55 long Community (FOWLR)

[Shag318]

about a week or so ago i set up my 55 long with 40 lbs of live sand and about 30 lbs of live rock (plan on getting more of both). last night i added 3 damsels. im trying to set it up with only "community" fish with no temperament and maybe one or two anemones, i know next week im going to get a baby clown, but other than that im not sure on so any insight would be helpful. i DO NOT want any type of tangs (personal preference). I have had a saltwater tank before, but its been 8 or so years since i have been around or messed with a saltwater.
Like I said any insight would be helpful!

 

[bskerrichard27]

Have u cycled your tank? Btw damsels are not community fish they get aggressive

 

[TommyP]

I would return the damsels because it seems just from what you wrote your tank is not cycled yet. Here's a link for fishless cycling. Give it a look and then add fish after your cycle is complete.
The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling - Aquarium Advice

This forum is awesome. They helped me so much with my tank.

 

[Shag318]

yes my tank is cycled, the only reason i got the damsels was because they are hardy and i know they are/or get aggressive.
this isnt my first tank, its just been so long since i have had a tank i have forgotten about the fish.

 

[TommyP]

Okay - I didn't mean to underestimate your knowledge, I was just going by what you typed. I have a 55 gallon as well. Currently I only have 1 clown in there though. I had some chromis but they didnt last - other people have had problems with them too. What about a wrasse, some firefish, you can try chomis they school pretty nice for a comm. tank

 

[Shag318]

sorry wasnt trying to come off as mean.
cant put a wrasse in there seeing as they are a "predator" fish. im trying to get fish that wont "attack" each other, and will play nice with each other. i am how ever going to get a sand shifting sleeper gobey with a pistol shrimp, and after a month of the tank up and running im thinking of getting a chocolate chip star fish. i have been talking to a friend of mine that has had 7 tanks running at once (most reef) but getting good info out of him is like pulling teeth!

 

[TommyP]

Haha i know that feeling. Well the wrasse is not that aggressive. They are reef safe too just incase down the road you decide to go this way. You can only have 1 species of wrasse in the tank though otherwise they get aggressive towards eachother. I had one for a little while and he never bothered my other fish but he didnt make it - that's a whole 'nother story I'm dealing with. goby + pistol shrimp is an awesome idea! especially when they pair and live together but not out and about much from what I've heard and researched.

 

[Keithhjs]

Not sure if it read it right or not but Damsels are not good community fish unless you want aggressive community fish or a predator tank. I wouldn't put them with a goby. Also there are plenty of reef safe wrasses that are not mean and even some of the bigger ones (like a Lunar, which should go in a bigger than a 55) are reef safe just not invert safe. I would ditch the damsels and start stocking the fish over. If you add most community fish now they're gonna harass and pick them off.

 

[Shag318]

im just going to have the damsels in there for about a week to two weeks, then passing them off to one of my friends. id really like to have a six line wrasse but if i get one it will be the last fish i put in there and hope he/she will leave the nenm alone.

ok one question.. can you have 2 baby clowns in the same tank? i keep hearing that you can have one in a 30 gal, but also hear that if you add them at the same time and have one nenm they will fight over who hosts it. i plan on trying to breed them..

im not going to try a reef tank yet, i plan on saving up for that so i can buy everything at once. instead of like im doing now with the LR in my 55 long. its not cheap here in Shreveport.
cheapest place per lbs is 5.00, and from petco its 20.00 for their mediums.

 

[obscurereef]

Regarding the six line wrasse, if he is the most aggressive fish you'll be putting in, then you have the correct idea of putting him in last. Haven't read of them picking at anemones (and if it has happened, it's rare). I hope you're not adding the anemone soon though.

You can have 2 clowns in the same tank, but they can be very aggressive towards each other trying to claim dominance (which will become female and male). Clowns don't always host anemones in captivity. Less of a chance if they are tank raised too. Breeding clownfish...don't know if they'll lay eggs and when the eggs hatch they will be gobbled up if not taken out right away. So, it's best to keep a pair in their own tank. Also, the fry eat rotifers which you'll have to grow unless you want to spend a ridiculous amount of $.

You can go with mostly base rock. I have 100% BRS dry pukani rock b/c it was more cost effective, and had no pests. You could also buy mostly base rock and then some LR to seed it. The protein skimmer is going to be your largest investment. Getting a quality, reputable skimmer is important.

 

[Shag318]

cheapest protein skimmer i have found is over 150, so thats going to have to wait along with the sump. but i have never had a problem with bio-wheels with carbon. thats the filtration on my last 55 long was two 75+ gal bio wheels with carbon. i also plan on getting a power head and one more bio-cube circulation pump.
well seeing how i would need rotifers for the fry breeding is out of the question for now. the 6 line wrasse will be the only aggressive fish i will put in there. when i do get anemones it will be 2 to 3 months after i have added a few more fish, and i will get supplements for them.

i like some of the hitch hikers on the live rock, but i will see about the BRS and see if anyone down here has any. i only shop at one store for my fish, and two others for my live rock. im the type that doesnt like to buy stuff like that online and when i do buy the fish from the store its a week after they get a new shipment in.

 

[gpd605x]

Seaclone 100 Protein Skimmer is about $89-$100. I got mine used for $40 on Craigslist.

 

[Shag318]

petco has a Seaclone 100 Protein Skimmer for 119 plus tax. cant find anything on Craigslist yet, but im still looking before i go and drop that much. i know it sounds like im a cheap skate but having a little one and another one on the way, they come first before and kind of "add-on" for my tanks that includes fish.

 

[Shag318]

i just did a 10% water change and i just saw some brown algae growth on a few spots of LR and some on my sand... i never had this problem in my last tank... any suggestions on how to get rid of it?