need help

[cafinator]

I just started my first saltwater tank. it is a fowlr and i have in 3 nassarius snails 2 peppermint shrimp 1 cleaner shrimp 1 firefish and 2 clowns. This is a 49 gal bowfront tank with 2 powerheads rated 950 gph each. i think this is too much flow in the tank so each day i turn one off and turn the other on and i switch back and forth every other day. should i run them both at all times? also what other fish can i add. i want butterflies but they are too big for my tank size right? should i add more live rock? please leave suggestions and let me know what im doing wrong thank you.

 

[Civicman86]

I'm new to this as well but what I have read it sounds like they are a bit much together. 20x turnover would be 980gph. I'd run one and see how things go, keep an eye out for dead spots.

I like the minimalist look of your rock setup. Rule of thumb seems to be around 1lb of rock per gallon. I have seen tanks on here with less and seem to be doing well. Idthink it also depends on your bio load. Light bioload and your filtration needs are lower.

 

[monkeysee1]

Alternating their run times like you're doing should be fine.
A butterfly will outgrow a 49 gallon tank.

I like the minimalist look of your rock setup.

+1.
It's really popular right now.
Wish I had done the same to mine when I set my tank up!

 

[cafinator]

thanks guys. so everything im doing rn should be ok? and if i do decide to add lr later on wiont i cause a mini cycle in the tank? how would i go about adding it to reduce this effect?

 

[thegrun]

1. For a fish only tank you can alternate pumps, but you actually have about the right amount of flow for corals with both pumps running. Some people will turn off one of the pumps at night but it's not necessary.
2. I would consider adding a flasher wrasse and/or a Royal Gramma.
3. No butterfly fish or dwarf angels, your tank is too small for them.
4. I would consider adding a little more rock, particularly if you plan on adding more fish. Fish need places to hide at night and many get aggressive if they can't find a good place to sleep. You can safely add dry rock assuming it doesn't have a lot of dried on organics, if you add live rock I would first cycle it in a separate container before adding it to your tank or you risk a new cycle.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

You could put the waver makers on timers so they turn on and off at different times creating currents going in different directions.
And it's really not too much flow, as long as it's not destroying your rock scape and such. One at each corner pointed toward the front of the tank, angled in different directions (one up, one down) would create a circular current that should remove any dead spots.

 

[JUNBUG361]

1 powerhead seems to be to low maybe. It's not messing up your sand bed

 

[billdogg]

I would move the lower power head up to the same height as the other one, and angle them both towards the front and up so that the surface stays agitated all the time. The surface is where the majority of oxygen exchange occurs. I would also leave them both on 24/7. The fish will benefit from the additional flow.

And +1 to more hiding places/swim throughs so that there are adequate places to sleep and get away from the other inhabitants.