90 Gallon + 20 gal Sump/Refug

[d-murray24]

My 90 Gallon SW aquarium with 20 gallon sump/refug has been running for 3 months now and everything seems to be how and where it should I consider myself new only because there is so much to learn in this hobby

This is an upgrade from a 49 tall witch had great success for 8-1/2 months till upgraded to a 90 gal. I lost my hole live stock do to me just being inpatient. After my recycle witch lasted 2 months I'm now housing.
1 Regal Tang 2"
1 Orange shoulder Tang 3"
1 Queen Angle 2-1/2"
2 Ocilarus Clowns 1s A True 1s Aqua Cultured
2 Lieutenant Damsels 1-1/2"
1 Dotty Back
My CUC consists of
6 Hermit crabs assorted
10 snails assorted
2 Sand Sifting Star Fish
2 Banded Serpent Star Fish 1s a baby
1 Sea Urchin
1 Emerald Green Crab
70 lbs of live Fiji Rock
8 lbs of calcium Rock witch I was told
80 lbs of Carib sea nitrifying live sand
Three stage sump refuge with
20 lbs of Carib sea LS
5 lbs of LR
With Cheto and other macro algae witch I don't know the names
Sea clone 1000
Life guard quite one 2200 return
Fluval 405
4 power head 2 in main display 2 in sump/refug
2 heaters 1 in main 1 in sump/refug
PVC overflow w/ ball valve
Zoomed t-5
Fill free questions thanx !!

 

[flower]

Hi,

Welcome to the site! I have a 90g tank as well, it may seem like a big tank, but for saltwater it's actually just a mid size tank.

I hate to be the one to give you the bad news, but.....You have some stock problems, the Queen angel will be about 17 inches when it matures, and belongs in a much larger tank, it needs a 180g minimum. The Damsels are evil little fish that when mature, are known for killing everything in the tank more timid then themselves, and will bite you drawing blood when you put your hands in the tank.

Your tank is way too new for a sand-sifting starfish, and a 90g is way too small for two of them. A single sea urchin will clear a loaded down tank of algae within months. A new tank such as yours will not have enough food for it to survive for very long at all.

The tangs belong in a 6 foot tank, and the Regal tang requires a 100g minimum, the orange shoulder tang reaches around 10 to 12 inches and belongs in a 180g tank. Trying to remove these fish after they mature is beyond a pain in the butt. The Regal has the ability to go flat and hide under rocks, and you won't catch it until you remove the last rock from the tank. That will be the easy one, the damsels are a whole new bag of trouble to try and remove, even now.

Purchasing fish that are supposed to go in your size tank and not need to be "re-homed" later is the smart way to stock. You stress fish out, not only the one you need to catch, but all the tank mates as well. Not to mention that you will need to remove every rock in the tank to catch them. The sand will have toxins under the rocks by the time the fish mature and outgrow the tank. Removing the rocks to get to the fish, will poison the entire tank, so you need to do that before the tank has time to mature and develop toxins under the rocks where there is no flow, or critters that can get to it to clear it out.

You need to address the stocking issues ASAP, and get this book to help you restock with more appropriate critters. Please understand, I'm not trying to bust your chops, I'm really trying to help you.

A page so you can see the info it offers


Get this book as well

 

[d-murray24]

Thanks for the advice ill take what you've mention in consideration because I quote"
( I AM NOT A Expert Aquarius )
but some of what you mentioned need be addressed
For example my SW, LR, and LS in 1 year 2months old to this day all my equipment till this day is also except return pump replaced
My previous Live stock (fish only) past because of a Nitrogen gass release from the Deep sand bed (Not under rock from my studies) because I mistakingly put then in the same bin as my LS forgetting about the Nitrogen gasses release (being in patient.)
I apoligize for not getting into further detail but I was only introducing my Display to the forum
My tank (the 90 gallon) has been running for 3 months with every thing, Live Roce and live sand pulse the equipment that was originally for this display carried over from my 49 gal quote me if I'm wrong caring over a assumption of 10-20% die off of BFB witch caused a 2.0 to 3.0ppm ammonia spike which tank will naturally recycle witch is called recyle phase and mine did it in less than 3 week how and why ask the course of nature
The fish I have now I've purchased June 26, to replace the stock I lost and had them in my 49 till I was absulotly Shure my tanked was safe so i had plenty of time to see an monitor behaviors and growth
I'm speekin my own exprince so play close attention my lieutenant demsals shown no aggression a have not been territorial I've watched them pick ICH off my Regal and they are very skittish cant speek on when they mature but never assume all species of Damsel fish are evil lol
Your assumption of my Sea Urchin is basses on knowledge of the adult specimen mine is about the size of a Dime And the diotomb bloom in my tank he's at a one stop buffet
And yes sand sifting stars get really big to big for a 90 but I need them for their work on detritus witch I Also have because my last aqua scape gave me pore circulation of water flow with my aqua scape being 80% better and with my banded serpent star landscaping under my LR I'm good there
And your right about the out growth ill deal with in ( the Future) but nothing beats that than and upgrade
And there are tomany counter stress products out there to consider tress as a problem I use API Strees Zyme+ and Strees coat as a combo
A reminder I am not a expert fill free to reply with your knowledge and advice I'm only here to Learn not show off or show any up
So @Flower I mean not to offend you on this subject i just felt you did not have enought infoation on my display pleas give me more feed back and help it is realy needed because all the googling and youtubing is not enough in this hobby I've learned
Thank you !

