Katie's New 55g Set-Up

[Katie3G]

I am just about to set-up a new 55g reef tank. I am just waiting on the lights to arrive and then I will be set to go. I have started this thread to document the whole process and to provide photos of the tank (having never sent a photo to a forum thread, I may be a bit slow at this). Since I am eager to get going , I wanted to start the thread and list some of my plans for the tank. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

The tank and equipment:
55 gallon, 48 inches long and 12 inches wide (I don't know the height)
Lighting - 48 inch Sunlight Supply Tek T5 HO with 4 54 watt bulbs (2 actinic and 2 full-spectrum)
Skimmer - Remora C with MaxiJet 1200
Canister Filter - Rena XP4
Live Rock - planning on purchasing 50-60lbs. - my LFS is stocking Bali
Aragonite - 30lbs (.5-1 mm diameter) and 10lbs of slightly coarser

I will place a sponge around the intake tubes for the filter and skimmer to protect livestock.

Hopefully the lights arrive on Wednesday and I will be setting the tank up on Thursday evening - with live rock. The following Monday I leave for a 2 week trip - this will help me remain patient while the tank cycles. After about one month (if the tank is ready) I will add the following clean up crew (the numbers listed are what I think I will eventually need - I plan on slowly building up the stock to these numbers):

Tuxedo Urchin
Trochus Snail - 1
Turbo Snails - 5
Astraea Snails - 5
Cerith Snails - 2 or 3
Nassarius Snails - 3 or 4
Peppermint Shrimp - 2
Cleaner Shrimp - 2

Since I want to eventually add some hard corals to the tank, I am not adding Hermit Crabs (although I do like watching them).

Now, the hard part - the fish. My wish list is getting long so suggestions for culling are greatly appreciated (as well as any other suggestions). I am seeking a peaceful tank - but, an angel is a must.

Pajama Cardinals - 2 (these will be the first in the tank)
Oscellaris or Percula Clownfish - 2 (since I also want a BTA, the clowns will be added later)
Orchid Dottyback (or might this fish be too aggressive?)
Banded Goby
Carpenter's or McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
Sand Sifting Goby - suggestions are welcome
Starry Dragonet (aka Red Scooter Blenny)
Green Mandarin
Cleaner Wrasse or Cleaner Goby
Yellow Tang - I love tangs but I am thinking that the tank is too small
Eibl's Angelfish or Coral Beauty

My heart wants a Sand Sifting Goby, Starry Dragonet and Green Mandarin. My head tells me I should go with one. I plan on using DT's live copepods (and live plankton) so I was wondering if I could manage the dragonet and the mandarin. I also plan on growing macro algae in a hang-on breeder container in the tank (which should help with the reproduction of copepods, etc.)

My plans for inverts are still up in the air. I will begin with some soft corals and I hope to add some hard corals. Since I am not sure what will thrive with my lighting I could really do with some advice here. I do like clams and my LFS believes that I will have enough light for a tridacna crocea - I am skeptical about this. I do plan on adding a BTA. Will ocellaris clowns connect with BTAs? or, am I better with perculas? Any thoughts on a flame scallop?

 

[Slim_jim989]

Katie's New 55g Set-Up

Hey welcome to the world of salt. Now for your list, you can start your tank now while your waiting on your lights because you don't need them in the beginning of the cycle. As for inverts I wouldn't do an urchin right away also I would wait on certain snails as you will not have enough alge or food for them to start off with. As far as fish a good sand sifter for you would be a watchmen goby, I wouldn't put a mandarin or scooter (part of the dragonette family) for a minimum of 6 months you need to get you pod population well and up. For equipment I would ditch the canister they bring more harm then good In my opinion. I would also wait awhile for the clams and nem. And I would pick your angles carefully as they are natorius nipper of corals and clams. But welcome and hope the setup goes well.

 

[Njkidd23]

Welcome to our world lol

 

[Katie3G]

Thanks for the welcome.

Thanks for the advice Slim Jim. As for the canister, I am not able to set up a sump so I am staying with the canister filter - I do plan on cleaning it regularly (once per month) which will keep the debris to a minimum. I will definitely wait at least six months for the dragonette(s), BTA and clam. Do I have sufficient lighting for the clam? Any thoughts on 2 dragonettes and a sand sifting goby?

 

[lcs]

Any thoughts on 2 dragonettes

A 55gallon is going to be too small for two fish that rely on copepods. You might be able to have one if it is trained to eat frozen and/or pellet food.

Highly recommend the Carpenter's or McCosker's wrasse! I have a Carpenter's and he's great. Friendly, out all the time and a great eater from the get-go. A cover is a must have for these fish though, they are notorious jumpers.

