My 60 gallon Reef Tank Diary(with pics eventually)

fishymaster776

fishymaster776

Member
Well i started this 60 gallon reef about a month and a half ago, its now fully cycled with 2 damsels in it(planning to remove the damsels). the filtration is a wet dry system and has a rio 1700 propelling it back. I have around 35 pounds of live rock i was planning to get more but my tanks sorta filled to the brim and i'm afraid there wont be enough swimming room. i have 10 hermits and 6 snails and 4 snail shells with a tiny kenya tree coral that i didnt notice when i bought it. Ammonia 0 NItrite 0 Nitrate 20 PH 8.2, Calcium 420. other pumps working in it are 2 seio 620m pumps. my lighting is 2X150 metalhalide bulbs with 2 actinic bulbs and lunar lights (Totaly of 469 wattage)
2 questions, 1. do i need more pumps if i 'm not planning to keep much SPS
2. can i add a pair of clowns and the inverts now? i know no corals until very later.
 
reefer545

reefer545

Member
clowns and a clean up crew are fine to add. More in tank flow plus a skimmer will be needed if you want to have sps. HAVE FUN GETTIN THOSE DAMSELS>lol. lol. MORE LR is necessary, and trust me, there is plenty of room. Sorry no one answered earlier.
 
trippkid

trippkid

Active Member
I'd say you have enough flow, low flow spots still may be there because of rock work.
What inverts are you talking about? Take out the damsels and put the clowns in after quarantining. You may want to wait awhile for anenome, IMO. I'm not saying you can't put one in, but usually a more established tank will have better results. Snails and crabs should be fine. I'd wait a little if you were thinking of clams($$), also. I would think that starfish need a more mature tank. This is just my opinion, I'm sure some have put clams and anenomes in the tank right after cycling and have had success, but that is not route that I would take. Just like everthing else, it is up to you to decide whether it is too soon or not. Trial and error, whether people like it or not, that is what our hobby is based on for the most part.
Equipment list sounds good, I would just let tank mature a little more before adding more sensitve inverts,IMO.

Matt
 
rldavisou

rldavisou

Member
I'd add more LR. It's a surprisingly good filter system, which you'll need for sensitive inverts. I have a 30 gallon with about 25 lbs of LR and I'm about to get 15 more lbs. At least 1 lb per gallon is a good general rule to follow.
I'd take the damsels out before you add any new LR, as you may have to take it out to catch them. They're wiley little buggers.
Clownfish are going to be fine, as will any hermit crabs or pretty much any snails.
As the guy who posted above me said, trial and error is really the only way you can find stuff out. What works for me might work for you, or it might not. That's what makes it interesting.
 
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