56G Salt, finally doing it.

[TexasCory]

Now have my 56G tank, filter, heater, light, and all the hardware. Have 65 pounds of live rock coming to me tomorrow and picked up 60 pounds of live sand. I can/will be getting more, but figured I would start with this and get the whole thing started and add to it. Will post up pictures when my presents come in and everything. I'm all excited.

Any hints/tips to the first setup/cycle of the tank besides what I have read online? I figure someone has to have some neat 'must know' that dont often get passed around.

[J.B.]

What kind of filter are you going to use? On a tank this size, I'd recommend a sump. Assuming you have room in the stand, you can pick up 20g longs for next to nothing and make your own sump. Here's a calculator to help you along, should you chose to go this route. Sump Calculator

• Are you planning a reef, or a FOWLR? When it comes to buying your salt, there's a difference.

• Hydrometers are cheap and work fine, but if you can find a good deal on a refractometer...get it!

• Take it very slowly! Nothing good on the saltwater side of the hobby happens quickly.

• Don't use tap water, bite the bullet and get yourself an RO system. (think Algae City if you don't) You can usually find good used ones on-line for lower prices if you're on a budget, or perhaps just cheap like me .

• Get a good skimmer. If you choose to not go with a sump, they make HOB skimmers you can put on your display tank.

• Resist the spontaneous purchases! Compatibility is a much more serious issue on the SW side of the hobby...research, research, research!

• Get a good clean-up crew. Several of the on-line retailers run specials on these almost daily. You'll almost always get more that what they advertise. Be careful mixing red/blue-leg hermits with Nassarius snails, it usually equals death for the snail and a new home for the crab.

• If you're planning a reef, plan for plenty of flow. You'll need powerheads of some sort. That said, if you are planning a reef, don't choose the finer grained sands...you'll have a constant sand storm and cloudy water.

• Lastly...subscribe to Mark Callahan's Mr. Saltwatertank youtube page...great information and the Friday Morning Quick Tips are great.

Hope this helps.

[TexasCory]

I'm going FOWLR for now. No sump, but I do have a PenPlex Cascade 1000 for the filter and a coralife skimmer 65. As for salt, I'm going with Kent Marine Reef Salt. It has very high marks and if I do decide to go corals in the future I have a good salt mix. As for RO water, our tap water is pretty good for salt water and I run it through a good filter.

No fish till the tank is fully cycled and what not. Then in several weeks when the tank is up and running I just need to figure out who to put into the tank first.

Fish I would like.
1 Coral Beauty Dwarf Angelfish
1-3 Yellow Chromis
1 Pink Skunk Clownfish
1 Starry or Horned Blenny
1 Goby of some kind, maybe clown or spotted.
1 clown fairy wrasse.


Everything I looked up these fish should be fine in the tank and together. Plus if I do go reef in the future they are all ok with only one or two with caution on some things.

[TexasCory]

http://s1197.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... ter%20Tank

Where I'm going to be putting pics. So far just lots of boxes and the tank itself. Plus my cat eager to find out if anything in there is for him.

[J.B.]

Yeah, all those fish should be just fine together. As you've acknowledged, the Coral Beauty is really the only one you may have to worry about, should you decide to go the reef route. Several hobbyist have been successful with them in their reefs, so it's really kind of a crap-shoot. My recommendation would be to introduce the dwarf Angel last.

Starry Blennies are really cool, good looking fish...go for it!

If you do choose the Wrasse, make sure you have a good top on your system, they are known to be jumpers.

I've got a Green-Clown Goby, and they are really cool little fish. My personal opinion is they're much happier in a reef tank among some soft corals. However, the spotted Watchman Gobys are really cool, and would be a good addition...I was very close to buying either a pink or green one a week or two ago.

