LIGHTING QUESTION FOR A 55 GAL

[AK47]

I HAVE A 55 GALLON TANK ITS BEEN RUNNING FOR 8 MONTHS NOW.
I HAVE 45 POUNDS OF LR, CRUSHED CORAL, PURPLE TANG, TOMATO CLOWN AND A VELVET DAMSEL AND A CONDY.

I WANT TO ADD ANOTHER CLOWN AND A BUBBLE TIP OR CARPET.

IS MY TANK TOO FULL TO ADD THEM?
WHAT IS EASIER TO MAINTAIN A BUBBLE TIP OR CARPET?

I HAVE 2 FLORECENT ACENTIC BULBS THAT LIGHT THE TANK. IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH FOR WHAT I HAVE IN IT AND WHAT I WANT TO ADD?

THE BULBS ARE 4 MONTHS OLD.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP..

 

[Hara]

I think your tank is stocked fairly full. If you add another clown, that would definitely max it out IMO. As far as the anemone choices, you would be wise to avoid the carpet. I also dont think you have enough in the way of lighting. What is the total wattage? and actinic bulbs alone are not sufficient in color spectrum.

 

[EJS4]

I agree with Hara you near stocked now on fish. You never want to exceed 1 inch of adult fish/ 2 gallons of water. Also agree that you probably dont have enough light. Are the bulbs only actinic (blue) or include actinic (white)?

 

[AK47]

YES JUST ACTINIC BLUE..
IF I GET RID OF THE DAMSEL COULD I GO WITH THE BUBBLE AND A CLOWN ?
I ALSO HAVE A FEATHERDUSTER..

 

[EJS4]

You need to take out one of the actinic bulbs and put in a 6500k bulb or higher. What type and size bulbs are they? Wattage?
Invertebrates don't count toward stocking limit.
Yes you could swap out the damsel for the clown. Have you considered problem of introduce 2 clown. Usually need to introduce together.
I read that condys are very aggressive toward other anemones. Have you considered that?

 

[AK47]

kk

the florecent lights are marine glo 20w 24" each one. on the side of the box it doesnt say the exact k but the power glo lights are 18000k and the marine glo it shows is above that..
i just read that it says to use combination with life glo , they are 6700k.
do i buy those and swich between both of them???

i will trade the damsel and the clown in for 2 clowns . the one i have is not very interesting he just swims behind the heater and only comes out from behind when i feed them. hes not very mobile. ill just get 2 other clowns at the same time. i had 2 before but 1 died when ick attacked the tank and was being qt. im not sure if the cody is going to be aggressive.
mine has been on a lr since i got it and has not moved from there.
do you think it will notice a new anemone and be agressive?

 

[EJS4]

Life-glo 2 or a Zoo Med ocean sun will give you a better balance without having to buy lots of bulbs. But heres the problem 40 watts of light is not enough light. If you real want anemones and you want them to survive and thrive, you should invest in better lights. most people would agree you need 6 watts per gallon. 4 watts per gallon minimum. Minimum you should have 220 watts of light. Are you feeding the condy? how is its color?
If your looking for active fish clowns are not the best choice. Chromis are very active and get other fish to be more active. My 6 line wrasse is always on the go, darting in and around the rocks.

 

[roka64]

On the clowns, if you get a new one, make sure he is smaller than the other, if the same species. Condys are from the Caribbean and clowns have never seen them in nature. It is possible they MIGHT host, but clowns are clowns and will host anything to their liking.

 

[Guest]

I have two seperate light fixtures for my 55gal. the person that i got them from didnt know the wattage but on each fixture it says "feng H206W. does that mean each bulb has 206 watts or is that with both lights?

 

[AK47]

I FEED THE CONDY EVERY SATURDAY A COUPLE OF SMALL BITS OF SHRIMP. ALSO I ADD TO THE TANK PHYTOPLAN ITS PHYTOPLANKTON
WHEN I FIRST GOT THE CONDY IT WAS IN BAD SHAPE BECAUSE I HAD ORIGINAL FLORECENTS ON THE TANK, I GUESS THEY WERE OLD AND WEAK LIGHTS. IT WASNT VERY HAPPY. IT WOULD BE ON ITS SIDE AND BE ALL BUNDLED UP , I THOUGHT IT DIES ON ME A COUPLE OF TIMES.
I BOUGHT THE ACTINIC LIGHTS AND SINCE THEN IT HAS ATTACHED TO A ROCK AND WHEN I TURN THEM ON HE LOOKS LIKE ITS OBSORBING THE LIGHT . IT LOOKS GOOD. IT IS PINK ON THE BASE AND A LITTLE LIGHT TAN ON THE TENICLES OR TRASNPARENT SOMETIMES.
I HAVE HAD THE CONDY SINCE JUNE.

ANY OTHER TIPS TO MAINTAIN MY CONDY HEALTHY?

anyone know a website where i can get economical pc lights.
ive looked at stoers in my area and they seem a bit out of my range.
im probably going to find a way to get the cash... i want my condy to be happy.

 

[melosu58]

If you are getting the anenomie for the clowns there is always a chance they will not host it . Mine would not host the anenomie and instead host a bubble coral and pagoda cup coral.

 

[ntswift]

I agree with everyone else when they say that you need new lights for your anemone. The only thing you can do in the mean time while you are waiting on lights is feed it 2-3 times a week to supplement its feeding. Its gets most of its food from the light and little bits of food floating in the water. As far as the clowns go, there is no guarantee that they will host an anemone. Mine is currently hosting my alveopora and my zoo's. They'll even host your PH's! The anemone sounds like it found a place where it is somewhat happy in your tank, thats why it isnt moving around. Back to the lights, have you looked for used lights online or on this site in the classifieds? Thats where I got mine from. If you were in the washington area I have some for sale!