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  • started this thing over...the right way

    yo guys...when i first got my 55 gal i went freshwater..but i love the diversity of freshwater and coral...so...i have crossed to the darkside! saltwater 55gal...just put in my new filter media and a nice peice of live rock which costed me 135 haha..nice growth on it though....when i first looked at the liverock it seemed small for my tank, but once i put it in, i realized depth is a factor haha...so now im going to be stackin smaller one along the back as the funds become available and maybe just get 2 damsels while i cycle...

    yeaaaaaaa

  • #2
    Sounds good so far.
    That must be a massive piece of live rock for $135.
    What other equipment do you have / plan to have? Skimmer? Lighting?
    I would suggest if possible, at least have a good hang on back skimmer if you are not running a sump.
    Better still, have a sump with a skimmer and refugium.

    If you are going to go FOWLR, then i would suggest at least 1 to 1.5 lbs per gal. You can maximize the efficiency of the live rock if you pick out live rock that is light for its size. i.e full of holes and cavities. The more porous the better. This allows for a greater surface area for all sorts of beneficial bacteria to colonize and also lots of hidey holes for all sorts of good critters to live. Obviously, stack smaller and lighter pieces on top of larger, sturdier pieces.
    www.ventralfins.com

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    • #3
      Welcome to the darkside! With the live rock in the tank, the damsels are an unnecessary step in the cycling process. If you do not plan to keep the damsels, don't bother getting them. As soon as your ammonia and nitrite return to 0, you will be fish ready. Remember, slow and easy in saltwater.

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      • #4
        yea i got a nice 16 lb of live rock that already had some nice shroom growth on it and some white particles...
        as far as other equipment, i only have a 2 x 65 watt coralife 50/50 lamp...but defintly looking for higher power since i want more than just shrooms..i wa gonna buy the exact same light off a employee at fish gallery to add 2 but my canopy wouldnt fit anymore if i did that...im debating running it open top too..and just have both lights sitting up on top with 1 stunner strip attached.
        i dont have a sump or anything setup, i wish i would have researched a tank more before i boiught a 55 gal long..i would have gone with a more square tank because once i put this live rock in, the tank has hardly anything to between the glass!..but ill have to make due now..


        and i did not get damsels after all...i researched and heard they are territorial so once i was ready to add more fish, they would already feel like the tank is there territory and give the newbie a hard time...i got like 5 snails and 5 hermits today and im gonna let them work until its all balanced out..

        what you guys think? buy a tank about the same size but square/deeper with more room underneath and sell my current setup? or just keep working with what i got? am i shooting myself in the foot? thanks..appreciate any feedback..im new to salt so im learning day by day.
        i was first told before initially setting this up as salt, that it was fine it i ran it with my ecco eheim 80gal filter but i just had to be more precise about changes in water and media....but then i went back and another employee contradicted him. saying no its best if i used a sump because its direct access etc etc...but i have no room under my stand for anything bigger than a 10gal..IF that...he didnt mention a skimmer either..i have that ecco which gets about 185gph and a 100gph with my HOB filter...i may just look into a skimmer since i dont have room for anything underneath..im trying to stay away from FOWLR cause i love corals! so imma try my best to get there within price...

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        • #5
          A sump is better, but it is possible to do with canisters, especially in a FOWLR setup. The maintenance must be very precise without much/any deviation if you are going the canister route. I would prefer a sump any day, but a 10 gallon sump isn't going to cut it on a 55 gallon coral setup. Maybe you should consider a sump and the canister together. Skimmers are the most efficient way to remove organic material, but it can be done without. There are HOB skimmers that would be a good option for you. If you want to go with corals, you're going to definitely need a skimmer.

          Watch the hermit crabs. They have a crazy appetite, and you're snails might end up on the menu if you dont occasionally supplement their diets with something bigger. A piece of raw shrimp or fish not only is good food for them, but will also help cycle your tank.

          If you want to go with serious corals, you are going to need to go without a top. Glass blocks a surprisingly large amount of light, and the heat factor is HUGE. Evaporative cooling is the primary method of keeping a tank from boiling, aside from a chiller.
          Last edited by Sea-agg09; 10-26-2010, 03:52 PM.
          75 planted (Being Renovated)
          Endlers
          gobies
          lots of nanos

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          • #6
            makes alot of sense...ill go topless then ) haha...
            i just looked into the HOB skimmers, looks like it would be worth having..
            and yea i think im going to do a sump and cannister together..but where would i start with a sump ...i mean, ive researched some but whats the basic idea?

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            • #7
              Getting a sump for a reg 55g tank is kinda hard. Since the space under the tank is only like 11 inches wide.

              There's only like 2 you can choose from. Eshopps 75 and proclear 75. But the proclear is really a wetdry.

              10g sump might be ok, all depends on bioload. To be honest there's really nothing else you can fit under a 55 tank.

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              • #8
                well ive honestly just been looking into seelig this 150..my buddy already wants it, and just getting a deeper tank...but id either have to go way smaller or way bigger haha..36 or 75...so im debating...id just rather have more room to work with as far as width to be able to scape nicely instead of stretching it out so much

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                • #9
                  Massive amounts of live rock and a CPR bak pak 2 skimmer, run a aquarclear 110 for mechanical filtration or mod it as a refuge. 10g water changes every 2 weeks.

