Beginer questions

[rudyjill]

I have a 55 gal
1 clown os
2 damsels
3 pajama card
1 brine shirmp
and a bubbletip anemone
powercompact lights
prizm 100 gallon skimmer
and a 404 fluval
I want to begin adding some live coral do i have the proper equipment to accomodate?
Why does a clown enjoy hangin with the anemone does anyone know who benefits from that relationship?
What may be some hearty live corals to start with and how many can you add at once?
Are anemones something that usually live for some time given the correct conditions?
Thanks for taking the time to read my questions and if anyone knows some answers that would be awesome.
Thanks
Rudy

 

[rudyjill]

Sorry i also have like 50 lbs of live rock

 

[lion_crazz]

Welcome to saltwaterfish.com!
I have 1 brine shirmp
A typo I assume? I don't know anyone able to keep brine shrimp without a fish saying, "OH, dinner!"

powercompact lights
What wattage are your power compact lights?
prizm 100 gallon skimmer
I want to begin adding some live coral do i have the proper equipment to accomodate?
I would try to get 10-15 more lbs. of live rock before you begin adding coral. They will benefit from more live rock being added. Also, we need to know what wattage your power compacts are. You may also run into problems with your protein skimmer, as that brand is not usually the best. They will not produce foam once you begin adding calcium to your tank.
Why does a clown enjoy hangin with the anemone does anyone know who benefits from that relationship?
A clownfish and anemone enjoy a symbiotic relationship, meaning that they both benefit equally.
What may be some hearty live corals to start with and how many can you add at once?
Granted you have the proper PC lighting, mushrooms, leathers, fingers, and polyps would be good to start with.
Are anemones something that usually live for some time given the correct conditions?
Yes, as long as you are giving it enough food and light. Most anemones need metal halide lighting to truly survive long term.

 

[rudyjill]

Thank you so much for your reply
Sorry coral banded shrimp my fish do say yum to brine
When you say calcium will live coral deplete my supply more than live rock
At the moment i test my calcium but it always stays at 400 which according to my test kit is the correct amount, would you assume something may be wrong.
My pc's are 55w and it also 8000k however i do not know what that means
With my skimmer i currently produce a nice layer of film at the top of my tank should there be more thru out and are you saying that when the time comes to add more calcium that my skimmer will stop producing foam, do you suggest a better skimmer.
Can you mix metal halide and pc?
and i also have been feeding my anemone by hand sucking food into a tube and blowing into the anemone is this a bad practice?
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions

 

[lion_crazz]

When you say calcium will live coral deplete my supply more than live rock
Yes, coral will use up calcium pretty quickly, depending on the type of coral you are keeping.
At the moment i test my calcium but it always stays at 400 which according to my test kit is the correct amount, would you assume something may be wrong.
No, that is an ideal calcium level. Do you add calcium to your tank? What salt do you use?
My pc's are 55w and it also 8000k however i do not know what that means
How many 55 watt bulbs are in your light fixture? 8000k is just the color of light they are putting out.
With my skimmer i currently produce a nice layer of film at the top of my tank should there be more thru out and are you saying that when the time comes to add more calcium that my skimmer will stop producing foam, do you suggest a better skimmer.
Hm, your skimmer should not produce a layer of foam on the top of your tank. Does it produce foam inside the collection cup of the protein skimmer. The problem with Prizm skimmers is that they do not work well when there is an adequate amount of calcium in the tank. I get this infro straight from the people who make the skimmer. This is a reason why I do not like these skimmers. AquaC Remora's, Excaliburs, and Coralife skimmers are a ton better and will take a lot more waste out of your aquarium.
Can you mix metal halide and pc?
Sure, definitely.
i also have been feeding my anemone by hand sucking food into a tube and blowing into the anemone is this a bad practice?
I don't know how big your anemone is, but usually you can just hand feed these guys pieces of meat such as krill, prawn, silversides, squid, shrimp, etc. Is your clown hosting in your anemone? If so, he is most likely feeding your anemone. This is how clownfish get anemones to accept them. By offering protection to the clownfish, the anemone is fed by the clownfish.
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions
Ask anything you have a question about and I will help you with everything!

 

[rudyjill]

Man you seriously know your stuff
So its just one bulb that is looped so even though it looks like 2 bulbs it is only one.
The clown only recently has been hanging pretty well with the anemone.
It was actually a really exciting event we had been watching and watching and nothing and then the other day he was totally sitting in it
Tropic marin is the salt i use
Thanks for your info you are insanley helpful
Rudy

 

[ryanhayes9]

well if you only have one bulb that does 55 watts for a 55 gallon then you are pretty limited on what corals you could get.
i have 130 watts on my 29 gallon

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by rudyjill
Man you seriously know your stuff
So its just one bulb that is looped so even though it looks like 2 bulbs it is only one.
The clown only recently has been hanging pretty well with the anemone.
It was actually a really exciting event we had been watching and watching and nothing and then the other day he was totally sitting in it
Tropic marin is the salt i use
Thanks for your info you are insanley helpful
Rudy
Ah, Tropic Marin! You can't get any better than that. That is why your calcium is so ideal. That is definitely the best salt out there, hands down.
Well, unfortunately, only having one bulb will not allow you to move your tank onto corals. It will also not sustain the anemone very long term if you do not upgrade your fixture. However, if you shoot me an email, I will provide you with a website where you can get a an excellent light fixture for an INCREDIBLE price.
Seeing a clown host an anemone is always a fascinating site. Heck, my maroon clownfish hosts a piece of live rock and it is the funniest thing to watch. She will even feed this piece of rock on a weekly basis.
Thanks for the nice compliments!

