A few questions

pfoster40 · 01/04/2009, 02:18 PM

Hey yall, I'm new to sw tanks, and just recently bought a 55 gallon tank from a friend who had some critters in it. I just wanted to see if it was compatible to put some reef in it. It came with a nice red lionfish and yellow frogfish, it also came with a chocolate starfish, and what she called a tarantula hermit crab.

The tank just came with a hang on filter (which I'm about to replace with a fluval 305 canister filter) a heater, no protein skimmer or live rock.

I did have a question about protein skimmers. How many GPH do I need for my tank?

I'll also post some pictures up as soon as I find the camera cord!

Thanks and hope to stay on this forum for a long time.

Sk8r · 01/04/2009, 02:23 PM

To Reef Central

A few mushrooms can become a lot, and would probably be fine, ditto some zoas. The chocolate star will be a problem, and I'd suspect that hermit is one of the large ones which is a potential problem. A protein skimmer for a 55 especially with carnivores should be rated for about 100g.
Do be aware the lionfish is venomous and I believe the frogfish may be, too: if moving rock, good idea to wear leather gloves underneath your regular gloves and keep an eye on their whereabouts.

calli · 01/04/2009, 02:28 PM

well you have some fish in there that are not really reef safe...

umm.. as for a skimmer.. I take it the tank is not drilled so you won't be adding a sump. You then will be looking into some of the hang on the back styles (HOB SKIMMER)

Look for one that is rated for about double your tank size or more.

For filters... READ READ READ ... If you get about 1 - 1.5 lbs per gallon of water of live rock in there that will help you a lot. That would be my first move.

Is there a Sand Bed?

pfoster40 · 01/04/2009, 02:44 PM

Well the skimmer i was looking at getting is a HOB and is rated for 300 GPH. I take it that would be plenty?

The tank is not drilled.... I was thinking about getting a fluval 304 conister filter because it is what I can afford right now.

As for the crab here is one similar..

http://www.fishdb.com/db/salt/specim...rator_Crab.php
it says its safe for reef.

I'm going to meet with a guy tomorrow after work to look at some live rock. He has some tonga and fiji for 3 dollars a pound. I also went to the beach today and found some nice rocks out there. Would that just be base rock or could it be live rock because I don't know the difference yet.

There is a sand bed in there as well.

Also what kind of lighting would I need to be able to get by with for coral. I don't have a huge budget keep in mind I'm a college a student. I was thinking of some power compacts off of ebay or try to buy some shop lights from home depot. They are rated the same wattage as the actinic bulbs at petco.

Just let me know.

Thanks for the fast replies.

calli · 01/04/2009, 02:49 PM

In a Skimmer your not looking for GPH... you are looking for Gallons it is rated for.. but keep in mind if you are looking to stock more or less you will need a higher rated skimmer for a heavy stock.

Canister filters... you should read up on a bunch of different options. if you have enough live rock and sand bed you may not even need filter if you have a VERY good skimmer. or little filtration.

Sk8r · 01/04/2009, 02:54 PM

That would be ok. You'll want to get a HOB downflow when you can afford it. But your fish tolerate nitrate tolerably well, (cannisters are bad about that) and so do the corals I mentioned. I think both fish are reefsafe in that they don't eat corals, although their excrement may be rough on the chemistry. Keep that filter clean. Very clean. What will eat corals are your two inverts, I fear, particularly the star. I'd trade them for some snails and hope the frogfish doesn't do them in...because your two fish are likely to eat any inverts that fit in their mouths. Maybe a burrowing fighting conch might escape their notice.

pfoster40 · 01/04/2009, 07:41 PM

Ok so after looking for my camera cord forever I finally found it.

Here is my tank... with the rocks that I got at the beach today.

Then the frogfish

The lionfish and starfish

The Crab

I ended up buying this whole setup from this girl who lost her job for 150 bux... I thought it was a good deal.

Also how do I get these guys to eat pellet or frozen food. All she fed them was small feeder fish and ghost shrimp. I cant get them to eat my frozen food. Any ideas on this would be great.

I also had another question about the protein skimmers. I found two on ebay that was in my budget. One was rated for 40-80 gallon tank with 300 gph, and another for a 80-150 gallon tank with a 530gph flow. When I start up the corals (after I take the crab and starfish out) Which one should I get?

