Pics of my 55 gallon

bluetanger

Member
Im only 15 and have a 150 gal reef and a 75 gal. reef and it is ALL my own money...every dollar from my lawn care, aquarium maintenance and Mc'Donalds...i would really get as much LR as you can get your hands on, in my opinion it makes the fish feel safer-so less ich outbreaks and get a good skimmer
holla-
 

reefman22

Member
15 yr old with a 55 reef here. self funded here too. just patience for now. when you do get LR, make it into as many caves as possible, but make sure the rock is stable. start planning what you want to do with the tank. equipment, corals, fish, etc. and ask people on here. that way you can have all your info and lots of opinions before you buy something and learn the hard way (not helpful when owning a self-funded tank) its a great start, looks like mine when i first started. go become friends with you LFS's and tell them what you are starting. all mine love when i come in and ask about my tank, its good to know you have reliable answers online and in lfs (even though lfs's have a habit of reeling in suckers...) so I hope this helps. DONT RUSH. period. keep us updated, all questions are welcome, and you might get more responsed in the "new hobbyist" forum if you have questions that you think are easy to answer. hope i helped a little! good luck.
REEFMAN
 

poniegirl

Active Member
I so remember how pristine a new tank is. Thanks for the photos, it is beautiful. Enjoy that part for as long as you can possibly stand it. This will help you and your tank.
At this point, your tank is too "fresh" for fish. I agree to take the damsel out, if you can. Not because he will be a problem (I have one just like it and he's a jewel, and they get prettier as they grow) but because a tank at least 1 month (or two
) old is healthier for any living marine creature. Be sure to test the water regularly.
Your LR will take on life as well, so watch carefully.
Read about the fish in descriptions on this site. Read about the cleaning crews and be sure to get a large enough group of snails, hermits, etc. Realize that they need food, too.
:cheer: Hurray for you!
 

rutz15

Member
my tank is one month old and 1 week.....so is that ok........i am planning on getting a clean up crew and more LR
so what is wrong with the damsels
 

teen

Active Member
if the tank cycled, then go ahead and get your clean up crew. let them do there thing and make sure theres no problems with them and a week or two after adding the clean up crew you should be ok to add a fish. you may want to take the damsel out because he can get very territorial and bully your new fish. i have a yellow tail damsel that is scared of his own shadow, so its a hit or miss thing with damsels.
 

team2jndd

Active Member
Everytime you add anything to your tank you will adjust the bioload. If you are planning on getting a lot more live rock I would do that first. I would then wait a few weeks if not a month to get anything else because depending on how much LR you get your tank will start another mini cycle while your tank can adjust to the new bioload. It is the same with anything you add you always have to go slow with it so you dont place too much strain on your system.
 

philgmiami

Member
save up for a wet-dry and pump that turns your water over 10-20 times

55gallon tank- 550gph-1100gph pump
100 gallon tank-1000gph to 2000gph pump
your water should be clear as a whistle

those hang on filters on 55's just dont do it in the saltwater hobby
nano's are different storys

just my 2 cents and 5 cents
 

imurnamine

Active Member
Ergh... 15 and 16 year olds have nicer tanks than I do.
Your tank looks so good so far! I'm 18 so I feel you on the not-relying-on-the-parentals thing! The only thing that I can tell you is that you might want to remove the Yellow Tailed Damsels at the first sight of aggression... My Damsels were nice, though. Remember, fishies are just like people and other animals, each one has a different temperment. Just because someone says that THEIR Damsels are mean, doesn't mean all of yours are! Good luck! <3
 

poniegirl

Active Member
Originally Posted by Rutz15
my tank is one month old and 1 week.....so is that ok........i am planning on getting a clean up crew and more LR
so what is wrong with the damsels
When you first posted, you had said the tank was a week old...too fresh to add fish to. It's hard on them, to say the least to survive through a cycle (if they do). That was what was meant. If it's a month now, there's not much point in removing the damsel.
Some people have experienced damsels being aggressive to the point of being a problem. Some people, like me, haven't had an issue with them. Just a roll of the dice.
 

clown52

Member
I really like the back of your tank. Did you paint it or what are you useing? I need to get something for mine.
 

fisherman2

Member
Hey,
Im 15 and currently only have a 55G, but and currently am upgrading to a 125G. I know how you feel about buying all your own stuff. Just stay patient and get more LR. Also on the filtration i def. would get a wet/dry or sump. If you get a wet/dry i would use LR rubble instead of bio-balls.
Will
 

reefman22

Member
wow ur 15 and maintain a 55 and are upgrading to a 125?!?! u might as well trade in ur porshe and buy a house lol jp it must be nice. id love a 125....ahh if only...... lol
REEFMAN
 

fisherman2

Member
yeah,
i stay broke.
on the 125g its a used one at my LFS and its only $200.(oceanic)
the downside is that its not drilled.

the owners are extremly nice to me so i think i can get them to throw in some extras
 

hot883

Active Member
I'm confused here. 1st post 1 week old then 2-3 days later now it said to be 1 month and 1 week. :thinking:
Anyway, it has not cycled as it takes 4-6 weeks to do so properly. Not bashing, just wondering.
 
Top