, those tempting things...). Best to get a light set that can accomodate two types of bulbs - actinic blue and daylight. 

Your filter will also need special media for marine tanks, which can hit $40 for All-zorb. You may also need a protein skimmer which removes dissolved organic substances in your water. 

If you're willing to make the investment, get this nifty baby. I use it and it's got everything my tank needs, meaning no experimenting and wasting money on equiptment that don't match and suck (like protein skimmers that release micro bubbles which are bad for fish and corals).

2) Sand - Don't collect from the wild lol. Like what BFG said. Best is to buy - not that expensive and you only need a shallow sand bed, like 3-4 cm.

3) Liverocks - This is the backbone of a marine system. Liverocks can take care of the majority of your biological filtration and without them, your fish die liao. The best kinds of rocks are fiji liverocks, but they are super ex. Any kind wil do, provided you buy them cured. And dude... liverocks for my 2ft tank hit $70, so brace yourself.

4) Livestocks - The hardiest fishes are the damsel fish (super aggressive and not good for nano tanks), false perfula clownfishes and gammas or dottybacks. MANY MARINE FISHES ARE AGGRESSIVE so you need to research the species you want to buy before getting them. 

Hardy corals can be put into the tank, provided you don't overstock with fish and liverock. Pulsing Xenia, Zooanthids, Moon Corals or Mushrooms are good for beginners and are the only kinds i dare keep lol. Once again, research on the aggresiveness and potential size of your corals before you buy them. Some corals just do not get along in cramped quarters. 

If you get an anemone, do it months after your system is set up. Otherwise, the thing will move all over the tank, zapping corals, before spewing toxic slime that might kill everything in your tank before dieing itself. It would be horrible to be so tormented by a creature with no brain. Despite that, they are damn cool XD They poop through their mouths like some people I know!

Invertibrates can also and should be added to the tank. Basic inverts are hermit crabs and snails for cleaning purposes. 

5) Water - You will need to prepare your water before you even bring your liverock home. Some salts take longer than others to dissolve. Also, getting the correct specific gravity for salt water is tricky... even I suck at it after months of keeping a marine tank. As BFG says - reverse osmosis water is the best. However, I use tap water with seachem prime conditioner, because I am poor  :Sad:  Be warned, there are also alot of other additives that you need to add to the water weekly like magnesium, strotium, iodine, calcium and others. Again, money fly away...

6) Water change - Generally partial changes weekly for nano setups. 

7) AOB - Once you start, you just can't stop. Marine tank expenditures might be high, but honestly, marine tanks are beautiful... if well maintained, even more beautiful than planted tanks (don't stone me guys >_<)

Think of the expenditure as the price of madness lol :P

And yes, I am long-winded. <_< Sue me.

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## Orion

With the expectation of having a nice tank with beautiful fishes and corals and colourful shrimps and nice rocks I can say is that every month be prepared to fork out much $ . Great food you must give them (quality food is expensive Hikari JBL Tetra food are all imported) as some food they don't eat. Some live food is necessary to keep their colour. Coral and some specials (sponge, 'coral bits' algae) in the live rocks have special feeding habits and die out if starved off. Chiller is the main energy killer but very necessary. Also lights for the corals also expensive. Low heat- giving high efficiency pumps to rotate the water circulation. To be successful I say every month be prepare to fork out $150 for the maintenance. Guess why a lot of people give up marine fishes despite their appeal.

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## EvolutionZ

im pretty much interested in setting up a marine tank too. have been reading for months.. was set back due to the high maintaince cost as well as he things we need.
TS, hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread.. can learn together :Grin: 
i was wondering, at temperature of 27C~, what soft coral or any coral can we keep?
a plain tank with only live rocks seems a bit boring..

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## Orion

At that temperature,can keep those 'brown or green colour type mushroom' soft corals,but must check out the lighting required. They also like to choose places they fancy. Some like it bright, others like dim. Some like current movement, some like quiet spot. Very funny for living things with small (no?) brain tissue. Instinct maybe.

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## zephyros

I have a marine tank for 2yrs+. And had known friends that had different size tank.
as mentioned, the bigger the better. Not saying that one cannot succeed in small
tank setup, but it is unhealthly for the LS, as small tank is difficult to keep the
parameter constant. me too think anything below 2ft is just too small for the LS.
talk to reputable LFS. If you'll staying on the west side, try MarineLife at
West Coast Drive, Hong Leong Shopping Center. 

Again, read more before jumping into it. Prepare the equipement list, LS and post it
in a marine forum for comments. Ppl will be willing to help. Make the first right step
will safe you $$$ and furstration along the way.

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## solonavi

There are many ppl giving up marine in the recent years. Not such if its the high cost of maintenance or the "craze" is over. Thus look out for bargain buy from online forums to start out. Dun need to spend gd $$ brand new stuffs since u are starting out.

At temperature 27degress, imo, u can keep most LPS and soft corals. Even some easy sps is possible.

Cheers
JC

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## EvolutionZ

heard from a friend that using Fan is no good for marine tank as the water evaporate faster and the salt level will change too..
who uses fan for your marine tanK?

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## solonavi

If ur tank volume is small, the changes in salinity might affect some sensitive fauna. However, u can avoid this by doing regular top up.

