# Newbie 55 Gallon Saltwater Tank...



## FishFan

Friends,

I'm getting ready to test the waters (saltwaters that is) by starting my 1st tank. I'm going for a 55 gallon tank and have been doing my research on it's set up. However, there is more advice out there on the net than you can shake a stick at and it does get confusing after a while. I'll be using some live rock and some decorative stone and perhaps a few tank decorations. I'm going for a FOWLR community tank w/only non-aggressive/semi-aggressive fish. Other than that, I'm lost. I have 2 freshwater tanks at this time, so I'm no stranger to the aquarium. 

I read on this here net, that you can set up your system to use only aragonite sand as a substrate and then only need a protein skimmer and powerhead to keep it going. I personally know just about diddly about this. Will this work? Will I need the conventional filter w/charcoal inserts? I've also been told that I don't really need the powerhead. Also been told that I don't need a aerator (such as a bubble stone, curtain, etc.) because a filter would circulate and aerate the water on it's own. Someone...please help me?

As for fish, I've mulled over many a website and researched and pondered and marked many off my list. Here is said list (remember only 1 of these listed in the tank):

Yellow Watchman Goby w/Pistol Shrimp
Yellowtail Blue Damsel (read that these are the least aggressive of the popular species)
Yellowhead Jawfish
Ocellaris Clown
Royal Gramma Basslet

Also been thinking of a Yellow Tang, Foxface Lo, or a True Lemonpeel Angel. I would also consider a starfish and a few crabs.

If anyone has suggestions out there for me, I'd love to hear. I need all the help I can get. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.


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## Betta5

Hi,
so you want a FOWLR, you want fish and LR right? Well a quick list to what you need (excluding hydrometer/refractometer, nets, foods etc) 

55 gallon tank
Stand
Hood/lid
Lights (nothing special, no corals right?)
aragonite sand (is popular)
Live rock and powerheads
Heater 
and saltwater
Skimmer (if you choose)

You DONT need a bubble stone as they can create micro bubbles in marien tanks which are bad for inverts (hitchikers) and fish gills. 
Thats the basics, if you want a FOWLR. I am doing a Fish only 55, Tank, sand, heater, external filter and lights and thats it.

Right fish choice,

Out of the first lot, 
Any would work in a 55 gallon, the yellow tail is the least agressive (well in damsel terms) but i would still keep an eye on it , they are beautiful fish tho im fighting myself not to buy one every time i go to my LFS.
Im not sure about the jawfish as they may need a deep substrate which most FOWLR dont have. I think 6"-8" is the min (could be wrong tho).

Yellow tangs have been kept successfully in a 55 BUT it depends on tank dimentions. I think a lemonpeel angel would be a much better idea and they are beautiful fish also. 

For my 55 if i had no fish i would do,
- 2 clowns (whatever ones)
- dwarf angel (lemonpeel or flame back)
- purple firefish (bit expensive at Â£35 i think)
- Pink spot goby (think thats it)

Maybe 1 other fish, maybe thats a few to look into?

I know its a bit confusing but i hope it helps, any questions please ask


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## FishFan

Thanks for the response Betta5, and the advice. Much needed and appreciated.

I'll probably due without the bubble stone then. Don't want anything to cause any problems. Right...NO corals or anemones, etc. Only the fake ones. I'll try some lighting tricks though (different bulbs, etc.).

Thanks for the advice on the Jawfish (I was thinking of a substrate of only around 5 inches or so). Also on the Tang, they are beautiful but I wouldn't want it to be unhappy. Perhaps instead of the True Lemonpeel Angel, I'll try a Halfblack Angel (they are beautiful, and wouldn't want to have too much "yellow" in the tank). What of the Royal Gramma? Anything out there w/some red? I'll keep an eye on the Damsel BTW. Any other thoughts on livestock?

As for rock, I was going to use some base rock and then add some live rock to populate it. I read that you can also use other decorative rock, as long as it is NON reactive and full of minerals that would leech out into the tank. Read that you can test it with "white vinegar" and then look for some type of reaction (bubbling, etc.). Any advice on this? I know they use a special type of concrete to make manmade reefs, etc. 

Thanks again and good luck with your new tank too.


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## Betta5

FishFan said:


> Thanks for the response Betta5, and the advice. Much needed and appreciated.
> 
> I'll probably due without the bubble stone then. Don't want anything to cause any problems. Right...NO corals or anemones, etc. Only the fake ones. I'll try some lighting tricks though (different bulbs, etc.).
> 
> Thanks for the advice on the Jawfish (I was thinking of a substrate of only around 5 inches or so). Also on the Tang, they are beautiful but I wouldn't want it to be unhappy. Perhaps instead of the True Lemonpeel Angel, I'll try a Halfblack Angel (they are beautiful, and wouldn't want to have too much "yellow" in the tank). What of the Royal Gramma? Anything out there w/some red? I'll keep an eye on the Damsel BTW. Any other thoughts on livestock?
> 
> As for rock, I was going to use some base rock and then add some live rock to populate it. I read that you can also use other decorative rock, as long as it is NON reactive and full of minerals that would leech out into the tank. Read that you can test it with "white vinegar" and then look for some type of reaction (bubbling, etc.). Any advice on this? I know they use a special type of concrete to make manmade reefs, etc.
> 
> Thanks again and good luck with your new tank too.


There are loads of lights out there that make really nice effects (ebay have a few). Good call on the yellow tang, they are better off in bigger tanks. The lemonpeel will be a lovely addition. As for the royal gramma i would think your tank would be fine for one they are very bright and colourful, but make sure its healthy the ones at my LFS are really bad. 
Hmm red fish... Oh flame Hawkfish, i see them at my LFS, stunning. Bright red and get 4" so a good size. Other colourful fish are 6 line wrasse ( can act aggressively) Bi colour angelfish are also one to think about. Have a look around a few fish shop websites they usualy tell you what kind of fish they are if they act aggressively around any other and how big they get along with a piccy. 

