help with my tank

SMX dude · #1 12/05/2006, 07:42 PM

I have a 55 gallon tank running for 4 years and i continue to turn fisha and anemones every six months. nothing seems to live real long except my damsels. My water checks out good and salt is also ok. Only have a 40 watt light. Do i need a stronger light ? Any Idea's would be great . My last two tangs just died after 5-7 months. I had two anemones but both kept getting smaller and finally died. HELP

t5Nitro · #2 12/05/2006, 07:45 PM

People say 1 tang is too small for a 55 gallon and I think anemones need quite a bit of light.

rangerfreddiefl · #3 12/05/2006, 08:13 PM

it's your lighting on your tank
you can go to

http://www.marineandreef.com/Info/li...hart_hood.html

there is a general chart for lighting there

scottwhitson · #4 12/05/2006, 09:24 PM

Your lighting is extremely low if you only have 40 watts for a 55 gallon tank. Anenomes do require good lighting I think most will do fine on t'5s or maybe some high amounts of Power Compact lighting. You probably need at least 200 watts of lighting for most anenomes.

acwilson · #5 12/05/2006, 09:28 PM

light doesn't matter for fish... when you say your water checks out ok, what exactly checks out... what are your params for nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, ph, calc, alk, phosphate... that should be a good start.

Mariner · #6 12/05/2006, 09:30 PM

Yep, your lighting is too weak for most anemones and a 55 is too small for all but the smallest tang species.
It would help to know more about the set up of your tank (how much live rock, do you have a skimmer, are you trying to keep corals, etc.) and, we really need to know exactly what you mean by "water checks out good"? Here are some readings that would be helpful:
Temp.
Salinity
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
pH
Calcium and Alkalinity if you're keeping corals
If you'll provide this info, I think someone will be able to give you some excellent help.
Mariner

acwilson · #7 12/05/2006, 09:33 PM

Don't forget about phosphate

Fraggot · #8 12/05/2006, 10:00 PM

It also depends on what kind of Anemones you are attempting. Some anemones just straight up don't survive even under the best of conditions in captive systems.

Just check parameters, and give us a better idea.

SMX dude · #9 12/06/2006, 06:33 PM

Thanks for all the info. I will check all the readings again and post the readings. I just have a long bulb in a hood. can you get a buld strong enough for this kind of unit ?? Also is my tank too small to keep yellow tangs ?? That's whay i am trying to keep. Sorry i don't know the name of the Anemones that i had but they were only $10.00., very basic. Did very well for three months and all of a sudden they both died within one week. Fed them 3 times a week shrimp. Remember I'm just getting into making this tank work,

Fraggot · #10 12/06/2006, 07:22 PM

SMX- I actually kinda disagree when most people say that a tang can NOT be put into a 55 gal. See, if you get a small, young one, you could easily keep it in there for a few years or so but eventually you would have to take him out if he got too big. I've seen Yellow Tangs only grow to a certain size in 55 gallons, and live full, happy lives. I'd say as long as he's got enough swimming room and lots of rock to graze on, you might be okay.

Now, about these anemones: If they were only $10, they are probably a strain of Atlantic Anemones. My guess is that they are probably mostly white with pink-ish tips? That's the normal color morph for Atlantics. The bulb you have is probably just a normal output standard flourescent, which is not powerful enough for most anemones. If you really like the way they look, try getting an LPS coral or something like that to satisfy your needs for something that undulates. However, you'll still need better lights. I'd reccomend upgrading to at LEAST Power compacts, although VHOs or, ideally, Metal Halides would be your best bet.

Post your H20 readings when you get them.

Oh by the way, don't keep more than one Yellow Tang in that tank. They'll kill eachother.