Cheers
JC

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## Coyote66

I have kept marine for about 2 yrs and 
thinking to decomm a 4ft due to work constraint
still thinking hard

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## beetlejuice403

Wow! Kudos to all the bro's/ sis's who'd given me kind & constructive comments/ advises on my thread!!!

Had the same concerns (too nano a tank, hence may face very sensitive water parameters...) as some of you here also, but still decided to plunge into this hobby for a trial...

Had already set up my Nano tank with live sand & rocks with the appropriate SG level today... Hopefully in a weeks (as advised by the person in the Marine Fish Shop) or more time, I'm able to add in the livestocks & enjoy this new found hobby of mine... [Not intending to give up planted or freshwater aquarium as I still have a lot to learn from all the experts in here...]

Wish me luck & fun in my venture of Marine Aquarium...  :Grin:

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## samhon

maybe can keep us posted of ur tank man  :Smile:

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## solonavi

1 week, I doubt the tank will be ready. For a new setup, you'll probably need 3 weeks. My advise, get the N02 testkit. Take a reading every alternate day. You'll probably find that its zero for these few days. A week later, the reading will rise to peak at ard 2 week. After which, it will eventually falls to zero. That's when you know the tank is ready. All part of the nitrogen cycle.

Cheers
JC

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## Orion

Get the fishes slowly. One at a time. small and peaceful ones only

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## zephyros

> Had already set up my Nano tank with live sand & rocks with the appropriate SG level today... Hopefully in a weeks (as advised by the person in the Marine Fish Shop) or more time,


just a thought for ur self and the LS that u are going to add, a week or
even a couple of weeks is not enough to stablise the tank. U can add in
the rock first, throw in a very small dead market prawn to kick start the ANN cycle ... some LFS will suggest some sort of kick start the tank with
some sort of bacteria solution or pills ... ONLY add LS when u have
0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite and 0 or close to 0 Nitrate ... only then u are sure
that there are bacteria to break down the Ammonia/Nitrite to Nitrate.
Coz u are having a nano, so add LS very very slowly. dun add too many
at one go, after very adding, check that the nitrate lvl is able to drop
down before adding somemore.

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## Orion

I also think it is best if you buy your equipment new. Unlike fresh water tanks, the equipment for marine tends to 'wear and tear' at a faster rate and also if the equipment is not washed properly before storage prior for resale, I think there is a high tendency for it to have some problems after running not too long.

Also your protein skimmer is very important. You cannot get a bigger one as the motor will be too big and generated a lot of heat. A small one and you may have to empty the waste in the cup every 2 days. I have to empty mine every 2 days and already find it highly annoying.

Another thing is overfeeding ,you have to be carefuland to clear the debris at the bottom every weekend.

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## Orion

Anyone any suggestions on how to top up the water?

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## Shaihulud

Nano-tanks for freshwater and saltwater are entirely different beasts, reef organisms are very sensitive to changes from my experiences, I would recommend getting a tank larger than 24cm cube. There are small brackish water gobies though that could propably survive in a 24cm tank though, I do not really have much experience with marine tanks though (I fail at them :Crying: )

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## zephyros

u can either DIY a water top up device, pretty easy to do
- 1 water bottle
- 1 small tap
- silicon gel
- use a screwdriver to push a hole through the bottle, abt 1 inch above the base
- push in tap and silicon the surrounding .. let it sit for a day

u can use kalk mix as ur top up. good as it stablise ur KH and add calcium at the
same time  :Smile:  ie if u do not need a calcium reactor

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## qingshun

Hi,

Have started on this marine tank hobby of mine recently as well. Got a nano fish tank from the aquarium shop at Plaza Sing.. Had set the tank up and waited for a week b4 putting 3 LS in..

1 x percula clown
1 x blue damsel
1 x starfish

Prior to that, had bought 2kg of LR & a bottle of bacteria solution... 
The fishes as of now look quite normal to me. No abnormal behavior thus far.

Would observe for about 1 mth b4 deciding to add more LS in.

Below is a picture of my tank:


Can anyone ID the starfish for me? Shopkeeper said it will feed on its own... just feed the fishes will do.


Thanks. Will update with more info on my tank.

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## Kristen

That's a chocolate chip starfish. Yeah, I don't feed my starfish either. As the others have said, you want to add fish slowly... I had a mass wipe out because I added too many too fast >_< everything died, leaving one lone wrase... /grieves for money lost... /oh, and grieves for fish too.

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## qingshun

Would the fishes show any disturbing behaviour b4 they die ? Or u just wake up one morning and find all of them dead?

I only have 2 fishes excluding the starfish.

Notice my salinity level is decreasing... dunno if anything (prolly the starfish) is eating away the salt.

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## beetlejuice403

Hey bro, nice marine tank set-up you have there... [especially like the sunken ship deco...  :Smile: ]

Mind sharing the dimension of your nano tank?

Wow! You introduced livestocks immediately (all at once) after 1 week of cycling the tank? Did you test for the ANN (Ammonia, Nitrite & Nitrate) before you do so??

