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I would drop the damsels, they can be a problem when they get big.

Cycle with live rock for about a month.

No need for a UGF.

Dan


Dan

Not a problem. Let us know how things turn out.

Dan

Thanks for all the help, everyone!

Clowns can be teritorial, Two will be fine, more may cause fighting over time.

Dan


Dan

2 clowns and a royal gramma could work....two is the max you want in a tank unless it is a huge tank!

Instead of a different kind of fish, could three clownfish and one royal gramma work?

Okay...

After reading, I can see that Dan completely covered the fact that 55 gallons make sucky reef tanks. Oops. My bad.

Def. go for the skimmer, especially if the tank is going to be more than 50 gallons and have live rock. You wont regret it, and your shishies will thank you! Maintaing the skimmer isn't really a big deal either. Just empty the cup out once a week or so prolly, and poke around more monthly. Stay away from Prizm skimmers, I'm not a fan of those. They don't work well. Aquamedic is a good brand. And there are countless others...

For skimmmers, check out this site:
[link=http://www.marinedepot.com]http://www.marinedepot.com" style="COLOR: #3c4e82[/link]

The domino damsels do start off cute, but I can guarantee they wont stay that way. You can use them to cycle your tank if you wish, but it's not going to be fun trying to net them out again. Think of damsels as tiger barbs. They start out cute and tiny, and grow up to be fin nippers and semi-aggressive. *shrugs* I'd keep away from them. There are a lot of other fish you could get instead. Some of the smaller basslets, gobies, firefish, blennies, etc. would prolly make great choices.


-Ferret


[hr width='40%'][font color="#000080"]I want to stand with you on a mountain,
I want to bathe with you in the sea,
I want to live like this forever,
Until the sky falls down on me…[/font]

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Welcome to the salty side of FishProfiles

I'll admit right now that I didn't go through and read this entire thread, but I'd like to point out a couple of things.

A 55 gallon is a good size tank for beginner marines, gallon-wise. But when you think about the footprint of a 55, it's very very narrow, and hardly allows for a nice rockwork display. It's a really bad tank if you want to eventually go reef from FOWLR, because it's only 13" wide I think.

The most important thing to remember in this hobby is really patience. A wise aquarist once said:

"In a marine tank, only bad things happen quickly."

If you want to get off on a good start to this hobby, I highly recommend doing a lot of research, and do not skimp out when it comes to buying equipment. If this is something you really want to do, take your time and put a lot of thought into it.

My two favorite marine books for beginners are Reef Invertebrates by Calfo/Fenner, and the Pocket Guide to Marine Fishes by...oohhh, hmm, Scott W. Michaels maybe? I could have pulled that name out of thin air. And I'm feeling to lazy atm to go find my copy. Both are GREAT reads and will lead you through things step by step. They are also enjoyable, Calfo has a great talent for adding humor. Anyone who has read it will know...Cuckoo for copepods!

Lately I've been in the mood to write some saltwater novels for beginners (even though I still am one, and forever will be since there is sooo much to learn in this hobby) so if you're in the mood for some set up tips I'd go read these posts:

[link=http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Marine/55324.html]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Marine/55324.html" style="COLOR: #3c4e82[/link]

[link=http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Marine/54608.html]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Marine/54608.html" style="COLOR: #3c4e82[/link]

[link=http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Marine%20Setup/56071.html]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Marine%20Setup/56071.html" style="COLOR: #3c4e82[/link]

That should getcha started.

[font color="#C00000"]Note to self:[/font]

Actually read this whole thread later.


-Ferret


[hr width='40%'][font color="#000080"]I want to stand with you on a mountain,
I want to bathe with you in the sea,
I want to live like this forever,
Until the sky falls down on me…[/font]

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

You don't NEED a skimmer, but it's a real good idea. With out one you need to do a lot more water changes. Also, you can add one any time you wish. So you can save up for a good one.

As for fish. SW tank sdo not have nearly as many fish as a FW tank. Figure about 1/5 as many fish. You could add one more small fish to your tank and still be OK, but try to keep the fish small. What you have listed get about 3" each.

Dan


Dan

yup, but what eles is new
but do i need the skimmer? and three fish seems like an awful little for a 55 gal.

As for most things ....you get what you pay for.I really like my Aqua C Remora.Paid about $180 with the maxi jet 1200.

what about the skimmer? and three fish seems like an awful little for a 55 gal.

I am very interested in marine tanks. they look amazing! What would be a good size to start with, and how big of a tank to at least have a marine community at least with a few clownfish, some coral, and an anemone or two. And, last but not least,what equipment would I need?

Thank a thousand times in advance!

Last thing, i promise!
For stocking, herre is what i came up with for a 55 gal
2 percula clownfish
2 domino damselfish
1 royal gramma

How should i cycle it?


Edit: do i need an undergravel filter and a protein skimmer in addition to a HOB filter?


Last edited by 123mjb at 13-Mar-2005 10:21

Last edited by 123mjb at 13-Mar-2005 10:58

I've had my sebae for a long time, over a year. It stays in one place, I have 410watts over my tank and it's doing great. Care is nothing. I simply drop in soem blood worms once or twice a week and it does fine. Check other sites and see what they have to say. You may find a difference of opinion.

Dan


Dan

aggressiveness is not a real concern when you don't have other stinging cell animal or corals presents..... difficulty is a scale of how hard is it to keep this particular type of anemone (I think liveaquaria's scale go across all marine stocks including fishes and not just comparing within the anemone family, so there won't be an "easy" care level anemone. But certainly there are anemones that are easier than the others.) It is only a reference, not every aquarist will agree on it. As each aquarist may have a different experience with them.

Last edited by Week End at 13-Mar-2005 06:10

If you mean tank size, im thinkin somewhere between 55 and 60 gallons. Can you suggest a list of fish?

and about the anemones, this is what liveaquaria.com had to say:
"Care Level: Difficult
Light: High
Water Flow: Medium
Tank Conditions: 72-78°F; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12
Max. Size In Aquarium: Up to 1' 8"
Color Form: Brown, Purple, Tan
Temperament: Aggressive
Reef Compatible: Yes
Ideal Supplements: Iodine, Trace Elements
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Family: Stichodactylidae"

Will its "difficultness" or "agressiveness" matter?

This will depend on the tank size. A 55gal or larger is a good idea. One of the best anemones would be a sebae, They are good with true percula clowns. Their light requirements are not as high as a carpet anemone. True percula clowns stay farly small, so you can have a pair. The size of your tank will determine how many fish you can have. A general rule is 1" of ADULT fish per 5gals of water. A lot of things can change this ratio. Type of fish is a big one. Royal grammas are good in a FOWLR set up, again a small fish. I STRONGLY suggest reading about a fish before you buy one. Many look real cool in the store, you get it home only to find out it gets to big, or does not do well with the fish you have. Have you decided on a size yet?

Dan


Dan

I like the FOWLR (i feel smart!) idea better than a reef. Only 2 more questions: can anemonies be part of a fowlr tank? And what other fish could be kept with clownfish in a FOWLR setup, and how many?

EDIT: what kind of anemone?

Last edited by 123mjb at 12-Mar-2005 15:15

Sorry.

HOB is Hang on Back filter
FOWLR is Fish Only With Live Rock
Reef Bones are Dried out live rock

Can't remember if anything there was anything else on there. If you have any questions, or if I missed anything, just ask.

Dan



Dan