Setting up Florida keys/Gulf biotope

9.5 gal tank / 8 gal display

Just purchased "the package" from Tampa Bay Saltwater -- includes:

Live sand/rock from aquaculture farm in the FL keys (sand and 1/2 rock will come first -- remaining rock and critters shipped when tank has cycled)
8 bluelegs
4 turbo snails
1 cucumber
1 brittle/serpent star
1 peppermint shrimp

2nd shipment of rock will be encrusted with bivalves, corals, sponges, etc. Expecting lots of hitch hikers.

:?: Looking for recommendations for stocking the tank in a couple/few months once this tank is all happy and stable. Fans, hardy corals, and perhaps 2-3 small fish. Must be compatible w/ Florida biotope.

:?: Looking for advice on nuisance species to look out for (native to FL keys, where rock and sand originate). TBS advises being watchful for gorilla crabs and mantis shrimp. Previous tank w/ Caribbean rock had limpets, hardbodied stars, mojanos, and undesirable bristle worms.

Filtration is by live rock/sand, Polyfilter, and weekly 1-gal water changes.

:?: Tank has cover that can't be removed (office environment) -- is airstone recommended before adding fish?

First post here. Thanks for listening.

Welcome! We have not forgotten about you..I contacted Ray our New Member Chair and he should be posting an answer soon...In the meantime, hopefully someone else will post!

Warm regards,

Steve

Try to convert the lighthood to the largest powercompact bulbs you can fit if you contemplate corals. Seafans are difficult to culture without constant flow and feeding. If you feed the water rather than the animals, you will have algae in this small a bowl of water. I assume there is no sump nor did you mention a hang-on filter or protein skimmer either. Mushrooms will be sucessful and I have had Hydnophoria survive in less light. Clown Gobies are the cutest, small fish available while the pseudochromis/dottyback is an Atlantic native and colorful. Our ARC sponsor Dale Eichberg sells purple blade gorgonians and seastars from the Atlantic. Refrain from anemones as they seldom survive in a new tank and black spine urchins are endangered and should be left in the sea.

Sump chambers are behind display tank. Spillover runs through Polyfilter which takes the place of a skimmer. Other than that, live rock/sand and regular water changes do the work.

Previous life in this tank did very well. Very little problem with algae after a couple of initial blooms were controlled. Mushrooms had babies, colonies budded new polyps. Until the heater exploded. :cry: (We salvaged most all the critters, but they will not be in this tank.)

No plans to install seafans, stonys, or anemones. "Fans" above was a typo -- meant fanworms/featherdusters.

Live sand and baserock arrived today. It's covered with life. Crossing my fingers that sponge die-off will be minimal, and keeping close tabs on ammonia. TBS sent some beautiful rock, and we've seen good stars and snails already.

Remaining rock with more life, plus cleaning crew, will arrive when this batch is done cycling and parameters are stable.

I intend to stick with hardy species that will thrive. Soft corals and featherdusters will be first additions, probably in a month or so. Fish are a possibility, but not a requirement -- there should be plenty of life, color, and movement even without fish.

Planning a trip to Tampa for livestock in a month or so.

Re clown gobies, my understanding is that they are not native to Florida.

This is a Florida biotope, so only species from the keys or Gulf of Mexico will go in.

you will find gorilla crabs. I like my TBS rock. I didnt have a mantis but they are likely. gorilla crabs will attack the snalls so as you find them kill them. they are hairy all over. however you may also get porcelin crabs. they are purple and no hair, use fans to filter feed. save those, they are harmless.I also got a baby decorator crab. again no hair so save that one as well. I also got a long black spine urchin. it was a black dot on the rock and unrecognisable until it grew.

"Must be compatible w/ Florida biotope"
Clown gobies are cute and compatible, maybe not indigenous.
Sounds like you have a good plan in place and already have most of your decisions made. I actually spent 6 months just watching the live rock mature before I started adding anything. I watched blooms of various critters as they overwhelm, then subside. The Atlantic does have more gorgonian species than the western ocean and Dale can get you some that will survive in captivity.

Day 1 and all's well so far.

Lots of life emerging, bivalves opening up, some ammonia but still low.

:?: Sounds like I have a pistol shrimp. Should I try to remove it? If so, how?

wildemon, I do have the very broad decisions made, but will still need tips on which species are found in that ecosystem, pests to watch for, and especially native fish that might do well in such a small tank. Thanks for the tips so far. Lighting, btw, is a daylight/blue SmartPaq.

And thanks everyone else, too. I have some day 1 pics that I'll be posting on nano-reef tonight.

It just occurred to me that one of the group's daughter brought back some pipefish from Florida. I believe Ray O'Conner still has some [he did last month's nano tank talk].

In the book 'natural reef aquariums" by John Tullock ISBN number 1-890087-00-9 there are 2 chapters directly on point for your biotype.
Chapter 6 "Marine inhabitats of the florida keys and caribbean sea, Pgs 155 to 182, and Chapter 7 "the gulf of mexico" Pgs 183 to 192. they discuss fish and coral species. too many to list here though.

Excellent book, akula.

I haven't too much experience in this area, save I have caught my own dwarf seahorses, neon gobies and pipefish from the florida waters. Tullock's natural reef aquariums has a great section on bitotype tanks including florida/carribean biotypes.

Ray

Color Me Up,
Are you still working on your "Floribbean" Tank? I was actually thinking of doing the same style tank and compiled a list of fish, corals and cleanup critters that originate from reefs in that area. Some of these on this list may also be Atlantic Species but I wouldn't call that "cheating". :wink:

Fish from the Caribbean
Greenbanded Goby
Neon Goby
Yellowhead Jawfish
Horned Blenny
Royal Gramma Basslet
Blue Chromis
Pygmy (Cherub) Angelfish
Blue Caribbean Tang (probably too big for a 40g)


Corals from the Caribbean
Green Sea Mat (Zoanthus sp.)
Orange Tree Gorgonian
Ricordea Mushroom, Blue/Green (Ricordea florida)
Christmas Tree Rock - Worms, Porites

40g Rock, Sand and Cleanup
40 lbs Live Sand
60 lbs Live Rock
1 Serpent Star
1 Camel Shrimp
25 Blue Leg Hermits
15 Scarlet Hermits
1 Peppermint shrimp
14 Astrea Snails

Was also considering the TBS package. Have you gotten your second shipment yet? Would like to hear your opinion on the TBS rock.

Thanks, sammy.

The rock is teeming, but I have to get my hands on this mantis before I get the rest of the rock and the cleaning crew. Lots o' hitch-hiker cleaners, though.