I'd cycled my nano tank also for a week +, but have reservations about introducing livestocks (most probably getting a false clownfish, a 3-striped damsel fish, a camel shrimp, a small starfish) yet as I intend to let it cycle for another week or more... [I also intend to buy & intro all the livestocks at a go... but is fearful of a sudden Ammonia spike leh...  :Opps: ]

Currently staring at my tank with only livesand & liverocks inside... Sianz!!!  :Crying: 

Do update on your tank bro Qingshun...  :Smile: 




> Hi,
> 
> Have started on this marine tank hobby of mine recently as well. Got a nano fish tank from the aquarium shop at Plaza Sing.. Had set the tank up and waited for a week b4 putting 3 LS in..
> 
> 1 x percula clown
> 1 x blue damsel
> 1 x starfish
> 
> Prior to that, had bought 2kg of LR & a bottle of bacteria solution... 
> ...

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## qingshun

Hey beetlejuice403,

Thanks :Smile:  Me & wife chose the sunken ship theme as one half of ship has quite a number of "holes" for fishes to swim into and out. The size is pretty small...Tank holds about 12G I think? I will measure the size when I get home.

Nope. We did not buy the test kits to test out the ANN. Feel is kinda waste of $... Already spent quite a bit on this hobby liao so din wanna spend more on test kits... Also, shopkeeper mentioned wait for 1 week can put fishes in so we listened as per his instruction...

So far so good. The fishes & starfish are looking normal with no signs of distress. The starfish likes to move around when we are not watching... so far haven got the chance to actually see chocolate move... Will still be observing them for some time b4 adding more LS in.

Yea... I can understand your anxiety as well. But if you are always worrying about this not enuff and that not enuff, prolly u will wait a few mths b4 adding any LS in. Furthermore, we're talking only fishes not corals. So my advise is, to throw caution to the wind and put a few LS in to test out first. That's what I did. Choose those hardy ones.. Marine fishkeeping hobby should be a pleasure and not a strain.

Will update with more pictures to come. Cheers  :Smile:

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## qingshun

A video of my fish tank. 

YouTube - My Marine Tank

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## BFG

> Hey beetlejuice403,
> 
> Thanks Me & wife chose the sunken ship theme as one half of ship has quite a number of "holes" for fishes to swim into and out. The size is pretty small...Tank holds about 12G I think? I will measure the size when I get home.
> 
> Nope. We did not buy the test kits to test out the ANN. Feel is kinda waste of $... Already spent quite a bit on this hobby liao so din wanna spend more on test kits... Also, shopkeeper mentioned wait for 1 week can put fishes in so we listened as per his instruction...
> 
> So far so good. The fishes & starfish are looking normal with no signs of distress. The starfish likes to move around when we are not watching... so far haven got the chance to actually see chocolate move... Will still be observing them for some time b4 adding more LS in.
> 
> Yea... I can understand your anxiety as well. But if you are always worrying about this not enuff and that not enuff, prolly u will wait a few mths b4 adding any LS in. Furthermore, we're talking only fishes not corals. So my advise is, to throw caution to the wind and put a few LS in to test out first. That's what I did. Choose those hardy ones.. Marine fishkeeping hobby should be a pleasure and not a strain.
> ...


Worrying is a good thing when you are dealing with animals especially those that depend on you fully for their survival. It makes you want to check up on things that are happening in the tank and to ask question too. Are you doing the right things, are you feeding them enough, are the parameter stable in the tank and so on and so forth. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can buy a tank, filled it with saltwater, add marine fish and claim " Hey, I started a marine tank and it's so simple, not as hard as other people say!" But a few days later, things started to go wrong. Then the owner would start to frequently go back to the lfs to buy more stuff to keep the tank going, spending more money in the process which they could avoid if they've done the proper homework in the 1st place. The strains always appear before pleasure but never so early in a marine tank. Bad things do happen quickly in a marine tank.

Hope everything turns out good for you. :Smile:

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## planted86

damsels are aggressive~~

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## qingshun

Yea.. I noticed as well. Luvs to pick a fight with poor Nemo. But there was once Nemo fought back and ever since, Damsy has shown grudging respect to him liao.

There's still occasional bickering though.

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## planted86

lol... i just hope my percula(also a clownfish) can fight back against my candy hog... haiz....

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## beetlejuice403

Hi bro, from your video, there seems to be a lot of bubbling coming from the deco in your tank... You had a pump/ airstone in your tank to create that effect?

How much did you roughly spend on a setup like this (tank, livestocks etc)? [You may PM me the info if you don't mind letting me know...]

Btw, where did you buy that 'Chocolate Chip' Starfish? How much did it cost? Thinking of buying one for my tank when I'm ready to introduce livestocks into my marine tank... [actually my little girl likes this red-coloured starfish when I brought her to Aquamarin @ Jln Kayu - Don't know the name of the red coloured starfish... When I showed her the pics of your starfish, she goes 'STAR!!' STAR!!' again...  :Laughing: ]




> A video of my fish tank. 
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VQ7B4OYMSs

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## waterfaller1

I did not read but a few posts and it seemed everyone was talking you out of trying a nano. I have kept this 12 gallon nano cube since 2005 with no problems.





I have two cool fish , many corals & small inverts that are awesome.









I can help you learn if you like. :Smile: 
p.s. CC starfish eat coral and need to be spot fed with chunky meaty foods like scallop, squid, silversides..something of that nature., and there should be no airstone in a marine tank. :Wink:

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## qingshun

Picture taken in the morning b4 going to work. Chocolate has amazingly planted itself on the front side of the tank! lol.




