Question about filtration and fish I could possibly add

[AgeOfEgos]

Here are my current specs:

55 Gal tank
Two 250 watt heaters(One located at each end of tank)
Temp 79 degrees
Salin 1.19(Am rising this slowly over next few weeks, description below why it is where it is)
All water tests = great. Nitrates barely register, etc
Filtration is a penguin powerhead with biowheel(For 55 gal tank), and another two side filter(Some generic, just has 2 carbon filters) that was given to me. So three total carbon filters going + 1 biowheel)
Two bubble bars that are left on during the day, turned off at night for Oxygen and visual.
Crushed Coral as the bedrock, no live rock.

Current fish:
Rect Trigger(About six inches long)
One blue damsel(Typical damsel size, about 2 inches)
Trigger eats one cube of mys shrimp + one goldfish a day.
Damsel eats what little of the cube I dissolve while trigger consumes other part.
I feed a cube of garlic algae at least once a week in place of the shrimp.(I've heard this can help prevent certain parasites such as ich and I know my trigger loves it)


The tank is about 2.5 months old, after cycle and healthy tank setup contracted ich, wiped out tank barring before mentioned blue damsel and trigger. After biting the bullet and adding copper, raising temp, and lowing salin kicked Ich and fish are as healthy as can be.

My questions are as follows:

Filtration ok? I can't get live rock with my trigger(So I'm told), so should I add another biowheel? I do a water change about every 2 weeks and have kept my nitrates down that way, never spiked above yellow as of yet(Have yet to see a .3 reading) Just wondering if I should add filtration as I really want this trigger for the long term. Basically, I'm pretty sure I have the "short term" problems in hand but would like to make sure there are no long term ones that will rear their head.

What fish can I get with my trigger? I tried 2 more damsels and he "consumed" them in short order. Ten dollar dinner for Mr. Fish(As my daughter calls him) that night. Main thing I'm concerned about is fighting(If I add another Trigger), overcrowding(As he is a pretty big fella as is).

Will he actually eat my live rock? My local fish guy told me live rock was a no go and he seems like an honest enough gent...is this correct?

Should my trigger have a hiding spot to prevent stress? He seems fine right now, and I have two pieces of visual coral in the tank that my damsel has burrowed holes underneath...but "Mr. Fish" just sleeps anywhere pretty much. Does the fact he doesn't have his own cave stress a fish much?


I know I probably went over my question limit in one post , but rather then post several questions over several topics figured I'd just ramble all in one. Great site, very informative and very well read/experience fish keepers it seems from my reading. Looking forward to any/all replies.

Thank you.

Ryan

PS My wife keeps trying to talk me into getting less aggressive fish...but the trigger is staying so none of those suggestions please =). This is the most personality I could ever imagine in a fish. He spits water at ONLY myself when I open the top of the tank(Pretty sure that was accidental training...one night while bsing with a buddy and holding a goldfish above the tank he got impatient and spit water...which I promptly threw the goldfish in...couple times of me waiting in next feedings...same result...so I think he was "trained". Quite humurous and my daughter rolls everytime she sees it.) Quite a fish.

PPS
As to getting rid of the damsel...even my wife has a soft spot for the blue tinted guppy as I call him. Call us silly, but that damsel has survived a case of ich, getting it's entire tail chewed off, etc. One tough little sob.

Thanks again for replies.

 

[loganj]

I don't think you need additional filtration if your nitrates are staying that low. If you can keep them below 10 on a FO tank, that's great. I'm assuming you aren't seeing any ammonia or nitrite. I probably wouldn't use the bubble bar due to the salt creep it will produce, but if you don't mind cleaning up after it, it's not a big deal. I would not add anything else to this tank. I think you're going to have to eventually upgrade to a larger tank to keep the trigger. I admit I don't know about having LR with the trigger...never tried it. I would stop feeding the trigger goldfish though. Goldfish lack [acronym="Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acid"]HUFA[/acronym]'s (high unsaturated fatty acids) which is a necessary nutrient for marine fish. If you continue to feed him the goldfish, he will eventually die of liver failure. Feed him shrimp, clams, squid, marine fish meat, ect... instead. A varied diet is needed to keep them healthy. JMHO.

 

[BONESTOCK]

Good tips on the goldfish feeding....I'd mix the food up like mentioned above.

Sounds like the trigger owns the tank now. If you want to successfully add a fish to the tank I suggest adding some type of hiding places (more than you have now) along with the fish. The trigger would be busy checking out and claiming it's "new" territory. Plus it'll give the fish a place to hide if need be. Everytime a new fish is introduced mix the decorations around to force the fish to claim there new territories.

Good luck!

 

[AgeOfEgos]

Thanks for the reply

Let me rephrase, my nitrites and ammonia aren't any issue at all. My test kit has no "nitrate" test, I just assumed this was a paraphrase or other description of nitrites/ammonia. Either way, both tests are sound in my water as of now.

Ughh, very disconcerting I can't add anything else to my tank. I enjoy my trigger and all, but 2 fish for 55 Gal looks rather bleak. Add in the fact I can't have any anems and it's looking very bleak = |.

How big of a tank will I need for my trigger? He's about six inches now...thus is the 55 cramping him now or when should I become concerned with stress from cramping?

I've heard that a pure freshwater diet would be bad for my fish so I supplement that goldfish with a cube of mycosis daily as well(I sometimes change to Krill every 3 days).

Let me make sure I understand that correctly though; It is the lack of nutrients that will cause liver failure, not the addition of foreign substances the freshwater meat might give him.

If that be the case, wouldn't I be safe feeding him a goldfish/mycosis/krill diet?

And yes, the bubble bar makes a mess. Every week I clean the inside/outside of my tank off for a good hour, but the wife enjoys the bubbles.....and she oks the money I spend...so you know =).

Ryan