You LR plan is a smart one, best to do buy "reef bones" or "base rock" as its just dry LR meaning it can be turned back fast. Rocks to avoid are lava and other decorative rocks. I have rose quartz in my nano marine tank which is pink and looks lovely (and a Â£2 a KG quite cheap). Then add some LR and wait for it to turn the base rock live. Im not sure on ratio, base to live. let me just say dont put vinegar on live rock, not saying you were going to but it will kill the bacteria etc . 

Oh for the jawfish a 5" deep sand bed i would think would be fine, there is one at my LFS that lives in about a 5" one. In an ideal world we would all have 100" sand beds and lots of jawfish but this is not an idea world. A 5" sand bed should be good but it will take up some room. 

Think i answered all the questions but if i didnt please tell me and i will try to answer them and if somethink isant clear then i would be happy to go into more detail if need be.


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## FishFan

Thanks again. Great info. 

As for the rock idea, I was thinking of using local rock found here at home (sandstone, etc.). The "Vinegar" test would be for this, not the live rock. I had a friend who read that rock (not live rock mind you) can be tested with vinegar for reactiveness. 

Flaming Hawkfish huh? I'll check into them. I have to be careful with adding fish, I want a few inverts as well (hermit crabs, shrimp, possible starfish, etc.).

Great information and advice. I really appreciate it.


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## Betta5

Sorry wasnt thinking, Flame hawkfish will eat inverts, yeah the vinegar test will work but sand stone should be fine. I use a sort of sand stone in my nano. Just to be safe do the vinegar test, put a bit of white vinegar onto the rock and if it reacts or bubbles its bad i think. But sand stone will prolly just soak it up.


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## Melissa

i wouldnt recommend fake corals. they will get covered in algea and can become an eye sore. but if you do use them, clean them often. 

you can also try a star like a brittle. they are scavengers and can clean up waste. but feed them small pieces of shrimp every so often.


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## FishFan

Starfish good for taking care of bad algae? Great. Just not crazy about the one you mentioned. How about a Red Star or Marbled? What about other inverts? Crabs, shrimp, etc. are they good at handling algae?

Thanks.


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## Melissa

snails will handle algea better than shrimps or stars. you can also try emerald crabs.


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## killjoy391

flame angelfish are red and really attractive. they only grow to about 3 inches and are a great addition. i would definetly get one if a had a tank your size


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## FishFan

Thanks Killjoy391, I appreciate the advice. I think they are very pretty as well, and would really stand out in my tank.

I wonder if I could add one of these and a half-black at the same time, if they would be very aggressive towards the other fish or each other?


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## killjoy391

u would be able to but they would have to be different sizes and make sure they r a different genera. and like u said put in at them same time. it also helps that they are different colors too. they would be ok with other fish also


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## FishFan

Well, I got the tank up and running now. Again, it's a 55 gallon FOWLR. I have a dual water filter on it (Aquatech I think), standard lighting (so far, but soon to be 2 50/50s). I also have 40 lbs. of live sand w/3 lbs. of actual sea sand as the substrate. I also have apprx. 25 lbs. of base rock and 11 lbs. of live rock together in the tank now. In the tank are 1 Yellow-tailed Blue Damsel (about 1 in. long) and 1 Ocellaris Clownfish (about 3/4 in. long). The fish are very beautiful although look very lonely in such a large space. I'm going to wait till I'm through with the cycling before I add anything else. I've been up and running for 11 days now and the live rock (and even some base rock) and the areas where I scattered the 3 lbs.of sea sand are covered in brown algea now. My wife and I have removed 3 small bristleworms so far and continue to look for more. We also have a few small glass anemones, but will get rid of them when they grow a little more (or when I add a few Peppermint Shrimp, they can snack on them). 

Conditions after 11 days are:

Temp: steady 78 degrees
PH: 8.4
Salinity: 1.020
Ammonia: .25
Nitrite: .25
Nitrate: 0

Do all these conditions sound about right for where I'm at in the cycle?

Fish are doing great and the little Clown has, of course, become a favorite. Strange thing was that when I got them, the Clown wouldn't eat very well. I was told by the store owner where I got him (at the Coral Reef on Kingston Pike in Knoxville TN...great guys there and I highly recommend them BTW), that he was bred locally and hand fed. Well, it never dawned on me what that meant. It took me about a week for me to wake up (and I'm usually a pretty quick witted fellow too). I feed them a frozen preparation of processed shrimp usually mixed with some flake food and a drop of garlic juice to arouse their appetite. As I started to dip it out from a tablespoon with my finger the little Clown came straight to me and started eating like a little pig. As long as the food appeared to be coming off my fingertips he would eat well. Duh! Hand fed?! The light went on! Now, he comes up to the top of the water to greet us whenever we raise the lid and he notices us standing there. Seems like he's about to come completely out of the water to greet you. A super great little fish! So far the Clown and the Damsel are doing super.

Thanks for all the help friends. It was great appreciated and look forward to hearing your thoughts on my new aquarium.


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## mcdanielnc89

I just wanted to say good luck with ur SW tank. I love it when people(newbies) to sw try it and succeed.. I want to do a sw tank jsut dont have the $$$$ for it yet.. I would do a FO or FOWLR.. but still don't have the $$$$ for it.. Good Luck with it..


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## FishFan

Hey, I think I made a slight mistake a few days ago when I posted my tank conditions (may have slightly misread my results). PH on the new tank is 8.2 not 8.4.

Sorry.


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## FishFan

Well friends, it's now been 3 weeks and a day and everything appears to be going fine in the new 55 gallon tank. My Yellow Tailed Damsel and Ocellaris Clown are doing wonderful and I recently purchased them a couple of new tank mates and added a few more pounds of base rock. 

I purchased a large red hermit crab (somewhere around 2.5 or 3 inches) and a peppermint shrimp (about 3/4 inch long). I acclimated them both over about a 2 hr. period and they are both doing very well in the new tank. The crab sifts the sand nicely and has been eating like a pig (also snacks on shrimp pellets as well). The shrimp has went straight to work on the few glass anemones I had in the tank and even the large one (around 1.5 inches long) refuses to come out now. They have both been very nice additions to the tank and all the family enjoy watching them. My wife also loves checking out the substrate and rock for small critters, which we find on a daily basis including what looks like some very small white starfish (small round disc shaped body w/long thin legs) and what appears to be very small crabs in some small triton shells.