> Hi bro, from your video, there seems to be a lot of bubbling coming from the deco in your tank... You had a pump/ airstone in your tank to create that effect?
> 
> How much did you roughly spend on a setup like this (tank, livestocks etc)? [You may PM me the info if you don't mind letting me know...]
> 
> Btw, where did you buy that 'Chocolate Chip' Starfish? How much did it cost? Thinking of buying one for my tank when I'm ready to introduce livestocks into my marine tank... [actually my little girl likes this red-coloured starfish when I brought her to Aquamarin @ Jln Kayu - Don't know the name of the red coloured starfish... When I showed her the pics of your starfish, she goes 'STAR!!' STAR!!' again... ]


We got the starfish at the aquarium shop at plaza sing... there's still another one of the same type but different color. Initially wife wanted a red starfish too but there wasn't any in shop of the size we wanted so settle for that and haven regretted it since. Chocolate is a very active starfish which both of us had pleasure viewing it everyday after work. It would settled in a new place each day without us actually seeing it move. Each morning we would look forward to guessing where it has planted itself to. Amazing. lol. As for cost, roughly adding everything up, should be around $500 including LS, decorations, etc. Rem I got the starfish around $33+. I will not be adding any more LS. Would be observing Nemo, Damsy & Chocolate for 1-2 mths time... 
Was wondering... not sure if any LFS can help to test water for free or a token sum? I dun really want to get those test kits as most prolly will only test a few times and once stable, will not use it again.

I believed the tiny air bubbles you see in my video should be called an airstone... it produces very tiny bubbles...can act as a skimmer too I guess.. can use a cup to scoop up those foam forming up on the surface... But why is an airstone not recommended to use in a marine environment? 

Appreciate any advice. Thanks.

P.S: Nice photos you have there Carole  :Smile:

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## waterfaller1

For several reasons. The bubbles irritate the gills of saltwater fish. It alters the PH. It causes salt creep which changes the specific gravity over time.Corals hate it. Fluctuation..not good for a marine tank.A small powerhead with no air attachment is the best option for extra water movement within the tank. There should be surface movement. Another thing not good for a marine tank are the freshwater/plastic decorations you have in there. They will/can break down in a saltwater environment and can potentially leech detrimental chemicals into the tank.They are made for fw tanks, not marine tanks. No offense but you basicly have a freshwater setup with saltwater fish and inverts. They would benefit so much more from good live sand and live rock. They are missing out on all of the creatures and bio-diversity that make a marine tank stable and healthy. It's unnatural.
In case you missed it, your chocolate chip star is suffering if you are not specifically target feeding it a few times a week. It does not take much effort, Cut a small piece of seafood and slip it next to him when he comes up to the glass{it may be what he is looking for} he will grab it, and can learn to come back for subsequent feedings. He has no way to show you he is starving, and it takes a long time for them to waste away.
As far as test kits go, you should always keep a few basic ones on hand. Even the most experienced aquarist should test on occasion. Not every type, but a few that are important. If your tank is a fish only tank you should be monitoring your specific gravity{with a refractometer} PH,NO3, and PO4. You have alot invested in your tank to trust testing to someone else.
Thanks for the compliment.

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## qingshun

What kind of seafood does he like? Fyi, those deco are saltwater friendly.

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## waterfaller1

That's good. I spoke with my very close friend who owns a sw reef shop and she said there were some deco out there available that were safe in sw. She talked to the manufacturer. I stand corrected there, but still think they would benefit from LR. No matter, it's your tank. :Smug: 
The star should take to any chunky meaty food:
scallop
squid
clam
silverside
mussel
nice clean white fish
shrimp
etc. A couple times a week should be ok, the rest of the time he may get some leftover food if needed. You should see him get more active and fill out nice when he starts getting fed.
Good luck :Smile:

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## patennis

Hi Fellow Marine Fanatics,

Anyone here tried to start Marine Tank using the Reef One System? I am referring to the Biorb & Biube setup. I currently hv a 60 lit Biorb and am thinking of getting another one but with a Marine Tank setup. I do know that Reef One does provide a Marine Tank Conversion Kit. Any Reef One experts out there?

Here are some pics of my current 60 lit Biorb Tank...









Thank you!

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## beetlejuice403

Wow! Very nice & cool tank there patennis...  :Surprised: 

Is it hard to place in the hardscape into the tank or they come with the tank in the 1st place? Looks like must go LFSs walk walk soon, if not will become "mountain tortoise" in this fast paced hobby already...  :Embarassed:

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## beetlejuice403

Hi Qingshun, can ask you how you brought your Chocolate back from the shop? Read somewhere that starfishes cannot be exposed to air, if not the part that had been exposed will sort of like rot off slowly & eventually it may even die... In fact, did the shop pack all your lifestocks into a bag & then pump in oxygen like when we buy freshwater fishes?

Intend to get a red starfish for my gal this coming weekends (if I can find one...) & introduce to my tank... [Checked the ANN yesterday & both Nitrate & Nitrite had came down already...]. 

Waterfaller, your marine tank sure looks nice!! [Makes me even more determined to continue in my venture of NANO Marine tank... had times when thought of giving up & just stick to freshwater... but luckily I didn't!!!] Thanks for your help & support!!

