Will my little friends die :(

[Snugy44]

Hello~
I have a quick question. When i first got my tank the LFS they set me up with 2 huge live rock and medium size crushed gravel (is that called substrate?) He also told me that when i do a water change i have to suck up all the gravel so i can clean it out. Well i went to another LFS and saw that they were using sand. So i bought a bag for my tank. My tank is already setup with soft corals and fish. So here is the big question, tonight when i do a water change can i suck up all the medium crushed live rock and replace it with sand, or will all the "stuff" that kicks up from the sand kill my little friends?

Please Help, I have a little 12 gallon tank and it is too difficult to suck up all the gravel everytime i do a water change.

Thanks
Krista

[Fishaholic]

If you are going to remove the crushed coral and replace it with sand, good idea.

There are two ways to put the sand in. one is by using a 2 inch or bigger pvc pipe and allow the wet sand to run to the bottom, this to me is a pain in the arse.

I perfer to wet the sand and put it in the tank by hand fulls piling it to the front. After a few hours for the tank to clear long enough to see what you are doing move the sand around. For best results try and get 3 - 4 inches, 6 would be too cramped in a 12 gallon.

No your critters will not die, sand gets extreemly thick when ever there is a storm in the wild.

Good luck.

[beach bum]

Hi Snugy44,

I think Fishaholic has it right, only I use a large coffee mug to lower the sand to the bottom.

Hey, not to change the subject, but I'm still curious about your sick yellow tang! Did you take it back to the fish store? Did it move on to the reef in the sky? If so, what fish do you have in the 12gallon now?

Good luck with the substrate swap. Fun, fun, fun! Hope I never have to do one again!

Chris

[Snugy44]

I couldn't get him out of my tank because my tank is so small i cannot manover the net around the rock to get him.
But he will be out by tonight
Thanks for asking!
I really LOVE this website, you guys are always helpful and so quick to respond.

THANK YOU ALL!!!

Krista

[Heavan]

Krista,

Since it is only a 12 gallon are you going to remove your rock and animals to change the substrate?

What kind of system are you running? Skimmer? Power heads? Light? Just wandering

Renae

[Snugy44]

When i went to the LFS they told me that i really didn't need any of that (protein skimmer, power heads, etc...) but i do have power compacts for the lighting.
I am starting to doubt the advise i am getting from the LFS
Any advise?

[beach bum]

Hi again,

For this small of a setup great care must be exercised in the population and maintenance arenas. So you really need to decide with a tank like this the EXACT type of setup you want. That is your best chance for a successful thriving tank, most don't happen by accident.

--I have 3 polyps, a tiny clam, an anomene (but he is on the opposite side of the tank). For the fish i have a flame angel, tang, clown fish, and 2 small pretty blue fish. The fish are all very small in size.--

What kind of clam? What kind of anemone? What kind of clownfish? Quite bluntly, your LFS should lose their license (if there was such a thing)! You need to remove the flame angel, the yellow tang, and probably the anemone ASAP. Even if they survive such cramped quarters, their behavior will not be "natural" and hence, less fun to watch. Not to mention the bioload strain that many fish will put on your system making it more difficult for other organisms to survive as well. It will also be VERY difficult on you to have to be constantly struggling with sick, fighting, and dying fish and inverts. 12gal is even too small for almost all clowns. Ocellaris and skunks are two that stay fairly small, but clarkii, maroon, tomato, etc. will get too big. And back on the anemone subject, your lighting is inadequate for all except possibly a bubbletip (e. quadricolor), and the only other long, long, long, shot might be an LTA, but they are much too large to fit in a twelve gal.

I suggest keeping your polyps, rock and two blue fish, and return EVERYTHING else to the LFS for credit. Use that credit to pick up a small powerhead (rio 50 or 90, or maybe a maxijet 400), a specimen tank (like the LFS uses) which are handy in many ways (especially for catching fish, easy to herd them in with the net rather than catch them with the net), test kits if you don't have them yet, and a SECOND heater and powerhead to use for mixing saltwater for water changes.

Personally I don't think you need a skimmer on such a small tank if you cut WAY down on the population. Alot of of nano-reefers go skimmerless with good success, regular small water changes are more the norm.

Once you tank stabilizes after your substrate and livestock swap, then you can think about adding some more stuff (mobile inverts are fun, and since you have good lighting for mushrooms and soft corals - that's probably where you should focus.

All this advice is to help, I really want to see you have a successful tank!!!! So if you have any more questions, ask away.

Good luck

[Snugy44]

Thanks!

I am really not sure what kind of clam it is, but it is really blue and purple. As for my anemone it has a pink body white tenticles and purple tips, any clues? About the 2nd heater, what is that for? The heater that i have now keeps the tank at about 80 degrees (is that good? should i get a differnt one?)

Well i hope all goes well tonight with the sand and i will let you know tomorrow.

Take care and thanks for the help,
Krista

[beach bum]

The second heater is for the water mixing bucket to match water temperature to that of the main tank.

Spend some time searching the web for info on your critters, this will help determine their needs and habits better. www.liveaquaria.com is a handy site for general species info.

[Heavan]

Krista,
Beach has givin you some good advice. You don't have to have a skimmer. Most nano reefers recomend about a 10% water change per week. I would also strongly recomend having a power head. Remember to let your saltwater sit for at least 24 hours before adding it.

Do you happen to know who is the manufactor of the lighting you have? What is the wattage? I am only wandering because of the misinformation you have been givin by the store.

It sounds as though your anemone is a sabe.

How long has your tank been set up?

You can buy heaters with thermostats. You will want to watch come summer small tanks tend to heat up if you don't have A/C depending what part of the country you are from.

Let us know how goes the subsrate change.

Good Luck,
Renae

[Allison]

Just to let you know, I have a 10-gal and don't use a skimmer. The only "gadgets" I've added to the system are a heater and a powerhead. After a year or two, you really don't have to change the water that often (weekly).

It has an amazing ability to stabilize itself. Granted I don't have any fish in my tank (I want to make sure I am way below bioavailability.) But my tank has been setup for several years now and is thriving. (I too have the issue of radical mushroom growth that you may have read in some of the posts.)

HOPE THAT'S REASSURING!!

[Doug1]

Allison WELCOME BACK, we have missed you
Krista check out Christopher Marks nano wb site, he's got a lotta go info regarding small tanks Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dolf]

If you have not done the change yet, I would look at http://fishwhisperer.homestead.com/articles.html for some info. I would also say that I keep a spare heater but when it is not heating the water in the bucket I use it as a back-up heater in the tank. I would think that the idea of a back in such a small system would be even more necessary because of how quickly the water can undergo a change if the one fails.

The heater that i have now keeps the tank at about 80 degrees

If the heater works full time and does not turn off in order to keep the tank at 80 I would buy a slightly larger heater and use the one you have now to heat the extra water for the changes. Yes, 80 is fine.

Here is a link about temperature and salinity.
http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/a.../1/default.asp

Asisde from that I would way you have got excelent advice on stocking your aquarium and if you decide to pull everything out to change to the DSB it would be an ideal time to catch everything you want to return.

Good-luck!