# New Saltwater Keeper



## NickC5FE (Nov 18, 2010)

Hello, i am new here and new to saltwater keeping! Really excited about it. I was introduced by a friend who offered me a AGA Bow front corner tank (54G) that he had set up as a reef tank before. The price was great (free). I cleaned it up and stained the stand to match my living room furniture. He also gave me a Euro Reef CS6-2 skimmer, custom cad-designed sump and mag 9.5 pump. 
I set it all up with his help and got the water in. Once i had the salt levels right and the temp right, another friend gave me 65 lbs of cured live rock he couldnt use. As for sand, i went with 50 lbs of synthetic and 10 lbs of live on top. The tank has been cycling for two weeks now, and i have been flying for work so i havent been able to check the #s yet, but hopefully will be home in the next day or two. 
When i get home , i am going to go to a LFS and get some more live rock, maybe 30 lbs more, to finish the scape. Really anxious about getting it full going! This will be my "starter" tank, i am already excited about my next tank (maybe 180 or 220).. that is a long way off though ;-)
Anyways, glad to be here and see the support and knowledge this forum has to offer! Nick


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## Mattcot (Nov 10, 2010)

that looks like a really good start to me, and a neat custom sump.


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## NickC5FE (Nov 18, 2010)

Thanks Matt! I will post more pictures as i add stuff... Looking at getting two clowns when i get home, and putting them in QT for 2 weeks......


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

looks good mate, make sure to keep us updated on your progress :lol:


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## NickC5FE (Nov 18, 2010)

Thanks MrBishop....

Besides the clowns i am trying to plan out the other fish i will get. I have a few that i really like the look of but i really want a tang. Now, i know that they need 75 g plus (for a yellow) but i am thinking bcause of the odd shape of this tank that it may be ok for his swimming patterns, at least for now.. What do you think? 

I am already in the market for a much larger tank, and am hoping within a year i will be setting it up. If that falls through, i can always trade the tang in at the LFS right?? Just really have always been a fan of the tangs (all of them). I first saw them on my first mission i flew through Hawaii 5 years ago....


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## MrBishop (Dec 6, 2009)

yeah maybe try a small tang like a, Mimic yellow tang? i just brought 1 of them today for my 120ltr, looks great:-D


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## NickC5FE (Nov 18, 2010)

cool, thanks....will look it up!


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

Hi Nick, welcome to the forum. I have the exact same tank as you. Thats a great skimmer and sump design you have there. I'm sure you'll have great success with this system.

You are dealing with the same desire i've had for the last 3 years, which is to add a Tang to the tank. I have personally not done so because I know it is a bad idea. The reputation Tangs have as aggressive fish stems from them being placed in tanks that are too small, and a 54 just doesn't cut it, even with the unique shape of our systems.

If you decide to proceed with a Tang purchase anyhow, I would suggest a Ctenochaetus genus. These are the only Tangs that would really make any sense at all in this tank size. (Sorry Mr. B, I have to disagree on the Mimic Tang suggestion). The best of the Ctenochaetus species would be a Kohl Tang, aka Yellow Eye Tang. They stay relatively small, around 5'' in size, and are rather passive for a Tang. The 2nd best choice would be a Tomini Tang, in my opinion. Just keep in mind that adding any Tang to a tank of this size is going to make it difficult to add other "open water" swimming fish. Tankmates would need to be limited to rock dwelling species, such as Gramma, Pseudochromis, Baslets, Gobies, etc.


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## NickC5FE (Nov 18, 2010)

thanks so much for the awesome info Pasfur! We will see how things pan out after i get home! Will have plenty of pics as i go along.....Nick


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## NickC5FE (Nov 18, 2010)

Wow! I went and checked your 58 build thread and i love the rock placement! That is what i am really looking forward to, being able to get home and buy more rock! 

This rock i got from my friend was fully cured, should i buy dry rock or more "wet" rock???


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## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

*hey hey*

lookin good so far. i wish i could go back to an open playground like that.i prefer wet rock cured at a LFS so i can see what is oferd.but this is always costly..when i started i got some dry base rock topped it with really nice live rock taken from as many locals as i could get. fiji,gulf of mexico, caribean,and some from a well astablished home aquaria..i did this to get the biggest bio diversity i could.they live rock from the LFS was about 7-8 bucks a pound..wher as the base whas about 2 dollars a lb and was dry.you only need a bit of really good rock and alot of patiece...or a lot of mony and all fully cured...you can get it shipped but then it has to reaclimate to your tank and you never know what shapes and sizes your gonna get..oh and welcome aboard..


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## NickC5FE (Nov 18, 2010)

Thanks Bad! I was thinking that as long as i already have cured, wet in my tank, that it will aid in "seeding" the dry stuff...Is this true?

Also, these two pieces from my friend are great, he had them in a saltwater container for almost a year before i got in to the hobby, so he had a place to put them. He charged me 60 bux for 65 lbs......i'd say that is pretty great! I am going to try to get smaller pieces to accentuate my two large pieces...


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## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

*seed*

yeah just a few good peices will be enough to seed the tank if you have patience..another good one is to get a piece with really nice purple coraline algae and smash it witha hammer...put the pieces in high light areas and the fragments help colonize the whole tank with purple goodness.


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## NickC5FE (Nov 18, 2010)

cool!

One more question......I had had my t-5 lights on consistently and just recently had my wife turn them off. What should i do, because when i am away on business i need my wife to take care....I didnt have time to teach her the few small things i knew before i left. 

The tank should still be cycling, and only has the rock, so are lights necessary?


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## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

*time*

get a cheap timer from a hardware store set it up for 9-12 hours light. i find that light is benificiary for all those photosynthetic critters as well as the micro fauna.just not to much light without a clean up crew to take care of the mess.


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## NickC5FE (Nov 18, 2010)

cool! Thanks..


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## NickC5FE (Nov 18, 2010)

*Lots of live rock added!!!*

Hello all, well i finally got home and added more fully cured live rock! I am happy now, the tank has around 70 lbs of LR in it. Wow was it fun to set up the aquascape......makes me really want to move on up to the bigger tank asap!! Here is a pic of my setup as of 3 weeks ago. it is already loaded with coraline algae. Will post more pix as i can. Nick

Oh yeah, one more thing. i was able to get a 24 inch Coralife aqualight pro with upgraded electronic ballast and am considering not keeping it. I am just not really in to the idea of so much evaporation due to the added heat. Can any body chime in on this. Due to the fact i fly for a living, i am gone quite a bit and the wifey has to take care of the tank when gone, so i try not to put too much on her plate as she works full time too and we have three younger boys......Just thinkning i may be able to forgo the extra evaporation if i stick with my 2-T-5 bulbs (1-10k/1-actinic) for now....


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

NickC5FE said:


> Wow! I went and checked your 58 build thread and i love the rock placement! That is what i am really looking forward to, being able to get home and buy more rock!
> 
> This rock i got from my friend was fully cured, should i buy dry rock or more "wet" rock???


Given that you fly and are not at home a lot, I would just use dry rock. Its not like you are in a hurry to make things happen, given that you are away frequently.

The tank is looking great by the way. Very nice job with the aquascapping.


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## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

*cool*

looks real good...bet you cant wait to fill it with inverts...and fishes...hah hah i am more of an invert type of guy..as far as evap and not having a auto top off you might stick with your existing light and go with soft ,lps,and certain sps that you can place closer to the surface for more light and flow..pocilipora maybe..keep us posted..yeah


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