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## patennis

Hi Bettlejiuce403, 

The decor in the tank are separate items. You will have to know the size / diameter of the opening of the Biorb before buying the items. Not that difficult lah. This is my third Biorb (60 litres), I hv another 2 Biorb (30 litres). 1 is in my office & the other with my father-in-law in Sabah.

I am looking at the Biube now. Thinking of converting it into a Marine Tank though. It has a capacity of 35 litres, like the CLEAN CUT DESIGN of the tank itself. Their filtration system is also good.



Thanks for your compliments too!

Patennis

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## patennis

Hi Waterfaller1 / Carole,

May I know what is the temp of the water in your 12gal nano cube tank? I would be absolutely delighted if I can a similar tank like yours!!!  :Laughing: 

I am a NEWBIE to the Marine Tank but hv been a keen hobbists of fish rearing for the past 20 years. I assume that you are in the US, local climate & temp conditions are also vital to the Marine Tank setup, right? In Singapore the average temp is about 26 - 30C, thus I think we would need a different setup here, right?  :Wink: 

If you are willing to teach, I am willing to learn . ..  :Roll Eyes: 

Nice tank & enjoy your time looking at it!  :Smug: 

Patennis  :Angel:

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## Kristen

LOL those sure are smiley fish XD

Hey Patennis, does that Biube of yours have any air bubbles in the tank? I'm a n00b at marine but I read somewhere that air bubbles in a marine tank is a big no-no. Also, on the subject of cooling, I use a fan for my 2ft-er and it keeps the temperature at an average of 28deg, which... is okay, since everything seems to be surviving (i.e. whatever managed to survive in the first place is still surviving).

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## patennis

Hi Kristen,

Thanks for your sweet comments & question.  :Smug: 

I am quite sure that the Biube does have bubbles, but I am also aware that Reef One does provide a Marine Tank Conversion Kit. Not sure how this works, but maybe with this conversion kit, maybe there will be no more bubbles. That is why I did asked the question : if anyone here have any experience in converting the Reef One tanks to Marine Tanks.  :Huh?: 

I am living in the North East and my place is just 10 mins from the Lor Halus Fish Farms area, this is also another reason / plus point for me to start a Marine Tank, as I am quite close to the Marine suppliers.  :Grin: 

Care to share with me some pics of your Marine Tank??? I am not looking for a big setup, just wanted some small for my bar counter. Maybe when I have MASTERED the techniques of Marine Fish Rearing, then I will have a MARINE WALL in my living room lah . . . That is my DREAM!!!  :Roll Eyes: 

Patennis  :Angel:

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## Kristen

Actually, the smaller the tank, the harder it is to maintain stable water parameters. You should read this book: The Nano-Reef Handbook by CR Brightwell. It taught me a lot when I decided to fork out exorbitant amounts of money for this hobby. There's a copy at BK Panjang Library.

And if you need advice, I've found that the people at Jireh Marine in West Coast Way are very helpful. Especially Daniel and Uncle Jimmy. ^_^

Well, here is a picture of my tank - don't mind the floating slime, I moved some rocks around an hour ago and corals tend to spew the stuff everywhere if you move them. >_<



PS: Just bought a seahorse today... God I pray it survives >___<;;; please please please let it live...

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## patennis

Hi Kristen,

Thanks for your advice & pic of your tank. Nice setup . .. I hope your new seahorse is doing well & fine...  :Grin: 

I will try to get hold of this book, I wonder do they also have copies in the Eastern libraries of Singapore??? 

With regards to Jireh Marine, never been there before. But I visited Harlequin Marine the other day and saw some of their customised tanks, NICE ONES. A little pricey though, but I guess its OK as they are CUSTOM MADE to suit your needs & match the look / concept you have at home. You have any experience with them???  :Huh?: 

How often do you do a water change to your marine tank? Or do you even change the water in the first place??? I do know that the setup & maintenance are very different from that of a FreshWater Tank.  :Wink: 

Went to C329 earlier today, looking for some accessories & new tanks. Saw a really nice Genoah Nano Tank (in white) going for $89 only. Comes complete with Filter, Tank Cover & Lighting. Thinking of getting it soon & start another tank in my home... maybe a vivarium!  :Razz: 

Will keep in touch with you when I am ready for my PILOT MARINE TANK . . .

Thanks again!

Patennis  :Angel:

