Parrothead's 55 gallon Reef

[zhenya]

Sorry to interrupt your meaningful conversation, gents, but I just like to add that if you run carbon in your sump you should be able to add couple of "wavies" in your tank.
Besides, some are more toxic than others, like the genus Lobophytum (Devils hand and others), or genus Sarcophyton (Toadstool)for example, are best kept in the larger aquariums if one wants to keep a mixed reed set up. Although I;ve known people that kept this corals in a smallish tanks, but they ran cabon continuosly and changed it out often.


Just my .002 cents worth...

[charlie]

Very true Gene!!!!

[Parrothead]

Gentlemen,

What about lps with say a colt coral or red carnation coral, proably carnation due to the colt's rate of growth, Oh Gene, did you need change on the .002 cents,just kidding will proably see what the lfs has in lps for my first coral, maybe a frogspawn or hammer, the wife wants something moving around, she doesn't quite grasp that it is a reef tank, not a fish tank, may have to compromise and get a gramma or clown along with coral, thats why I said just one this week.


Robert

[charlie]

Gentlemen,

You all talkin to me?????????????????

Softies will work as Gene said, but you do have to make sure that you have some carbon around. One leather that I have found that will go with hard corals is that yellow fiji leather that I have. It isn't a big "wavy", but it sure is pretty when it gets large.

[Parrothead]

Yes Charlie, I did call you a gentleman, I will put a sticky on my monitor to remind me to never do that again, checked out the fuji finger leather, oh, to many decisons to make before friday, at least I got a week to figure out what my new baby will be and yes Gene, I will take a pic and post just for you.

Tanks,
Robert

[Parrothead]

Gene,

Just a quick ?, I've noticed that several of you guys have multiple tangs in your tanks, I've always been told that was asking for WWIII, I know I can't keep the larger sizes, but I would like a Kole Tang for janitorial duties and a blue Hippo for eye candy, any thoughts? the wife wants some movement and these guys along with a couple of small gobies would ease my life, I keep telling her its a reef tank and not a fish tank, but got to compromise somewhere, let me know

Tanks,
Robert

Tanks
Robert

[zhenya]

Hi Robert,

To be honest, a 55 gallon aquarium (or my 75g) is too small for any tang. They require at least 6' long tank for even smaller species like the Z.flavescens (Yellow Tang). Most bristletooth tangs grow much larger, except for the one you are thinking about (Kole Tang) C.strigosus which reaches about 18cm.
I know I shouldn't be preaching about it since I keep two tangs in my 75g tank, however I am removing the bristletooth this coming Thursday and will keep smaller Z.scopas instead until I am done with upgrading my tank to the larger size. This is my honest opinion, since you asked...
Having said all that, it's possible to keep single tang like the yellow tang in the 55g, providing that you get a small juvenile and can enjoy it until the time for it to move on to a larger tank. So, pick one species you would like to add and tell your wife that it would be very difficult to keep two surgeonfishes in a 55g tank. Extremely difficult! Aside from fighting they outgrow aquariums very quickly and fighting intencifies.
Also, any tang should be introduced as a last addition. As they grow they bully any newcomer and sometimes will harras it to death.

[Seige]

It can get a bit dull looking if everything hides in the reef.

What livestock is currently in your tank?

[almostdiva]

Parrothead,

I have 4X65 watt 10K bulbs on my 55g. I keep various mushrooms, green star polyps, some zoos, a heliofungia, a tongue and torch -- basically mostly things in the fungid family or in the euphid (hammer/torch/frogspawn) family. I don't keep softies/leathers but you shouldn't have much problem with most of the LPS Charlie has suggested. I run carbon sometimes, but not always. I'll put a bag in the sump, leave it for 2 weeks, take it out and maybe replace it, or maybe forget and it will be 6 more weeks before I remember to refill the bag.

[Parrothead]

Hey Seige,

And Charlie, if you listening happy day before Daytona, Goooooo JR.,
Anyway, to answer Seige's ?, I currently have 2 Black and White striped Damsels, and sorry guys,(Charlie, Mike, Ninong, and I think Gene too) I could not part with Jr. (my niger trigger) he's still a baby and I do have a home for him when he gets to big or bad, but we don't see him much, he hides in the rock and will every once in a while cruise the tank, esp. at feeding timeor when he thinks its feeding time. I do want some movement, just don't want a fowlr, I still want the reef and that is the direction this tank is going. A Flame Angel is def. on the list but all suggestions are welcome.

Tanks
Robert

[Parrothead]

Sorry Gene and Charlie,

Blew a timing chain in my truck Wed. morning, for obvious reasons the trip to the lfs has been cancelled until further notice, the good news is I was only idling at 500 rpms, and didn't cook the valves, still have not got estimate for repair but no worries, as My wise Sage Charlie once told me half the fun of a reef tank is aquascaping and reaquascaping the tank, so I will be playing with the real estate a bit this weekend.

Robert

[charlie]

Bad news about the truck!!!
Maybe it was trying to tell you something about your reef tho.;;

[Parrothead]

Don't know about all that, but you may be once again absolutely right, lights came on and it seems I need to do a water test and proably a change, got some red slime algea popping up in a couple of places, need to nip that in the bud quick, but planned that for today anyway.

Robert

[charlie]

Sounds like cyano. Need to check your nutrient levels and maybe kick up the flow a bit in a few spots, huh?

[Parrothead]

you are right on the flow, upon closer examination, it appears to be only in low flow areas, that is one of the reasons that I want to rearrange the rock a bit, I got step out for a minute to talk to a neighbor here in the park, he might be able to save me a S@#$ load of money on the truck, will explain when I get back.

Thanks as always Charlie,

Robert

[Parrothead]

New tank dude,

I discovered a new tank addition last night that didn't cost me a dime, but not sure if I want to let him be or remove, it is an urchin, black spines and body, size not counting spines in the neighborhood of 1/2 inch, don't know where he came from, must have been a hitchhiker on the rock as nothing has been added since setup due to truck failure and getting new truck.

Should he stay or should he go? that is the question.

Tanks,
Robert

[charlie]

Have you got a place to put him temporarily?? I would be skeptical about urchin hitchikers, but that is just me.

[Parrothead]

Charlie,

Currently have no place to put him, will be setting up a 20 qt tank this weekend for my client with the 90, might toss him in there but right now no safe place for him.
Thoughts?

Tanks
Robert

[charlie]

I would keep an eyeball on him, and maybe try to do some searching around on the net to find out exactly what type of urchin he is and what type of damage he could do. That sound good???

[zhenya]

Hi Robert,

Before you toss your new "dude" somewhere, make sure to do a search on the Caribbean urchins(I'm assuming that your rock is from there, right?).
As far as I know the most common sea urchin that comes as a hitchhiker on the Caribbean aquacultured rock is the short spined sea urchin, Echinometra la****er.

Does it look like the urching in this picture?
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jvsM6klryU...metra+la****er

If so, I would keep it. These are nocturnal algae eaters and are very good at hair algae control.

If I am mistaken and your rock is from the Indo-Pacific region, then it could be the Echinometra mathei, which is virtually identical.

PS. The profanity filter won't allow me to type in exact species name, so bare with me...
it is lac unter, just ignore the space between c and u and type it as one word.