Stay away from the cleaner wrasse. They are obligate cleaners, meaning they depend on what the get from other fish for all their nutrition and they just won't have access to enough and my understanding is that they will not eat prepared foods. There is a lot of information out there that says to stay away from them.

If you want to stay peaceful, then leave out the tang and the dottyback.

Your list is actually pretty close to mine. The wrasse I just added a couple of weeks ago, a pair of ocellaris clowns are next, and then a coral beauty. Can't wait!

Since you'll need the canister for extra flow and volume, how about just running carbon in it? Your rock will take care of the biological filtration.

 

[ScarletReef]

I would say don't do the mandarin, do the sand sifting goby and the scooter blenny. Scooters are MUCH easier to keep then mandarin dragonettes. Even with a mandarin who eats frozen, they still need quite a large population of pods to thrive. In a 55gal tank, i would be very hesitant. Just my opinion though. Best of luck!

 

[Denbf58]

[welcome] is your tank reef ready if so i would ditch canister filter and put sump /fuge this will help more water volume and a place to grow pods and a good place to hide your skimmer. good luck and take your time go slow and have fun

 

[mthomp]

ditch the canister filter, regardless if you have a sump or not. just make sure you have plenty of live rock and a good skimmer, that will be all the filtration you will need.
the canister filter regardless of you cleaning it every month is going to be a headache i promise you. btw i run a 55gal sumpless tank with nothing but a HoB skimmer and live rock, and a HoB biowheel filter that i removed the wheels from and filters and just use it for carbon and water movement.

Denbf8, i dont think they make RR 55gal tanks.

 

[Katie3G]

Thanks everyone. Despite the advice, I will keep the canister because I need the flow and it is a good place to add stuff like carbon. I will try it without the sponges as I presume that is where the problems lie.

A scooter and watchman goby together sounds good to me. Has anyone tried DT's live copepods? I am assuming that this live food should help keep copepod eaters healthy.

The cleaners wrasses at my LFS do eat flake, pellets, etc. Nonetheless, I have only read that these fish usually die in captivity. I will go with a cleaner goby which, combined with cleaner shrimp, should keep the fish well-groomed.

Has anyone tried keeping clams with T5 lighting?

 

[shifty51008]

i would say your lighting will be fine for a clam and BTA.

btw I am hoping your not thinking that the cleaner goby and shrimp will keep your fish from getting sick. IMO I would still QT the new fish

 

[mthomp]

the live copepods are mostly for seeding a tank not so much for feeding.

if your hell bent on keeping a canister filter. The one thing you may want to try and turning it into a refuge.

 

[Katie3G]

Oh no, I don't think the cleaner goby nor the cleaner shrimp will keep my fish healthy - just help in that area perhaps. I do like watching the symbiotic action here.

How do I convert a canister filter into a sump? Without a light, I cannot grow algae.

 

[Katie3G]

Forgot to mention - thanks for the info on my lighting and clams and BTA.

 

[mthomp]

you can get a clip on light from a hardware store. i have read where a lot of people ended up doing this with their canisters. this will also allow you to keep a dragonette much easier

 

[b2d2t]

dragonets require a aged tank with lots of copepods to keep them satisfied, and very few actually eat frozen food so you probably wont have very much luck with a dragonet unless you have patience. The Dottybacks are a beautiful fish but even though they have a small territory, they will defend it heavily. Last but not least your tank to me is to small for a yellow tang , but you make the decision based on, if there is lots of aggression in your tank and if you think it will have enough space when its fully grown to move around with all the rest of the fish in the tank.

 

[cota4]

When I got started in this hobby , I had a Ehiem cannister filter for my 55 I didnt run any sponge's just live rock rubble in all the media trays. I never had any Nitrate issue's ever. I had alot of amphipods and tube worms in the cannister which are bennificial to your system.Like stated you can even run a carbon bag, or a bag of GFO in one of the trays if you wanted to.I say run it if you got it.

 

[Katie3G]

Thanks again everyone. The dragonette is definitely something I will add many months from now - probably in the fall. If I do add a yellow tang, it will be the second last fish (the angel will be last), so I will have a better idea about whether or not I think it will work. In the late 1980s I knew someone with a saltwater fish tank (no live rock) and he had a yellow tang. I have been a fan of this fish every since.

Thanks for the suggestion about the cannister filter. Am I correct in thinking that GFO is for phosphates?

 

[singold]

You should start your refugium /sump soon to start harvesting copepods for your mandarin & scooter blenny down the road. All the best!

 

[cota4]

Yes you are correct GFO is Granular Ferric Oxide, and yes is indeed for Phosphates.It can be put in a mesh bag and placed in the cannister with good results because of the flow it will recieve.

 

[Maivortex]

Not enough light for a crocea. You would have best results with a squamosa clam