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## waterfaller1

> Hi Fellow Marine Fanatics,
> 
> Anyone here tried to start Marine Tank using the Reef One System? I am referring to the Biorb & Biube setup. I currently hv a 60 lit Biorb and am thinking of getting another one but with a Marine Tank setup. I do know that Reef One does provide a Marine Tank Conversion Kit. Any Reef One experts out there?
> 
> Here are some pics of my current 60 lit Biorb Tank...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I am sorry, but they just look so uncomfortable in there! Please do not attempt a saltwater set up in such a tank. :Sad:  The filtration in this tank is not going to support saltwater fish. It's just wrong on so many levels.
Maintaining a small nano cube like mine is not hard at all, if you do what I do. I do a 2 1/2 to 3 gallon water change{and sometimes a bit more} EVERY week without fail. I use the great salt mix~Tropic Marin Pro. I top off every day, even though it's just a tiny bit.I use RO/DI water from my own unit. I maintain a 0 TDS{total dissolved solids} at all times. In my state, the water is bad..like liquid rock, so I use two carbon blocks, and two DI's.
Stability, not overstocking, and simple maintenance is the key to keeping a nano tank. My tanks rely on the live rock and live sand for filtration. No bioballs or such media is needed. I research each and every animal for compatibility, particularly my coral choices for the nano. I have a couple LPS, but overall my corals are not too demanding in that tank, so they don't remove too much needed elements before the next water change occurs. Unlike my 90 gallon which must be dosed with alkalinity and calcium every day, the nano does not need it. There are creatures for my clean up crew, that stay small, and each have a different job. Again ..NOT OVERSTOCKING and not overfeeding..is one of the most important, [and hardest thing sometimes] to do. My tanks stay at about 79-80 degrees F. Occasionally they may push 82*, with no detrimental effects.

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## Orion

> Actually, the smaller the tank, the harder it is to maintain stable water parameters. You should read this book: The Nano-Reef Handbook by CR Brightwell. It taught me a lot when I decided to fork out exorbitant amounts of money for this hobby. There's a copy at BK Panjang Library.
> 
> And if you need advice, I've found that the people at Jireh Marine in West Coast Way are very helpful. Especially Daniel and Uncle Jimmy. ^_^
> 
> Well, here is a picture of my tank - don't mind the floating slime, I moved some rocks around an hour ago and corals tend to spew the stuff everywhere if you move them. >_<
> 
> 
> 
> PS: Just bought a seahorse today... God I pray it survives >___<;;; please please please let it live...




I like the tank setup :Well done:  Looks like what I used to have :Roll Eyes:  But I have problems clearing the little debris after a few months that got stuck in those small rocks crevices and.....kaputt.

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## Orion

> I am sorry, but they just look so uncomfortable in there! Please do not attempt a saltwater set up in such a tank. The filtration in this tank is not going to support saltwater fish. It's just wrong on so many levels.
> Maintaining a small nano cube like mine is not hard at all, if you do what I do. I do a 2 1/2 to 3 gallon water change{and sometimes a bit more} EVERY week without fail. I use the great salt mix~Tropic Marin Pro. I top off every day, even though it's just a tiny bit.I use RO/DI water from my own unit. I maintain a 0 TDS{total dissolved solids} at all times. In my state, the water is bad..like liquid rock, so I use two carbon blocks, and two DI's.
> Stability, not overstocking, and simple maintenance is the key to keeping a nano tank. My tanks rely on the live rock and live sand for filtration. No bioballs or such media is needed. I research each and every animal for compatibility, particularly my coral choices for the nano. I have a couple LPS, but overall my corals are not too demanding in that tank, so they don't remove too much needed elements before the next water change occurs. Unlike my 90 gallon which must be dosed with alkalinity and calcium every day, the nano does not need it. There are creatures for my clean up crew, that stay small, and each have a different job. Again ..NOT OVERSTOCKING and not overfeeding..is one of the most important, [and hardest thing sometimes] to do. My tanks stay at about 79-80 degrees F. Occasionally they may push 82*, with no detrimental effects.



I agree.
Also look at the side of the tank. Looks like surgeon tools waiting to operate on the poor parrots :Laughing:

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## waterfaller1

Kristen, that's a nice looking tank. How big is it? If you have not, I urge you to read at http://seahorse.org/ Seahorses are very social creatures and should not be kept single. Most get quite large, 12"+. If wild caught they can come in with a host of maladies, most of which manifest themself due to the stress of handling and moving. Flesh eating bacteria is common.They are a wonderful fish to keep, if their needs are met. Good luck. :Smile:

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## waterfaller1

> I like the tank setup Looks like what I used to have But I have problems clearing the little debris after a few months that got stuck in those small rocks crevices and.....kaputt.


A turkey baster is the best tool! Here they can be purchased for $1.00. Rocks should be blown clean of detritus and leftover food on a regular basis. If this is done after awhile, the amount will be minimum. This keeps food from festering into a situation prime for growing algae and having problems. You will notice my nano cube is clean, even after almost 6 years! A turkey baster is also a good tool for feeding shy cave dwelling fish such as gobies. My pair of yellow watchmans, and pair of Oscellaris clownfish in my 90 gal will come right up to the baster to be fed like spoiled babies. :Grin:

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## Kristen

> With regards to Jireh Marine, never been there before. But I visited Harlequin Marine the other day and saw some of their customised tanks, NICE ONES. A little pricey though, but I guess its OK as they are CUSTOM MADE to suit your needs & match the look / concept you have at home. You have any experience with them??? 
> 
> How often do you do a water change to your marine tank? Or do you even change the water in the first place??? I do know that the setup & maintenance are very different from that of a FreshWater Tank.


Harlequin Marine has amazing variety, however many items tend to be overpriced and unquarantined. I spent $80+ there on fish, only to have all but one succumb to a disease that afflicted the whole system (all the fish from that shipment too had died around the same time). The diease also took down my two beloved false percula.

A case in point is the fact that mushroom corals I purchased from Jireh Marine on the same day as I bought similar mushrooms from Harlequin are still flourishing, while those from Harlequin had long since died  :Huh?:  I'm not throwing stones here but... seriously... I was so put out with that store...

