I need help

funkpolice

Active Member
Hi everyone. I just started my first tank a couple months ago, and this is what I have so far.
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Please give me suggestions, I'd like a really cool tank some day.
thanks, bill
 

Dentoid

Smile Maker
PREMIUM
Looks good so far Bill! It appears that you have an adequate amount of LR. What kind of lighting are you running?
 

funkpolice

Active Member
My lighting is two 65watt 50/50 power compacts, and two 15watt flourescents, for a total of 160. I'm thinking of upgrading to MH, but I don't have anywere to mount them, and they are expensive.
I think it looks pretty good so far, but I want more purple alge, and more colorfull corals. Is there anything for a begginer aquarium keeper that is blue, or maybe a bright yellow?
 

funkpolice

Active Member
I don't have an anenome. Thats a torch coral, sorry I don't know the scientific name off hand, but I do have it written down somewhere, I'll post it later. I did buy it in hopes of my clown fish hosting in it, but he hasn't.
bill
 

funkpolice

Active Member
I'm looking for suggestions that will add lots of color, but are still managable for a newcomer to the hobby. Alot of the coral I see is brown or green. It seems anything with color is for advanced stewards of the reef.
Also I'm thinking about creating an arch, of maybe a cliff out of live rock. I think my tank looks like a store shelf now.
I would really like a mandarin fish, but I already have two fish, and I don't want to affect the coral negatively. I also don't know what a "pod" is. I gather thats what mandarins eat, and I'm not sure I have any.
:rougiem: bill
 

funkpolice

Active Member
I would also like help hiding all my unsightly equipment. I've tried building up the rocks around the koalis, but I had to move them in order to get the current I wanted. How do you attach the backgrounds that come off a roll at the pet store. I want a black back, but I don't want to glue it to my tank.
thanks
bill
 

michael_cb_125

Well-Known Member
The easiest way to add color is with zoanthids. They have some awesome colors. With PC lighing you are extremely limited to what you can keep. Many of the brighter colored corals will live under your system but will lose thier vibrant coloration. Red, and lue mushrooms are easy enough, and they have very bright colors. Only problem is they may darken a little bit under the PC lights.
You tank looks great.
~Michael
 

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
You just need to give it time and slowly build up the tank. Your lights will certainly be a limiting factor but mushrooms, zoas and leathers ought to be fine. Check out some of our sponsors. Many of them sell corals and you will have a larger variety to chose from than at the local lfs.
 

funkpolice

Active Member
What are some good lighting options for a 55 gal. tank that would support vibrantly colored corals? I was looking into a fixture that had 2 150w mh, two purple bulbs, some blue leds, and a fan. It was kind of pricy and I'm not sure how to suspend it over my tank. Are there any other kinds of lights besides the MH. From what I gather they cause issues with water temp. If it takes 800$ worth of lights to have a beautifull tank, thats what I'm gonna have to do. Man, my wife is gonna kill me!
bill
 

rmlevasseur

Active Member
I think some rock work that went above the midway point would look nice. Try Starboard for the background. Its the stuff they make signs out of.

I'd upgrade the lighting before buying more animals.

Pods are just short for copepods, i.e. plankton. They develop in a mature system and is the primary diet of the mandarin. W/O enough pods the mandarins don't last long. I'd wait at lead a year to establish the tank before adding one.

Get the rock how you like it, upgrade the lights and go from there. You have a great start.
 

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
What are some good lighting options for a 55 gal. tank that would support vibrantly colored corals? I was looking into a fixture that had 2 150w mh, two purple bulbs, some blue leds, and a fan. It was kind of pricy and I'm not sure how to suspend it over my tank. Are there any other kinds of lights besides the MH. From what I gather they cause issues with water temp. If it takes 800$ worth of lights to have a beautifull tank, thats what I'm gonna have to do. Man, my wife is gonna kill me!
bill

If you plan on keeping high light corals, clams, or anemones then you really need either LED, MH or T5s with individual reflectors.
LEDs are the most expensive but put off very little heat and they save you a lot of money in electricity and bulbs as well as keeping the tank cooler than other lighting options.
MH are next. Very bright lights but also very hot. Often you will need a chiller or at least fans to keep the water at an acceptable temp with these lights. The bulbs are also pricey and they pull quite a bit of electricity.
T5 are lower lighting but can be great if you get a fixture with a number of bulbs with individual reflectors. These lighs are not as strong as LED or MH but can be bright enough in the right circumstances. They are less expensive and run cooler than MH.
Hope that helps some on the lighting. Lighting is definitely one of if not the most expensive part of the hobby.
 

burning2nd

Well-Known Member
MY HELP would include trying a blue or black backround....
imo.


you tank looks good man, just keep 2 what you know that keeps your guys alive... and water change water change water change...

keep it up

you dont need help just read.
 
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