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Newbie 55 Gallon Saltwater Tank...

10K views 38 replies 9 participants last post by  FishFan 
#1 ·
Friends,

I'm getting ready to test the waters (saltwaters that is) by starting my 1st tank. I'm going for a 55 gallon tank and have been doing my research on it's set up. However, there is more advice out there on the net than you can shake a stick at and it does get confusing after a while. I'll be using some live rock and some decorative stone and perhaps a few tank decorations. I'm going for a FOWLR community tank w/only non-aggressive/semi-aggressive fish. Other than that, I'm lost. I have 2 freshwater tanks at this time, so I'm no stranger to the aquarium.

I read on this here net, that you can set up your system to use only aragonite sand as a substrate and then only need a protein skimmer and powerhead to keep it going. I personally know just about diddly about this. Will this work? Will I need the conventional filter w/charcoal inserts? I've also been told that I don't really need the powerhead. Also been told that I don't need a aerator (such as a bubble stone, curtain, etc.) because a filter would circulate and aerate the water on it's own. Someone...please help me?

As for fish, I've mulled over many a website and researched and pondered and marked many off my list. Here is said list (remember only 1 of these listed in the tank):

Yellow Watchman Goby w/Pistol Shrimp
Yellowtail Blue Damsel (read that these are the least aggressive of the popular species)
Yellowhead Jawfish
Ocellaris Clown
Royal Gramma Basslet

Also been thinking of a Yellow Tang, Foxface Lo, or a True Lemonpeel Angel. I would also consider a starfish and a few crabs.

If anyone has suggestions out there for me, I'd love to hear. I need all the help I can get. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.
 
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#27 ·
Thanks Betta,

I haven't checked for Calcium, and will do so as soon as possible. As for water changes, I do one about every 3 weeks and when done it's usually about 10 gallons (1/5 of the tank roughly). I usually mix up the water the day before and let it set 15-24 hrs. w/conditioner added to treat for the chemicals in the water. I also use a powdered PH buffer about every 4 weeks. I have a dual Aquatech filter w/carbon inserts that I change about every 4 weeks. Not the best filter I'm sure, but it is doing a pretty good job (as far as I can tell). I don't add any supplements to the water or to the fish diets. Also, no skimmer and no UV.

To recap (and I know there are a lot of posts) here's the scoop:

FOWLR
12 lbs. of live rock
Apprx. 25 lbs. of base rock (most of which has been in the tank for 3 mos. w/live rock)
40 lbs. of live sand
3 lbs. of actual sea sand on top of the live sand
Aquatech Dual Filter w/Carbon inserts
Instant Ocean salt
1-1 3/4" Yellowtailed Damsel
1-1 1/2" Ocellaris Clown
1-1" PJ Cardinal
1-1 1/2" Royal Gramma Basslet
1-2 1/4" Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel
1-2" Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
8 small Blue Leg/Red Leg Hermit Crabs
Numerous small Serpent Starfish (actually a population explosion) and Copepods

Temp a steady 78 degrees
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 25 or less
PH 8.4
Salinity 1.022

As for cleanup crew, the shrimp and the crabs are it for me so far. Can you suggest something else or is that enough? The crabs do a great job of pretty much eating anything and everything and they are only about 1/4" to 1/2" in size. The animals are fed once or twice a day, usually in the evening and night times. Lights are on in the aquarium for 7-10 hrs. per day.

I was looking to add 1 more fish, but if you say that would tip the scales, then I'll hold off. We got awfully attached to the Pacific Pearlyscale awfully quick. The sheer beauty of this fish was amazing and it went with my tank very well (for the short time I had it). We actually like the Butterflyfish better than the Coral Beauty (isn't this the way it always happens) though both are beautiful.

Plans:

I'd like to add at least 3 more lbs. of live rock, a couple of Hydor Koralia 1's or 2's for water circulation (which I'm definitely lacking) and some other items for color (the tank's background is royal blue, w/white sand and then "rock").