I change my water once a week, about 25% each time with a salinity of 1.021-3. I also invested in a water filter which removes carbon, silica, and other heavy metals, along with clorine and cloramine.




> Kristen, that's a nice looking tank. How big is it? If you have not, I urge you to read at http://seahorse.org/ Seahorses are very social creatures and should not be kept single. Most get quite large, 12"+. If wild caught they can come in with a host of maladies, most of which manifest themself due to the stress of handling and moving. Flesh eating bacteria is common.They are a wonderful fish to keep, if their needs are met. Good luck.


I have seen that site! I have never kept seahorses before so I'm learning new things about their behaviour everyday. I keep a female hippocampus kuda, which is tank bred and eating brine shrimp. I think if I get this girl to survive a month, I might invest in a boyfriend for her  :Laughing:  And I agree - a turkey baster is awesome to 'siphon' out hidden detritus. Occasionally, I will net all the buggers, move all the rocks and do a thorough siphon and major water change.

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## Orion

> A turkey baster is the best tool! Here they can be purchased for $1.00. Rocks should be blown clean of detritus and leftover food on a regular basis. If this is done after awhile, the amount will be minimum. This keeps food from festering into a situation prime for growing algae and having problems. You will notice my nano cube is clean, even after almost 6 years! A turkey baster is also a good tool for feeding shy cave dwelling fish such as gobies. My pair of yellow watchmans, and pair of Oscellaris clownfish in my 90 gal will come right up to the baster to be fed like spoiled babies.


Thanks for the advice. At first I thought your tank setup is as good as new. :Kiss:

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## qingshun

> Hi Qingshun, can ask you how you brought your Chocolate back from the shop? Read somewhere that starfishes cannot be exposed to air, if not the part that had been exposed will sort of like rot off slowly & eventually it may even die... In fact, did the shop pack all your lifestocks into a bag & then pump in oxygen like when we buy freshwater fishes?
> 
> Intend to get a red starfish for my gal this coming weekends (if I can find one...) & introduce to my tank... [Checked the ANN yesterday & both Nitrate & Nitrite had came down already...]. 
> 
> Waterfaller, your marine tank sure looks nice!! [Makes me even more determined to continue in my venture of NANO Marine tank... had times when thought of giving up & just stick to freshwater... but luckily I didn't!!!] Thanks for your help & support!!


They will pack your starfish together with any LS in a bag. Dun think it will be a problem if your starfish is not exposed to air for long. 

So far, all my LS are doing good. And I have not made any water changes yet. I have added a small baby percula in the tank. Abit regret though... cause whenever I try to feed, my 2 bigger fishes would grab all the food.. leaving nothing for the poor baby. I dunno whether the little fish would survive like that..

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## patennis

Hi Kristen,

Will be going MARINE TANK shopping this weekend.

Might take up the packge deal with either Harlequin Marine or another supplier at Lor Halus Fish Farm area. Need a customised tank for my BAR AREA lah. Will have a simple start-up in the beginning before moving onwards to BIGGER things.  :Grin: 

I think I will not start the Marine Tank using the Reef One Tank System as I get no feedback from anyone here that has tried it before. But will still get the Biube for another project in my living room, maybe might move some of my parrots in the 60 litres Biorb into the 35 litres Biube lah.  :Razz: 

Thanks for all your advice & will keep all you informed about my new projects!

Patennis  :Angel:

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## zephyros

> Hi Kristen,
> 
> Will be going MARINE TANK shopping this weekend.
> 
> Might take up the packge deal with either Harlequin Marine or another supplier at Lor Halus Fish Farm area. Need a customised tank for my BAR AREA lah. Will have a simple start-up in the beginning before moving onwards to BIGGER things. 
> 
> I think I will not start the Marine Tank using the Reef One Tank System as I get no feedback from anyone here that has tried it before. But will still get the Biube for another project in my living room, maybe might move some of my parrots in the 60 litres Biorb into the 35 litres Biube lah. 
> 
> Thanks for all your advice & will keep all you informed about my new projects!
> ...


not implying anything here, but you should be accessing local marine
specific forum for more altrenatives in setting up your marine tank.

There are two local marine forums
http://www.absolutereef.com/forums/
http://www.sgreefclub.com/

Mods, pls delete this post if you deem fit. Thanks.

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## patennis

Hi Zephyros,

Thanks for the advice. But I do know the folks at Harlequin quite well. Like their custom made tanks lah. As for the actual marine stock, I will stick to the folks / shops at the Lor Halus area as I lived around that area.

Thanks for your advice nevertheless . . .

Patennis  :Angel:

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## fishrock

Startin a marine tank is not easy, u reali need to put in tons of effort and times......... i saw a few familiar faces here......  :Grin:  as we r frm absolutereef  :Jump for joy:  :Jump for joy:  :Jump for joy:  but i give up after reefing for 5yrs. Main reason of giving up is due to comittment  :Crying:  :Crying:  :Crying:  

Attach some of my EX-tank pix.......  :Embarassed:  how u guyz like it.

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## patennis

Hi FishRock,

WOW! Your tank does truly ROCKS!!! Very Very beautiful... must be very painful for you to give it all up... So you are not keeping any aquariums now???  :Confused: 

Thanks for sharing with us your amazing pics!

