New 55gal setup

Ksturg · Jan 13, 2017

This is my setup been going about a month now...still in the cycling phase though.

MaiReef · Jan 13, 2017

Welcome to R2R! FYI, make sure those rocks are not on the sand and actually rest on the bottom of the tank.

Ksturg · Jan 13, 2017

MaiReef said:
Welcome to R2R! FYI, make sure those rocks are not on the sand and actually rest on the bottom of the tank.

They are about half way down in the sand... is that bad?

MaiReef · Jan 13, 2017

I would put them all the way down for stability of the rock. A bunch of things dig in a reef tank and the rock can come falling down.

Ksturg · Jan 13, 2017

Yeah that may be a good idea never thought about that.

Ksturg · Jan 13, 2017

I have time it's gonna be a long while before I add a reef I need to set up a quarantine tank I'm trying to keep this tank critter free.

Ty Hamatake · Jan 13, 2017

Off to a good start! I started with a 60 gallon and found it very difficult to scape. You've done a good job with it. What are you future plans? Also, WELCOME! This is a great place full of great people

I'm looking forward to seeing the progression of this thing.

Ksturg · Jan 13, 2017

Thank you! I have a total of about 150lbs maybe closer to 200lbs of rock so I have a lot of rock I can still use. I don't like rocks touching the glass so I was a little limited.I would like to add corals eventually but I've never had them so I'm nervous about it. That's still a ways off. Right now I'm just want to add 2 clowns 1 purple fire fish goby and a coral beauty. But I need to establish that rock before that happens.

Ty Hamatake · Jan 13, 2017

Shtbrx said:
Thank you! I have a total of about 150lbs maybe closer to 200lbs of rock so I have a lot of rock I can still use. I don't like rocks touching the glass so I was a little limited.I would like to add corals eventually but I've never had them so I'm nervous about it. That's still a ways off. Right now I'm just want to add 2 clowns 1 purple fire fish goby and a coral beauty. But I need to establish that rock before that happens.

If you're still in the aquascaping phase, I would highly suggest taking the advice of @MaiReef and wiggling the base rocks down in the sand until they're contacting the glass. Your livestock wishlist will almost certainly change over time, and you don't want to limit yourself due to less than desirable planning in the beginning (you'll restrict yourself from anything that burrows unless you're willing to risk a rock fall

). Sounds like you've done your research! Start off nice and slow, let the tank cycle and mature a bit, then add fish. Also, rock not touching the side/front glass is a smart move. It prevents you from being able to easily clean that glass and results in ugly little algae spots around the contact points. Keep up the good work man, you seem to have your ducks in a row.

P.s. I'm digging you livestock list. I currently have two clowns, a coral beauty, and actually just lost my purple firefish

...

Ksturg · Jan 13, 2017

That sucks! I have seen lots of threads of people have trouble keeping the purple firefish I may have to change that one. I may add a mandrain dragonete once I have a well established tank for it to feed instead of the purple. Yes I started my research about 6 months ago as I was buying the stuff for the tank. I'm glad I found this site! It's helped out a lot I haven't had a saltwater tank since the mid 90's and a lot has changed since then.

Ksturg · Jan 13, 2017

Ty Hamatake said:
Off to a good start! I started with a 60 gallon and found it very difficult to scape. You've done a good job with it. What are you future plans? Also, WELCOME! This is a great place full of great people I'm looking forward to seeing the progression of this thing.

I will definitely post more pictures as it progresses! This is my test tank before I jump into a 280gal

Ty Hamatake · Jan 13, 2017

Shtbrx said:
That sucks! I have seen lots of threads of people have trouble keeping the purple firefish I may have to change that one. I may add a mandrain dragonete once I have a well established tank for it to feed instead of the purple. Yes I started my research about 6 months ago as I was buying the stuff for the tank. I'm glad I found this site! It's helped out a lot I haven't had a saltwater tank since the mid 90's and a lot has changed since then.

She was actually easy to keep, I had her for about a year and a half and she was fully grown when I got her. I think she was actually a casualty of ich,

I had no idea it was in the tank until she came out one day completely covered in it. Unfortunately I don't have time or space for a qt, so I did my best to treat her and everyone else in the tank. She made it close to a month after the initial signs, but yeah...

Ha ha also looking forward to that eventual 280!

Ksturg · Jan 13, 2017

Ty Hamatake said:
She was actually easy to keep, I had her for about a year and a half and she was fully grown when I got her. I think she was actually a casualty of ich, I had no idea it was in the tank until she came out one day completely covered in it. Unfortunately I don't have time or space for a qt, so I did my best to treat her and everyone else in the tank. She made it close to a month after the initial signs, but yeah...

Ha ha also looking forward to that eventual 280!

Maybe I will still give it a shot they are such beautiful fish I love watching how they swim....I'm looking forward to it as well I have to level some concrete in the basement first. My wife is really excited to get one that big but she won't be for long when she sees the cost if the tank and what i need with it

Ty Hamatake · Jan 13, 2017

Shtbrx said:
Maybe I will still give it a shot they are such beautiful fish I love watching how they swim....I'm looking forward to it as well I have to level some concrete in the basement first. My wife is really excited to get one that big but she won't be for long when she sees the cost if the tank and what i need with it

Mine was pretty shy, but that made seeing her that much more special!
Lol and yeah, if she doesn't already know good luck getting the green light! I wish I had a basement, it's where I want to put my 250 dream

Ksturg · Jan 13, 2017

Ty Hamatake said:
Mine was pretty shy, but that made seeing her that much more special!
Lol and yeah, if she doesn't already know good luck getting the green light! I wish I had a basement, it's where I want to put my 250 dream [/QUOTE

Ty Hamatake said:

Mine was pretty shy, but that made seeing her that much more special!
Lol and yeah, if she doesn't already know good luck getting the green light! I wish I had a basement, it's where I want to put my 250 dream

Click to expand...

Yeah there is no way my floor would support that without needing it up...And we got lucky and didn't have to pay for our rock so she didn't get to see what that would have cost...just build a house around a tank