I want to start a reef.

[bianca90]

Hi, I wanted to start a reef but I know I don't have the right lights. I need to know if having this in the fish tank is ok.

40 gal tank
40+ live rock
12 hermit crabs, snails
1star fish
3 clown fish
A mix of damsels of about 10


I had an Atlantic blue tang that just passed away today. I have no idea why. As well 2 shrimp and another fish seem to have banished. I have no clue where they went. Everything else seem to be doing great. I feed them flakes and frozen food. I hand feed the chocolate chip star. My clownfish seem like they are not eating. They stay at the bottom and seem to not eat nor the frozen shrimp nor the flakes, I need help. I was thinking about starting adding corals to my aquarium in about 1 to 2 months. I need to know what type of lightning I might need. And one last question, I have don't my research about cleaning my tank, and I need verification on this, I have to do 2 10% water changes in a month.? And what chemicals should I add to my water to have great quality.


Thank you

 

[Crepe]

13 fish for a 40 gallon sounds like wayyy too many...Damsels are a bugger to catch and the older they get; the meaner they get. You're setting yourself up a warzone...

Three clownfish is going to also going to cause you problems. Two will pair up and the third will be turned to chum.

Before you contemplate corals you need to get your stocking levels way down. Maybe 6 fish (and only 1 or 2 damsels only)

 

[iDream]

13 fish for a 40 gallon sounds like wayyy too many...Damsels are a bugger to catch and the older they get; the meaner they get. You're setting yourself up a warzone...

Three clownfish is going to also going to cause you problems. Two will pair up and the third will be turned to chum.

Before you contemplate corals you need to get your stocking levels way down. Maybe 6 fish (and only 1 or 2 damsels only)

+1 you're way overstocked, and thats why the tang died, also because it was in a tank much too small for it, they need a tank that is 6ft long at least for them to swim.

all of those fish and other inhabitants (with the exception of the star possibly) are reef safe, but crepe hit the nail on the head with the problems you'll certainly have.

but as for lights i'd suggest looking into a nice 4-bulb T5HO unit, it wont be very cheap, but it'll be able to keep what you want for a starter, i'd look into fishneedit.com, they have some nice units for good prices.

 

[bianca90]

great, thank you guys, i will rehome some of the fish. and one of the clowns. my clowns seem to not be eating any idea?

 

[bianca90]

here are some pics of it

 

[joy13]

That looks like a chocolate chip star, they aren't reef safe. The tang probably died from stress they like a lot of room. The other fish were probably eaten by something like bristleworms, crabs or even the starfish. Water quailty will depend on your bioload. I change at least 10% a week on my tanks FW and SW.

 

[Purevil21]

As the others have mentioned you are overloaded. Chocolate Chips are not reef safe at all, they will eat corals, and just about anything they can get a hold of. Don't keep three clowns together. You also don't want to mix different species of clowns in the same tank.

Just a thought, but why don't you want to get something other than damsels? There are a lot of beautiful fish you could keep instead. If you go FOWLR and keep the starfish you could get a dwarf angel. Blennies, hawk fish. Your tank is too small for any kind of tang. Just make sure you research whatever you want to buy.

 

[bianca90]

Thank you