Patennis  :Grin:

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## fishrock

> Hi FishRock,
> 
> WOW! Your tank does truly ROCKS!!! Very Very beautiful... must be very painful for you to give it all up... So you are not keeping any aquariums now??? 
> 
> Thanks for sharing with us your amazing pics!
> 
> Patennis


tkq for ur kind words  :Embarassed:  im nw settin up a 4ft aquatic tank, i hope it can b as successful as my marine tank

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## Kristen

Wow fishrock... are those blastos? someone rich man  :Grin:  one is like $100 thereabouts... Love your green leather finger!

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## qingshun

Sad but true... my starfish had died together with my clown fish. I guess the starfish was very sensitive to the water parameters.. and shortly after starfish died, my clown fish also died together with it.. Wonder was it because he had ate the flesh and got infected...

Now my tank only has the blue damsel (the original) and a blue velvet damsel... 

Will monitor a while b4 adding other LS in next wk.

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## beetlejuice403

Hi qingshun, am sadden to know about the death of your chocolate chip starfish & your active clownfish... [Is there a need to 'clean' your tank or change your water in case there are any infectious stuffs left behind by the starfish...] Hope you'll not give up on this interesting & fun hobby but in fact come back stronger...  :Smile: 

For mine, currently have 1 common clownfish, 1 red scarlet hermit crab, 1 red (6-legged  :Surprised: ) starfish, 1 cleaner skunk shrimp, some zoas, some red macroalgae in my 24cm cube GEX tank set up for about a month+ already... Doing weekly water change with top-ups every few days...

Thought of adding 1 or 2 more fish inside to accompany my lonely clownfish... but dunoe what nano fish can be added in to live in harmony with it though... Any recommendations from any reefers experts here are welcomed!!  :Smile: 




> Sad but true... my starfish had died together with my clown fish. I guess the starfish was very sensitive to the water parameters.. and shortly after starfish died, my clown fish also died together with it.. Wonder was it because he had ate the flesh and got infected...
> 
> Now my tank only has the blue damsel (the original) and a blue velvet damsel... 
> 
> Will monitor a while b4 adding other LS in next wk.

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## BFG

Found this website while surfing. Might be useful for you but use it at your own risk.

http://haaga.aqua-web.org/Mini/index.htm

Hope this helps!
 :Smile:

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## oceanus

> Sad but true... my starfish had died together with my clown fish. I guess the starfish was very sensitive to the water parameters.. and shortly after starfish died, my clown fish also died together with it.. Wonder was it because he had ate the flesh and got infected...
> 
> Now my tank only has the blue damsel (the original) and a blue velvet damsel... 
> 
> Will monitor a while b4 adding other LS in next wk.


 
for a nano tank, any sudden changes in the water parameter i.e dead of a fish or coral may casue a diatom or spike in amonia.. which casue fish die of..

so it is always adviceable to start off with the largest marin tank you can afford.. and a having a good skimmer helps to control this as well..
hope this helps.

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## Orion

> Found this website while surfing. Might be useful for you but use it at your own risk.
> 
> http://haaga.aqua-web.org/Mini/index.htm
> 
> Hope this helps!



Hi 

How your marine tank now? You wanna show us some photos?

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## BFG

> Hi 
> 
> How your marine tank now? You wanna show us some photos?


Me? Well I've removed all of my live rock and found a few crabs. In place of the liverock, I've used some pvc pipes and eggcrate to act as a rack to hold the coral. I don't have a digital camera though.

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## Jervis

> Me? Well I've removed all of my live rock and found a few crabs. In place of the liverock, I've used some pvc pipes and eggcrate to act as a rack to hold the coral. I don't have a digital camera though.


Did you remove the crabs? Any nasty looking worms?

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## Cough

> For mine, currently have 1 common clownfish, 1 red scarlet hermit crab, 1 red (6-legged ) starfish, 1 cleaner skunk shrimp, some zoas, some red macroalgae in my 24cm cube GEX tank set up for about a month+ already... Doing weekly water change with top-ups every few days...
> 
> Thought of adding 1 or 2 more fish inside to accompany my lonely clownfish... but dunoe what nano fish can be added in to live in harmony with it though... Any recommendations from any reefers experts here are welcomed!!


Hi bro, didn't know you got a nano reef  :Smile:  I had a 3ft marine before and I find that clown fish can be kept with many variety of fishes but they are less tolerant with clownfish of different species. So I would mix a big percula, a big skunk clownfish with a small tomato (semi-aggressive) and it works  :Laughing: 

You could add a purple firefish goby. Their colours are really vibrant. Or a yellow watchman goby, they're less active but they have this grumpy face that just looks funny, it gets funnier when the cleaner shrimp tries to clean it up and it will look even grumpier.

Have fun reefing  :Smile:

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## BFG

> Did you remove the crabs? Any nasty looking worms?


Yes, I did remove them. Can't find any large nasty worm but I do see some small ones. I have lessen my pump usage for my tank.

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## Orion

> Yes, I did remove them. Can't find any large nasty worm but I do see some small ones. I have lessen my pump usage for my tank.



Just curious, what fishes you intend to keep.
Last time I kept marine, a non-fish setup can also be very nice and easier to maintain.

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