I have a question in regards to algae however. During the cycling process, brown algae quickly started out. Then, all of a sudden, it subsided and left. Then I noticed some light green algae starting and some splotchy bright red stuff coming out as well. The green algae just didn't seem to take hold too well, but the red stuff exploded. Quickly going from red to black, it took over some of my base rock and my live sand. I blasted the stuff off the base rock and sand yesterday with a large turkey baster and then vacuumed the sand lightly (and my small vacuum device doesn't do much in this large tank, so a new one is in order I think) and did a very small water change last night (about 2 gallons out of the 55). Things appear to be back to normal now, but I'm sure I'll be dealing with this red algae (cynobacteria) again shortly. Maybe the large hermit will take care of some of it?

Anyone have any hints or tips in regards to the red stuff? Anyone have any comments in regards to the crab, shrimp or the fish? I'd love to hear them.

As for conditions:

Constant temp of 78 degrees
salinity of 1.021
PH of 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

Thanks for all the help gang.


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## FishFan

Well friends, it's now Sept. 2nd and here's the latest on the 55 gallon tank FOWLR. 

Temp still 78 degrees
salinity 1.022
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 25
PH 8.2

My red algae problem seems to have disappeared. I cut my light time on the tank from 15.5 hrs. per day down to about 9-10 hrs. Also, I cut the amount of food back and only to twice per day. This combined with my large red hermit crab developing a taste for the stuff has lead to the almost extinction of cyano.

Speaking of the hermit crab:

MISSING:

1 Peppermint Shrimp

WANTED FOR QUESTIONING:

Red Hermit Crab

Seems that I lost my peppermint shrimp over the last couple of days and the only thing I can figure out is the hermit crab had a snack. He seems to have a voracious appetite and is no long afraid to come out when the lights are on and forage. While a wonderful sand sifting machine, and cyano snackmaster, I don't want him eating the other livestock! I'm almost sure that a 1.5 inch yellow tailed damsel and a 1 inch long ocellaris clown DIDN'T eat the shrimp. He's is a large 2.5-3 inch long red hermit with white dots and black hairy legs. I'm afraid to put any other inverts in the tank now (or anything that rests on the bottom of the tank for that matter). I'm thinking of taking him back to the LFS and giving him back. That way I could pick up a couple of Halloween crabs and more peppermints and possibly a skunk cleaner.

More fish coming BTW. Just as soon as I get a chance and the funds.

Thoughts? Questions? Answers? All welcome!


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## willow

hi
sounds like your getting on very well,
i'm considering turning one of my tanks into a s/w tank.
just wondering if you had taken any pictures ?


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## FishFan

I added 2 pics of my tank Willow. They're not very good, but give you an idea of what I've done. I hope you enjoy them. Go to top of page at "Member Aquarium Spotlight" and then go to saltwater and look for Fish Fan's Saltwater Tank.

I hope you enjoy starting a SW tank as much as I have.


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## FishFan

Well, more updates on the tank.

I took the red hermit back to a FS, Incredipets, in Lexington KY (the one on Richmond Rd., talk to Wes). Wes let me trade it out for about 8 small blue leg and red leg hermits. Wes was impressed with his snackmaster status and was going to take him to his tank at home. I also snagged a nice Royal Gramma Basslet, a Pajamna Cardinal and another Peppermint shrimp. I also picked up enough Tuffa (sp?) and Honeycomb base rock to build another shelf, expanding further into my tank (Yay!). I also was given a large Conch shell by my mother today and thought it would look great in the tank too, just not added it as of yet.

Well, the Cardinal and the RG have been getting use to the tank so far. However, my Yellow tailed Blue Damsel and Clownfish started harassing them immediately. The Damsel more so than the Clown. Although small, the Damsel took a chunk out of the RG's tail first thing. Since then, the RG manages to out run the Damsel, and also fights back...so it's NO pushover. The Damsel has let up some on the new guys over the last 5-6 days and I believe they'll be OK. I'm going to add a couple more Cards ASAP (I'm afraid the 1 will get lonely). 

As for the shrimp...not good news. It would seem that while distracted I goofed on the acclimation and he lasted about 12 hrs. It would seem that I left a bucket of freshwater near the tank and thought that it was saltwater. Needless to say, I tried acclimating the shrimp with the freshwater and he didn't make it. Totally my fault. I removed him from the tank and hope to snag a couple more and perhaps a cleaner skunk shrimp soon. I'll just remember to check the water for acclimation first.


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## FishFan

Well gang, even more happening with the tank. I recently made a trip to a fish store about an 1 1/2 hrs. away and purchased some base rock to fill out more of my tank. The rock is doing very nicely after its first week and things are looking great. 

The fish are doing well, and it would seem the Royal Gramma has learned to defend itself and also has its own hiding spots as well. The Yellow Tail still dips and dives at him from time to time, but things have calmed down significantly since their 1st meeting. The Cardinal has also learned to defend himself somewhat and he doesn't run much from the Damsel anymore. The little 8 blue leg/red leg hermits I have are all over the place and eating like pigs. They are doing a superb job keeping the funk and bad things down.

Temp 78 degrees
Alkalitnity is 1.022
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate under 25
PH 8.4

Everything looks great with this tank so far. I look to be getting some more tankmates soon. I want a Dwarf Flame Angel and a Half Black for the tank and also some more inverts (Skunk Cleaner Shrimp and some Peppermints...also an Emerald Mithrax would be nice) but I'll play it by ear for now.


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## jake_25

keep the updates coming


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## FishFan

Alright Jake.

Things are going great with the tank gang. I do have some changes occurring however.

Parameters:

78 Temp
0 Ammonia
0 Nitrite
less 25 PPM Nitrate
Salinity at 1.022
PH 8.4

My 4 fish are doing great. The Yellow Tailed Blue Damsel is still chasing the Royal Gramma around a little but he's defending himself pretty good now and so is the PJ Cardinal. The RGB is starting to get a little bigger too and his tail is finally growing all the way back in (after the Damsel nipped him when he was first introduced about 3 weeks ago). The 8 blue/red legged Hermit Crabs are also doing well and have moved around into some other shells that I bought for them. They are excellent at cleaning my tank, although I'd love to have a few more for such a large tank. 

