New guy, could use some help!

[Mxman38]

Hey guys im new here from NW indiana. I always was fortunate to have great forums for cars and toys, but this is an amazing place as i have already learned a bunch of useful information. However, i have a few issues that i need some help with. (I'll try to not make this painfully long)
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Set up (for those who might need to know)

this tank is about 1 1/2 months old
(keep in mind this is my first stab at saltwater)

I have a 55gal tank and used live sand/bacteria/LR/ and 2 damsels to cycle. My nitrate=0/nitrite=0/ph around 8.0/ammonia=0

Currently i have the stock florescent lights with two 24" 220v LED strips
stock bio bag 60 gal filter(hang on)
temps at 78
1 marine life 900 powerhead
and using a 2 part kent marine nano reef buffer system for my 1 chunk of stone coral(seems to be doing very well)
_____________________
Now to the questions...
I have 1 clown fish/1 sailfin tang/1 three stripe damsel/1 yellow tail damsel/1 crab (dont know what it is specifically) and a peppermint shrimp)

It seems as soon as i added my powerhead, my sailfin tangs top fin has a tear, and progressively gets worse at night time when the lights are off. I have never personally seen aggression between any of the damsels, but i did try to take them out as a precaution...and failed miserably.
This is going on day 3... and i have had the fish for about 2 weeks now.

Also, i plan on buying a glass top and T-5 lighting system today, but im torn between that... or a protein skimmer for the time being. I do eventually plan on beefing up my filter, but the guy at the lfs said what i have will work for now.

Thanks for any input.



day lighting

night lighting

 

[patsfan1130]

Your tank is far too small for that Sailfin - I know you are not asking about that specifically but there...I said it

If all you have is a F/O tank right now, I would wait on the lighting. Get yourself a good, quality skimmer.

I would not run glass tops either. you want good gas exchange. Glass tops prohibite that.

 

[Green Chromis]

Buy a good protein skimmer first, you should have enough filtration with the sand and live rock. Don.t buy a glass lid for the tank it will cut down on the gas exchange between the air and water. Good luck with the tank. :beer:

 

[Mxman38]

thanks for your quick reply..
I cant believe my reputable.. and very knowledgeable lfs would sell the the sailfin knowing my equipment.
What type of fish should i get then?
Also, would i just get rid of the plastic top and buy 1 48" T-5 lighting system, and ditch the glass top idea? i see them for around 150 at my lfs, i just was unsure of compatibility.

 

[drparker]

As said get rid of the glass top. Look into 1/4 mesh, from bulk reef supply, in a DIY screen frame.

The smallest tang, Kole tang, needs at least a 75 and some would say that's too small. Aways check purchases here first.

 

[Mxman38]

I will certainly try to take it back this weekend then.


Is mesh necessary, or can i do open top with the new lighting? I was unaware it was so detrimental to the aquarium.


Thanks again for all of your patience in helping me out

 

[tangs_tank]

Get the skimmer, its a must. You won't really need extensive lighting until you go corals. And LFS are there to sell, sell and sell, this forum is priceless. Do your research here and elsewhere before deciding on anything.

 

[Mxman38]

i will pick up a hang on skimmer tonight.... is there anything specific that i should buy?

 

[RNX CTD]

CPR hang ons are pretty good!

 

[tangs_tank]

If you're getting one at a LFS then your options are limited, just get one rated for AT LEAST your size tank.

 

[Dr. Reef]

LFS will sell u anything they can just because they are in business for it they make money by selling items and livestocks. Tang are free swimmers and usually require 120gal plus tank with lots of room to swim and good hiding places.
my opinion its probably stressed and if it continues to show such signs she may endup dead one day. i would take it back and do more research about what fish u can and cannot have. you already are on good forums and if u look at some of the sticky's u will find a forum with intended fish purchace, u can ask lots of questions there.

 

[drparker]

Fish can and will jump. Plenty of posts on here where someone comes home and finds fish on floor. I went two years with no problem and then lost a fish to a jump. So I now have mesh over my tank.

 

[Nonameben]

I would definitely recommend getting a mesh top, as said above fish are jumpers. It's realy easy to install. You can add a square piece of velcro on all four corners to be able to remove it when doing water changes/adding fish/corals, etc etc.

Do you have a sump?

 

[Mxman38]

No sump.. i just picked up an eshopps psk75 protein skimmer... but there are micro bubbles everywhere coming from the return line.

The manual says the black foam should be 1/2 inch above the water but it is impossible from where it hangs, unless i drain nearly 4 inches of water out of my tank.... im getting irritated.

 

[Nonameben]

I would invest in a sump IMO
You can go the quick easy way and buy one, no questions asked (make sure you get one with enough room for a refugium)
Or you can 20g tank, add baffles (plastic dividers basically) and make it yourself

Can you adjust the hangers?

 

[Mxman38]

My next purchase was going to b a canister filter.. But I will look into a sump first...

No the hanger is not adjustable.. Its currently about 2" in the water, n there are some micro bubbles coming from it... Not sure what I can do

 

[drparker]

Hanging it in the sump will give you a place to trap the bubbles before they make it to the DT. As mentioned the DIY sump/fuge is easy to do and will save you a lot of money.

 

[jims2cool]

Agreed with above making sump fuge is cake walk. I used a 40br and took down 10 gallons I had sitting around and cut them to size. This is even more complex then it needs to be. Tanks baffles to fit and silicone...poof done

 

[bishop40k]

mxman, where abouts in NW Indiana are you? I'm in Lafayette, and if you're around here, our LFS isn't the greatest place to get information, or even equipment.

Also if you want a sump, I have an old 30g acrylic one here that I'm not using.

 

[sponger0]

thanks for your quick reply..
I cant believe my reputable.. and very knowledgeable lfs would sell the the sailfin knowing my equipment.
What type of fish should i get then?
Also, would i just get rid of the plastic top and buy 1 48" T-5 lighting system, and ditch the glass top idea? i see them for around 150 at my lfs, i just was unsure of compatibility.

They sold you damsels to cycle I tank I assume. They will sell you anything if your willing to buy it. A LFS is no different than a car dealership. They are there to make money.