OK, I don't have a clue!

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cathyjane

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Messages
106
Location
kansas
Somebody, please help!! I've done everything wrong, but in my IHO, being a newby, It's working. I have a 55g tank. Two blue damsels, 3 neon velvet damsels, a tang, a tomato clown, a six line wrasse, a chocolate starfish, a coral banded shrimp. a flame scallop, a rock anemone, a pink tipped anemone and one turbo snail.
I don't have nearly enough lighting, (according to what I've read). I do have a power head(of what size I don't know), an eheim cannister filter, a hang on filter that came with the tank. Of course a heater. A CC substrate, (that I want to change to LS). I would like to ad a protein skimmer and I just recently purchased a reverse osmosis/DI system so I can introduce some purified water into my tank. Budget, obviously, is limited. I also have approx. 30#'s of LR. i'm lost. I Love all the fish I currently have. The coral banded shrimp is particularly entertaining when he tries to catch the tang I do have a good testing kit and Ph, nitrate, nitrite and ammonia have tested good for several months. I live in a small market. Both of the LFS in our town do not sell any kind of lighting so I'm limited to internet opportunities.
 
What exactly is your question?? Is it about what kind of lighting you should get? Yu might have too many fish for that tank size, im not exactly sure but somone will correct me if im wrong. Also Most would not advise having a anemone in such a young tank (i am assuming that it is fairly new). Anemone's can be very hard to tanke care of and require perfect/stable water conditions and a well cycled tank. Im not too sure about your lighting needs, but i know someone will help you out!
 
I agree that the fish bioload seems maxed out for the size of tank. As far as the lighting you need, rule of thumb is 3-5 watts per gallon would be sufficient. this equates to around 165 watts of lighting at a minimum. Options for lighting would probably be best met with VHO lighting. This is a little pricey though. There is a good primer on lighting requirements at: www.saltaquarium.about.com. Look in the index for the section on lighting. I would seriously look at your bio load though. 8)
 
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