Need help nano set up

[pochanike]

hey there i recently set up my 20gallon long nano reef which will soon have a 96watt power compact light fixture. any ideas on small fish i can keep. i was thinking about doing some clownfish and anemone's and that being pretty much the extent with the exception of a mandarin fish waaaaaaay down the line and of course tons of live rock or as much as i can fit in there with a nice open sand area in the middle front. right now it has four big hermit crabs who are busy cleaning and getting the new tank ready, synthetic sand, and about three pounds of live rock :).

anyways i want to focus on one portion of the ocean and buy some things that are found only in that area, i know that sometimes some from one area show up in other areas... anyways let me know.

[pochanike]

i also have two domino damsels in there cycling the tank, in case you needed to know. :)

[Richard]

One of my favorite's for small tanks is a chalk basslet - small, non aggressive, super hardy.

You'll never fit enough liverock in a 20 gallon to support a mandarin. They seem to do well if you get them eating bloodworms, most will eventually take to them but you have to let them settle to the bottom so the mandarin can take it's time picking them off.

Richard
CB Pets

[Charley]

I had a Target Mandarin eating live brine. Still have one more regular one that just has not gotten it down yet. Would love to get them eating pellets like most everything else, as they are awful cool to watch flutter around a tank.

Charley

[pochanike]

thanks guys, MORE INFO!! :)

[minimasterflash]

A couple great sites to browse and SEARCH to get info are:

www.reefcentral.com - they have a nano section on their BB

www.nano-reef.com - Best site on the web for nano related info, the BB is full of info.

good luck

[matt]

I like your idea of a clownfish/anemone habitat, but you are probably limited to an E.quad anemone. They host lots of clowns, but not oscellaris. There are lots of reports of oscellaris clowns taking to E. quads in aquariums, though. Maroon clowns will quickly outgrow the tank.

I'd consider removing the hermits. They're probably doing more harm than good. Hermits will eat whatever they can catch, including any micro life you might be trying to establish. If you need an algae grazer, try a Diadema urchin or some snails. And four large hermits in a small system like that can really decimate things.

I had a spotted mandarin in a 10 gal for over a year. The only reason I got it is because it ate frozen bloodworms, and I have a refugium for the nano which helps with the pod population. Ironically, it died after I moved it to my larger system; got swept into the overflow.

HTH
Matt