Thanks again

01/04/2009, 02:18 PM	#1
pfoster40 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 287	A few questions Hey yall, I'm new to sw tanks, and just recently bought a 55 gallon tank from a friend who had some critters in it. I just wanted to see if it was compatible to put some reef in it. It came with a nice red lionfish and yellow frogfish, it also came with a chocolate starfish, and what she called a tarantula hermit crab. The tank just came with a hang on filter (which I'm about to replace with a fluval 305 canister filter) a heater, no protein skimmer or live rock. I did have a question about protein skimmers. How many GPH do I need for my tank? I'll also post some pictures up as soon as I find the camera cord! Thanks and hope to stay on this forum for a long time.

01/04/2009, 02:23 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	*To Reef Central* A few mushrooms can become a lot, and would probably be fine, ditto some zoas. The chocolate star will be a problem, and I'd suspect that hermit is one of the large ones which is a potential problem. A protein skimmer for a 55 especially with carnivores should be rated for about 100g. Do be aware the lionfish is venomous and I believe the frogfish may be, too: if moving rock, good idea to wear leather gloves underneath your regular gloves and keep an eye on their whereabouts. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/04/2009, 02:44 PM	#4
pfoster40 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 287	Well the skimmer i was looking at getting is a HOB and is rated for 300 GPH. I take it that would be plenty? The tank is not drilled.... I was thinking about getting a fluval 304 conister filter because it is what I can afford right now. As for the crab here is one similar.. http://www.fishdb.com/db/salt/specim...rator_Crab.php it says its safe for reef. I'm going to meet with a guy tomorrow after work to look at some live rock. He has some tonga and fiji for 3 dollars a pound. I also went to the beach today and found some nice rocks out there. Would that just be base rock or could it be live rock because I don't know the difference yet. There is a sand bed in there as well. Also what kind of lighting would I need to be able to get by with for coral. I don't have a huge budget keep in mind I'm a college a student. I was thinking of some power compacts off of ebay or try to buy some shop lights from home depot. They are rated the same wattage as the actinic bulbs at petco. Just let me know. Thanks for the fast replies. Last edited by pfoster40; 01/04/2009 at 02:54 PM.

01/04/2009, 02:54 PM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	That would be ok. You'll want to get a HOB downflow when you can afford it. But your fish tolerate nitrate tolerably well, (cannisters are bad about that) and so do the corals I mentioned. I think both fish are reefsafe in that they don't eat corals, although their excrement may be rough on the chemistry. Keep that filter clean. Very clean. What will eat corals are your two inverts, I fear, particularly the star. I'd trade them for some snails and hope the frogfish doesn't do them in...because your two fish are likely to eat any inverts that fit in their mouths. Maybe a burrowing fighting conch might escape their notice. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/04/2009, 02:28 PM	#3
calli Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: London, Ontario Posts: 512	well you have some fish in there that are not really reef safe... umm.. as for a skimmer.. I take it the tank is not drilled so you won't be adding a sump. You then will be looking into some of the hang on the back styles (HOB SKIMMER) Look for one that is rated for about double your tank size or more. For filters... READ READ READ ... If you get about 1 - 1.5 lbs per gallon of water of live rock in there that will help you a lot. That would be my first move. Is there a Sand Bed?

01/04/2009, 02:49 PM	#5
calli Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: London, Ontario Posts: 512	In a Skimmer your not looking for GPH... you are looking for Gallons it is rated for.. but keep in mind if you are looking to stock more or less you will need a higher rated skimmer for a heavy stock. Canister filters... you should read up on a bunch of different options. if you have enough live rock and sand bed you may not even need filter if you have a VERY good skimmer. or little filtration.

01/04/2009, 07:41 PM	#7
pfoster40 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 287	Ok so after looking for my camera cord forever I finally found it. Here is my tank... with the rocks that I got at the beach today. Then the frogfish The lionfish and starfish The Crab I ended up buying this whole setup from this girl who lost her job for 150 bux... I thought it was a good deal. Also how do I get these guys to eat pellet or frozen food. All she fed them was small feeder fish and ghost shrimp. I cant get them to eat my frozen food. Any ideas on this would be great. I also had another question about the protein skimmers. I found two on ebay that was in my budget. One was rated for 40-80 gallon tank with 300 gph, and another for a 80-150 gallon tank with a 530gph flow. When I start up the corals (after I take the crab and starfish out) Which one should I get? Thanks again