                  If you have enough LR your sump is basically in your tank. A lot of soft corals prefer high nutrient waters (nitrate) thats why they're called filter feeders. Lighting I would go MH or T5. If you get MH buy a aquarium clamp on fans you don't need a chiller.

                  I have soft and hard corals and an GBTA they all grow and thrive in my tank. Coralline is spreading like wild fire.


                  Get a 75g you can keep about 90% of saltwater animals.

                  I've been seriously thinking about getting rid of my canister, I don't have time to keep cleaning it weekly.
                  Last edited by aggrofishkeeper; 10-27-2010, 11:50 AM.

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                  • #10
                    yea im actually trying to have alot of live rock in it so i think i may be ok..i have a 15 pound piece thats massive, check out my post of some growth it has on it in the saltwater/inverts discussion...im looking into a nice t5 too..but also may get a different shaped tank..this 55 long is gonna be tough to scape with the amount of live rock i want in it, it wont leave much swimming room so im looking at maybe a 46 bowfront or jumping to bigger tank with a 18Width...im running my ehiem eccos 80gal cannister filter and a top fin 20 HOB which gets me at about 285GPH overturn on my 55gal tank...and im liking that cpr!!!!!i may do that 75 gal...sooo temptttinnnggg...its a 75 gal..or trip to vegas...hmmmmmmm lol

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                    • #11
                      what yall think f the ehiem surface suction extractor? its a small cheap protien skimmer in theory right?

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by chrisRstelly View Post
                        what yall think f the ehiem surface suction extractor? its a small cheap protien skimmer in theory right?
                        It's not a protein skimmer per say as much as it is a surface skimmer.
                        What it does is remove that thin layer of white "scum" (which is really protein and/or bacteria) that tends to form on the water surface. The scum then gets passed through a regular filter media only to dissolve over time and get back into the water column. Mostly it is used only in tanks with very little areation and surface agitation. The scum would build up to a point where it prevents the exchange of gases on the water surface. This is not a common problem in today's aquariums which have at least an airstone.

                        It will NOT remove any dissolved proteins the way a proper protein skimmer will.
                        A proper protein skimmer creates many bubbles which attracts protein molecules. The skimmer then collects the bubbles (and hence the proteins) in a seperate chamber which you can then remove and pour away the icky black proteins.

                        The ehiem thingy will NOT do that. Personally i think it's a gimmick. I'd say invest in a HOB filter for your 55gal. I have tried many HOB filters most are pretty crappy but some will perform quite well with some simple mods. Do a quick google search on HOB filter mods and you'll get lots of info which will help you make a decision. Personally, if you want a decent skimmer and you don't want to spend time modding it, then i recommend the AquaC Remora Pro or if you have the $$ a Deltec internal or HOB skimmer.

                        If you are good with your hands and like tinkering and want something that is a bang for your buck, then you can get a CPR BakPak with a needle impeller pump mod and / or an airline mod. I'm currently running this mod on my 55 gal seahorse tank but off the 10 gal refugium below. And it does work pretty well.
                        www.ventralfins.com

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                        • #13
                          Even though it's small, you CAN put a refugium under there. Here's a pic of my 55 setup for seahorses.
                          I pull out clumps of macroalgae every week so i know that the plants are sucking up some nutrients.
                          I have a 10 gal fuge that fits inside the stand and have a BakPak running off the left chamber.
                          Last edited by nacra99; 10-27-2010, 05:20 PM.
                          www.ventralfins.com

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                          • #14
                            chrisR. I had a 55gal and I gotta say I really liked it. you are in the EXACT same boat I was in but 5 years ago. So this is just my opinion, take it or leave it. But you have 2 or 3 directions to go in.
                            1) Scour this site and MARSH and buy a CPR bakpak skimmer. when you get it look online or find me on here and ask about different mods. I bought one off MARSH for $20 once, but usually you'll pay about $40-50. I NEVER had a nitrate problem with my bakpak, so for the money they do a great job on a 55gallon setup. Beware!!!!!!!! of the red sea skimmers, I had one and everyone else who has had one has never had anything good to say about them. Not much different ofr the coralife.
                            2) scour this site and MARSH and be VERY patient and start looking for a hang on siphon overflow, then a 10gallon tank/sump setup that fits under a 55 stand and run the filtration that way.
                            3) Look for an Aquaclear hangon filter and basically just put macroalgae in it and that becomes your filter/refugium. I've seen this setup on a few tanks and it works really well.

                            all and all you going in the right direction. Try and buy the best T-5 HO fixture you can afford with 48" 4 bulb setup, and you'll be able to keep any coral you want and even 2 different species of clams. I had Halide lights once and really didn't like them and didn't like the sound and heat issue. But thats a personal preferance.

                            as far as fish, you have alot of options, you can even house a small tang for a few years before they outgrow a 55.

                            Just keep bouncing ideas on boards like these and people are always willing to help. Just remember that no one here is trying to sell you anything so we don't have an interest in you failing and having to come back to buy more stuff.
                            Softie Reef

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                            • #15
                              thanks for all our help...i may have enough room for a 10..especially if its a HOB skimmer on the sump itself...here is a pic of the space under my tank space under tank..and just a few shots of liverock in tank..got 5 snails n 2 or 3 hermits in there righht now just letting it sit for a while and see how my levels read out...btw we have the same coralife light :)...
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