Ska's 28 Macro Algae Display

[lorenz0]

koralia 3 will be way to much flow in that tank. your going to be running into problems but a nano and a 1 would be great.

If you plan on running a HOB fung run a AC110 with cheato and live rock, i still think my AC50 barely gets the job done.

but i like where your heading, should be a cool finished project

[karazy]

i think this will look kool. i like the size of tank for a reef.
i expect great thignswill come out of this tank

[skabooya]

I was thinking a K3 may be too much flow but after a lot of reading i found that the nanos arent really that great and the K1's are good but not enough flow for my tank and they are large. I would need at least a K2 or 2 K1's for my tank because it is long. But I also read quite a few threads that state go with one K higher than you would want.
Also i wanted a medium turnover. Its not needed in a softy tank but i wanted to make sure to keep debris suspended and i wanted enough flow that there would not be many if any dead spots. With 1 Koralia i will have a variety of high flow and low flow areas so that i can have a variety of corals that like different areas.
But I would love to know what kinds of things will go wrong with that amount of flow in a tank this size. People who have SPS have a lot more flow than that.

I would like to have an AC110 however im not in any rush. I know the AC i have is bairly adequate but its just for minor things like polyfibre and carbon; its not a fuge.

I agree i love this size tank. When i saw it i had to have it. I hope it turns out good but im a beginner so we shall see. The hardest part will be getting the coral. My lfs has no selection and they will not bring anything in. FW no problem but anything SW is a no. Anything i get will need to be from online vendors or local reefers (none that i know of where i live so im counting on you guys)

[OCDP]

Just my two cents, but I have a Koralia 4 in my 20g. I also have a Seio 820. My 20g isn't as long as yours, but it's do-able. It all comes down to placement of the pumps, and rocks. I would say go with more flow than less.. but that is my opinion, as you can work around it.

That tank dose look pretty shallow though.. You'd probably have to set the K4 on the bottom facing upwards a bit.. either that or go with 2 Seio 820's. I love the Seio's .. I think I prefer them over the Koralia. They seem more solid, and keep a steady constant flow, whereas I find the Koralia all over the place, with weak spots and strong spots. And yes, they are large, even more so in a small tank!

Also.. to add, if you want something big and pink, on the verge of red as a centerpiece.. I'd recommend a nice big Brain Coral. They are pretty easy to keep, very hardy (at least in my experience) . Blue corals seem somewhat rare, but ric's are commonly sold in blue. Blue zoo's are amazing too.

[skabooya]

Thanks for the input OCDP.
I agree more flow is better than too little, however i also dont want the shallow sand bed blowing around everywhere, thats why i decided K3. Also i like the idea of the random water movement. A higher water movement coral can be placed in the higher flow area as apposed to a coral that likes lower flow.

Yes blue corals are kinda rare but thats okay i plan on taking the hobby very slowly so im not in any rush to pack the tank full of blue corals in 6 months. I just want to have a few small frags and watch everything grow and take over the tank to give that wild look.

Thanks for the brain suggestion. I do have it on my list but im worried that if the centerpiece area is on the rocks (it will depend on rock placement) then i would tear the flesh. Brains belong on the sand. But, it is on my list of maybe.
Also on my maybe list are but are only on the list because of colour:
RBTA
pink birds nest
sun coral
group of feather dusters or coco worms or christmas worm
flower tree coral red/orange
Carnation tree coral
Orange tree gorgonian
Yellow tree gorg
red sea fan
red brain
blasto
red macro algae like kelp or red grape
*Again this list is just for the colours not what i intend to keep* The list will be edited down to no heavy feedings, non agressive species and species that do not need calcium comming out the yin yang.

This tank will not have a lot of coral. Just a few species to grow out. I saw some electric blue shrooms as well that i am now dreaming about in there too.

[whatcaneyedo]

Originally Posted by skabooya

Thanks for the input OCDP.
I agree more flow is better than too little, however i also dont want the shallow sand bed blowing around everywhere, thats why i decided K3. Also i like the idea of the random water movement. A higher water movement coral can be placed in the higher flow area as apposed to a coral that likes lower flow.

