nano reef set up help

[ebaybrad]

i am setting up a nano reef in a 12 gallon acrylic tank. It is oneof those all inclusive types with the back sectioned out with a small nio ball set up, built in skimmer, and runs off a 201 powerhead. I have two blue and two white 9 watt power compact fixtures and 10 lbs of live rock (smallish pieces) with no substrate.

My question is....now that i decided against a sea horse tank....i am looking for suggestions as to stock. I was going to do a sea horse tank, however, i know feeding routine will get old fast! I wish to have a pretty much self contained eco system with everything in the tanks doing their part of MY maintenance..ie snalls/crabs for algae, maybe one fish...etc... i have included a picture of the type of tank below...

please let me know your suggestions to help me maximize sucess...i have a friend that say the key is no or little water changes for a long period of time...

thanks in advance for your input....

 

[ejgorman]

Have friends with similar interests in mini-reef setups. They generaly don't fair well, but they have had some success with clowns as they require little room to roam. I have a friend with 5.5g containing a single oscellaris and a candy stripe shrimp along with a number of low light coral (no gravel) running a PS and powerhead for circulation. It's been up and running for 1 and 1/2 years. I have unsuccessfully tried to keep a 10g fish only tank, but lost some livestock before investing in a larger (but still small) tank.

 

[DEADFISH1]

check out the Nano boards, here is a couple:
http://www.nano-

reef.com/http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?s=b02ab0d809dc88485171098c38a554bf&forumid=75

 

[24Tom]

You should be able to stock most LPS and softies in the tank. I have had frogspawn and candy cane in my ten with less light. Mushrooms and polyps of course. After it cycled, I've keep amm away in the tank for almost two years. Its an insurance against an ammonia spike. Not a bad idea if you go a little heavy on the fish or have an anemonee like mine that barfs after a meal. I use B-Ionic, and for a small tank you can't beat it. It keeps Ca and alk absolutley constant. I changed a gallon of water weekly for the first year. I've been going monthly recently but only because my 30 has been using 1/2 gallon per day of DI. I was tired of lugging water from the store. Now I have an RO will go back to weekly. I started with CC but am now slowly switching it to soutdown. I would start with soutdown now or just mail order some live sand.