So I bought a 20h during the Petco $1 sale that will serve as my tank. I was lucky enough to get my LFS to drill it in the corner for a drain (thanks BJ, owe you one). I am going to use a 55 as a sump/refugium, and a 150 w metal halide to light. Right now I am considering a high end shroom tank, or maybe zoo’s. Does anyone have any great ideas for a 20g nano?
Joe
Zoanthid hills with a Frog fish and no other fish. This is a tank I’ve always wanted to create. Mated pair of frog fish would be even better and make it a rarer find.
+1 on zoanthid hills and frogfish… but i would go extreme colors and variety on zoanthids. Also some nice higher end mushrooms would be sick…
A tank full of mushrooms would be tricky. The things get disconnected when they get over crowded and float around the water, end up in power heads and over flows. With a single stand pipe it would eventually jam. So much more color achieved with zoanthids. Just watch out for certain Protopalythoa which will overcrowd and outgrow just about everything.
I’ve been planning a tank with zoanthid hills and a mated pair of frog fish for a long time. Would be awesome to see someone bring one to life.
Check out some nano galleries for ideas Joe. when i was raising Banggais, i got bored with jst fish in little 2 1/2, 5s and 10 g tanks, so i added rock and softies and stuff. they did pretty good.
Saltwater Aquarium Fish Photos
If you want something high-end, I would personally go with some zoanthids and Ricordea Yuma. Both are a bit of an inital investment, but both sell for some pretty good money online. Plus you could probably get Glenn to give you a frag of my old pink/purple yumas fairly cheap 
[quote=“icy1155, post:6, topic:3157”]
give you a frag of my old pink/purple yumas fairly cheap ;)[/quote]
Nothing that came from you is cheap -they’re all “ICY LE Frags” - if you’re lucky enough to find someone that has something from that tank and is willing to part with it you’re going to need a mortgage guy too ;D
Oh, mixing in some rics wouldn’t be a horrible idea. They are a lot less of a pain then Rhodactis and Discosoma and certainly come in some nice colors.
That was my thought, maybe a ricordia only or ric/zoo tank. I like the idea of a couple of fish, but I’m not sure yet. I want the tank to be as low nutrient as possible. With a 55 'fuge on a 20, that shouldn’t be too hard.
Frogfish are really cool, anyone have any other ideas for a nano friendly specimen/pair tank?
Oh, and is ric usa still operating?
How about some small gobies such as those in the Gobiodon genus. You can find some really small black ones or get some large “citron” gobies. Supposedly not impossible to breed and get along fine in small groups. Sometimes difficult to acclimate to captivity with feeding being the biggest issue. That being said once they are acclimated they have very small mouths to feed.(low bioload)
[quote=“Gordonious, post:10, topic:3157”]
How about some small gobies such as those in the Gobiodon genus. You can find some really small black ones or get some large “citron” gobies. Supposedly not impossible to breed and get along fine in small groups. Sometimes difficult to acclimate to captivity with feeding being the biggest issue. That being said once they are acclimated they have very small mouths to feed.(low bioload)[/quote]
+1 on the gobies. i have rainsford, citron, and they both eats with my blenny and aggressive clowns
So I’ve decided that I will go fishless. At least for now. I am going to go with mushrooms initially, probably rics and st. thomas, but I may add some zoo’s down the road. I may stock a shrimp or three, but I really don’t want the fish to interfere with the 'shrooms.
Now, do you guys think the tank would look better with a rock pile, or one big rock? I was considering trading the rock I have for a large piece that would be the only rock in the display.
A Ricordea tank would be cool. The former DRC pres, before me, Mary, had a fine 29 with mostly big colorful ricordea. they looked great! Like candy. Or, another idea might be a Bubble tip anemone tank with a school of clown fish! lots of different types of clowns to choose from, other that nemo. like half a dozen Clarkies, saddle backs, skunks, tomatoes? maybe even throw in a carpet anemone. and hopefully it wont eat the fish.
You know, sand bed, shallow, low rock formation for the anemones. and some clowns. the anemones could grow large with no competition. and the fish will feed them and swim through them all day. and the Koralias will make them all dance in the wind! Living, moving sculpture.
just a second thought.