As for the tank, it's going great. My wife and I have located a couple of the pieces of base rock absolutely covered in little serpent starfish. The things are everywhere! Also I still have copepods all over the live sand and on the rocks. I also have a good sized Glass Anemone and a small one on some of the rock. I know they are baddies, but it being FOWLR for now it should be OK. Besides, I get some Peppermints and they'll have a snack. Now that I mentioned rocks, I added about 20 more lbs. of base rock into the tank about 2 weeks ago. Everything is doing great, but I'd like to have a few more large pieces and also another 5 lbs. or so piece of live rock to go on top of them. I only have 1 large 11 lbs. piece of live rock in there for now, but it's doing a great job. Everything would seem to be progressing wonderful. No more problems at all with Cyano either. My next move will be to pick up a couple of Hydor Koralia 1's and then a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, a few more Peppermint Shrimp, maybe a couple of Halloween Hermits and then a couple more fish. I've narrowed it down to a Halfblack Dwarf Angel and possibly a Coral Beauty or Flame Dwarf too. I'm also thinking about a Gobie or Blenny.

Any thoughts on livestock or any other questions, I'll be glad to answer them or listen to advice.

Thanks.


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## FishFan

Also, I forgot to mention that my wife and I have located a couple of very small snails crawling around in the tank. Don't have a clue where they came from (had to be out of the big piece of live rock I have), but they are there none the less. They are a cream/white color and about the size of a pencil lead. When we first saw them a week ago, there were 2 of them, one on top of the other). Now, I got a better look at one (he was crawling on the glass in front of me) and it's definitely a snail. I managed to get a good look at him with a magnifying lens I keep handy around the tank. Definitely could see both the eye stalks with the magnification. My Clown Fish (who I have discovered hates his native habitat messed with after he continually bit me while I was moving around the base rock in the tank) took a few nips at him while he crossed the glass, but wouldn't bite him or swallow him. I suppose he realized he was a snail with a shell after the first couple of bites.

I've also took out a couple of parasites since adding the base rock. I removed a small orange/pink bristle worm about 1/4" long and a white worm of some kind about 1/2" long (possibly a flatworm of some type). Hard to believe they've lived this long in my live rock or live sand without being seen, but it's possible. Would it be possible that they have been living in the new base rock, although dry, and then came out when I added them to the tank? I wonder if the base rock that I purchased still had some residual water in it from the previous owner/location?

Anyway, just wanted to share that as well. The tank is doing wonderful and the whole famn damily loves to look at it. So far, so good.


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## FishFan

New happenings and a few questions for those experts out there.

Tank Params:

78 degrees
0 Ammonia
0 Nitrite
25 Nitrate
PH 8.4


I purchased a few new tank-mates yesterday. I snagged a Coral Beauty Dwarf Angelfish, Skunk Cleaner Shrimp and a beautiful Pacific Pearlyscaled Butterfly fish for my tank. Both the new additions were absolutely beautiful and the Butterfly quickly became the pick of the bunch. He was feisty and moving all over the tank. He was about 2.5 inches long and the CB was around 3 inches long.

Now, a little over 24 hrs. later I notice the Butterfly (yes, everyone's fave) isn't eating and stays hidden. I notice a small scrape on his belly and what looks like small grains of salt (the dreaded ich?) on his tail and part of his body. He's breathing very quickly and swimming somewhat erratically, staying mostly on the top of the water. I notice this problem pretty quickly and being somewhat familiar with a freshwater tank and a fish staying on the top gasping for breath...I snap into action. I set up a 10 gallon quarantine tank, mixing up the saltwater and PH buffer and other chemicals as quickly as possible. I add apprx. 1 CC of formaldehyde to the 10 gallon of water to treat the ich and also prepare a freshwater dip (whew!). Needless to say, he has already bellied up in the SW tank and is laying on the bottom of the tank. I snag him up and give him a quick 15-20 second freshwater dip and then add him to the quarantine tank. Alas, he's no more. Dead that quick! Not only the fave of the family, but a beautiful (and somewhat expensive...$40.00) fish.

Now, I know what you're saying...should've had that quarantine tank setup the whole time. Believe me...it'll be running when I EVER consider purchasing a new fish and be his first destination (for at least 30 days). 

Next question is this...do Butterfly fish stress out that much and are they prone to ich and other fish diseases? More-so than others? Was this ich brought on by stress and lack of eating (24 hrs. seems awfully quick for me to kick the bucket)? Should I make an attempt to move the others (Blue Yellowtailed Damsel, Ocellaris Clown, Royal Gramma Baslet, Coral Beauty) to the quarantine tank and let the main tank set w/inverts for the next 30 days or so? None of the others seems to be having problems, are very active, eating very well and are not stressed in the least.

Assistance is welcome.


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## bettababy

I'm sorry I wasn't able to get here sooner. I just read through this entire thread and as I read I began to cringe from the very first post. I could see the trouble that was coming, and as it played out... 

Let me say first and foremost, there is no room for more fish in your tank. A saltwater tank can't be stocked the same way that a fresh water tank can, many reasons for this such as lower oxygen content, more territory needed, waste levels, stress, etc etc.

In answer to your questions about the pearlscale butterfly fish...this is one of the more sensitive fish, not a beginner fish. They are difficult to feed, high on stress levels, skittish, and very very sensitive to changes in water quality and temp. If I had gotten here in the beginning, I would have suggested you consider a 75 gallon tank vs the 55 due to the number and types of fish you can keep. A 55 really isn't very big when you consider the sizes the animals will grow to be and the amount of territory they all need.

