Introduction. I'm getting back to saltwater.

[Captain Ahab]

Hello,

I did saltwater when I was a teenager for a couple years and my mom did it for 5 years while I was growing up. I helped her. I remodeled my kitchen (well, I'm remodeling it still.) and I ended up knocking some walls down and lost the space where my 55g freshwater tank sat. I only had a 38"x30" corner and I decided to get a new tank. I still had my wet/dry from saltwater. I bought a 56 gallon 30"wx18l"x24d" tank and the guy I bought it from had a bunch of other stuff too, so I bought a skimmer, metal halide light, and a couple pumps to circulate water. He has live rock for $2 a pound and had some salt too but I didn't buy any of it. I decided to get back into saltwater. I gave my freshwater fish to a friend and took the 55g tank down. I don't have the tank up yet and I'm not sure exactly what style I am going for it. I built a new fixture for my mother's saltwater tank using fluorescent yesterday and I'm not sure if I am going to use the metal halide or put LEDs on my new tank. I have an RO filter but I need to get new filters by now probably(I have a dedicated 24/7 PH monitor and 3-4 PPM/TDS pens)

I am sort of leaning towards a FOWLR but I could easily do a reef tank given I have the lights and filtration equipment already. I am just starting to research which fish to get but here are a few things and my thoughts on them.

Fish:

Clownfish and anemone
Marine Beta
Flaming Hawkfish
Tangs - I like the powder blue personally but maybe a yellow one.
Chromis - at least initially, I'm not against getting rid of them down the line if they can't get along with the other fish.
Cleaner shrimp/crabs/whatnot

Anything that I should get instead or in addition to and is there anything that isn't going to get along? Corals if I end up going reef obviously. I remember little fan and umbrella things on the liverock that were awesome.


Lights:

If I have to run the metal halide or get T5s or LEDs to keep the anemone for the clowns I'd just as soon go ahead and do a reef tank. I do have 4 96W 24" T5s with nighttime leds but the ballast died and I like the control of the LEDs. The metal halide works fine though and has night lights on it. I also have larger metal halides but I don't think they would be appropriate for this small of a tank. I have a timer light switch with remote and a light switch that doesn't go to anything right beside the fish tank. The metal halide hangs from the ceiling and I could drop it down and use that circuit to run it. The metal halide should give me enough light for the tank by itself, right? If I put the metal halide and LEDs but just run the halides a couple hours a day and the leds for the duration, would that be beneficial at all? I'd prefer not end up with a chiller on the tank. My house is set at 78 in the daytime when I'm not home and 72 when I am home. I'm hoping the water will stay nearly perfect between the heat of the pumps/lights. I have a tiny mini fridge though that I could press into service as a chiller.

Filter:

I have the wet/dry with bioballs but I am planning on converting it to a refugium or something similar. I would like to put the skimmer in the sump/refugium. It is a hang on back but has a submersible pump. It looks like I could make it work under the tank. I am not against getting another tank that is 30" or less and putting it behind this one - I have 2 foot of depth I could utilize. I think I might enjoy growing plants as well behind the tank. I am very handy with cabinetry and I could build something behind it to completely conceal it.

Tank:

It had the cross beam removed. I made an aluminum one. The tank is 3/8" glass. The guy said he had it running and it wasn't bowing at all (he had like 30 tanks set up in his house.) I am probably going to silicone a piece of glass in there. I could patch in a piece of plastic but the MH would be centered if I use it and I'd rather go with something that doesn't have an issue with intense lights.

Canopy:

I'm going to build a canopy to cover up the overflow box and return. I was thinking I'd just put a glass insert on the top and lay the metal halide on it from above to keep heat and salt damage to the light down.



If anyone has any suggestions or if I am doing something that doesn't make sense, let me know. I am a little lacking in confidence since it has been so long.

 

[Captain Ahab]

My skimmer is a Eshopps 100 gallon one btw if it makes any difference with suggestions. My wet/dry is also a 100 gallon one.

 

[JUNBUG361]

Hello & welcome

 

[scooter31707]

Hello and welcome to the RC. First, I read your post right the saltwater tank will be a 56 gallon. If this is the case I would not suggest any tang at all in that tank. For as the Betta, I think they require bigger tank also, I may be mistaken on this. Second, there is a chance that the Flame Hawk could make a snack out of the shrimp. In my case, I have that combo and has been working so far (knock on wood), but I have read many experiences on here that it didn't end well for the shrimp.

 

[TokiHacker]

Clownfish and anemone- clownfish ok anemone needs a minimum of 6 mo maturity before being added

Marine Beta- ok... be aware it is a grouper. anything that can fit in its mouth will get eaten

Flaming Hawkfish- kiss shrimp good bye. Plus they are jumpers. Make sure you have a secure top

Tangs - I like the powder blue personally but maybe a yellow one.- NONE. There is no tang in aquarium keeping that can be kept happily in a 56g tank

Chromis - at least initially, I'm not against getting rid of them down the line if they can't get along with the other fish.- only get one. If you get more then they will be killed by the other chromis.