Any suggestions would be more than welcome.
 
#28 ·
FishFan said:
Thanks Betta,

I haven't checked for Calcium, and will do so as soon as possible. As for water changes, I do one about every 3 weeks and when done it's usually about 10 gallons (1/5 of the tank roughly). I usually mix up the water the day before and let it set 15-24 hrs. w/conditioner added to treat for the chemicals in the water. I also use a powdered PH buffer about every 4 weeks. I have a dual Aquatech filter w/carbon inserts that I change about every 4 weeks. Not the best filter I'm sure, but it is doing a pretty good job (as far as I can tell). I don't add any supplements to the water or to the fish diets. Also, no skimmer and no UV.

Do you have a quarantine tank? I would suggest one, especially with no skimmer or UV. Quarantine should be a standard procedure when setting up any aquarium, and is often overlooked until it is needed, and then often it is too late. Fish diseases are highly contageous and can be difficult to treat in a main tank. New fish should always spend 2 wks in a quarantine tank to be sure there is no illness that could spread to the main tank. Running a skimmer and UV would help to ensure you don't have to deal with disease issues, though it is not 100% fool proof. Most illness issues tend to stem from stress, water quality, and parasite issues.. and sometimes 2ndary infections stemming from injury, too. Skimming is important in removing surface proteins, the "oil slick" at the water's surface. These proteins are typically the organic waste that can't be filtered out by other means, so they collect at the surface, which also interferes with oxygen supply in the tank. This is a very useful piece of equip, and I will suggest you consider adding one. The UV will help to filter all the little nasties out of your water, including parasites and some bacterias. Basically, it kills the organisms using UV light, doesn't harm the tank's inhabitants. So provided the circulation is good so that the water actually makes it through the UV, very little is able to contaminate your fish and/or your tank, and if something manages to get through, the UV helps to ensure a much faster and easier recovery process.

To recap (and I know there are a lot of posts) here's the scoop:

FOWLR
12 lbs. of live rock
Apprx. 25 lbs. of base rock (most of which has been in the tank for 3 mos. w/live rock)
40 lbs. of live sand
3 lbs. of actual sea sand on top of the live sand
Aquatech Dual Filter w/Carbon inserts
Instant Ocean salt
1-1 3/4" Yellowtailed Damsel
1-1 1/2" Ocellaris Clown
1-1" PJ Cardinal
1-1 1/2" Royal Gramma Basslet
1-2 1/4" Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel
1-2" Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
8 small Blue Leg/Red Leg Hermit Crabs
Numerous small Serpent Starfish (actually a population explosion) and copepods

Temp a steady 78 degrees
Ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 25 or less
PH 8.4
salinity 1.022

I would encourage premixing your saltwater at least 48 hrs in advance, and in using a power head in the bucket/tub when doing so, to be sure it is mixing evenly. I would also try to slowly raise the SPG/Salinity to 1.023

As for cleanup crew, the shrimp and the crabs are it for me so far. Can you suggest something else or is that enough? The crabs do a great job of pretty much eating anything and everything and they are only about 1/4" to 1/2" in size. The animals are fed once or twice a day, usually in the evening and night times. Lights are on in the aquarium for 7-10 hrs. per day.

With so few hermits, you certainly have room for plenty more. You could easily add another 2 dozen comfortably, especially with such a heavy feeding schedule. Be forewarned, the reg leg/scarlet hermits will get larger than the blue leg hermits, and will likely eat the blue legs. It's a good idea to choose one or the other and stick with it, and providing extra empty shells for the hermits to choose from, as they like to change shells often and can be quite brutal to obtain one they take a liking to. They are known to kill another hermit to steal the shell. There are other inverts you could work with for a cleanup crew, such as emerald crabs and snails, and these are all useful to your aquarium. Turbo snails eat a lot of algae from the glass and the rocks, margarita snails, astrea snails... there is a long list, but those would be the easiest to find and do a good job for you. Those are known to be pretty sturdy, also. There are also starfish that would be compatible to your situation, such as sand sifting stars, brittle stars, linkia stars (more sensitive and slightly harder to keep), fromia stars, and various other species. Some stars are scavengers, some are algae eating, some are carnivores. You'll want to make sure you don't obtain a carnivorous species which has the potential to eat your fish (such as a chocolate chip star).


