While we're on the subject of stocking (and I wait...)

So we've established that an anemone isn't going to work for now and I'm in a holding pattern letting things settle and the skimmer break in. I also removed the stupid "polishing pad" fine filter from the canister as it decimated my copepods. My damsels have been bored with nothing to chase!

I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions of next steps- ideally I'd like to add at least 1-2 more small fish, an SPS coral or two, and an anemone at some point but I'm being more patient this time and trying to avoid overstocking. Even that sounds pretty crowded...
Tho the damsels are a little passe and all I've grown attached to those tough little guys- so I don't think I'll be removing anything from the current setup.

Second part- after reading recent posts I plan to drop in a pair of 200Gph+ powerheads with spray bars pointed up, remove the little one I have. More flow, etc. I haven't quite figured out how to cram *those* in too, the back of the tank is starting to look industrial already

See sig for details.

TIA

 

You could try buying a solid back ground , mines in the wall of my basement and i painted the back and sides to hide all that mechanical that seems to start looking like nuke plant , lol
but those things are needed to insure a happy enviroment .
And i might add' its been my experiance the more you turn you water over' the better
and from other reefs that ive seen .

Also depending on the age of the tank , sand bed depth and the amount of live rock you are adding or have added will decide on what you will be able to put in there ' aside from what you want to put in there damsels are very pretty and fairly cheap to buy but, they tend to be little "war lords" even to the big fishes if others are added to the tank they start their little turf war.
(aside from green chromis ).
now you have a 29gal. which is fairly small and thus you must choose carefully as to what fish you decide' as not to many can be added .
now clowns are a great addition ' but those little "passe" damsels you have in there WILL let those or any other know who's boss .
My suggestion if you do add fish ' add them in pairs , not alone it tends to distract any fish who has called this tank their "turf/home

 

hey wildreef when are you gonna post some pics of your tank?

 

Thanks- I had a clown but I think whatever got the anemone got him too, and he didn't recover.
Maybe a 6 line to keep the damsels in line?

 

Well soon as i get a decent digi cam Godbert course it behind me ' I guess i could do a "live" showing LOL on cam.

Any ways a 6 line wrasse , possible bi-color blenny , lawn mower blenny , midas blenny , maybe a goby of some sort, clowns
and i would suspect if its not you water chemistry it may have been a poor candidate from the get go or you didint feed it.
As well ( all damsels that i know of aside from the green chromis ) are mean as hell and you have a small tank so theres not much room to "give space" so any damsels would be a poor choice in my opinion in such a small tank because you wish to add more diffrent fish and they are just to teritorial. ( they love a good turf war )

anemone's also require very good water chemistry and decent water flow and depending on what species it was some are just Very poor candidates for a reef , and if you have any readible nitrates/amonia or the like they will not surrvive as for the clown , their really easy im surprised it died
clowns often do better in pairs as well
anemones tend to move to find their favorite place , ( thats why i dont have them at all )
and remember anemones can sting (fight things that come into contact with it )

If you desire some sort of corals such as soft corals , some are fairly easy and cheap to start out with . provided you have proper lighting to accomidate them.
mushroooms(recordia) , all kinds of leathers, even frogspawn, buttons (Zooanthids), flower pots (Sarcophyton), star polyps (grasses) Just all sorts !

If you have your heart set on a "anemone" might i suggest a long tentical anemone , and carpet anemone's dont do well and if it does they get HUGE.
remember any thing that is hassled or pesterd or handled continously will die anemone's are no diffrent .
half the time when you see them in the LFS place they've already been beaten up through shipping practices and not fed at all from the day they were caught in the wild .
ive known people to feed them with a turkey baster.

as with any fish , invert , or the like i always like to let it sit in the pet shops tank and see if its gonna be a goner ( id rather them foot the bill ) if it dies within a couple days of being there.
most stores will hold it for you for atleast 3 days

Now by no means am i pro, I only know these things from my mistakes and and learn from people whom have learned things and i study the animal before a purchase.
ALL TO OFTEN a pet shop and some teen ager is there to miss-inform a customer of the animal and ive seen so many buy these fish, inverts,etc.
only to see it die a slow death in a reef lovers tank.

I actully stopped for almost a complete year simply cause i was so discouraged from failures , but i was determined to learn and succeed with it .
I have been fooling with this almost 15 years and i love it still yet !