The best thing you can do at this point is to stop, regroup, and watch what you have for any signs of ich. I would not suggest removing the fish at this point. That would be a lot of stress and just an invitation for ich to start. I have watched you post water params throughout the thread, and while they seem to be pretty stable, I have not seen a reading for calcium? Have you tested for calcium? With the amount of and types of rock you have added, the number of animals, somewhat heavy feedings, and various other factors, I'm very curious to see where that sits. Too high is just as bad as too low, and that can and will have a big effect on all of the animals, but butterfly fish are extremely sensitive to that. 

I don't remember seeing what type of filter you have on the tank? Is there carbon in there? Are you adding any trace elements or iodine, calcium, strontium supplements to the tank? How often are you performing regular water changes? How much water are you changing at a time? Are you running a skimmer? UV Sterilizer? 

The biggest thing I can see at this moment is that you're at your limit for fish, and the last group you added contained a very sensitive fish. Unless you wish to upgrade to a larger tank, this one is now full. Be patient, fish need time to grow up just like children do. It happens quicker than you'd think, and just as with people, needs change as they grow. As fish get larger there is more waste output, there is more aggression in some species, and space that wasn't an issue before suddenly becomes a fight to the death for some... and a "middle of the night disappearance" for others. Also, something to keep in mind, not all inverts can be mixed together... many shrimp are known for eating each other, and many crabs are known for eating smaller crabs and shrimp, and even some snails. 

What I'm not hearing present in this tank is a "clean up crew" that is designed for your conditions/set up. A saltwater tank is much more of a biological and natural environment than most people realize or are every taught. In saltwater you can learn to achieve balance much easier if you do the research and ask the questions, show the patience and the restraint it takes when it comes to buying new fish. I understand how difficult it can be to achieve that control, this is an addicting hobby... but just as with anything else, it has its rules and its limits. Its important to know those rules and limits and to abide by them carefully to keep things healthy and stable.

I hope this has helped, if you need further help, please let me know.


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## FishFan

Thanks Betta,

I haven't checked for Calcium, and will do so as soon as possible. As for water changes, I do one about every 3 weeks and when done it's usually about 10 gallons (1/5 of the tank roughly). I usually mix up the water the day before and let it set 15-24 hrs. w/conditioner added to treat for the chemicals in the water. I also use a powdered PH buffer about every 4 weeks. I have a dual Aquatech filter w/carbon inserts that I change about every 4 weeks. Not the best filter I'm sure, but it is doing a pretty good job (as far as I can tell). I don't add any supplements to the water or to the fish diets. Also, no skimmer and no UV. 

To recap (and I know there are a lot of posts) here's the scoop:

FOWLR
12 lbs. of live rock
Apprx. 25 lbs. of base rock (most of which has been in the tank for 3 mos. w/live rock)
40 lbs. of live sand
3 lbs. of actual sea sand on top of the live sand
Aquatech Dual Filter w/Carbon inserts
Instant Ocean salt
1-1 3/4" Yellowtailed Damsel
1-1 1/2" Ocellaris Clown
1-1" PJ Cardinal
1-1 1/2" Royal Gramma Basslet
1-2 1/4" Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel
1-2" Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
8 small Blue Leg/Red Leg Hermit Crabs
Numerous small Serpent Starfish (actually a population explosion) and Copepods

Temp a steady 78 degrees
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 25 or less
PH 8.4
Salinity 1.022

As for cleanup crew, the shrimp and the crabs are it for me so far. Can you suggest something else or is that enough? The crabs do a great job of pretty much eating anything and everything and they are only about 1/4" to 1/2" in size. The animals are fed once or twice a day, usually in the evening and night times. Lights are on in the aquarium for 7-10 hrs. per day.

I was looking to add 1 more fish, but if you say that would tip the scales, then I'll hold off. We got awfully attached to the Pacific Pearlyscale awfully quick. The sheer beauty of this fish was amazing and it went with my tank very well (for the short time I had it). We actually like the Butterflyfish better than the Coral Beauty (isn't this the way it always happens) though both are beautiful.

Plans:

I'd like to add at least 3 more lbs. of live rock, a couple of Hydor Koralia 1's or 2's for water circulation (which I'm definitely lacking) and some other items for color (the tank's background is royal blue, w/white sand and then "rock").

Any suggestions would be more than welcome.


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## bettababy

FishFan said:


> Thanks Betta,
> 
> I haven't checked for Calcium, and will do so as soon as possible. As for water changes, I do one about every 3 weeks and when done it's usually about 10 gallons (1/5 of the tank roughly). I usually mix up the water the day before and let it set 15-24 hrs. w/conditioner added to treat for the chemicals in the water. I also use a powdered PH buffer about every 4 weeks. I have a dual Aquatech filter w/carbon inserts that I change about every 4 weeks. Not the best filter I'm sure, but it is doing a pretty good job (as far as I can tell). I don't add any supplements to the water or to the fish diets. Also, no skimmer and no UV.
> 
> Do you have a quarantine tank? I would suggest one, especially with no skimmer or UV. Quarantine should be a standard procedure when setting up any aquarium, and is often overlooked until it is needed, and then often it is too late. Fish diseases are highly contageous and can be difficult to treat in a main tank. New fish should always spend 2 wks in a quarantine tank to be sure there is no illness that could spread to the main tank. Running a skimmer and UV would help to ensure you don't have to deal with disease issues, though it is not 100% fool proof. Most illness issues tend to stem from stress, water quality, and parasite issues.. and sometimes 2ndary infections stemming from injury, too. Skimming is important in removing surface proteins, the "oil slick" at the water's surface. These proteins are typically the organic waste that can't be filtered out by other means, so they collect at the surface, which also interferes with oxygen supply in the tank. This is a very useful piece of equip, and I will suggest you consider adding one. The UV will help to filter all the little nasties out of your water, including parasites and some bacterias. Basically, it kills the organisms using UV light, doesn't harm the tank's inhabitants. So provided the circulation is good so that the water actually makes it through the UV, very little is able to contaminate your fish and/or your tank, and if something manages to get through, the UV helps to ensure a much faster and easier recovery process.
> 
> To recap (and I know there are a lot of posts) here's the scoop:
> 
> FOWLR
> 12 lbs. of live rock
> Apprx. 25 lbs. of base rock (most of which has been in the tank for 3 mos. w/live rock)
> 40 lbs. of live sand
> 3 lbs. of actual sea sand on top of the live sand
> Aquatech Dual Filter w/Carbon inserts
> Instant Ocean salt
> 1-1 3/4" Yellowtailed Damsel
> 1-1 1/2" Ocellaris Clown
> 1-1" PJ Cardinal
> 1-1 1/2" Royal Gramma Basslet
> 1-2 1/4" Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel
> 1-2" Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
> 8 small Blue Leg/Red Leg Hermit Crabs
> Numerous small Serpent Starfish (actually a population explosion) and copepods
> 
> Temp a steady 78 degrees
> Ammonia 0
> nitrite 0
> nitrate 25 or less
> PH 8.4
> salinity 1.022
> 
> I would encourage premixing your saltwater at least 48 hrs in advance, and in using a power head in the bucket/tub when doing so, to be sure it is mixing evenly. I would also try to slowly raise the SPG/Salinity to 1.023
> 
> As for cleanup crew, the shrimp and the crabs are it for me so far. Can you suggest something else or is that enough? The crabs do a great job of pretty much eating anything and everything and they are only about 1/4" to 1/2" in size. The animals are fed once or twice a day, usually in the evening and night times. Lights are on in the aquarium for 7-10 hrs. per day.
> 
> With so few hermits, you certainly have room for plenty more. You could easily add another 2 dozen comfortably, especially with such a heavy feeding schedule. Be forewarned, the reg leg/scarlet hermits will get larger than the blue leg hermits, and will likely eat the blue legs. It's a good idea to choose one or the other and stick with it, and providing extra empty shells for the hermits to choose from, as they like to change shells often and can be quite brutal to obtain one they take a liking to. They are known to kill another hermit to steal the shell. There are other inverts you could work with for a cleanup crew, such as emerald crabs and snails, and these are all useful to your aquarium. Turbo snails eat a lot of algae from the glass and the rocks, margarita snails, astrea snails... there is a long list, but those would be the easiest to find and do a good job for you. Those are known to be pretty sturdy, also. There are also starfish that would be compatible to your situation, such as sand sifting stars, brittle stars, linkia stars (more sensitive and slightly harder to keep), fromia stars, and various other species. Some stars are scavengers, some are algae eating, some are carnivores. You'll want to make sure you don't obtain a carnivorous species which has the potential to eat your fish (such as a chocolate chip star).
> 
> 
> I was looking to add 1 more fish, but if you say that would tip the scales, then I'll hold off. We got awfully attached to the Pacific Pearlyscale awfully quick. The sheer beauty of this fish was amazing and it went with my tank very well (for the short time I had it). We actually like the Butterflyfish better than the Coral Beauty (isn't this the way it always happens) though both are beautiful.
> 
> I would suggest against adding anymore fish unless you first upgrade to a larger tank. These fish will need room to grow, and that is something that happens constantly and tends to happen very quickly. A pj cardinal, for example, in 6 months time can go from the size of a nickel to the size of a 50 cent piece. Clown fish (ocellaris) grow to about 5 inches for females, 3 inches for males, the yellow tail damsels reach about 3 inches average, the royal gramma about 4 inches, and coral beauty about 5 inches. If you have a difficult time picturing how full your tank is, take slips of paper and measure them to these sizes, and hold them against the tank together... you'll see that you will quickly run out of space as they begin to grow, which is when problems develop. By telling you now that you have reached your limit, allowing these fish the amount of space they all need to grow properly and keep your water quality stable, I am saving you heartbreak when fish get sick and/or die, saving you money in trying to "fix" what is suddenly wrong (problems can appear to happen just overnight), and saving the fish that would suffer in the process.
> I understand your love of the butterfly fishes, but they are very difficult to keep. The hardest part of keeping them is in feeding them and in stress issues. They tend to be very skittish, and most are still wild caught. A wild caught butterfly is likely eating corals in the wild environment, and some species of butterfly only eat specific corals. Teaching them to accept prepared or "other" foods can prove extremely difficult. I have found that many LFS's sell them without ever getting them to eat first, thus they get stressed from yet another move and then starve to death soon thereafter. Butterfly fish should be saved for something later... a bigger tank and much more experience under your belt first.
> 
> Plans:
> 
> I'd like to add at least 3 more lbs. of live rock, a couple of Hydor Koralia 1's or 2's for water circulation (which I'm definitely lacking) and some other items for color (the tank's background is royal blue, w/white sand and then "rock").
> 
> Any suggestions would be more than welcome.


There are artificial decorations available that are made to replicate saltwater plants. Some of them are very realistic looking, and some even have silk plants attached to them. These tend to be fairly easy to clean if needed, the silk you simply wipe the leaves clean. This can help to add a lot of color to your tank. Also, be aware, as your tank matures over the next 1 - 2 years, coraline algae should grow on your rock, which will lend a vibrant pink/red/purple to your rock. There are macro algaes, caulerpa, that can also add the bright green color, provide shelter for the fish, and help to serve as biological filtration at the same time. Emerald crabs will tend to eat this, so you may find you will need to replace it from time to time if you go the way of emerald crabs, but in some situations, it is known to need to be trimmed back from time to time because it can grow rampant when conditions allow for it. You truly have a lot of options for color other than fish. Do some research on the different macro algaes available. Some are more appealing than others, some need to be kept trimmed more than others, etc. 

I hope this helps, let me know if there is anything more I can do or suggest to keep you going in the right direction.


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## FishFan

Thanks Betta. 

I started to add an Emerald Mithrax Crab the other day but was afraid there'd be some problems between them and the small Hermits. Are they compatible? As for more Hermits, that is definitely do-able, and I think I only have 1 Scarlet Hermit at this time...everything else is Blue Leg. I thought about a few Halloween Crabs or even Electric Orange or Electric Blue crabs as well. However, would they get too big and eventually attack my smaller hermits? What about them attacking some snails? I'd like some snails as well, can you suggest some that the little hermits won't attack? I was afraid they would kill them for their shells.

