Advice on saving a 55 gallon tank with two puffer fish and Niger trigger

[PacoPetty]

I rescued a 55 gallon predator tank with a striped puffer fish, a Niger trigger, and a porcupine puffer fish. The tank has about 75 pounds of LR and a 1 1/2” inch deep sand bed of Aragalive black Hawaiian.
The only filtration is a Marineland Penguin 350 bio-wheel with carbon inserts. I am adding an Aquamaxx HOB 1.5 protein skimmer Thursday. What else can I do filtration wise to help the tank. An external sump is not possible at this time.

 

[PacoPetty]

Are there any HOB refugiums worth trying?

 

[JumboShrimp]

Is the tank long enough to add a second Marineland unit to double-up the filtration capabilities?

 

[codycolina707]

I rescued a 55 gallon predator tank with a striped puffer fish, a Niger trigger, and a porcupine puffer fish. The tank has about 75 pounds of LR and a 1 1/2” inch deep sand bed of Aragalive black Hawaiian.
The only filtration is a Marineland Penguin 350 bio-wheel with carbon inserts. I am adding an Aquamaxx HOB 1.5 protein skimmer Thursday. What else can I do filtration wise to help the tank. An external sump is not possible at this time.

what exactly is the problem hob skimmer is a good start but low ph algae problems? you are kind of limited with a 55 but you can run a couple bags of chemi pure in the penguin i wouldnt use the bio wheels and maybe powerheads inside the tank to help with gas exchange

 

[lion king]

You need to start over and get a 180g tank. All of those fish will need to be in at least that size tank. The striped puffer might get away with something in the 125g range. The Niger grows fast and the porc gets pretty aggressive. Not sure what size they are now, but you should consider taking them to the lfs if you are not planning the upgrade or know someone with a larger tank that can take them.

 

[lion king]

If that's a star's and stripes puffer, those get huge also, and that's at least ab180g

 

[PacoPetty]

what exactly is the problem hob skimmer is a good start but low ph algae problems? you are kind of limited with a 55 but you can run a couple bags of chemi pure in the penguin i wouldnt use the bio wheels and maybe powerheads inside the tank to help with gas exchange

Huge algae blooms. The skimmer arrives Thursday and hopefully that will help tremendously. I will replace the activated carbon with chemi pure blue which I have already ordered.

 

[PacoPetty]

It’s just a striped puffer and it’s about the size of a golf ball and the porcupine puffer is about the size of a racquetball. The trigger has been rehomed so he is good to go.

 

[DaddyFish]

You can get nearly 2.0 liters of Seachem Matrix in a Tidal-110. It will fit on the end of a 55. Use two and one can run slow as a skimmer/ nitrate fuge.

 

[Awesome Dennis]

I use the tidal 75s on my 29g QTs and love them.

 

[PacoPetty]

Thank you! I added two bags of Chemi pure blue and added the aquamaxi hob 1.5 protein skimmer and the tank is doing really well.

 

[flabryth]

I rescued a 55 gallon predator tank with a striped puffer fish, a Niger trigger, and a porcupine puffer fish. The tank has about 75 pounds of LR and a 1 1/2” inch deep sand bed of Aragalive black Hawaiian.
The only filtration is a Marineland Penguin 350 bio-wheel with carbon inserts. I am adding an Aquamaxx HOB 1.5 protein skimmer Thursday. What else can I do filtration wise to help the tank. An external sump is not possible at this time.

you gonna need a tank upgrade asap...you can convert the 55 into the sump for that that is the current plan I have for my old 55 gallon. its going to become the sump for my 150 gallon...I love those fish but they do need their space.

 

[PacoPetty]

you gonna need a tank upgrade asap...you can convert the 55 into the sump for that that is the current plan I have for my old 55 gallon. its going to become the sump for my 150 gallon...I love those fish but they do need their space.

Thank you. This is only a temporary home for them and luckily they are only about 3 inches long so they are still pretty small.