[melliepooh]

I bought a 56 gallon saltwater tank a few weeks ago and I've taken the store's advice to go slow... After checking my water ALOT after I put about 45lbs of live rock in, a week later I got 2 emerald crabs and 2 camel shrimp. I want to eventually have:
2 ocellaris clowns
2 yellow tangs
blue hippo tang
fire clown
2 neon blue goby's
2 green chromis
banded possum wrasse
PLUS corals and anemones

I have been told back and forth you need a skimmer, you don't need a skimmer with the amount of rock I have... HELP!!!! Do I need one, or no? And as a side note, am I expecting to have too many fish!
Thanks alot!

[the_blue_tuna]

I would recommend that you have a skimmer in any fishtank. It will complement the live rock . The bad news for you though is you are going to have to rethink your fish list. You have to many AND uncompatible fish for a tank of that size.


Welcome to Reefland ,,,,I bet you will like it here

[Tervill]

Welcome to Reefland!!

I would strongly recommend a skimmer for any size tank. The live rock is for biological filtration, a skimmer is for the removal of DOC's (dissolved organic compounds). It also helps reduce the production of algae, as algae thrive on DOC's. You will be surprized at the amount of skimate the skimmer removes.

As for your fish selection, Yellow Tangs require a much larger tank than 56 gallons, and having two Yellow Tangs in the same tank is a recipe for dissaster. One Blue Hippo Tang will be OK, however. I can't help with with the other fish selection as I don't have much experience with gobies and wrasses (the clown and chromis should be OK, IMO). Be sure to have lots of light if you want to keep corals and anemonies. Good luck with everything!!

Regards,

Terry