I was looking to add 1 more fish, but if you say that would tip the scales, then I'll hold off. We got awfully attached to the Pacific Pearlyscale awfully quick. The sheer beauty of this fish was amazing and it went with my tank very well (for the short time I had it). We actually like the Butterflyfish better than the Coral Beauty (isn't this the way it always happens) though both are beautiful.

I would suggest against adding anymore fish unless you first upgrade to a larger tank. These fish will need room to grow, and that is something that happens constantly and tends to happen very quickly. A pj cardinal, for example, in 6 months time can go from the size of a nickel to the size of a 50 cent piece. Clown fish (ocellaris) grow to about 5 inches for females, 3 inches for males, the yellow tail damsels reach about 3 inches average, the royal gramma about 4 inches, and coral beauty about 5 inches. If you have a difficult time picturing how full your tank is, take slips of paper and measure them to these sizes, and hold them against the tank together... you'll see that you will quickly run out of space as they begin to grow, which is when problems develop. By telling you now that you have reached your limit, allowing these fish the amount of space they all need to grow properly and keep your water quality stable, I am saving you heartbreak when fish get sick and/or die, saving you money in trying to "fix" what is suddenly wrong (problems can appear to happen just overnight), and saving the fish that would suffer in the process.
I understand your love of the butterfly fishes, but they are very difficult to keep. The hardest part of keeping them is in feeding them and in stress issues. They tend to be very skittish, and most are still wild caught. A wild caught butterfly is likely eating corals in the wild environment, and some species of butterfly only eat specific corals. Teaching them to accept prepared or "other" foods can prove extremely difficult. I have found that many LFS's sell them without ever getting them to eat first, thus they get stressed from yet another move and then starve to death soon thereafter. Butterfly fish should be saved for something later... a bigger tank and much more experience under your belt first.

Plans:

I'd like to add at least 3 more lbs. of live rock, a couple of Hydor Koralia 1's or 2's for water circulation (which I'm definitely lacking) and some other items for color (the tank's background is royal blue, w/white sand and then "rock").

Any suggestions would be more than welcome.
There are artificial decorations available that are made to replicate saltwater plants. Some of them are very realistic looking, and some even have silk plants attached to them. These tend to be fairly easy to clean if needed, the silk you simply wipe the leaves clean. This can help to add a lot of color to your tank. Also, be aware, as your tank matures over the next 1 - 2 years, coraline algae should grow on your rock, which will lend a vibrant pink/red/purple to your rock. There are macro algaes, caulerpa, that can also add the bright green color, provide shelter for the fish, and help to serve as biological filtration at the same time. Emerald crabs will tend to eat this, so you may find you will need to replace it from time to time if you go the way of emerald crabs, but in some situations, it is known to need to be trimmed back from time to time because it can grow rampant when conditions allow for it. You truly have a lot of options for color other than fish. Do some research on the different macro algaes available. Some are more appealing than others, some need to be kept trimmed more than others, etc.

I hope this helps, let me know if there is anything more I can do or suggest to keep you going in the right direction.
 
#29 ·
Thanks Betta.

I started to add an Emerald Mithrax Crab the other day but was afraid there'd be some problems between them and the small Hermits. Are they compatible? As for more Hermits, that is definitely do-able, and I think I only have 1 Scarlet Hermit at this time...everything else is Blue Leg. I thought about a few Halloween Crabs or even Electric Orange or Electric Blue crabs as well. However, would they get too big and eventually attack my smaller hermits? What about them attacking some snails? I'd like some snails as well, can you suggest some that the little hermits won't attack? I was afraid they would kill them for their shells.

