Need ideas and opinions for tank

[lilsis13]

I have a 55 gal tank. I have numerous questions. I am having trouble keeping my jawfish in the tank. I have lost 2. I have a top and when I first started, there was very little room for a jawfish to jump ship. Since then I have just added my protein skimmer, went a little crazy and have a much larger area for an escape. Any suggestions on how I can keep him in? Next, my plan was to have a reef tank, however, I was misguided and bought an orbic bat. My new plan is for, I guess, a fish-only tank. IS there anything that I can put in my tank with him? Coraline algae? How do I get it, will it be safe with my bat?
Lighting - I have what came with my tank set-up. Don't know all the specifics, I do know that I have 1 50/50 coralife 15 watt bulb - 50% natural daylight 6000k/50% actinic 03 blue. From what I have been reading, it doesn't seem sufficient.
I currently have:
2 blue damsels
4 green chromis
1 yellow tang
1 yellow goatfish
1 orbic bat
1 jawfish
1 pj cardinal
1 royal dottyback
1 pink something starfish
2 turbo snails
1 blue coral shrimp
1 cleaner shrimp
I don't know how much live rock, I alternate between buying live and lava. My rock is growing sponges and q-tip sponges. My water is testing awesome, I use tap water.
Any suggestions on what else I may be able to get, I like fish with personality. I would love some mushrooms, stuff like that, but I also don't want to feed it to my bat.
Thanks

 

[jmick]

First, if you keep buying jawfish and they keep jumping out then maybe you shouldn't keep buying. I'd suspect that it's due to them being stressed out from being in a tank that's WAY OVER STOCKED! Not sure if your lfs is recommending these fish or you just aren't doing research but the Bat fish and Goat fish are terrible choices for a 55. Jawfish tend to do well in species only tanks and in tanks where there aren't overly aggressive fish.

 

[lilsis13]

I HAVE done my research and I have yet to see anywhere that a jawfish is only recommended for a species only tank. Jawfish don't only jump when stressed, they are KNOWN for JUMPING. When my jawfish jumped, there was, IMO, no room for them to jump out. I was obviously wrong. My QUESTION is - what can I purchase to completely seal the top of my tank in the areas around my heater, filter, and skimmer so they cannot escape? I do not have aggressive fish in my tank. Every fish that I have added has been one at a time and I have not purchased more fish until I figured out the temperment of the fish I had. My fish all appear stress free. I spend hours watching my tank. I have yet to have a fish die or even appear the slightest bit sick. My water is not testing as if it is overstocked.

 

[jmick]

What kind of substrate do you have in your tank? Ideally, you want 3-5 inches of fine sand with bits of rock that the jawfish can use to shore up its burrow. My jawfish made its burrow in a day or so of being introduced to my tank and only leaves it to feed. The top of my tank is open (due to heat from lighting) and I haven’t had any issues with it jumping (might be luck or it might be because my tank is not over crowded and stressful).
I do not recommend sealing up the top of your tank; you want evaporation and gas exchange.

 

[alyssia]

I do agree with jmick that your tank is WAY,WAY overstocked. As far as sealing your tank off, the only thing I can suggest is saran wrap ( I know, not very attractive). I had a rubber eel in a FW tank that I had to keep from escaping and it was suggested to me by my lfs to seal all spots with plastic and tape it down.

 

[lilsis13]

I would have to say that I am a bit offended that you keep saying my tank is stressful and overcrowded. I have about 4 inches of live sand substrate. I had 2 jump and just replaced them with 1. He immediately burrowed under my live rock just like my other ones did.

 

[alyssia]

I'm sorry that you're offended but that is how this message board is. If people think that fish are in unhealthy situations they speak up. From now on I will avoid your posts so I won't offend you anymore.

 

[lilsis13]

I would like to know what qualifies my tank as unhealthy? I could see if I my fish were dying from disease and illness and I just couldn't figure out why. But that is just not the case. Jawfish are jumpers and I obviously underestimated the ability of my jawfish to jump through very small holes. Also, how does one determine that my tank is overstocked? I have been reading the message boards and have seen several people with more fish in 55 gal tanks than I have. I was under the assumption that if my fish were compatible and my water parameters are being met, that I was ok.

 

[jmick]

Why would we say your tank is overstocked? Humm your batfish can get up to 20” in the wild, the goatfish can get up to a foot and many people believe the smallest tank for a tang is 75 gallons…for the fish you have you need at least a 200Gal tank.
Your tank might seem healthy now but good things can go bad very quickly and I’d guess that will happen here. If you are going to post on a public forum and ask for help you need to grow some thicker skin or don’t ask questions. Just because someone else might have more fish then you doesn’t make what you have in your tank any better. Your tank is WAY over stock and I have little doubt that stress is causing your jawfish to jump.

