Overload?

[gotteeguy]

I have a mature 6 month old 55 gallon reef tank.

Inhabitants:
1 juvenile blue spot (naso?) tang
(Don't worry, I'm upgrading to a bigger tank in March)
2 peppermint shrimp
1 arrow crab with no claws (a wrasse tore it to bits but its still alive after 3 weeks)
1 small hammer coral frag
1 small zooanthid frag
1 mangrove tree bud

Filtration:
1 corallife skimmer
1 aquaclear 110 filter
1 UV sterilizer
1 heater
2 powerheads
40 lbs LR
15 lbs small-grain LS

Just some background info.
Anyway, someone in my neighborhood is taking down their 225 gallon reef. And giving the fish to good homes for FREE!
We were the second people to get there. The powder blue tang, six lined wrasse, both anthias, 1 percula clown with its host coral, and some hermits and snails were all reserved from the first person.
What were left unreserved was just about 10 trillion blue/green chromis, 1 unicorn tang, 1 yellow eye tang, 2 mated pairs of percula clowns (with a host carpet anemone) 1 giant frogspawn coral, some big leather corals, brown polyps of some type, 1 golden head sleeper, 1 purple firefish or dartfish, 1 gold-spotted spinefoot, and 1 tube anemone.
I went ahead and reserved the 2 mated pairs of clownfish along with the carpet anemone, the firefish or dartfish, 5 chromis, the huge frogspawn coral, and the yellow eye tang.
I didn't want to act real greedy so I left the rest unreserved.
The time scheduled to pick up the livestock is in 2 days.
Will all these fish and corals I reserved overload my mature tank and spike up the ammonia and nitrite?
Should I add some livestock to the big tank and some to my hospital tank, wait a week, and then put the fish from the hospital tank into the big one?

 

[seffieuk]

I have a mature 6 month old 55 gallon reef tank.

sorry i need to think in litres, 250

Inhabitants:
1 juvenile blue spot (naso?) tang
(Don't worry, I'm upgrading to a bigger tank in March)

ok


I went ahead and reserved the 2 mated pairs of clownfish along with the carpet anemone,

your tank isn't big enough to keep two mated pairs of clowns, sorry. Do you have adequate lighting for the Nem?

the firefish or dartfish

yep fine

5 chromis

if they are smalll and you intend moving them to the larger tank

the huge frogspawn coral

Lovely

and the yellow eye tang.

Tank not big enough


Will all these fish and corals I reserved overload my mature tank and spike up the ammonia and nitrite?

Yes

Should I add some livestock to the big tank and some to my hospital tank, wait a week, and then put the fish from the hospital tank into the big one?

If it were me, I would add the hammer and the firefish, then the clowns and then the chromis, so yes - put some in your qt tank

Seffie x

 

[gotteeguy]

Yeah, I forgot to mention, T5 lighting with 2 actinic bulbs.
I've saved just about enough for a 100 gallon, uh, 380 liter, tank. I'm saving up for bigger though.
If you were thinking that the carpet anemone was big, it isn't. It's only about 8 inches in diameter.

 

[gotteeguy]

Oh wow sorry, I meant 1 pair of perculas. Which equals 2 fish.

 

[gotteeguy]

OK, I've got this figured out. So, tomorrow I am getting the fish:

3 blue/green chromis (giving my friend two of them)
1 pair of perculas
1 host carpet anemone(small)
1 purple firefish or dartfish
1 huge frogspawn coral
1 yellow eye tang

I will add the yellow eye tang with the frogspawn coral first. I will put the 3 chromis and the firefish goby in 10 gallon QT tank #1. I will put the perculas and the carpet anemone in QT tank #2. After a few days, add in the carpet anemone. Wait 4 days, then add in both percs. Then wait 5 days and then add in the chromis. Wait 1 more day, then put in the firefish/dartfish.

 

[ben1987]

how many T5 tubes do you have? how many white ones? do they each have their own reflector?

