New 55 gallon upgrade from Biocube 29

[tbaldwin01]

So I got this off CL. It's a 55 established tank. I feel like I got lucky this guy has a passion for feeding. So I took him up on it and ended up trading my 29 Biocube for this. Well he came over set it up helped get everything together and we'll now I get to start new. Here is a picture of the initial setup I am sure some of you will tell it was bad to put livestock in there but eh I had nowhere else to put it. Will keep everyone update on how it's going. Everyone made it through the transfer. Open to suggestions as to what to do with everything.

 

[DaveK]

I would say that for the price you would pay on CL, you did ok. Would I recommend a configuration like this to someone buying all new, they no. It's not an ideal setup.

Where you go from here depends upon what you want to keep in the tank and how you want it to look.

55 gal tanks are difficult to aquascape as a reef because they are onlt about 12 inches wide, front to back. It's hard to but in the usual amount of live rock without having the aquascape look like a pile of rock. While it's tough to tell, it looks like the amount of LR in the tank is far below the usual 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of rock per gallon of water.

Don't run out and get a whole lot of live rock to make up for it, unless you want it to look like a rock pile. You may want to add some amount though.

The hang on tank filter alone could use some help. Consider investing in a decent skimmer. That will give you much better water quality.

As for other changes, most of this will depend upon what you plan to keep in the tank.

 

[tbaldwin01]

Yea I plan on getting a skimmer, I want to get a different filter but I literally traded my bio cube 29 for this so I think I did ok. So I know that the live rock I put into it from old tank was 30 pounds. And the guy gave me some of his from the tank as it was set up. Maybe 20 pounds not quite sure. As for live stock I am not sure what I want to put in it. Obviously I had corals in my old tank that transfered over. I am hoping to see this flourish over my 29 with the space it has. All the fish seem happier as I only had 2 clowns, 1 bar goby, and a mandarins goby that came over. I got rid of my 3 spot damsels which we meaner that a rattlesnake.

 

[tbaldwin01]

This little guy made himself king of the tank.

 

[Oxylebius]

What I would do is get a nice big sump with skimmer for it, it will help. I'd also look into very porous coral rock online to supplement what you already have, get the really nice rock that used to be coral. I'd try to stack the rock up against the back of the tank, shelf like w/little out croppings for corals (if you are going the coral route). Yes, it can look like piled rock at first, but after you get a coral or two growing it will look less so. And try to keep the front sand area open (for other coral types if you are going that route). Good luck.

 

[tbaldwin01]

New anemone in tank and the percs took a few days but seem to like him so far or the anemone likes them which ever.