Almost there - lil' help please.

[Otherone]

Nitrite .25 ppm Nitrate 40 ppm made it thru 4 weeks with next to no algae blooms. Hoping to be buying a few fish this saturday but we'll see, If all tests out 0 nitrite 20 ppm or less Nitrate I was thinkin' -

10 snails
3 Hermits
Clownfish
Yellowtail Damsel
Royal Gramma

For the initial stock in a 180/30gal sump. Too much, too little ?

Only other fish at the moment on the wish list is - Blue Pacific Tang, Niger Trigger, and Dwarf Flame Angel but will do slowly. Corals are on the list Mushrooms and polyp rock as well a large Clam.

 

[FLESHY]

Sounds good. I would get your nitrates down lower, clams can be sensitive.

Your polyps/softies/clams have about a 100 percent chance of being nibbled on by your angel, tang, and triggerfish. All three are notorious.

That being said, sometimes you get lucky with fish.

Your hermits will also be snacks/toys for that trigger.

I would also try to get a bigger sump if possible. Are you using a 30g tank, or is the actual sump volume 30g?

 

[TMartinez]

Your polyps/softies/clams have about a 100 percent chance of being nibbled on by your angel, tang, and triggerfish. All three are notorious.

That being said, sometimes you get lucky with fish.

I concur. However having 3 fish known to snack on corals, one is bound too. just be careful and make sure they are feed well enough to not want to eat them... even then, you can't control nature...

 

[nonstophoops]

I concur. However having 3 fish known to snack on corals, one is bound too. just be careful and make sure they are feed well enough to not want to eat them... even then, you can't control nature...

Agreed. The thing I would be most worried about is the Angel nipping the clam.

 

[Otherone]

The Sump is 30 gal. maybe less due to skimmer outlet hieght, the sump is drilled, the pump is about 1-2 ft away and dry. It was a 2 stage auto drip but now just a skimmer w/ scrubbers and probably a phos reactor not sure yet cause I might put the phos reactor in the water change tank. I also have a freshwater top off tank. Increasing the sump to 50 gal is a strong possiblity in the future. Where the 180 is located there is a very large walkin' closet behind it so expansion would be easy but slow due to financial budgeting. I'm one of those crazy ppl with tanks all over the house and an aquarium budget of approx $300 a month.

After reading your posts I'm wondering if 1 saltwater tank is gonna be enuff or maybe I should change the Freshwater Showtank in the dinning room to a Reef/small fish tank, it's a 125 long or I have a 150 XH but that's 3' deep. Either or you've given me even more to think about thanks.

 

[FLESHY]

Go with the 125g...easier to light by far. I am really enjoying the process of getting mine to "reef-status" however I wish that it was a 180...that extra depth is always necessary ha.