Help me please!

[Randy2400]

Hi I am new to saltwater I have been in Freshwater for years and heres what I have:
1x Fluval 406 with all standard media
90 gallon tank 48 1/2 x 18 1/2 x 25 3/8
Heater and salt of course

Here's what I am planning on getting:
90lbs of Pure White Live Sand
20lbs of Live Rock (planning on adding more later on)
2x 1300gph powerheads

Fish:
1x Flame Angel
1x Yellow Tang
1x Blue Tang
1x Ocellaris Clownfish
no idea on cleanup crew
WILL THIS WORK PLEASE HELP GIVE ALL OPINIONS

[InfamousLucky13]

90gal is just a little on the small side for tangs in general they literally scream across the tank walls and they NEED the space to run.....its much like a stabled race horse.....that being said just be sure to have a heavy enough substrate....fine sand looks good but can tossed around easily by the powerheads

[FTDelta]

Yellow Tang - no. They need larger tanks of at least 150 gallons or larger.
Blue Tang - a definite no. Grow very large - will need large tanks of at least 180 gallons or larger. Not to mention tangs are notoriously ich magnets.

Ditch the HOB filter and invest in a skimmer instead. A skimmer is a must-have and they do far better job keeping your tank clean.



What are your lighting?

Invest in a really good quality test kit. Avoid test strips!! They're garbage.

I would advise you to read and reseacrh everything about saltwater aquaria keeping. This hobby is far more expensive than FW keeping. Start with reading "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist"

[HumbleFish]

I would probably skip the tangs as well. But that doesn't mean you can't still keep some really cool fish. This link has some good selections for beginners; just be sure to look at "Minimum Tank Size" when choosing.

[ramseynb]

Originally Posted by FTDelta

Yellow Tang - no. They need larger tanks of at least 150 gallons or larger.
Blue Tang - a definite no. Grow very large - will need large tanks of at least 180 gallons or larger. Not to mention tangs are notoriously ich magnets.

Ditch the HOB filter and invest in a skimmer instead. A skimmer is a must-have and they do far better job keeping your tank clean.



What are your lighting?

Invest in a really good quality test kit. Avoid test strips!! They're garbage.

I would advise you to read and reseacrh everything about saltwater aquaria keeping. This hobby is far more expensive than FW keeping. Start with reading "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist"

+1 also, I wouldn't judge the amount of sand you need based off of the size of your tank. Instead of getting 1lb per gallon, try to strive for an inch or so. Putting too much sand in the tank can have bad consequences down the road. Also, you don't need live sand, it's a waste of money IMO.

[eastfernstreet]

Originally Posted by FTDelta

Yellow Tang - no. They need larger tanks of at least 150 gallons or larger.

48x24x30 150 gallon or 48x18x24 90 gallon? 48" room to run either way.

[irishindoexpat]

i made the biggest mistake ever putting 3 tangs...yes 3 TANGS in a 80 gallon...what an idiot i was...made a lot of mistakes don't make the same mistakes i did if you are using a canister filter...it will require alot more attention for cleaning than a sump...get a skimmer... and more live rock...20 pounds i think is small

[Sonyardo]

A few things I would do differently.

1) I would stick to one Tang of the smaller variety or skip the Tangs all together at this point. A single yellow Tang should be fine. You will likely want to upgrade to a larger tank at some point in the future. Two Tangs in a tank of your size is not a good idea.

2) All the live rock would all be in place before any livestock goes into the tank. So, Instead of 20lbs and adding more later, My suggestion is to start with 90lbs of rock in the tank. It doesn't all have to be the expensive stuff. You have options.

3) The canister filter requires a lot of cleaning and it gets old pretty quick. There are other options that are much easier to maintain. My suggestion is to look into surface skimming, protein skimmers, sumps, filter socks, live rock as the primary biological filter.

4) I recommend that you grab a copy of "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Fenner and give it a good read, before moving forward. I suspect that you will find it enlightening and have a much better base of info to work from.

[cichlid nutz]

Having been in both freshwater and saltwater for years, you have to change your way of thinking.
1. Live rock, not the Fluval, is your filter now. Invest in more rock.
2. Start with a good cleanup crew. Get 20 or 25 hermit crabs and go light on snails. Get the crabs extra shells to "grow into".
3. Are you doing fish only? If so, lighting is not so important as if you wanted corals.
4. STAY AWAY FROM DAMSELS!!!! They are typically obnoxious little creatures.
5. The Fluval may be a good way to use carbon or even GFO (granulated ferric oxide) on your system as needed.
6. PROTEIN SKIMMER! Get the best one you can afford. If you can get someone to drill your tank, great. Even possibly a quality overflow box. This way you can have a sump to house your skimmer, heater, chaeto, etc. Hang on skimmers are typically not as efficient as in-sump systems.
7. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Just realize, a lot of the answers will contradict each other as we are going personal experiences and sometimes even "bad" passed on knowledge.
8. The 1300 gph powerheads may be a bit too much for a 90 gallon. That being said, water movement is good and dead spots are bad.
9. I agree about 1 to 2inch sandbed. Deep sandbed is usually reserved for an expert aquarist. Use only arag sand. Never use playground sand.
10. Use quality salt. I personally do NOT like Instant Ocean but this is because it is inconsistent and puts Phosphates in my tank. Phosphate for coral is bad!! Others will tell you they love I.O.
11. Go slow. Fast in marine aquariums is going to kill things. It is much harder and much more expensive to recover from "New Tank Syndrome" in SW than in FW.
12. If you have major questions, ask "Sk8r". She knows the answer. (being serious)

[Randy2400]

Thanks everyone and I have decided to get a protein skimmer and not get the tangs any other suggestions on fish and cleanup crew?

[MrTuskfish]

Don't even think of fish until you have a quarantine tank set up. Not using a QT may be the #! reason for the high turnover in our hobby.

[Randy2400]

How big should the quarantine be?

[Lateralus]

At least 75 gallons..

I'm kidding. It would be cool if you could do that but you can use a 10, 20 or 29 gallon. The bigger the better just for stability purposes. Toss on a cheap light, a decent HOB filter and a heater then you're good to go. You'll leave the tank empty with the exception of some hiding places, most people use PVC pieces. And of course cycle this tank just like any other.

[MrTuskfish]

A 20-29 will do for most folks. It won't hurt a fish to be a little cramped in a QT for a short time, if necessarry. Here's a copy of something I've posted often:

"In regards to Qt cycling; I've done this for years. Get a HOB filter; I really like Aqua-Clear, they have a big sponge and last forever. The ceramic noodles that come with the filter can also be used too if seeded, but I don't use them. . Also, have some extra sponges on hand, they're cheap. Keep a sponge in the flow somewhere in your DT. When you need a QT or HT, just use the sponge that has been in your main system in your QT filter---the QT will be instantly cycled. When done, toss the sponge and keep a new one ready in your main system.
BTW, Cupramine copper, used in a QT,will not destroy a bio-filter."