[rogerchesapeake]

We are going to try a 12g nano reef. We have 20 lbs Florida Live rock, 20 lbs live sand. After allowing the rock to cure for about a month, there is the brown crud on everything now (I am assuming that will leave??). My 10 year old wants to add a clown goby and one other undecided fish - maybe a mandarin down the road. He would like a star and shrimp as well.
What suggestions for cleaners (types of snails and how many). We want to avoid crabs. We are going to see if any corals grow on the rock. Comments and suggestions would be helpful. We have a little experience with his 40 g now fish only.

[cronicreef]

I prefer smaller snails. Larger ones tend to knock things over and make a mess out of everything. You can always add more latter so don't feel like you have to add your entire clean up crew all at once. A good way to start is to get something like 5 snails. This way you can see what kind of help they are and how much you like to look at them. I don't like to see snails on my front glass all the time. They get in my way of viewing everything. All though it's nice seeing them cleaning everything up I still need to use some elbow grease on the glass to get everything they miss.

I think they brown crud should go away after awhile. If it's algea your most likely still in the cycle stage. Which is normal for only being set up for a month.

Not to be a downer but a manderin might not be the best thing for a 12gal. They tend to run out of food fast in small tank. But just like in everything else in this hoppy some people can pull it off. It's just a matter of if you want to take the chance/ who your talk too. I'm juist not a fan of keeping them. I made decision after trying once.

I'm a big fan of clowns just because there always active and a very cool fish any aquarium.

Just my thoughts

[rogerchesapeake]

Originally Posted by cronicreef

I prefer smaller snails. Larger ones tend to knock things over and make a mess out of everything. You can always add more latter so don't feel like you have to add your entire clean up crew all at once. A good way to start is to get something like 5 snails. This way you can see what kind of help they are and how much you like to look at them. I don't like to see snails on my front glass all the time. They get in my way of viewing everything. All though it's nice seeing them cleaning everything up I still need to use some elbow grease on the glass to get everything they miss.

I think they brown crud should go away after awhile. If it's algea your most likely still in the cycle stage. Which is normal for only being set up for a month.

Not to be a downer but a manderin might not be the best thing for a 12gal. They tend to run out of food fast in small tank. But just like in everything else in this hoppy some people can pull it off. It's just a matter of if you want to take the chance/ who your talk too. I'm juist not a fan of keeping them. I made decision after trying once.

I'm a big fan of clowns just because there always active and a very cool fish any aquarium.

Just my thoughts

What kind of clowns - would all types do well in the above tank?
The mandarin advice seems sound - thanks

[cronicreef]

Percula clown, Ocellaris clowns are good to start out with. They stay small compared to othere clowns.

Depends on who you ask, they might say 2 small fish would be a good bio-load for a 12gal. For me I would feel good about keeping a clown goby and a clown as host. But anything more than that would be pushing it.