What can go under this?

[sharuq1]

A lady I know has one of those picture frame type tanks. She has a single T5 over it, doesn't plan on getting anymore lighting and wants to know what type of coral she could get away with in there. I told her mushrooms and maybe leathers. Anyone else know anything she could stick in there? She says she would like colorful things. Flow is a couple of those little internal fluval filters.

I don't have the measurements but it looks about 3'longx18"?or20?"tall x3"deep. I'm just trying to help her with what she has, so although I understand this is less than ideal it'd be nice if anyone has any ideas to make it better that don't involve spending anything on more equipment.

Thank you for your help!

[parkinsn]

If its only 3" deep you could probably keep some SPS in it for a bit till they grow.... but i assume that is a typo @ 3" and its not an 8g tank 3 feet wide :biggrin:

Seriously though, you might be able to keep some zoas under that. But when you say single T5 do you mean 1 lamp?

[sharuq1]

Nope, it really isn't a typo. I wish it was. You can barely fit your hand in the tank, but it looks like a standard 33g or so except that it is so skinny. Yeah, I mean one single bulb. SPS would likely perish in this tank.

[Red Coral Aquariums]

1)Neat tank it would look great with blue or red light and a massive bubbler in it.
:biggrin:

2) Put some chucks of small LR and fill it full of sand and then watch what caves your sand sifting goby or pistol shrimp create. ( like one of those ant farms)

Kevin

ps Kelly yes mushrooms and maybe a few soft corals.

[mark]

I've got some zoa's growing under ledges, still holding their colour.

[sharuq1]

Ixnay on the bubbles;she put a seahorse in it (and a few little LR's and three other fish and a fire shrimp). I think she said the tank was 13g, so I guess my measurements are a tad out. I don't remember if there is sand, but you cannot see the bottom anyway due to the frame. The light is a great idea, maybe I could suggest an led.

How could we do ledges? This sounds like an interesting idea. Please tell me more.

Do you think we could get away with zoas? The gsp I gave her doesn't look so hot, but maybe if we could figure out a way to do ledges that could change.

Other than being so skinny it is quite an attractive little setup.

[justinl]

forgive me for being presumptuous, but the fact that she chose a 3 inch wide tank tells me that she (let alone her system!) is NOT ready to keep seahorses. IMO no fish bigger and more active than clown goby could ever be housed in those kind of dimensions. Definitely no fish (or any other organism) that needs to sift sand for food. I do like the pistol goby pair idea if you stick to one of the hardy smaller species of gobies and it can survive easily on prepared foods.

ledges will be anything from hard to impossible to create... you're basically working 2D. You could do 2D ledges (in profile) by using magnets to stick rocks midwater, sandwiched between the front/back panes of glass... but it could make maintenance a real PITA. IMO you could get away with zoas, shrooms, and other smallish polyp softies... I wouldn't recommend leathers and other such large stalked colonies since the stalk will grow onto the glass from the rock and generally, big white blobs that may obstruct the view of the corals polyps don't appeal most people. GSP could be nice i think.

[Navarchus]

plastic corals.....!

[sharuq1]

I do agree it is completely overstocked with innappropriate fish and the seahorse is a terrible choice (honestly I wish I could take it home) unfortunately I am not in a position to be able to change her mind on her choices. She is a client of a family member and that person requested I not "burst her bubble", so I am trying to honour that request. I did suggest fake corals, actually and am hoping she buys some.

[Navarchus]

http://www.livingcolor.com/resources/coral/plug_n_play_and_custom_reefs.pdf

[sharuq1]

Great link! Those would be perfect for her.

[Navarchus]

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