I'm so excited!!

deniki

deniki

New Member
Hello! We here at home have decided to go with a 55g FOWLR. I've been keeping freshwater for about 4 years, mostly cichlids. We recently moved and remodeled the house and lost our fish. :( I have a few empty tanks, but we thought it would be easiest to start a saltwater set up in the 55g. I've been keeping notes (yes, I started a saltwater notebook), and still had some questions that I hope you all can help me with. I know on some web sites, their info doesn't match up with the next web site. I prefer to get information from people currently in the hobby. My main question right now is, for a 55g, will a Penguin 350 and AC500 be enough filtration?
 
scotts

scotts

Active Member
First of all welcome to the site!!!
In reality before anyone can answer your question you need to provide some info about your tank.
What type of tank are you going to have, FO, FOWLR, Reeff?
What substrate?
What type of fish?
Are you going to have a sump or a refugium?
So glad you are doing your planning now and not doing what I did and jumpin with my wallet open.
 
deniki

deniki

New Member
We are going to go with the FOWLR. For substrate, I'm still debating on crushed coral or live sand. Or, is it possible to mix?
For the fish....I'm STILL doing my research, trying to figure out the easiest and hardiest for beginners such as myself. So, if anyone has suggestions, feel free to throw them my way. There are so many beautiful fish on the market. I've always said that I wanted a blue tang, but I'm not sure if my 55g will be large enough.
I've been researching coral, as well. Again, I'm trying to find pretty but easy to maintain specimens.
I have spare 10g, 20g, and 29g tanks. I was THINKING of maybe turning the 10g into a wet/dry. But, I've read and read and I still don't understand the process. Is a sump the same as a wet/dry filter?
Any help here is greatly appreciated. I'm glad to have found this site. :D
 
earlybird

earlybird

Active Member
Do some looking around on here and use that "search" function above.
Trust me. Don't go with crushed coral. It constantly needs cleaning and will be a huge headache. Go with a sand bed. There are benefits to a deep sand bed and shallow sand bed. There are also many choices for sand and that includes bad choices. A sand bed never needs vacummed... ever. In fact it can cause problems if you do.
I don't think a 55 is large enough for a blue tang but not sure. Clownfish are very hardy and you can have a pair. Again, this will require research as there are general rules to how to pair and which fish to pair as there are many species.
There are very hardy species of corals out there. It really depends on your lighting of which there are many choices from power compacts, metal halides, vho, and T-5. A lot of people jump in and for example must have an anenome but don't realize their lighting needs and can't keep them. Lots to choose.
There is a difference between a wet dry, sump, and refugium. The larger the sump/fuge the better. I'd use what ever you can fit under your stand.
Couple things to research (retun pump, plumbing, baffles, skimmer, refugium or fuge, sump, overflow box,) that will get you in the right direction. Good luck
 
deniki

deniki

New Member
Thanks for all of the info! There is sooo much to take in. I'm glad you told me about the crushed coral.
I have a dumb question, and laugh if you'd like....
I was looking at peoples before and after photos of their tanks. The before photo will have just plain live rock. Then, in the after photo, it's all colorful with things growing out of it. That's what it looks like anyway. Do plants and stuff actually grow out of the live rock?
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
They can grow on them, As in attached. I started with a 55 gal, and you can have a nice peaceful community tank. Here is what i had. (I now have a 150)
2 clowns, royal gramma, firefish, bi-color blenny and a clown gobie. It was a nice mix, and they all got along. Good luck with your tank.
TeresaQ
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Hello and welcome I also loved the blue tang and this is what I found out when I researched it is really a blue surgeonfish good in all types of tanks but min size is 100g they can grow from 5 to 10 inches is highly territorial and will harass newly introduced fish some times to death. Hope this info helps
 
deniki

deniki

New Member
Great to know. Thanks!
Since I'm not going to start with corals right away, I'm not too worried about my lighting.....as of yet.
I guess my next question would be, how many pounds of live sand should I purchase for my 55g?
And, I plan on ordering everything, fish included, from this and another site. The city I live in only has the typical pet stores....and I don't trust buying fish from them. Is it worth ordering fish online? I think the closest actual "fish" shop is over an hour away....and my schedule is pretty tight.
 
wingzfan

wingzfan

Member
I think that ordering fish from this site is the way to go. all of mine were perfect and have been since they were shipped
 
earlybird

earlybird

Active Member
Originally Posted by Deniki
Thanks, but I tried that already. When I enter the numbers, nothing calculates.

Try again it worked for me. The result is right below the "calculate" button. A new page does not open.
 
earlybird

earlybird

Active Member
Originally Posted by Deniki
Still doesn't work. I tried it several times yesterday, too. Hmm.
What are your dimensions and you want 2"? I'll try it for you.
 
gillyweed

gillyweed

Member
post your tank dimensions, we can plug it in for you

*Edit* heh, we think alike

Assuming your 55 is "standard" size: You'll need 50 pounds of sand for a 2 inch sandbed (46.67 to be exact). Standard measurements I used were 48 X 12 for that estimate. Hope that helps
 
gillyweed

gillyweed

Member
Originally Posted by Gillyweed
Assuming your 55 is "standard" size: You'll need 50 pounds of sand for a 2 inch sandbed (46.67 to be exact). Standard measurements I used were 48 X 12 for that estimate. Hope that helps
Woot! got it right!
 
deniki

deniki

New Member
You rock. Thanks so much! And don't worry...I have a zillion other questions. But, I'm slowly learning and that is the important thing.
 
gillyweed

gillyweed

Member
Originally Posted by Deniki
You rock. Thanks so much! And don't worry...I have a zillion other questions. But, I'm slowly learning and that is the important thing.
No worries at all!
Also, as an alternate (to keep cost down a little at least): You do not need to purchase a full fifty pounds of live sand for a 2 inch sandbed. You can purchase say 10-20 pounds, and do the other 30 with a normal aragonite sand. the live sand will make all 50 pounds "live" eventually anyway; just as live rock will eventually convert base rock once you add both to a tank

Just a suggestion

I don't know where to get good non-live sand offhand; but I am sure others on here do.
 
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