BTW, I did contact the owner of the "Coral Reef" in Knoxville TN yesterday after the bad news of the Butterflyfish and he told me that he would take care of the problem my next trip down and give me $40.00 in credit at his store. I was very pleased with this news and again, can't recommend Chris Taylor and the gang enough at this store (stop in and see them sometime).

I do have a quarantine tank setup now and will put it to use in the future.

I'll proceed with my plans on adding decorations, more live rock and the power-heads. I'll also check into a skimmer too and a calcium test kit.

BTW, after the lights went out last night I noticed some "extra" biological filtering systems crawling around my sand. I have several bristleworms scouring the sand and rock at night for scraps, a couple that are very fat and 2-3" long. I don't suppose they'll hurt anything and could be beneficial so I'll leave them alone for now.
 
#30 ·
FishFan said:
Thanks Betta.

I started to add an Emerald Mithrax Crab the other day but was afraid there'd be some problems between them and the small Hermits. Are they compatible? As for more Hermits, that is definitely do-able, and I think I only have 1 Scarlet Hermit at this time...everything else is Blue Leg. I thought about a few Halloween Crabs or even Electric Orange or Electric Blue crabs as well. However, would they get too big and eventually attack my smaller hermits? What about them attacking some snails? I'd like some snails as well, can you suggest some that the little hermits won't attack? I was afraid they would kill them for their shells.

The emerald crab doesn't usually bother the other crabs like the blue legs... but the halloween crabs would probably eat your hermits, and might even target an emerald. I would avoid mixing those into the tank. The rule of thumb with most of the hermits, choose one species and stick with it, especially in a tank of that size or smaller where their territory would be limited. The electric hermits are extremely aggressive, and I would expect them to bother any of the other crabs and/or some of the snails. I have seen electric blues in action, and they show no mercy to their victims, lol.

As for snails, the standard blue leg or scarlet hermits shouldn't bother the snails. Blue legs for sure should be fine with any of the snails, just make sure you have plenty of empty shells for the hermits to trade off into.
Snails for you to consider:
Nassarius, astrea, margarita, nerite, turbo, moon snails, and cowrys. You can mix the snails for color and function. Most of these snails target something specific for food, all different from the others. Algae eating snails such as the moon snails and turbos, get quite large, are a lot of fun, and tend to do a good job. They eat a different type of algae than the astrea and margarita varieties, so some of each will only help your tank and give you the variety in animals that you seek. Nassarius snails are a lot of fun to watch. They live in the sand bed and are a detrivore... in a 55 gallon tank you could put 5 - 10 of them in easily enough to help keep your sand clean. The nassarius are one of my favorites, but 1 word of caution... don't letl them climb on you and don't make contact with the "foot" on your bare skin. The slime that is secreted by the nassarius has some type of toxin in it, and it can make you go numb for anywhere from a few hrs to a few days. I found out the hard way when playing with them. It starts out as a tingle, and then just "nothing" for feeing at all. For me it lasted about 3 1/2 days before I got feeing back in my fingers again.


I do have a quarantine tank setup now and will put it to use in the future.

I'll proceed with my plans on adding decorations, more live rock and the power-heads. I'll also check into a skimmer too and a calcium test kit.

Sounds like a great plan!!!

BTW, after the lights went out last night I noticed some "extra" biological filtering systems crawling around my sand. I have several bristleworms scouring the sand and rock at night for scraps, a couple that are very fat and 2-3" long. I don't suppose they'll hurt anything and could be beneficial so I'll leave them alone for now.
If you're finding larger bristle worms it means you are feeding quite heavily. Small bristle worms won't hurt anything so long as they aren't on a rock when you pick it up. Be careful not to get bristles in your fingers/hands, they can be very difficult to remove and very painful, too. If the worms get beyond 3 inches, I usually will pull them out to make sure they don't cause any problems. Smaller than that, I usually leave them alone. If you cut back the amount you feed the fish each time you feed them, the population of bristle worms will balance itself out according to the food supply.
It sounds as if your tank is doing well, I can't wait to see pictures!!!! Good Luck and feel free to ask as many questions as you need to, that's what we're all here for!
 