Mariner · #11 12/06/2006, 10:10 PM

I'd agree that a yellow tang could be tried in a 55, if the tang was fairly small to start with and it was the only tang or large species fish in the tank. I have seen YT's outgrow 75 gallon aquariums though, so a 55g is definitely not ideal. Hopefully, you know that YT's require a lot of nutritious veggies in their diet. Many who keep them successfully recommend feeding them with Nori (seaweed), occasionally soaked in a multivitamin solution like Zoe or Selcon.
You're light is really too weak for nearly any photosynthetic coral or anemone. As fraggot mentioned, you might get by with an LPS, but more likely a mushroom or leather coral. But, you are not going to be able to get more than a 40 watt bulb in that fixture, and frankly I'd want at least 120 watts of that Normal Output fluourescent lighting before trying to keep anything but fish in a 55g. If you're really wanting to keep a variety of corals and/or anemones, you'll need to upgrade your lighting. The cheapest way would be build your own canopy for the tank and install 2 sets of dual 48" shoplights -- that would give you 4 40 watt bulbs, and be a big improvement -- but it would still not be enough to keep some of the more light demanding corals or anemones. Most reef tanks are lit with Power Compact, VHO or Metal Halide lighting -- with Metal Halide being the preference of most reefers.
When you post back with you're water readings, please also describe your current set up in terms of filtration, water circulation, protein skimmer, live rock, etc.
HTH,
Mariner

SMX dude · #12 12/07/2006, 07:49 PM

You are right, they were atlantic anemones. White with pink tips. Did well for two weeks and then it was all down hill. Just tested my water and here are the results. PH 8.2 ammonia 0 Nitride and Nitrate both at 0. water gravity 1.25 amd temp 79. I think this is all good correct?? aslo have about 40 lbs of live rock and a Bio ball filter system. I do about 10gal water change every two weeks and at times i seem to get alot of algee on the glass Sounds like a definately need a stronger light. I'll look into this. Right now i only have a damsel and tomato clown in my tank, That damsel will never die !!! thanks for all the info

Mariner · #13 12/07/2006, 08:00 PM

Yes, those water parameters look pretty good. I'm somewhat surprised that your nitrates are 0 because they will often be elevated when using bioballs. Frankly, with your live rock, you don't need the bioballs and they may be counterproductive. If it were me, I'd remove them (a few at a time over a couple of weeks), to shift all of your biofiltration to your live rock.
Also, you don't mention whether or not you have a skimmer -- if not, you should really invest in one -- great for removing excess waste and keeping oxygen levels up.
HTH,
Mariner

SMX dude · #14 12/08/2006, 05:36 PM

Should i add live rock to the filter system when all the balls are removed ? I assume that I would also need to add light the filter system for the live rock. What size skimmer do i need for my size tank? I don't current have one. What would be the first coral or Anemone you would add to my tank? I am going to purchase a stronger light first.

Mariner · #15 12/08/2006, 08:04 PM

If your filter system with the bioballs is like a sump, you could put a skimmer there. You can spend a lot of money on a skimmer, but a Corallife Superskimmer is reasonably priced and fairly effective. If you don't have a sump, the AquaC Remora would probably be a good HOB (hang on back) choice for your tank. There are other choices --- if you start another thread asking for skimmer recommendations, you'll get lots of suggestions.

You don't need to put live rock in your filter. The LR will work just fine sitting in your display. You can probably put a bag of carbon or other filter media in your filter system as needed (don't leave either too long without changing or removing, as they too can generate nitrates)
Your first coral or anemone will depend to some degree on what lights you get, but also on what you want to get into.
Most beginning reefers start with some easy soft corals like Xenia, mushrooms, leathers (sarcophyton toadstools, finger sinularia), star polyps and zoanthids. Any of those are easy to keep, and some resemble anemones.
HTH,
Mariner

loves saltwater · #16 12/08/2006, 10:45 PM

Live rock really does not need to have any special lighting I have read here before it does not need lighting at all to act as a bio filter.

I agree with the AquaC Remora for the HOB

N8ster · #17 12/08/2006, 11:03 PM

You should read this post, which is near the top of the list.

Host Anemones - All You Ever Wanted to Know

tundrapounder · #18 12/09/2006, 01:03 AM

pc's would be a step in the right direction

SMX dude · #19 12/31/2006, 06:02 PM

Wanted to update on where i am with my tank. I have now removed all my bio balls from my sump and replaced them with live rock. I also just added a protein skimmer in my sump. i also purchased some live rock for my tank that really smells and when i added it to my tank my water balance when way off with amonia off the charts. I did two water changes and still it didn't come down. Finally i removed the live rock, about 20 lbs, and placed it in a large bucket with a powerhead and after 4 weeks it still stinks. what should I do? The water now test great again. I also added light to my sump where the live rock is.