30 gallon reef stocking question

[RedLion]

I am planning to begin a 30 gallon reef build. As far as fish stocking goes I was planning on 2 clowns, 1 mandarin and 1 six line wrasse. I am looking for stocking options that are reef safe. Really want the mandarin. Any suggestions on fish? Too many? A bottom dweller?

 

[tanker]

You say you want things that are reef safe?? Is it a reef?? If so, you may be almost at max, stocking wise.
1) Keeping a Mandarin is not easy, most die after a few months from starvation. They eat/need pods and lots of them.
2) 2 clowns, which kind?? The smaller peculas??
3) Bottom fish. A Mandarin is a bottom fish.

IMO--replace the Mandarin with a Royal Gramma.

 

[RedLion]

I will be stocking some LPS and SPS, anemones. I am new to LPS and SPS area. Looking into a HOB protein skimmer (CPR or Tunze) and lighting is still being decided. No MH, I don't want to heat up the tank and LED is outside my budget. Any suggestions on lighting? I was planning on 30-40lbs of live rock. I was thinking 2 Ocellaris Clownfish, maybe only 1? As far as the mandarin goes I knew it was difficult but didn't realize it was a bottom feeder.

 

[tanker]

I have not used LEDs, so I cannot comment on them. Most SPS need lots of light, a MH is best, but...... I use to use CF for my reefs before. There are lots of SPS and LPS that can live in "Lower" light. An Anemone is not the best for a small tank, nor if there is not good light. When an Anemone is un-happy (does not like flow in that area, need more light, not enough food, ect), it will move, and it can (and will) kill coral in it's path.

PS--A clown does not need an Anemone to live.

 

[TL1000RSquid]

I'd consider some of the budget led's if you want sps but not MH. Reefbreeders will run you $180 for basic no frills fixture, 2 dimmable channels 120 watts total. You'd be hard pressed to find a T5ho fixture and bulbs for less.

Wouldn't do the manderin in a 30 unless your also running a 20L+ fuge, or willing to layout $30 every 2 weeks to buy copepods.

 

[RedLion]

I had a tomato clown in my last FOWLR tank. It was a hardy fish. What's the deal with pods? Can they just be added to the main tank directly from the bottle or do they need to be cultured in a another tank or refugium?

 

[Khemul]

Pods can go right in the tank and will reproduce, assuming they are given a chance. Dragonets aren't known for giving pods much of a chance though. They are very efficient hunters and hunt just about every waking moment. Hence why smaller tanks need to culture/buy pods separately.

 

[TL1000RSquid]

I have a scooter blenny which is closely related to the mandarins and shares the same diet, mine is trained on frozen food getting them to accept frozen food is hit or miss but even though he eats frozen when I let the pod population decline he got noticeably skinnier, in a display tank pods will get eaten quicker then they can reproduce(all the other fish will eat them too), I also have a HOB fuge thats about 4g on the tank filled with macro's and rock rubble but they still weren't keeping their numbers up, need a dedicated fuge for them to keep sustainable numbers. Bottled ones are pricey here I think its like $24 for 8oz bottle, I usually get mine from reefs2go.com and occasionally reefcleaners.