#31 ·
Thanks bundles for the great tips and help. Hopefully, all the newbies getting into this hobby will read this thread and learn from it.

As for pictures, I've updated my tanks here so just click and let me know what you think.

BTW, something new, my wife has just noticed apprx. 30 miniature snails (the size of the head of a pin) crawling all over the rock in the tank. Don't know what they are, but there are plenty of them. Lots of critters in this tank gang, what with all the starfish and copepods.
 
#32 ·
Updates!

Hey gang, just wanted to drop by and let everyone know how things have been going for me and the 55 FOWLR tank over the last couple of months. I haven't posted much since then, but things are going pretty good. My tank is still going strong and params are:

78 degrees
Alkalinity 1.023
0 Ammonia
0 Nitrite
25 Nitrate (can't seem to get the darn thing to go down)
PH 8.2

Here are the changes that have happened over the last few months. I went from standard florescent lights to 2 Power Glows which really set the tank off. Looking to add another 2 lights soon (building my own light hood). I have also recently added apprx. 10-12 lbs. more base rock to the live rock I already have. It has really set the tank off even more and I hope that it helps settle the tank down, chemically speaking of course.

I still have the following fish:

1 Yellow Tailed Blue Damsel
1 Ocellaris Clown
1 Coral Beauty Dwarf Angelfish
1 Solar Wrasse (a beauty)
1 Linear Blenny

My PJ Cardinal was given to my son's girlfriend to keep in her 10 gallon tank (which is also doing well).

I recently took a chance and added a fish that I've always loved, a True Lemon peel Dwarf Angelfish to the mix. I know there were risks in adding him to a tank already preoccupied with a Coral Beauty, but so far they are doing well. He has been in my tank for about 2 mos. now, and asserted himself as the "Big Cheese" but gets along well with the other fish (yes, even the Coral Beauty).

I have about 15 Blue Tip Hermit Crabs in the tank now and would like to add another 10. I also have 2 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp now, 1 large Turbo Snail and 1 Medium Turbo Snail (these creatures are my weak spot, for I buy them very big and they don't live long in my tank). I also purchased an Arrow Crab about 3 mos. ago and he gets along fine in the tank. Sifting through the sand of this tank is a 2.5 inches diameter Sand Sifting Starfish, which does a nice job at keeping things cleaned up.

My wife fell in love with a Pink Tipped Condy Anemone back on Valentine's Day and it is in the tank too (about 2 inches in diameter) and does pretty well, but just won't sit still (and the shrimp will rob him of a meal if I don't watch them closely).

The tank is doing great, full of small snails, the occasional small white Serpent Starfish and loads of copepods (and the occasional Bristle Worm too). I also have a large Conch shell in the tank which is home to the Solar Wrasse and a food source (well, the algae growing on it anyway) for the Blenny.

More upgrades and updates coming gang (going to add a protein skimmer soon). I'll keep everyone up to date. Here are a few pics:




 
#33 ·
In regards to a protein skimmer, what are you waiting on? This piece of equipment is the single most important purchase you will ever make for your aquarium. The entire marine hobby began to flourish with the evolution and affordability of the protein skimmer, yet some newby's consider this item optional. If you are concerned with long term success, spending $150 or so on a skimmer is a no-brainer. Check out ebay and you can find some nice options.

If you need motivation to spend the money, talk to some old-timers who have kept aquariums long term without a protein skimmer. Anyone in the hobby in the 1980's and even early 90's can tell you story after story of complete wipeouts. Full tanks of fish would pass away without known reason. Everything would be "going great" for a couple of years and then all at once the fish would begin to die.