[TexasCory]

Put in about 10 pounds of live sand, and then built up all my live rock so that it was stable and wouldnt fall. Then added another 50 pounds of sand, and then water. So far 60 pounds of live sand and 65 pounds of live rock. Might add some more sand and will be adding more live rock. I did NOT think the tank water was going to be clear over night, that surprised me. Figured that alone would take a week.

Filling up the tank.
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa4 ... 34_592.jpg

Next day with everything running.
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa4 ... 35_925.jpg

[TexasCory]

Have had a 10G quarintine/hospital saltwater tank setup for about a month now. Everything is going to be taking a trip through this for several weeks/month before going into my show tank. But I did pick up 2 Skunk Back Cleaner Shrimp. Here they are looking about in the QT.

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa4 ... 34_330.jpg

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa4 ... 37_139.jpg

[TexasCory]

UPDATE!!

Added 50 more pounds of live rock to the tank and 15 pounds of live sand. Now up to 110 pounds of rock and around 75 pounds of sand. Will post some pictures in a few days. In my QT I have 3 BlueGreen Reef Chromis with the 2 skunk back cleaners.

[TexasCory]

Well with adding the other live rock last friday, and then testing the water all week everything was stable on wednesday so I did a 80% water change, now testing the water tomorrow to see if the tank is finally ready for fish.

[Freshwater Tropic]

Glad to see you Joined the Salty Side!!!

Looking forward to seeing some photos. I too, Like J.B. recommend adding the Coral Beauty Angelfish last. With them you are taking a Gamble. I have heard of many experiences of Hobbyists be successful with them, But I have also heard of some of those RANDOMLY Nipping at corals Many months or Years later. Unfortunately, Everyone has different results. You wont know until you try. Just try with caution. Can't wait to see some photos!

[TexasCory]

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa4 ... 67bcac.jpg

Picture of the tank. There are 3 blue/green chromis, 2 skunk back cleaner shirmp, 1 peppermint shrimp, 1 stary blenny, 1 bluedot shrimp goby, snales and dwarf hermit crabs in it.

Just added the goby to the tank and the blenny has been chasing him around. So I turned off the lights for now, as far as I can read/tell they should get along once they figure things out.

[Freshwater Tropic]

The Tank Looks GREAT! The Starry Blenny chasing the Goby definitely can happen. They have a very close body shape. At least enough to fool the Blenny into thinking its some competition. If the Lights off method doesn't seem to work another good idea I am sure you are aware of is to move the aquascape around. That will eliminate any territories established and give the new-comer a chance to establish a home.

For the blenny, is he eating the Algae leaf or is there algae for him to graze on? Blenny's sometimes have a hard time eating the algae strips. Just making sure... It took mine a little while to get to actually eating and Keeping it down. Some go easier than others.

So, How are you liking the SW side of things? Are you going to ever attempt corals or keep it FOWLR?

[TexasCory]

The Starry blenny eats algae flakes from my fingers, and there is some algae here and there.

Sadly the Blenny beat the snot out of the Goby over night, so now the Goby is in the hospital tank and hopefully will live. Going to have to reverse the tank some and once the Goby is healthy again, swap him for the Blenny and resetup the rocks in the tank so when I put the Goby back in hopefully there wont be any problems.

I love my Starry Blenny, but he is agressive with the Bluedot Goby. I hope I can get this to work.

[Freshwater Tropic]

It may take a little work, But I am sure you can get them to get along. Like you mentioned, Move all the Aquascape around and reset territories! But unfortunately the goby has a very similar body shape as the Blenny's. So they may never get along. The Blue Spot goby's can be pretty resilient, So I wouldn't worry about him. Just keep a close eye on him and make sure he keeps eating. That's good the blenny eats right out of your hand. Mine does too! I love it! Keep me updated. I am looking forward to the outcome. I Hope you can get them to get along.

[TexasCory]

Goby is doing very well, recovering some of his scales and fins already and eats well. The Blenny is about to take a trip to the QT for a week or so while I change the rock lay out and let the Blenny free.