Ry84@MSN.com

 

[rudyjill]

Thank you so much and I will email you right away
couple more questions you may be able to answer
I don't really think i know exactly what a skimmer does
To my knowledge it lifts unwanted stuff by way of creating bubbles
is that all or am i totally incorrect.
I'd love to find a site with more options
thanks again for all the awesome info
Rudy

 

[rudyjill]

Ryanhayes
so do you feel that 130 watts is adequate or is that even a bit much for 29 gallons
in that case do you suggest 200 - 250 watts for my tank.
This site is awesome I hope soon i can answer questions rather than ask.
THanks a million to all of you guys
Rudy

 

[lion_crazz]

Most of the organic wastes that we do not want in our aquarium are "surface active", collecting at the surface of where gas and liquid meet. This is where a protein skimmer becomes useful. When placing water in a pressurized column mixed with air bubbles, wastes, uneaten food, and much more undesirables rise and are collected at the top in the form of foam. Protein skimmers remove much more than just proteins. Complex organ wastes attach to tiny air bubbles, and then rise in the air chamber.

 

[symon]

I run a pc combo and metal halide now on my 60 gal tank, 260 watt pc combo and 2-400 watt 20k MH, i had to build my hood so i could use the pc combo intact and retro fit the MH's

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by rudyjill
Ryanhayes
so do you feel that 130 watts is adequate or is that even a bit much for 29 gallons
in that case do you suggest 200 - 250 watts for my tank.
This site is awesome I hope soon i can answer questions rather than ask.
THanks a million to all of you guys
Rudy
265 watts of light would be what I would recommend for your tank. The light fixture I have to show you is a 265. It is on sale for another 4 days.

 

[ryanhayes9]

yeah i would trust lion more than me, i use 130 cuz thats the highest pc's they make for 29 gallons. i would run like 180 watts if they made em

 

[rudyjill]

awesome I already emailed you
if i were to purchase
would I keep my current light as well or can i have too much light
will the heat from the light increase my water temp.
If that is that case will a chiller be needed
Thanks again
Rudy

 

[jelezoglo]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
Ah, Tropic Marin! You can't get any better than that. That is why your calcium is so ideal. That is definitely the best salt out there, hands down.
Well, unfortunately, only having one bulb will not allow you to move your tank onto corals. It will also not sustain the anemone very long term if you do not upgrade your fixture. However, if you shoot me an email, I will provide you with a website where you can get a an excellent light fixture for an INCREDIBLE price.
Seeing a clown host an anemone is always a fascinating site. Heck, my maroon clownfish hosts a piece of live rock and it is the funniest thing to watch. She will even feed this piece of rock on a weekly basis.
Thanks for the nice compliments!

Ry84@MSN.com
Hi Lion crazz, I am dying to get an anemone (rbta) for my percs but do not have proper lighting. Can you e-mail me the site you mentioned ( jelezoglo@gmail.com )??? and what wattage and k(?) do you recommend for a 65gl 4' wide x 20" deep?
Thanks for the great advice you provide on all your responses.

Sorry for high jacking the thread

 

[lion_crazz]

You, sir, have an email.
You could keep your current fixture if you wished, but there would not be much of a need for that.
This fixture should not heat your tank up much at all. A chiller will definitely not be neccessary. On the hot days here, when it reaches 90-95 degrees F, a fan keeps my tank extremely stable. My temp stays at 80.6 even through the peak of the day.

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by Jelezoglo
Hi Lion crazz, I am dying to get an anemone (rbta) for my percs but do not have proper lighting. Can you e-mail me the site you mentioned ( jelezoglo@gmail.com )??? and what wattage and k(?) do you recommend for a 65gl 4' wide x 20" deep?
Thanks for the great advice you provide on all your responses.

Sorry for high jacking the thread

You, also, have an email!

 

[nereef]

man, some of you guys should get paid for amount of time you spend answering questions; or at least get some swf.com credit or something.
that's why this board is so great. rudy, i'm sure, thanks to lion and others, that you will find this site as helpful as i and countless others have.
anyway, rudyjill, as for lights; if you can squeeze them all on, then you should if you are planning on keeping anemones. they require a lot of light.
your water will probably increase in temperature because of the lights. i'm going to guess that the new lights you are getting will be on a stand so that they are a few inches above the water. this will help with the temp. you can use fans across the surface of the water to cool the tank off. you will just have to see if you need a chiller or not. good luck