Yes blue corals are kinda rare but thats okay i plan on taking the hobby very slowly so im not in any rush to pack the tank full of blue corals in 6 months. I just want to have a few small frags and watch everything grow and take over the tank to give that wild look.

Thanks for the brain suggestion. I do have it on my list but im worried that if the centerpiece area is on the rocks (it will depend on rock placement) then i would tear the flesh. Brains belong on the sand. But, it is on my list of maybe.
Also on my maybe list are but are only on the list because of colour:
RBTA
pink birds nest
sun coral
group of feather dusters or coco worms or christmas worm
flower tree coral red/orange
Carnation tree coral
Orange tree gorgonian
Yellow tree gorg
red sea fan
red brain
blasto
red macro algae like kelp or red grape
*Again this list is just for the colours not what i intend to keep* The list will be edited down to no heavy feedings, non agressive species and species that do not need calcium comming out the yin yang.

This tank will not have a lot of coral. Just a few species to grow out. I saw some electric blue shrooms as well that i am now dreaming about in there too.

You've got some really difficult to keep non-photosynthetic filter feeders (azooxanthellate) on that list. Have you seen this article before? http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-02/feature/index.php If those are what you want to get into its worth reading.

While you're starting out and wanting to do a mixed reef I'd cut that list back to RBTA, Birdsnest, Open Brain, Blasto (expensive), feather dusters and macro algae. Sun corals while not necessarily difficult do require almost daily feeding of each individual polyp... its a lot of work and makes going on vacation a pain. If red is your thing you could also add an acan to that list.

[JDigital]

Originally Posted by lorenz0

koralia 3 will be way to much flow in that tank. your going to be running into problems but a nano and a 1 would be great.

I disagree... it will be about 30x turnover, and with it being a 36" tank, mounting the K3 at one end would work well I think.

[lorenz0]

Originally Posted by JDigital

I disagree... it will be about 30x turnover, and with it being a 36" tank, mounting the K3 at one end would work well I think.

he is looking at keeping softies so if you put a K3 on one end there will be way to much flow on one end of the tank, actually to mush for what he wants to keep. with a k1 on one end and a nano on the other this should balance it out with enough flow. I reccomended adding the nano since it was longer.

[skabooya]

whatcaneyedo: Yes i know most on my list are not worth keeping in my tank. Esp for a beginner. I just have them on the list for colour so people know approx what i am looking for (colour wise). I have not decided anything yet and it will be quite a while before i decide what i would want to get for my centerpiece. So no rush and yes i am slowly doing research on these items. Most are off the list.
is that your acan? it looks awsome. I notice your in PG. 8 hours away from me. hmmmm lol.
Lorenz0: from everyone that has given me advice and from everything i have read you are the only person that is against the K3 in my tank. Ive seen a 20gal with a k3 in it for softies. My tank is 28gal 36" Long. Ive even been told to go for 2 K3's one at each end or 2 K2's even a K4 and a K1. I chose 1 K3. Lots of flow will help to prevent algae and deterius build up. Yes i will have a lot of flow in one area but ive also seen shrooms growing in areas like that. Cloves which i really want need medium flow to prevent algae from growing in between the polyps.
I dont want LOW flow i want a medium flow. Koralias dont preform top notch for very long. Also whenever getting a filter/power head/etc always get one bigger than what you need because of preformance issues most do not reach their gph and are slightly under that and with time their gph decreases even furthur. About 30x turnover is not bad. Its not sps turnover which is a lot its just under that.
To my understanding with nanos the most important parts of the hobby that you need to get right are good lighting, good water for waterchanges (salinity included), and good water flow.

Oh and PS to everyone im a she not a he LMAO

[lorenz0]

I am just talking from experience with nano's

if you want to run a K3 its all up to you. even running a K1 in my nano i found some area's to still have to much flow. If you believe thats the route you want to take its all up to you but imo my mushrooms actually trive more in the less flow area's.