Question about bad parameters?

[VidaLoca]

My son keeps lecturing me about my bad water parameters. My fish are healthy and growing and seem generally happy. Aside from extremely little coralline algae growth and not being able to keep corals I don't see a problem. Please give me all the negatives about my setup and parameters.

I have a 55 gallon FOWLR
35lbs of Live Rock
75 gallon Protein skimmer (every two weeks I empty and it's black)
Wet Dry sump with Bio-Balls
260watts of light (10 hours actnic and 4 hours daylight)

Blue Tang (4 inches)
Yellow Tang (4 inches)
Foxface (4 inches)
Queen Angel (3.5 inches)
Tomato Clown (4 inches)
Black Damsel with blue streaks (3.5 inches)
Blue and yellow damsel (1.5 inch)
2 cleaner shrimp
10 hermit crabs
2 snails

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: >50
Marine PH: 8.0-8.1
Alkalinty: 6
Temp: 80-82
Calcium: Can't test for but the last time at fish store was 325-350
Magnesium can't test for

What I want to accomplish:
I want happy healthy fish. (Pygmy angel died mysteriously after 9 months)
I want coralline algae growth.
I want live sand (it's all dead, nothing in it)
I want to add an anemone
I want to add a copperbanded butterfly.
-

[Michael]

Originally posted by VidaLoca
My son keeps lecturing me about my bad water parameters. My fish are healthy and growing and seem generally happy. Aside from extremely little coralline algae growth and not being able to keep corals I don't see a problem. Please give me all the negatives about my setup and parameters.

I have a 55 gallon FOWLR
35lbs of Live Rock
75 gallon Protein skimmer (every two weeks I empty and it's black)
Wet Dry sump with Bio-Balls
260watts of light (10 hours actnic and 4 hours daylight)

Blue Tang (4 inches)
Yellow Tang (4 inches)
Foxface (4 inches)
Queen Angel (3.5 inches)
Tomato Clown (4 inches)
Black Damsel with blue streaks (3.5 inches)
Blue and yellow damsel (1.5 inch)
2 cleaner shrimp
10 hermit crabs
2 snails

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: >50
Marine PH: 8.0-8.1
Alkalinty: 6
Temp: 80-82
Calcium: Can't test for but the last time at fish store was 325-350
Magnesium can't test for

What I want to accomplish:
I want happy healthy fish. (Pygmy angel died mysteriously after 9 months)
I want coralline algae growth.
I want live sand (it's all dead, nothing in it)
I want to add an anemone
I want to add a copperbanded butterfly.
-

well you asked about parameters, so id say nitrates are a little high but probably ok for fish only, calcium is low, it will need to be 400-420 for good corraline growth among other needs, and alkalinity is low, 8-10 is a good area, but again your only keeping fish, i wont go into your stock, i know others will do that, believe me your get some advice there as for the anemone, id say not in that tank

[CoralBeautyII]

Originally posted by VidaLoca
My son keeps lecturing me about my bad water parameters. My fish are healthy and growing and seem generally happy. Aside from extremely little coralline algae growth and not being able to keep corals I don't see a problem. Please give me all the negatives about my setup and parameters.

I have a 55 gallon FOWLR
35lbs of Live Rock
75 gallon Protein skimmer (every two weeks I empty and it's black)
Wet Dry sump with Bio-Balls
260watts of light (10 hours actnic and 4 hours daylight)

Blue Tang (4 inches)
Yellow Tang (4 inches)
Foxface (4 inches)
Queen Angel (3.5 inches)
Tomato Clown (4 inches)
Black Damsel with blue streaks (3.5 inches)
Blue and yellow damsel (1.5 inch)
2 cleaner shrimp
10 hermit crabs
2 snails

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: >50
Marine PH: 8.0-8.1
Alkalinty: 6
Temp: 80-82
Calcium: Can't test for but the last time at fish store was 325-350
Magnesium can't test for

What I want to accomplish:
I want happy healthy fish. (Pygmy angel died mysteriously after 9 months)
I want coralline algae growth.
I want live sand (it's all dead, nothing in it)
I want to add an anemone
I want to add a copperbanded butterfly.
-

ditch the tangs
no to anemone
no to copperband
nitrates a bit high but not too bad for fish only
if you have live rock then your sand bed is not dead
doesnt sound too bad

when i say ditch the tangs please dont take that literally, what i mean is that tangs should not be kept in a 55g or a tank less than 6 feet long

[ticocuban]

Will an anemone survive with nitrates that high?

[Michael]

Originally posted by ticocuban
Will an anemone survive with nitrates that high?

well they are sensitive critters thats for sure, optimum water conditions should be adhered to for all marine life, luckily for the OP fish can tolerate it, id suggest he works on those trates first before evn considering 1, and not in that tank regardless of params

[WaterKeeper]

My 'O my,

Well, first thing I'd do is ditch the bioballs in the wet/dry and add about 20lbs more live rock to the display. Use the wet/dry as a sump. You could try growing Chaeto in it if you provide some light. That right there will improve nitrate levels. I'd also be doing some 20% a week water changes right now.

I take it you tried corals but with nitrate at that level that was not going to be productive and some of the fish you have would attack it anyway. The fish you have stocked are way out of proportion to the size tank you have. I'm suprised you have not had some problems but they will be forthcoming as the tangs and that angel grow. A Queen angel is going to make keeping coral a nightmare and needs a new home. It will grow far too large for the tank.

When you solve the fish problem, and nitrates drop, you can consider keeping coral once again.

[Playa-1]

My son keeps lecturing me about my bad water parameters. My fish are healthy and growing and seem generally happy. Aside from extremely little coralline algae growth and not being able to keep corals I don't see a problem. Please give me all the negatives about my setup and parameters.

You need a bigger tank to keep the kinds of fish that you want to keep. I would say a 125 to 150 gallon tank or larger. In the new tank I would go for Roughly 1 to 1.5 lbs of liverock per gallon of water. I would Plan a sump/fuge and an oversized Protein Skimmer. The additional water volume, liverock, aggressive skimming, Refugium and regular weekly water changes should keep your water parameters in line. Once you get a handle on your water parameters then you can think about Anemones and Corals. If Anemones and Corals are in your future you will want to select your fish carefully as many fish are not what we call Reef Safe.

I would suggest that you pick up a copy of "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert Fenner. It will be the best $20 you ever spend in this hobby.

Your Sons going to be Jealous when you set up your new tank.


And by the way


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