This entire situation ended almost completely when protein skimmers hit the mass market for an affordable price. The skimmer removes organic waste from the aquarium, reducing the buildup of Nitrate, increasing oxygen levels, and helping to stabilize the buffer system. pH swings are less. Alkalinity levels are more stable.

Second only to the skimmer, in my experience and which was suggested already by Betta, is the UV Sterilizer. You need to give very serious consideration to both, but can not allow your aquarium to continue running without the skimmer. Buy one. Make one. Borrow one. But somehow you need to be using one. And it needs to happen very very soon.

In fact, i am so passionate about it, that i will personally drive to Lexington and meet you to help you pick one out. Or you can drive to Cardinal Country and enjoy a basketball game while you are here. :wink: Bottom line, just get a skimmer.
 
#34 ·
I'm Game...

Hey, if you can suggest a reasonably priced (somewhere betweeen $100 and $150 bucks), I'm game. Make sure that it is a "hang on the back" type that doesn't go too high above the top of the tank (I am getting ready to build a tank hood).

I'm open to suggestion.
 
#35 ·
I would suggest looking into something like the CPR BakPak units if money is an issue, you want hang on, and good quality all at same time. Might not be able to stick to that 100 - 150 budget, but for a little more, the BakPak units are well worth the price, and a lot less than anything else of close to equal quality.
 
#38 ·
Hey gang, long time no chat. I thought I'd bring you up to date on what's happened in the tank since I last posted in May. I have my ups and downs of course (who hasn't). Firstly, I purchased a protein skimmer (a Red Sea Prizm hang on type) and it is doing a very good job of cleaning out the gunk in the tank. I did have some initial problems with it however. For all of you interested in them, beware that the intake tube sticks out too far into the surface of the water causing my glass lid to be partially ajar. Also, the scum gathering tank on top of the skimmer MUST be seated exactly right or you'll have some leaking problems (warped a few boards in my hardwood floor). I suggest you put a little petroleum jelly on the "O" ring when you seat it. This should assist you in making a good seal. Now it's working fine for me.

As for additions and losses? I still have the following fish (some I've had since the beginning):

1 Ocellaris Clown (my 3rd in a year and 1/2) affectionately named Threemo by my sister.
1 Yellow tailed Damsel (1st saltwater fish I ever purchased) named Dory of course (yeah, I know it's not a true Regal Tang, but my 6 year old named it).
1 Coral Beauty Angel named Elvis (for the comparison to a black velvet Elvis pic).
1 True Lemon Peel Angel named Sinatra (Ole' Blue Eyes).
1 Solar Wrasse named Apollo.
1 PJ Cardinal (yeah, the one I gave my sons ExGF. She gave it back after she got tired of her small tank, and I was glad to get him back).
I snagged a Sally Lightfoot Crab a few mos. back and she is doing great.
And the latest acquisition is a Kole Tang that I've had for about 2 weeks now. A truly beautiful fish that I had wanted for mos.

I lost my Klauswitz Blenny a few mos. ago and also my Arrow Crab. It would appear that the Crab and the Blenny had an altercation which led to the both of them dying. Apparently the Arrow Crab tried to mess with the Blenny (while he was in his hiding hole in some live rock) and he fatally wounded the Blenny, but died of wounds dealt him by the fish. Both died within hours of each other. I really hated the loss of both of them, especially the Blenny who was quite colorful and humorous to watch. The Arrow Crab had also been picking on my Sand Sifting Star who also died a few days later (with apparent marks on one of his arms).

I still have apprx. 10 hermit crabs and 1 large snail patrolling the tank. Numerous Copepods and still hundreds of small, pin head sized, snails (although a couple of the small ones have now grown into much larger sizes).

I'll keep you all posted on more updates. My little 55 Gallon tank is doing great though and it's become one of my most precious possessions. I love it and so does the wife and family.
 
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