 

[flower]

Hi,

Deeper than 2 inches of sand and you will have the same problem with toxins building up, which if I understand what you said, you have discovered on your own. The longer a tank is set up, the longer stuff settles under the rock. Serpent stars clean very well within the rock but would be crushed if they dug under it. We put our rock on the bottom of the bare tank and sand around it, but still there is sand that finds it way in all those nooks and crannies in the underside of the rock. Your fish are wee little babes to what they will be when they mature and it takes time for them to outgrow the tank, I was just suggesting you save yourself some headaches and restock with a better choice for your tank size. I had a Regal tang for 5 years in my 90g, it was the size of my pinky nail when I got it. I'm not saying you can't do it, but rather that you can save yourself some grief if you change up now rather than later.

Just for learning purposes: Stress is not cured with stress coat and such. Those remedies are for new or injured fish. Stress will cause fighting among the tank mates, battles for territory and food, and head and lateral line erosion HLLE. Being in a tank too small will cause stress problems. Fish are also more susceptible for disease, and mean fish get really mean. You mentioned you already have ICH...stressed fish get it worse and first. The only way to cure ICH is to leave your tank without fish for 6 to 8 weeks. Treat the fish in a separate tank with hypo or copper treatments (never dose the display)

A sea urchin should not be in a new tank, the tank will take about a year to mature, and urchins are very sensitive to new tank adjustment changes. Besides the fact that they eat constantly and would starve without enough algae to sustain it, if you notice any spikes coming off, it's starving. They also eat the pretty coralline algae down to bare rock. You have too many algae eaters....tangs, snails, hermit crabs (which also kills and eats snails), an emerald crab and the urchin...the urchin is in competition with all of those for food. The hermits, crab and tangs can live on other foods and Nori sheets...but not the urchin.

The Sea clone skimmer is crap...however you have macros, so that's good, and the crap skimmer won't matter. The decision to have a sump/refugium was another good thing. So you have done a pretty good job of set up, you just need to upgrade your understanding of sea critters and what goes in a 90g tank. LOL...I have never found to date, a damsel that doesn't grow up to be evil...they are fine if the tank mates are just as aggressive, folks keep them all the time...the dottyback I'm afraid is doomed, they are way too timid to live with mature damsels. The clowns are also in the damsel family, and they can get pretty ornery as well. As long as the fish have their territory they will be fine, the problem arises because tangs are open water swimmers, and won't conform to a certain area, stressing out the other fish, and the battles begin.

Anyway, it's all just my opinion derived from my experiences over the last 13 years of keeping SW critters (over 40 with FW fish)... it's your tank, do what you want, I can only make a suggestion.

 

[d-murray24]

I totally agree with you 100% and I'm listing and I'm learning from you for the moment and i know for a fact we all should know the tank size and requirement for each fish and invert because my LFS wont self if to small or if you wont comment to and upgrade even with a decent size tank but I most be honest and speak for a lot of us we blow right past that stop singe undermining a true fact and I learn from mistakes and take from my success in this hobby I would bet you I probably made more mistake than you have but I'm learning
Thumbs up to you @Flower because i can since your urge to help and not belittle someone
And you are not BSing about the sea clone but with I little modification its a skimmer now lol from my experience its the pice of S**t pump working it and found one that gets the job done right I call it the better clone Ill post a photo of it and the work is doing before I do my schedule maintenance
And I'm also in route of and upgrade after the holiday I found a 300 gallon complete set up with every thing on Craig's and its a steel for the price been negotiating with seller and it should be a go just waiting to move cause 300 to big for my apartment now so I hope that relive you you of worry
I want It for and bamboo or smooth hound do u think that's moving to fast with the knowledge and exp I have now ? Or should I get it just for what I have know only ?

 

[d-murray24]

@flower heres what I get out of my sea clone after mods

As you can see It uzz out when collection cut isn't full so
I use a plastic bag to catch the uzz out you see the photo
From u know how crapy this things can be would you say that good for what it really is a pice of S***

 

[d-murray24]

Front view of whole set up still in progress on more aqua scraping

Glade to see such vibrant color with the tangs I try to creat plenty of room to swim but will be adding about 30 more lbs
Of live Rock that I will try to stack in front on the PVC to the left. And each fish occupies there hideaway so territory is established
For the most part

Coralline algae is blooming all over mostly green with some pink
How good is this bloom ?

Grate grazing spot for my tangs and angle
Pleas fill free to let me know how I Can better aqua scape
For future carols

 

[deton8it]

30 pounds of "Reef Saver" dry rock or "Pukani" dry rock will go a long way for your aquascaping needs and it is cheaper than live rock. In a few months it will be just as live as the rest of your rock.


John

 

[d-murray24]

Thanks @Deton8it can I purchase this at an all pets club or online shipment odder

 

[deton8it]

Google it. I shouldn't post the link because it is another online site. There are also youtube videos of both of the types of rock that I mentioned.



John

 

[d-murray24]

Will do thanks