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I had kept it for over 5 years and had a lot of very large hard corals that I just can't replace. I also had a mandarin dragonette (psycodelic) that fed off a thriving copepod population, a regal tang, and two firefish, cleaner shrimp.
. If you want to set up a mini reef here's a couple of rules of thumb. Try to use at least 3 watts per gallon on your lighting system. Use one of the daylight spectrum flourescent tubes, or compact flourescents if you can get them. I always loved the 20000k color because the little bit of blue in it seems to make the white brighter. Limit the amt of fish you would keep in the tank. In 15 gallons you might be able to fit in a couple of ocellaris or percula clowns, or maybe a goby and shrimp combo. Notice the "or" that's a TINY space for a couple of living creatures. You may see these guys real close together on a real reef, but remember that the water circulation is well...the whole ocean is available to sweep away the poo. Think of being in an elevator with someone continually farting. Eventually the smell is going to kill you. It's the same thing with a reef aquarium. Even with very frequent water changes, it's going to "stink" so respect the little guys by giving them enough space. Try to use at least "one pound per gallon" of live rock in your set up. Make the inverts the key feature, remember you have to monitor the Ca and I in the water, and have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite readings. You want great water quality. I believe you want about 400 ppm Ca and I couldn't tell you the Iodine off hand as I haven't done this in a while. All in all, invest a lot of money in the thing, and remember that fish and inverts aren't just disposable. Also, when you go to buy your livestock, make sure it comes from a reputable source. Fish caught in the Phillippines and Indonesia are often caught with cyanide. This ends up killing the fish (which you spent the money on), and the reef from which the fish came...and the people who caught the fish. Don't support that. Do your research on your shop. Never buy from someone who can't tell you where the livestock came from.
