Stocking ideas

[fishdoc]

It is time, my water parameters have been great for 3 weeks now. Nitirite 0, Ammonia 0, Ph 8.2, SG 1.022. I have a 55g with 50lbs of LR and 50lbs sand. I have some inverts (snails and herrmits). I found a web site with some great prices, I hope it is not too good.
I have ordered:
Blue hippo tang
2 clowns
splendid pseudochromis
coral Beauty
feather duster.
If things go well I may want to add one or two more fish. I was thinking about a six line wrase, butterfly or royal gramma. Any suggestions.
Also I have 96watts now may upgrade in the future. Is there any mushrooms you reccomend and can I get any anenomes for my clowns?
Thanks

 

[Feron]

wow...jumpin right into it huh?
Well... I'm sure there will be lots of input!
My take.. do your best to acclimate properly (drip method preferably, for a few hours in like temp water..)
Since the tank is new, I dunno if a dip is really necessary (prolly is, and prolly a mandatory thing..wetwebmedia.org has great quarantine/acclimation techniques)
Seems like a whole lotta lotta to start with, but it's your tank...
Also seems like alot, but I'm no expert (and the oppinions vary greatly).
Just be sure to acclimate and feed em what they want and keep a hawk eye on em and the water quality from now till you are very sure it's not going to change cause of the selections..
Good luck to ya..

 

[Reese]

Is there any mushrooms you reccomend and can I get any anenomes for my clowns?
Thanks

You'd probably need to upgrade your lighting to roughly 4 watts per gallon or more first. I don't know about mushrooms, but a bubble tip is a pretty hardy anemone. But you'd want to wait until your tank is much more mature before attempting to add one...

Also, a 55 gallon is on the small side for a Regal Blue Tang. Actually, a 75 is borderline small for this fish.

 

[hackteck]

thats a pretty big bioload to add all at once

 

[hackteck]

how longs your tank been setup?

 

[Hara]

too many too fast...you will need to test the water daily for signs of ammonia increase. Be prepared for emergency water changes. You do not have sufficient lighting for corals or anemone. The tank is too new to even consider an anemone if you did have the proper lighting.

You are also very light on rock for filtration. If that is the only source of filtration, you will be in for trouble.

As already mentioned, the hippo tang is not a good selection for your tank. You also do not have room for more fish if "all goes well" and you don't lose them all to an ammonia spike.

Please research more carefully before purchasing, it will save you heartache and money down the road.

 

[fishdoc]

Thanks for the input. I knew I was going to get slammed when I posted it. The tank has been running now for 2 months, the levels have been rock steady for 2-3weeks. In addition to the LR I am also using an overflow with bio balls. I am doing 15% water changes monthly. All the fish I have ordered are small <1inch. As far as the big hippo by the time he out grows the tank I should of saved up enough to upgrade. Again, thanks for the advice and I will hold out on the anenomes/shrooms.

 

[canyon15]

I am doing 15% water changes monthly.

I would aim for that amount on a weekly basis.

 

[ColdFish]

Agree on the weekly water changes. Very easy on your size tank. I grab my 5-gallon orange home depot bucket and do a 1 bucket change on my 50 gallon every Saturday. Takes me maybe 30 minutes and my water stays really nice. I usually do a 2-bucket every 3rd or 4th change just for the heck of it.

 

[melosu58]

I agree that it should be weekly water changes. Also as stated already your bio load is too big. As the advisor said your looking for trouble down the road. I would like to ask why you made the post if you already knew the answer?

 

[lando]

I fully understand the excitement of stocking a new tank. However, you have just created a huge problem for yourself. New tanks, regardless of how stable the parameters have been, need to have livestock added VERY slowly. This will give the tanks natural biological filter a change to catch up with the increase in demand. Ideally, the list you provided should be added to a new tank over 2-3 months, not all at once. Your biggest challenge now is to stay ahead of declining water conditions. This means a regular rotten of water changes done on a very frequent basis. If you wait until you have detectable NH3 and NO2 it is too late. Get a jump on things. As Hara mentioned, your biological filtration is low. The best thing you can do for your tank right now is to add another 50lbs of CURED LR to help with the increase in bioload. Resist the temptation to feed daily. In your situation feed lightly once every three days. Yes, your fish will get enough to eat.

 

[dicjones]

I started my tank just over 2 years ago. A 75 gallon with about 93 pounds of live rock. The rock was from a local fish store so it was already cycled. The first thing I added was 6 green chromis...waited a month,added two clownfish...waited another month, added a blue hippo tang....waited another month and added a bicolor angel. I'm proud to say I still have the clownfish and bicolor with me. Marine velvet from an infected royal gramma took the others. I feel that is very good for my first ever attempt at saltwater.

My point is, I think I attribute my success to patience. I do the standard weekly water changes, filter changes etc...but the secret to a successful start is patience.

Also forget the anenome...I'm not sure they should even be allowed in home aquariums. Their lifespan in the wild is unbelievably long...maybe a hundred years or more...in captivity it is extremely short. Very tough to keep especially for beginners...I know, I tried and will never again subject an anenome to that. It lived for a while, but was sickly looking most of the time. I felt horrible for trying something that I knew I probably shouldn't have in the first place.

Sorry for the length, I'll get off my soapbox now....but good luck with the new tank.

 

[fishdoc]

Again thanks all for the advice. I'll try to keep up with the weekly water changes and update this thread as things develope. I think I failed to mention that I have 3 damsels that will be going back to the LFS, this should help with the bioload. Thanks again. I hope I don't give yall the opportunity to tell me "I told you so".