BTW, I did contact the owner of the "Coral Reef" in Knoxville TN yesterday after the bad news of the Butterflyfish and he told me that he would take care of the problem my next trip down and give me $40.00 in credit at his store. I was very pleased with this news and again, can't recommend Chris Taylor and the gang enough at this store (stop in and see them sometime). 

I do have a quarantine tank setup now and will put it to use in the future.

I'll proceed with my plans on adding decorations, more live rock and the power-heads. I'll also check into a skimmer too and a calcium test kit.

BTW, after the lights went out last night I noticed some "extra" biological filtering systems crawling around my sand. I have several bristleworms scouring the sand and rock at night for scraps, a couple that are very fat and 2-3" long. I don't suppose they'll hurt anything and could be beneficial so I'll leave them alone for now.


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## bettababy

FishFan said:


> Thanks Betta.
> 
> I started to add an Emerald Mithrax Crab the other day but was afraid there'd be some problems between them and the small Hermits. Are they compatible? As for more Hermits, that is definitely do-able, and I think I only have 1 Scarlet Hermit at this time...everything else is Blue Leg. I thought about a few Halloween Crabs or even Electric Orange or Electric Blue crabs as well. However, would they get too big and eventually attack my smaller hermits? What about them attacking some snails? I'd like some snails as well, can you suggest some that the little hermits won't attack? I was afraid they would kill them for their shells.
> 
> The emerald crab doesn't usually bother the other crabs like the blue legs... but the halloween crabs would probably eat your hermits, and might even target an emerald. I would avoid mixing those into the tank. The rule of thumb with most of the hermits, choose one species and stick with it, especially in a tank of that size or smaller where their territory would be limited. The electric hermits are extremely aggressive, and I would expect them to bother any of the other crabs and/or some of the snails. I have seen electric blues in action, and they show no mercy to their victims, lol.
> 
> As for snails, the standard blue leg or scarlet hermits shouldn't bother the snails. Blue legs for sure should be fine with any of the snails, just make sure you have plenty of empty shells for the hermits to trade off into.
> Snails for you to consider:
> Nassarius, astrea, margarita, nerite, turbo, moon snails, and cowrys. You can mix the snails for color and function. Most of these snails target something specific for food, all different from the others. Algae eating snails such as the moon snails and turbos, get quite large, are a lot of fun, and tend to do a good job. They eat a different type of algae than the astrea and margarita varieties, so some of each will only help your tank and give you the variety in animals that you seek. Nassarius snails are a lot of fun to watch. They live in the sand bed and are a detrivore... in a 55 gallon tank you could put 5 - 10 of them in easily enough to help keep your sand clean. The nassarius are one of my favorites, but 1 word of caution... don't letl them climb on you and don't make contact with the "foot" on your bare skin. The slime that is secreted by the nassarius has some type of toxin in it, and it can make you go numb for anywhere from a few hrs to a few days. I found out the hard way when playing with them. It starts out as a tingle, and then just "nothing" for feeing at all. For me it lasted about 3 1/2 days before I got feeing back in my fingers again.
> 
> 
> I do have a quarantine tank setup now and will put it to use in the future.
> 
> I'll proceed with my plans on adding decorations, more live rock and the power-heads. I'll also check into a skimmer too and a calcium test kit.
> 
> Sounds like a great plan!!!
> 
> BTW, after the lights went out last night I noticed some "extra" biological filtering systems crawling around my sand. I have several bristleworms scouring the sand and rock at night for scraps, a couple that are very fat and 2-3" long. I don't suppose they'll hurt anything and could be beneficial so I'll leave them alone for now.


If you're finding larger bristle worms it means you are feeding quite heavily. Small bristle worms won't hurt anything so long as they aren't on a rock when you pick it up. Be careful not to get bristles in your fingers/hands, they can be very difficult to remove and very painful, too. If the worms get beyond 3 inches, I usually will pull them out to make sure they don't cause any problems. Smaller than that, I usually leave them alone. If you cut back the amount you feed the fish each time you feed them, the population of bristle worms will balance itself out according to the food supply.
It sounds as if your tank is doing well, I can't wait to see pictures!!!! Good Luck and feel free to ask as many questions as you need to, that's what we're all here for!


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## FishFan

Thanks bundles for the great tips and help. Hopefully, all the newbies getting into this hobby will read this thread and learn from it. 

As for pictures, I've updated my tanks here so just click and let me know what you think.

BTW, something new, my wife has just noticed apprx. 30 miniature snails (the size of the head of a pin) crawling all over the rock in the tank. Don't know what they are, but there are plenty of them. Lots of critters in this tank gang, what with all the starfish and copepods.


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## FishFan

*Updates!*

Hey gang, just wanted to drop by and let everyone know how things have been going for me and the 55 FOWLR tank over the last couple of months. I haven't posted much since then, but things are going pretty good. My tank is still going strong and params are:

78 degrees
Alkalinity 1.023
0 Ammonia
0 Nitrite
25 Nitrate (can't seem to get the darn thing to go down)
PH 8.2

Here are the changes that have happened over the last few months. I went from standard florescent lights to 2 Power Glows which really set the tank off. Looking to add another 2 lights soon (building my own light hood). I have also recently added apprx. 10-12 lbs. more base rock to the live rock I already have. It has really set the tank off even more and I hope that it helps settle the tank down, chemically speaking of course.

I still have the following fish:

1 Yellow Tailed Blue Damsel
1 Ocellaris Clown
1 Coral Beauty Dwarf Angelfish
1 Solar Wrasse (a beauty)
1 Linear Blenny

My PJ Cardinal was given to my son's girlfriend to keep in her 10 gallon tank (which is also doing well).

I recently took a chance and added a fish that I've always loved, a True Lemon peel Dwarf Angelfish to the mix. I know there were risks in adding him to a tank already preoccupied with a Coral Beauty, but so far they are doing well. He has been in my tank for about 2 mos. now, and asserted himself as the "Big Cheese" but gets along well with the other fish (yes, even the Coral Beauty).

