More advice please

SandyB

SandyB

Member
First let me just say a great big thanks to everyone for being so patient with me and answering my questions, even though I'm sure some of them are really dumb.

I have a 65 gallon tank. Canister filter ( I can't go sump until around Christmas) it is a 400 gph. I have a Eshopps PSK-100 skimmer. My sand bed is about 3 inches deep. I have about 50 to 60 lbs live rock. It's has been up and running since the last week of January.

I got rid of my damsels, now I have 3 pajama cardinals and a scarlet wrasse. 1bubble coral. I'm trying to think what else I might want. I am thinking about a clown fish, maybe two. I really want a jawfish and I plan on getting a mandarin after my tank has been up for a year. I love the looks of a royal gamma basslet. I also like fire fish. I would like something unusual that is attention getting
I saw a box fish, I thought was cool, then I researched it. Some one else can own him lol

I'm wondering if these were good choices. Also how many fish can I have? I know I've been told so many inch per gallon but I really don't understand that ( it's ok you can roll your eyes at me) lol
I also am not sure what kind of corals I can have. Any suggestions I can research?
Thanks again y'all
 
You need more water flow from a powerhead. Around 1000gph from atleast 2 powerheads. The canister filter more trouble then its worth. Your getting 300 gph if your lucky whene its clean. If your interested why water flow might be your number one friend then ask.

This is a good place to look at wanted stock for feeding needs and tank size and temperment.

In a 65 gallon around 6 to 8 fish. And with coral 3 to 4 fish.
 
With modern filtration, skimming and biological filtration (LR) inch per gallon rule is kind of outdated. Consider more the activit of your choices. A pair of clownfish and royal gramma are great choices because they pretty much just stick to small parts of the aquarium. In fact most of the fish you named would be suitable for your tank size. Something like a large angel or tang wouldn't make sense because they require a lot of swimming room. You get the idea I'm sure.

Additionally look at aggression factors. Some Pygmy angels are fine in smaller tanks, but may show more agression as a result of smaller volume.

The most important thing you can do as your bioload increases, is religious water changes. This will keep both fish and coral happy and healthy. Good luck!
 
hollister said:
You need more water flow from a powerhead. Around 1000gph from atleast 2 powerheads. The canister filter more trouble then its worth. Your getting 300 gph if your lucky whene its clean. If your interested why water flow might be your number one friend then ask.

This is a good place to look at wanted stock for feeding needs and tank size and temperment.

In a 65 gallon around 6 to 8 fish. And with coral 3 to 4 fish.
Click to expand...

I forgot to list my power heads, but I do have them. I can't think right off hand what size, but I have really good flow
 
Thanks y'all, I'm having fun with this now. I was getting discouraged for a while as my tank cycled. Everyone said be patient, then I had an algae bloom. I just kept fixing things and suddenly one day, my tank was clear and I have little critters everywhere. It's just fun:)

So I don't want to screw it up. I've read enough to know that my tank isn't big enough for a tang. I know to add the most aggressive fish last. I was told I could have a butterfly fish, but according to my research my tank isn't big enough for that either.
 
The aggressive fish last is gonna be the hardest part for me because I'm looking forward to having a dwarf fuzzy lion in my tank as not only my favorite but as a bit more of a challenge! Also the three cardinals will work their way down to two so if one ends up dead its not a random death, just as a heads up.
 
So,I looked up dwarf fuzzy lion fish. It's very cool, but I don't want him to snack on my other guys. I also don't want my cardinals to turn on each other :/
I would like one unusual fish to go along with some with a lot of color.

I also want it all NOW lol. This having patience stuff is killing me.
 
since you are wanting to keep corals make sure you check to make sure the fish will not have them for a snack. Some fish are more prone to nipping at coral than others
 
I don't think Cardinals will turn against each other as long you have a male & female. Clownfish are nice but once they pair up, expect to see some aggressions (after all, they are damsels too) when one turns into a female. Once they settled down, they'll be fine. I do like your stock list ideas though. It's just a matter of deciding what you want.
 
FTDelta said:
I don't think Cardinals will turn against each other as long you have a male & female. Clownfish are nice but once they pair up, expect to see some aggressions (after all, they are damsels too) when one turns into a female. Once they settled down, they'll be fine. I do like your stock list ideas though. It's just a matter of deciding what you want.
Click to expand...

Well all my cardinals look alike, I'm not sure how to tell if they are male or female.

I'm not sure if I will do one or two clowns. Do they do better alone? or together?

I've heard that clams are hard to keep, is this true? I also need to do some research on fan worms and things like that? Anything I should be careful with?
 
Clowns don't necessarily have to be paired, but they seem to be out more as a pair. Idk just my experience. Clams aren't necessarily hard to keep, you just need to know the care requirements for them. I suppose that goes for most things though. :)
 
With good (coral type) lighting keeping clams isn't hard. Just keep in mind they do consume calcium and alkalinity from water so you'll need to supply it. Also don't get tiny clams they are indeed hard to keep alive. Also some fish don't nib on corals but love to have few clams for a lunch or fan worms... If you go with full mix reef your fish choice is going to be limited.
 
I'm not sure I want to do the whole reef, that might be out of my skill set. I really want colorful flashy fish with a few interesting coral/fan/moving things. I know that's vague, but I'm just beginning research on corals. I really think I want my tank heavier on fish, than corals.

I'm going slow though and not adding anything I am not positive I want.

Well except that scarlet wrasse, I don't know why I bought him, but now he's there. :(
 
I would recommend fish that are sold as adults: royal gramma, chalk bass, some blennies, gobies, jawfish, dartfish, etc, that will not surprise you by suddenly growing more than 10" long or snacking on their roommates.
 
That's my thinking too, I don't want to pay that much money for a fine dining experience for my fish lol

I have seen an anemone that is hosted by a bright red crab, but can't really find any info on these. Are they easy for a beginner?
 
You may want to get your anemone and crab id. Are they both hitchhikers or did you buy them? Do you have any photos?
 
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