Cleaner shrimp/crabs/whatnot- no no on cleaners if you get the marine betta or hawk and be careful on which crabs you choose.

and WELCOME! :ape:

 

[Captain Ahab]

Hello & welcome

Thank you.

Hello and welcome to the RC. First, I read your post right the saltwater tank will be a 56 gallon. If this is the case I would not suggest any tang at all in that tank. For as the Betta, I think they require bigger tank also, I may be mistaken on this. Second, there is a chance that the Flame Hawk could make a snack out of the shrimp. In my case, I have that combo and has been working so far (knock on wood), but I have read many experiences on here that it didn't end well for the shrimp.

I'm not in love with tangs, so no big deal on that. My mother kept multiple ones in a standard 55g growing up but that was a different day and I don't know how successful she was. I do remember her losing fish. The betta she had was nearly invincible though. I actually ended up with it in my 75 and it died during a blizzard when I lived up north and the power went out while at work.

I thought the same thing about the flaming hawk fish but many say they do it with no problem when the shrimp is there first. I really like the hawk fish but I could go with a marine goby instead. I really like them too.

Clownfish and anemone- clownfish ok anemone needs a minimum of 6 mo maturity before being added

Marine Beta- ok... be aware it is a grouper. anything that can fit in its mouth will get eaten

Flaming Hawkfish- kiss shrimp good bye. Plus they are jumpers. Make sure you have a secure top

Tangs - I like the powder blue personally but maybe a yellow one.- NONE. There is no tang in aquarium keeping that can be kept happily in a 56g tank

Chromis - at least initially, I'm not against getting rid of them down the line if they can't get along with the other fish.- only get one. If you get more then they will be killed by the other chromis.

Cleaner shrimp/crabs/whatnot- no no on cleaners if you get the marine betta or hawk and be careful on which crabs you choose.

and WELCOME! :ape:

Thanks for the welcome.

I wasn't going to add anything but the chromis and clownfish for a few months. I'm aware the anemone will be further down the line. I just wanted to put my goals up in case I was being unreasonable.

I'm not in love with the tangs, they just seem like a mandatory addition and they are decent fish. How big of a tank do they require?

I figured if I got some of the larger shrimp then the Betta wouldn't be able to eat it. They aren't pecking fish from what I recall.

I've been reading up a little but I have months before I really start putting fish in it. I thought maybe the larger shrimp might be ok with the hawk if they were in there first. It will be tough deciding between them. I enjoy the shrimp a lot but I have a soft spot for the flaming hawks. If I can substitute with a mandarin goby, I could live with that.

Really, the only mandatory fish are clownfish. Everything else is negotiable and I have a lot to learn/relearn.

 

[TokiHacker]

Thank you.



I'm not in love with tangs, so no big deal on that. My mother kept multiple ones in a standard 55g growing up but that was a different day and I don't know how successful she was. I do remember her losing fish. The betta she had was nearly invincible though. I actually ended up with it in my 75 and it died during a blizzard when I lived up north and the power went out while at work.

I thought the same thing about the flaming hawk fish but many say they do it with no problem when the shrimp is there first. I really like the hawk fish but I could go with a marine goby instead. I really like them too.



Thanks for the welcome.

I wasn't going to add anything but the chromis and clownfish for a few months. I'm aware the anemone will be further down the line. I just wanted to put my goals up in case I was being unreasonable.

I'm not in love with the tangs, they just seem like a mandatory addition and they are decent fish. How big of a tank do they require?

I figured if I got some of the larger shrimp then the Betta wouldn't be able to eat it. They aren't pecking fish from what I recall.

I've been reading up a little but I have months before I really start putting fish in it. I thought maybe the larger shrimp might be ok with the hawk if they were in there first. It will be tough deciding between them. I enjoy the shrimp a lot but I have a soft spot for the flaming hawks. If I can substitute with a mandarin goby, I could live with that.

Really, the only mandatory fish are clownfish. Everything else is negotiable and I have a lot to learn/relearn.

So. minimum tank size for a tang (yellow eye kole and tomini) is 75g. Every other one is significantly larger

Marine Betta's are not peckers they are groupers that get 6 inchs and will eat anything that can fit in its mouth (be aware the grouper has a mouth larger than it looks and will be more than happy to eat you cleaner)

Hawks are hit a miss... larger shrimp small hawk introduction after I have heard decent success. Me personally not as much. Only one I was able to keep was long nose and a fire.

Mandarin's are NOT easy... they are readily available, but please research before you actually get one... they are very difficult to keep due to their eating habits.