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Scarfish

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
82
Hello, I've just started the process of making a saltwater aquarium/reef tank.... I need a Lil insight on the subject so here I sm....
 
What I have so far...
55gallon tank(which I paid 49$ for and are proud)
65 gallon protein skimmer
2x water movers
4bulb T5 ho fixture
75 gallon heater
 

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Welcome to AA!

Looks like you're on your way.

What are your plans for the tank? Fish Only (FO), Fish Only with Live Rock (FOWLR), or a full blow reef tank with fish and corals?
 
First off, welcome!

I just went through this process, and the best advice I can give you is buy a wider tank than a 55 gallon, they are too narrow. For a reef, you will want/need a sump or a refugium, and the commercially available ones are too wide to fit in a 55 gallon stand. Don't run a canister filter, it can be done, but they need to be cleaned weekly in order to keep them from filling with bio matter that breaks down into nitrates, a no no with corals. Another strike against a 55 is that they are too narrow for quite a few species of fish to turn around comfortably in. I recommend a tank 18" wide at a minimum.

Get a 75 gallon, much better.

Jared
 
neilanh said:
Welcome to AA!

Looks like you're on your way.

What are your plans for the tank? Fish Only (FO), Fish Only with Live Rock (FOWLR), or a full blow reef tank with fish and corals?

Fowlr but later I will make another one completely reef
 
I am doing Fish with live rock but in the future I will do a reef
 
Question... After my water is ready what rock and fish should I start with
 
Add your rock while the tank is cycling, that is the preferred way to do it. If you add rock afterwards, make sure that it is cure live rock, otherwise you may get ammonia spikes due to die-off. As far as fish, I can't recommend damsels, I had two after my tank cycled, and one killed the other in 2 days, removed all his fins, and then he floated around the tank unable to swim, he finally died.

Jared
 
Are there different types of live rock? And if not damsels what? Just exploring my start up options
 
"Are there different types of live rock?"

Yes. There are many different types, all of which I am not familiar. However, my 55 has both Fiji, and Gulf live rock. Buy locally cured live rock, and you should be okay. If you buy live rock off of eBay, or online, there will be some die-off during shipping, and this could mini-cycle your tank. I've had damsels, they are too aggressive. I now have two small 1" true percula clownfish, and they so far are doing great. No fighting or aggression so far. Other good fish are green chromis. They are quite beautiful, and from what I have read/heard, not that aggressive. But remember, no matter what fish you choose, make sure that the tank is completely cycled prior to introducing any livestock.

Jared
 
I just hooked up my lighting now I can hook everything up...
 

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i like the stand..pretty cool.
i'm betting you bought the coralife super skimmer 65. if so, return it and look into a reef octopus protein skimmer. they are better by far. i also suggest you purchase one rated for 2 x your tank volume, as manufacturers rate these things vaguely...they have no idea what bio load and maintenance schedule will be in place, and they seem to stretch the truth a bit about their products efficiency as well IMO.

buy 50-75 pounds of live rock and toss it in the tank. let it cycle for a couple weeks(with the light off, unless you want algae blooms) then start testing the water for ammonia and nitrite, and nitrate. once there is no detectable ammonia or nitrite, the water is no longer toxic and you can slowly add livestock.
 
Think u for the info and yes that's the skimmer I have... The stand is nice... Cost about 170$$ I built it myself
 
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