soliver Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 (edited) This is my first saltwater tank and im still learning. I have had it set up for a couple of weeks now, and i have 60 pounds of live rock. I also have a 3 stripe damsel and a green chromis. Full Tank Shot Right Side Left Side I was also wondering if anyone could tell me the cause of the brown algae i am getting and how to get rid of it. I will be adding different fish as well as coral when the tank begins to level out. Does anyone have any suggestions? Edited January 3, 2009 by soliver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegrandpoohbah Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 My first suggestion would be to take the fish back to the LFS right away. The only thing needed to cycle the tank is the live rock. There is no need to have the fish suffer through a cycle unnessisarily. And are you sure you want the damsel in there long term? They tend to be very aggressive and are difficult to remove in a tank with that much rock work. I'd give the tank at least another 2 weeks to cycle before adding a clean up crew of snails and hermit crabs. Then slowly start adding fish about two weeks after that. In the meantime, keep monitoring your ammonia and nitrite levels. Trust me, rushing into SW is a recipe for disaster. The brown algae you have is diatoms, very normal for a new set-up. It will go away on its own with time. What kind of corals do you plan to keep? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soliver Posted January 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 I have nothing but patients for this tank, would rather do it right the first time. The fish came with the tank and i was skeptical on keeping them so i have already put them up for sale. Im monitoring the levels so they don't have to suffer through too much. I know for sure that i do not want damsels, like you said they are aggressive and almost a pest. As for coral, I was planning on starting with some leathers. I only have T5 lighting so hopefully it doesn't limit me too much. I was thinking about keeping a pair of clowns and possibly having them host in an anemone. What would you suggest for corals under T5 lighting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegrandpoohbah Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Ah, I see. If the rock was already cured and you transported it in water then you may be OK. As for your lighting, it really depends. Are they regular T5s or T5HO (high output)? How many bulbs? I'd skip the anemone in a tank that small. Besides, there is no guarantee that your clowns would host in it anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soliver Posted January 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Well, there are 2 bulbs. Each 54 watts. Ya the rock went right into the water, and it was already cured. I didn't know that anemone couldn't go in a 55 gallon tank, Good to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharuq1 Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 (edited) Love the aquascape! Fantastic job. :thumbs: You might want to reconsider the rubble in the back there, looks like it would be a pain in the bum to clean detritus out of there. That's just my humble opinion though. Also, you might want to turn the lights out while you're cycling, or at least reduce how long they're on, just helps to keep that pest algae from taking hold during the "deliciousness" of the nitrate close to the end of the cycle. Also, the output of your T5's really depends alot on the type of reflectors they are housed in. Google "Tek" or "Aquactinic". These reflectors with T5HO you can pretty much do anything with. Even regular T5s will benefit from a good quality reflector. Regular T5's with ok reflectors you might want to go with a softy tank, which can be gorgeous. (eg. include xenia, toadstool, other leathers, mushrooms and other "softies") Zoos would probably be alright too, gsp is almost bombproof and possibly even some of the easier LPS like frogspawn might just be ok, but may not show the same coloration as they would with a higher output T5/better reflector. Just place anything that needs more light closer to the top. Sometimes things can surprise you. There is a recommendation for everything, but the corals don't read the books. Have you got any other equipment? Skimmer etc? Also like thegrandpoobah said, the brown diatoms will fade in time, it's all part an parcel of the tank finding its balance. As to the anemone, while it might not be recommended that doesn't necessarily mean not possible. Perhaps 6 months to a year down the road when the tank is stable you might be able to add one of the "easier" nems if it is small, like a bubbletip anemone (assuming your lighting can support it at that time, you may have upgraded by then). I bought a small one while I had my 48g, and it thrived in there. It can really be the luck of the draw. While I don't recommend it, it can still be done. I definitely wouldn't put a carpet anemone in something that size though- for comparison. I know people that have though. Edited January 3, 2009 by sharuq1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soliver Posted January 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Thanks, Everything just started to fall into place. Unfortunately im going to have to redo it. I bought a new stand so i have to drain it to move it. It should be roughly the same though when im done. As for the crushed coral in the back, i put it there to cover a pipe. Didn't like the looks of it. I might rethink the anemone. Or wait quite a while before i even try to get one. What type of clean up crew am i aloud to get that is going to be reef safe down the road? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soliver Posted January 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Oh and i have a 20 gallon sump running. I also have a protein skimmer which i just figured out that it wasn't working today. Since i didn't know what it was suppose to look like, i had no clue. But i fixed it so hopefully that will help with the extra nutrients. I also have bio balls in the sump for the extra biological. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfong Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Thanks, Everything just started to fall into place. Unfortunately im going to have to redo it. I bought a new stand so i have to drain it to move it. It should be roughly the same though when im done.As for the crushed coral in the back, i put it there to cover a pipe. Didn't like the looks of it. I might rethink the anemone. Or wait quite a while before i even try to get one. What type of clean up crew am i aloud to get that is going to be reef safe down the road? blue legged hermits, scarlet hermits, nassarius snails, turbo snails(although some get big and might knock some of the corals around). Once your tank is cycled then you can think about the shrimp (skunk cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfong Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Oh and i have a 20 gallon sump running. I also have a protein skimmer which i just figured out that it wasn't working today. Since i didn't know what it was suppose to look like, i had no clue. But i fixed it so hopefully that will help with the extra nutrients. I also have bio balls in the sump for the extra biological. You probably don't even need the bioballs, maybe use the space to set up a refugium with macroalgae. The live rock should be more than enough biological filtration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soliver Posted January 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Oh and i have a 20 gallon sump running. I also have a protein skimmer which i just figured out that it wasn't working today. Since i didn't know what it was suppose to look like, i had no clue. But i fixed it so hopefully that will help with the extra nutrients. I also have bio balls in the sump for the extra biological. You probably don't even need the bioballs, maybe use the space to set up a refugium with macroalgae. The live rock should be more than enough biological filtration. I have no clue how to set up a refugium. I was going to do a separate tank for that and have it overflow into my sump. Which way is best? You said i can only add shrimp once the tank is cycled. Does that mean i can add the snails now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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