I have about 15 Blue Tip Hermit Crabs in the tank now and would like to add another 10. I also have 2 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp now, 1 large Turbo Snail and 1 Medium Turbo Snail (these creatures are my weak spot, for I buy them very big and they don't live long in my tank). I also purchased an Arrow Crab about 3 mos. ago and he gets along fine in the tank. Sifting through the sand of this tank is a 2.5 inches diameter Sand Sifting Starfish, which does a nice job at keeping things cleaned up. 

My wife fell in love with a Pink Tipped Condy Anemone back on Valentine's Day and it is in the tank too (about 2 inches in diameter) and does pretty well, but just won't sit still (and the shrimp will rob him of a meal if I don't watch them closely). 

The tank is doing great, full of small snails, the occasional small white Serpent Starfish and loads of copepods (and the occasional Bristle Worm too). I also have a large Conch shell in the tank which is home to the Solar Wrasse and a food source (well, the algae growing on it anyway) for the Blenny.

More upgrades and updates coming gang (going to add a protein skimmer soon). I'll keep everyone up to date. Here are a few pics:


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## Pasfur

In regards to a protein skimmer, what are you waiting on? This piece of equipment is the single most important purchase you will ever make for your aquarium. The entire marine hobby began to flourish with the evolution and affordability of the protein skimmer, yet some newby's consider this item optional. If you are concerned with long term success, spending $150 or so on a skimmer is a no-brainer. Check out ebay and you can find some nice options. 

If you need motivation to spend the money, talk to some old-timers who have kept aquariums long term without a protein skimmer. Anyone in the hobby in the 1980's and even early 90's can tell you story after story of complete wipeouts. Full tanks of fish would pass away without known reason. Everything would be "going great" for a couple of years and then all at once the fish would begin to die.

This entire situation ended almost completely when protein skimmers hit the mass market for an affordable price. The skimmer removes organic waste from the aquarium, reducing the buildup of Nitrate, increasing oxygen levels, and helping to stabilize the buffer system. pH swings are less. Alkalinity levels are more stable. 

Second only to the skimmer, in my experience and which was suggested already by Betta, is the UV Sterilizer. You need to give very serious consideration to both, but can not allow your aquarium to continue running without the skimmer. Buy one. Make one. Borrow one. But somehow you need to be using one. And it needs to happen very very soon. 

In fact, i am so passionate about it, that i will personally drive to Lexington and meet you to help you pick one out. Or you can drive to Cardinal Country and enjoy a basketball game while you are here. :wink: Bottom line, just get a skimmer.


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## FishFan

*I'm Game...*

Hey, if you can suggest a reasonably priced (somewhere betweeen $100 and $150 bucks), I'm game. Make sure that it is a "hang on the back" type that doesn't go too high above the top of the tank (I am getting ready to build a tank hood).

I'm open to suggestion.


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## bettababy

I would suggest looking into something like the CPR BakPak units if money is an issue, you want hang on, and good quality all at same time. Might not be able to stick to that 100 - 150 budget, but for a little more, the BakPak units are well worth the price, and a lot less than anything else of close to equal quality.


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## Pasfur

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=160243774750

http://cgi.ebay.com/SeaClone-150-Pr...ryZ46313QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Coralife-Super-...ryZ46313QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Any of these would be a great starting point. They certainly aren't the best models available, but would be a reasonable option for your tank size and budget.

If you prefer to buy new, rather than on ebay....

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/236418/product.web

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/11299/product.web

Or, if you want a skimmer you can be proud of and take pictures to show to your friends:

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/3734/product.web


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## Pasfur

As long as we are having fun, here is a nice hang-on UV option:
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/210846/product.web


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## FishFan

Hey gang, long time no chat. I thought I'd bring you up to date on what's happened in the tank since I last posted in May. I have my ups and downs of course (who hasn't). Firstly, I purchased a protein skimmer (a Red Sea Prizm hang on type) and it is doing a very good job of cleaning out the gunk in the tank. I did have some initial problems with it however. For all of you interested in them, beware that the intake tube sticks out too far into the surface of the water causing my glass lid to be partially ajar. Also, the scum gathering tank on top of the skimmer MUST be seated exactly right or you'll have some leaking problems (warped a few boards in my hardwood floor). I suggest you put a little petroleum jelly on the "O" ring when you seat it. This should assist you in making a good seal. Now it's working fine for me.

As for additions and losses? I still have the following fish (some I've had since the beginning):

1 Ocellaris Clown (my 3rd in a year and 1/2) affectionately named Threemo by my sister.
1 Yellow tailed Damsel (1st saltwater fish I ever purchased) named Dory of course (yeah, I know it's not a true Regal Tang, but my 6 year old named it).
1 Coral Beauty Angel named Elvis (for the comparison to a black velvet Elvis pic).
1 True Lemon Peel Angel named Sinatra (Ole' Blue Eyes).
1 Solar Wrasse named Apollo.
1 PJ Cardinal (yeah, the one I gave my sons ExGF. She gave it back after she got tired of her small tank, and I was glad to get him back).
I snagged a Sally Lightfoot Crab a few mos. back and she is doing great.
And the latest acquisition is a Kole Tang that I've had for about 2 weeks now. A truly beautiful fish that I had wanted for mos.

I lost my Klauswitz Blenny a few mos. ago and also my Arrow Crab. It would appear that the Crab and the Blenny had an altercation which led to the both of them dying. Apparently the Arrow Crab tried to mess with the Blenny (while he was in his hiding hole in some live rock) and he fatally wounded the Blenny, but died of wounds dealt him by the fish. Both died within hours of each other. I really hated the loss of both of them, especially the Blenny who was quite colorful and humorous to watch. The Arrow Crab had also been picking on my Sand Sifting Star who also died a few days later (with apparent marks on one of his arms).

I still have apprx. 10 hermit crabs and 1 large snail patrolling the tank. Numerous Copepods and still hundreds of small, pin head sized, snails (although a couple of the small ones have now grown into much larger sizes).

I'll keep you all posted on more updates. My little 55 Gallon tank is doing great though and it's become one of my most precious possessions. I love it and so does the wife and family.


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## FishFan

BTW, I forgot to add that I still have 2 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, Jacques and Pierre, in the tank as well. Pierre has turned out to be a female and they have hatched several groups of eggs (which the fish love).


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