beginner here- comments / suggestions welcome

[manda1way]

Go easy on me guys!! I've had my tank for 2 years.
Only have advice from my lfs, a friend, and the net. My setup: 55gal, biowheel by emperor (the double) protein skimmer, (2)1100 powerheads, heater (duh) lighting is 50/50 and 10000k (on a timer for 8 hrs day. as far as fish, let me say first, that I am not going to add anymore. large porcupine puffer, lionfish, 2 domino damsels, medium yellow tang, 2 clownfish, a blue velvet, and a rose crab (which i haven't been able to find any info on, maybe it's a strawberry- pretty big one though). tang is new (2months) (damsels / clownfish added first, then crab, puffer, lionfish.) also have about 40lbs live rock. corals:
green striped, plain green, fuzzy, and blue mushrooms, colt, carpet (grass), sun coral. green bubble and long tenacle anenome. 4 feather dusters. about 3 dozen algae crabs.
do wkly water changes (about 20%)use reef crystals, brine shrimp / flakefood / goldfish / greens for tang. use kent tech cb (parts a and b).
was wondering about test kits, currently use one by aquarium pharmaceutical- is this okay? no specific questions just feedback on anything. this is a great site, tons of info- i'm in heaven lol
thanks!!!!!!

 

[mike j]

a couple of posts down there is a sequence about test kits and which ones you should try out. Haven't used them myself as I am not set up yet (c'mon thursday!).
Just a comment though, you are probably going to have to do some juggling with your fish if you plan on keeping them for any length of time. The yellow tang will most likely outgrow the 55 and it already seems like a crowded tank. I would move him into something a bit bigger because he is most likely going to get stressed very soon.
Just a comment.
Best of luck to you

 

[fshhub]

welcome aboard, and the aquarium pharm kit works fine, i have one and like it, others do not like them because of readability, but they do work, if you are using it and can read it without any difficulty, i say to keep using it, there is no problem with continuing to use something you are comfortable wiht, especially if it works(shich yours does, the only prob is like i said, many cna't read them)
and i fyou want a bit of advice, the powerheads, sound like rios, if so, keep an eye on them, they can be a major problem, they work fine, BUT when they do break they have ben known to puke(grease out into the water), not good at all, so i would defintiely watch them for signs of failure, and then remove and check outside of the tank