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by lilsis13
I have a 55 gal tank. I have numerous questions. I am having trouble keeping my jawfish in the tank. I have lost 2. I have a top and when I first started, there was very little room for a jawfish to jump ship. Since then I have just added my protein skimmer, went a little crazy and have a much larger area for an escape. Any suggestions on how I can keep him in? Next, my plan was to have a reef tank, however, I was misguided and bought an orbic bat. My new plan is for, I guess, a fish-only tank. IS there anything that I can put in my tank with him? Coraline algae? How do I get it, will it be safe with my bat?
Lighting - I have what came with my tank set-up. Don't know all the specifics, I do know that I have 1 50/50 coralife 15 watt bulb - 50% natural daylight 6000k/50% actinic 03 blue. From what I have been reading, it doesn't seem sufficient.
I currently have:
2 blue damsels
4 green chromis
1 yellow tang
1 yellow goatfish
1 orbic bat
1 jawfish
1 pj cardinal
1 royal dottyback
1 pink something starfish
2 turbo snails
1 blue coral shrimp
1 cleaner shrimp
I don't know how much live rock, I alternate between buying live and lava. My rock is growing sponges and q-tip sponges. My water is testing awesome, I use tap water.
Any suggestions on what else I may be able to get, I like fish with personality. I would love some mushrooms, stuff like that, but I also don't want to feed it to my bat.
Thanks
The Q-tip sponges is a sign of excess nutrient!!! Tap water is a very BAD idea, you'll probably get algae bloom later....I would suggest start using RO and or RO/DI water for water changes from now on. When you say your water tested awesome, what are the readings??? You say you want some mushrooms, you can't have them with your lighting system nor the usage of tap water. Even though mushrooms are tough, but I wouldn't suggest it. I am with the rest of the guys on here, you are way over stocked! Some of those fish will outgrow your tank. How long has this tank been setup? IF this is the way you like it, so be it. Just be sure you do your regular water changes weekly and have a good filtration system going. Otherwise, you'll be having problems sometime soon. I would really suggest in looking for a bigger tank for you live stock sometime soon. By the way, if you post "Need ideas and Opinions for tank" you NEED to take the criticism, you shouldn't feel offended as people giving you advice because you asked for it! :happyfish

 

[lilsis13]

Ok, excess nutrient. what does that mean? Why will I probably get algae bloom? My water tests at 8.0 ph, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 20 nitrate. I test my water everyday because I HAVE heard that things can go badly rather quickly, so I try to stay on top of things. I also understand that a bat can get huge in the wild, WHEN my bat gets too big, my lfs has already told me that he will take him off my hands, for now I love him and he is wonderful. I would also imagine that because I love my fish, when I can afford it, I WILL get a bigger tank. I was NOT getting snippy, I DO want opinions, but I have a problem with everyone telling me that my tank is stressful and unhealthy. I understand the probability that my fish will eventually be too big for my tank, but if they are still small now, then why am I overcrowded and unhealthy? As for the lighting, I know that I don't have the correct lighting. Do I have the correct lighting now for a fish only tank? My tap water is well water, don't know if that makes a difference to you. I certainly did not mean to rub anyone the wrong way.

 

[mikeyjer]

Excess nutrient can be brought on by different stuff, mainly food that you feed. The reason I said you will have a algae bloom because of the water your using. Well water is not good to use, it has a lot of excess minerals within. Your lighting is good enough for fish only. Those Q-tip will go away on their own once your tank establishes and when you rid the excess nutrients. You can add a sump/fuge system with macro algae like Cheato, a good Protein Skimmer, and water changes will help you rid the excess nutrients. IF you have intentions on using your well water, at least get a RO/DI filter for it, well water isn't even good for drinking. :happyfish

 

[surfinusa]

take our advice or dont post anything because everybody is saying your tank is over stocked and its true so your a new aquariust and almost everybody is years in this hobby so get rid of half your fish and then you will be fine but if your fish are dying and getting sick dont come yelling to us

 

[seannmelly]

Your tank may not be stressful or unhealthy to your fish right now, but when they start to grow, even if they havent out grown your tank yet, they will become stressed w/ the lack of swimming space, and as everyone has been saying things can get ugly fast...Nitrates being 20 is a little high.
melly

 

[lilsis13]

So how do I get rid of nitrates that high? Doesn't adding live rock help with that? In your opinion, how many fish and what fish should I have?

 

[seannmelly]

Water change! And as for the fish, get rid of the batfish, goatfish, and tang. To replace them, you could get a dwarf angel and that imo would be max.
melly

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by lilsis13
So how do I get rid of nitrates that high? Doesn't adding live rock help with that? In your opinion, how many fish and what fish should I have?
Like it was mentioned, water change will lower it. Adding cured live rock right now will help. But still need to do water change. Like I've said earlier, you will need a protein skimmer and a good filtration system going on that tank. Getting rid of some of the fish will help too, the larger ones that is. I missed this earlier, you need to watch for that star fish, they need well established tank to survive. :happyfish

 

[lilsis13]

Isn't the goal to have enough balance that your nitrates never get too high so that you only have to do water changes in theory so that the fish are not swimming around in the same old water? I do have a protein skimmer and I am not sure what you are getting at when you are saying a good filtration system. Also, what do you mean by watch for the starfish? Why is it that they need a well established tank to survive? IS it possible in your opinion that I can keep the fish that I have until they get too large as long as I am doing proper maintenance? Right now, my fish are small.

 

[seannmelly]

Yes the goal is to have a balanced established system. However, when a reading is high, you need to do a water change to bring it back down. The only time you don't want to do a water change is when your tank is cycling because it will only delay the cycle. As far as your filtration system goes, you need to have a good protein skimmer and enough live rock to be able to handle your bioload. If you do not, you are going to see spikes in your readings. Mike above said to watch the starfish because they need an established system to survive(as stated above) they cannot handle spikes in any readings. And as far as your fish go IMO get rid of the bat, goatfish, and tang and add a dwarf angel and that would be max until you upgrade.
Melly

 

[lilsis13]

Thanks.