Starting up the 46 Gal. Bow AGAIN???

reefarchitect54

reefarchitect54

Member
Ok so my sump / refuge cracked about a month or so back. I had to take it apart and rebuild a new one. I left the heater, power heads, sand, and live rock, all in the main tank which had already gone trough a cycle. I just set up the new sump / refuge last night and added about 20 gallons of new saltwater. Is my tank going to have to cycle again or is it already cycled? I still have the snails and crabs living and well. I lost my only fish in the crack accident. I’m pretty sure its all set to add a fish again but just wanted to make sure… Thanks Im very excited because im able to move forward in my quest for a reef tank once again know that Ive got my sump / refuge back up and running.
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
I woild still go slow when adding. Was the tank fully cycled before? You say that thier are still snails and crabs living and they may have been enough to keep the cycle going but I would definitely go slow and check paramaters frequently in case you have a mini cycle.
 
reefarchitect54

reefarchitect54

Member
Thanks lynn. The tank was totally cycled and was running for two months before the sump / refuge cracked. I had added a fish that eventually died of ick when i had to tank it all apart and the algea bloom took place... I plan on going slow. I am going to add some more snails, a few more crabs and a shrimp of some kind eventually. That will take a few weeks... Thanks again!!!
 
reefarchitect54

reefarchitect54

Member
I just got one of these guys and am wondering if everyone could comment on them. Its about 2-3 inches big seems pretty happy. Stays in a cave during the day and at night is all over the tank. I also have Astria and Nass. Snails as well as Blue legged hermit crabs. I had a Royal Gramma that I lost to ick because of a crazy algae outbreak and sump/refuge disaster. Im going to be getting a goby today I think... I’ve had my eye on a orange spotted diamond goby at the LFS for a week know... What should I be feeding the shrimp and goby? I know the shrimp picks things off the rocks and sand but is Mysis Shrimp ok for the goby and will he just pick it off the bottom as well???? Thanks for all your help~!!!
 
reefarchitect54

reefarchitect54

Member
So I got three Green Chromis last night. One of them did not make it the night but the other two are very well adjusted and seem to be very happy...I was worried about the third because right from the start he was stressed. He was breathing like a mad man, it looked like he was going to hyperventilate. Needless to say he didn’t make it the night. I’m going to get one more tonight on my way home but do you think he will take to the other two and hang out with them. I wanted a little school of fish in my tank... Thanks for your help!!!
 
addict

addict

Well-Known Member
You want to add at least one more Chromis. They will establish a 'pecking order' with three, but with two the larger one will probably harass the smaller one to death. With three it gets spread out a bit more. I usually recommend a school of 5 to 7 chromis, but that's only if you have the water volume to support that many... otherwise three should be fine in your 46g bow.

Good luck. :)
 
reefarchitect54

reefarchitect54

Member
I have a 20 Gal. sump as well.. I added three more so know I have 5 Chromis!!! I love them! There so great they are already sachooled right up swimming around everywheres... Im so glad I got three more so know I have a good little school...
 
addict

addict

Well-Known Member
5 is a good number, but might be pushing it for a 46g bow... it just means that you have less room for other fish, but it's up to you to decide how to stock your tank. :)

With 56g of water volume (I assume your sump isn't running 'full'), you have room for approximately 11" of fish, so with 5 chromis you're down to 1" left for anything else (they average 2" when fully grown, if not larger). When your tank is running, you can probably go with twice the inch recommendation, but if the power goes out, be prepared for the worst, since they'll suck up all the oxygen in the water in short order.

As long as you keep a backup air supply, either with a generator or some battery-powered air pumps (like for bait buckets), you should do okay... just keep in mind that you'll be riding the ragged edge of disaster and will want to be prepared in case the worst happens.

Once again, good luck with everything... Chromis are great little fish, and are the only damsel, besides clownfish, that I'd ever put in my tank. :)
 
addict

addict

Well-Known Member
In freshwater, it's 1" per gallon, and in saltwater it's 1" per 5 gallons. Saltwater doesn't hold as much oxygen as freshwater does, and the most common mistake people make when coming over from keeping freshwater aquariums is overstocking the fish population.

Plus you also have corals and inverts that are using oxygen as well, so you can see how things could get ugly very quickly if you have any sort of prolonged power outage.

Now I'm not trying to tell you that you will have problems, just that you need to keep in mind that the more you stock your tank, the more you need to be prepared in case the worst happens.

Nothing will ruin your enjoyment of this hobby more than losing the majority (or all) of your livestock in a tank crash... I've suffered through this with my current tank and lost about $3,000 in SPS corals two years ago... I still don't think I've come close to getting back the enjoyment that my reef used to give me. In fact a lot of people give up the hobby when that happens.

Just be prepared and you'll be okay.
 
reefarchitect54

reefarchitect54

Member
I do have a battery powered pump that has an air line I can put in the tank if the power goes out. Is that enough... An if so your saying I could probably do at least 2.5 to 3 inchs per gallon... I just want things to be right... Ive heard alot of different things out there... Thanks for clearing that up for me...
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
No! Do not stock that much. You could get away with 2.5 or 3 inches per 5 gallons once the tank is well established and if you are very serious about maintentance but not 3 inches per gallon. That is a recipe for disaster for sure,
 
reefarchitect54

reefarchitect54

Member
So what should i do about my likke chromis??? I guess I will have to get ride of two eventually and make room for other fish... I hope they will be ok just three... Thanks Lynn
 
reefarchitect54

reefarchitect54

Member
I do agree that 1" per Gallon is the way I will go... Unfortunately I had an accident this morning and lost on of my green chromis... I came down to find only four little guys swimming around. I looked all over and after about 1 hour of searching I found the little guy wrapped around the inlet to the power head... I’m wondering if he got to close and got sucked right on and just could not get off the inlet... He was the smallest of the bunch so he had the least chance of survival in that situation... So know I’m back down 2" on my fish limit... I will just plan accordingly to save room for another fish rather than getting another chromis.. It’s sad but I guess its the circle of life... Thanks to everyone for your great comments...
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear about the chromis. That really stinks.
I am hoping it is a typo when you say 1 inch per gallon. It shoudl be 1 inch per 5 gallons particularly in a new tank.
 
reefarchitect54

reefarchitect54

Member
yeah that was a typo... 1" per 5 Gallons.. I was going to replace the chromis but I think I'll just wait and save the 2" for something else... Thanks
 
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