Switching from freshwater to saltwater!

[RyanBenson]

My tank is up and running! Put new live sand in along with 3 prices of 8lb live rock about 4-7 hours ago! Lost track of time... Tested my params about 2 hours ago and this is what I have!

Ph: solid 8
Ammo: .25 ppm
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 10-20 ppm

I guess I have already started the cycle??

 

[RyanBenson]

Now that my tank is up and running, I've been putting together my stock list. On live aquaria.com it says most of these fish are peaceful. I can remove the semi agg. Ones and a few other if there's too many fish there. Suggestions are welcome!


Scissor tail dart fish - peaceful
2 clown fish - peaceful
Zebra barred dart fish - peaceful
Carpenters flasher wrasse - peaceful
(School) Fire fish - peaceful
Long nose hawk fish - semi agg.
Orchid dottyback - semi agg.
Clown gobby - citrinis - peaceful
Sailfin/algae blenny - peaceful
Six line wrasse - semi aggressive
Royal gramma basslet - peaceful
Tail spotted blenny - peaceful
Zebra barred dotfish - peaceful
Bi color blenny - peaceful
Sleeper banded goby - peaceful
Spotted cardinal fish - peaceful


The Next thing I wanna get listed is a clean up crew if I need one! I need suggestions for some crabs, snails, hermits, etc... I've always liked cleaner shrimp so are they a possibility?

 

[Bectan01]

That's a cool stock list but way to many for a 55g - I have 7 fish in mine and that's fully stocked. The good news is most of those fish are suitable for your sized tank - try and stock with one Blenny and one type of goby as multiple same species can fight. I have a pair of clowns, a purple firefish, a striped cardinal, a rains fords goby, red Indian blenny and a puffer and I am happy with the mix of bottom dwellers and free swimmers, it makes for an active tank

 

[huma-huma]

you aren't too far off. I wouldn't keep 2 wrasses/a longnose and a blenny all in a 55. the blenny alone is going to have a hard time finding enough food to stay fat. let alone if theres several other fish competing for the same food. also I don't believe a royal gramma and dottyback are a good choice either. ive heard dottybacks can be quite a handful. all in all id trim your list back a bit, start slowly adding fish, then in 6 months or so, if oyur tank is handling the bioload, add a fish or 2 that you took off the list. its easy for us to get in the habit of thinking we know what a stocklist should look like, yet we forget that each tanks different. so long as a tank is stable and water is clean, add another fish (SLOWLY and you have to take their ADULT size into consideration)

 

[RyanBenson]

That's a cool stock list but way to many for a 55g - I have 7 fish in mine and that's fully stocked. The good news is most of those fish are suitable for your sized tank - try and stock with one Blenny and one type of goby as multiple same species can fight. I have a pair of clowns, a purple firefish, a striped cardinal, a rains fords goby, red Indian blenny and a puffer and I am happy with the mix of bottom dwellers and free swimmers, it makes for an active tank

you aren't too far off. I wouldn't keep 2 wrasses/a longnose and a blenny all in a 55. the blenny alone is going to have a hard time finding enough food to stay fat. let alone if theres several other fish competing for the same food. also I don't believe a royal gramma and dottyback are a good choice either. ive heard dottybacks can be quite a handful. all in all id trim your list back a bit, start slowly adding fish, then in 6 months or so, if oyur tank is handling the bioload, add a fish or 2 that you took off the list. its easy for us to get in the habit of thinking we know what a stocklist should look like, yet we forget that each tanks different. so long as a tank is stable and water is clean, add another fish (SLOWLY and you have to take their ADULT size into consideration)

Awesome! Yeah I didn't think all those would work! Ive narrowed it down and this is what I got...

Scissor tail dart fish - peaceful
2 clown fish - peaceful
Zebra barred dart fish - peaceful
Carpenters flasher wrasse - peaceful
Clown gobby - citrinis - peaceful
Sailfin/algae blenny - peaceful

The clown will be the first ones in... Unless I need to add only one fish, then it'll be one of the others!

 

[Bectan01]

You can add the clowns as a pair (preferred) but add them later - they can be territorial

 

[RyanBenson]

You can add the clowns as a pair (preferred) but add them later - they can be territorial

Ok! Awesome! Thanks!

 

[MaiTank]

You may not want the Algae blenny. Mine is in a 100 gallon and sometimes he down't look plump. He eats all day long and eats in tank greens. Maybe check if the one you are getting eats something else and supplement him with that.

 

[RyanBenson]

You may not want the Algae blenny. Mine is in a 100 gallon and sometimes he down't look plump. He eats all day long and eats in tank greens. Maybe check if the one you are getting eats something else and supplement him with that.

Oh ok! Thanks for the heads up! I'll check it out!!

 

[huma-huma]

if you got the refugium, just buy a bottle of copepods and add it there. what I did was I let the bottle sit out for 2 hours to warm it up to room temp. I then shut down my return pump so that there was no flow through my refugium. then added the pods. gave them about an hour or so to get settled in and then restarted the pump

 

[RyanBenson]

if you got the refugium, just buy a bottle of copepods and add it there. what I did was I let the bottle sit out for 2 hours to warm it up to room temp. I then shut down my return pump so that there was no flow through my refugium. then added the pods. gave them about an hour or so to get settled in and then restarted the pump

On top of the sand?

 

[RyanBenson]

The sand in the refugium, that is.

 

[RyanBenson]

Start of week 2:

Ammo: .25 ppm
Trites: 5.0 ppm
Trates: 20 ppm

 

[RyanBenson]

End of week 2

Ammo: .25 ppm
Trites: possibly above 5 ppm but looks close.
Trates: 20 ppm

 

[RyanBenson]

Start of week 3:

Ammo: <.25 ppm
Trites: 5.0 ppm possibly higher
Trates: 40 ppm

 

[RyanBenson]

Week 3, day 2;

Ammo: 0 ppm
Nitrites: 5.00 ppm
Nitrites: 20 ppm-40 ppm

 

[RyanBenson]

Week 3:
Ammo: .25 ppm
Nitrites: still 5.0 ppm
Nitrates: 20-40 ppm

Is it ok if I mix more water and add it? Due to evaporation?

 

[Bectan01]

Check your salinity, best to top of with fresh water as salt doesn't evaporate

 

[RyanBenson]

Check your salinity, best to top of with fresh water as salt doesn't evaporate

Awesomee! Will do, thanks!

 

[RyanBenson]

Week 4:

Ammo: .25 ppm
Nitrites: 1.0 ppm
Nitrates: 20 - 40 ppm

Starting to see algae growth on sand and on live rock.