 

[gotteeguy]

how many T5 tubes do you have? how many white ones? do they each have their own reflector?

2 tubes. 18,000 k each. Both are white. They didn't have blue actinic in stock for another month. Yes, there is one big reflector. The only problem is salt buildup.

 

[ben1987]

thats not enough to keep an anenome. On a good unit each tube has its own reflector rather than all under one. You would need to upgrade the lights before adding any nem

 

[gotteeguy]

thats not enough to keep an anenome. On a good unit each tube has its own reflector rather than all under one. You would need to upgrade the lights before adding any nem

Oh ugh...what part do I have to upgrade; the reflectors, bulbs, or the whole thing?

I thought 10,000 K bulbs were enough to start a reef...

Both bulbs are 181 lux, 1500 lumen, whatever those are. I couldn't find any wattage though.

 

[ben1987]

two 10k tubes would be ok for very basic softies. No chance with an anenome though.

Depending on the depth of the tank, you would need to upgrade the whole thing for something like a 6 tube unit each with their own reflector. If its quite shallow you may get away with 4.

 

[saltwaterfanatic]

two 10k tubes would be ok for very basic softies. No chance with an anenome though.

Depending on the depth of the tank, you would need to upgrade the whole thing for something like a 6 tube unit each with their own reflector. If its quite shallow you may get away with 4.

ok gotteeguy is my friend we both live in florida he has a t5 lighting with 2 white bulbs 16k each he is not listening to me i told him the anenome will die and kill all his fish because he doesnt have sufficient lighting but he says its fine my tank is only 2 feet deep and he means if ur tank is really deep then it will die and i KNOW the people who gave us free fish not him and the firefish and 2 chromis are mine i asked 4 1 purple firefish 5 chromis and a yellow eye tang and i gave him the yellow eye tang and the firefish for now for wen i cycle my tank i will not take the yellow eye tang and also he asked 4 a frogspawn and 2 clownfish with the anenome they hosted and ya so um is he right about the anenome depth being ok with 2 bulbs? he wont listen to me!

 

[ben1987]

No chance at 2 foot. 2 foot is about the maximum depth a T5 can penetrate to with and real amounf of light. The anenome will probably walk up the rockwork to the highest point in the search for light and slowly die.

 

[seffieuk]

I agree with Ben, the nem will walk aimlessly round the tank looking for a brighter place to live. if you have corals it will kill them on the way round the tank and if you have powerheads it will probably end up stuck in there and smashed to pieces. The only chance you have is by making a cave at the very top of the tank and putting him in there - but unfortunatley he is a carpet anemone and they like to be on the bottom of the tank with their foot partly in the sand and partly on rockwork. I suppose you could try making a cave with sand in, its got to be worth a try now that he is in your tank and you can't take him back. However if it were me I would try finding him a suitable home.

If it goes awfully wrong and you end up with a dead nem, do a very large water change asap - good to run activated carbon as well. I expect you will feel real bad though as you realise the nem shouldn't be in your tank.

Seffie x

 

[saltwaterfanatic]

I agree with Ben, the nem will walk aimlessly round the tank looking for a brighter place to live. if you have corals it will kill them on the way round the tank and if you have powerheads it will probably end up stuck in there and smashed to pieces. The only chance you have is by making a cave at the very top of the tank and putting him in there - but unfortunatley he is a carpet anemone and they like to be on the bottom of the tank with their foot partly in the sand and partly on rockwork. I suppose you could try making a cave with sand in, its got to be worth a try now that he is in your tank and you can't take him back. However if it were me I would try finding him a suitable home.

If it goes awfully wrong and you end up with a dead nem, do a very large water change asap - good to run activated carbon as well. I expect you will feel real bad though as you realise the nem shouldn't be in your tank.

Seffie x

ya and he lied about its size it deffinetly about 1 foot in diameter at least and it was in a 225 gallon tank so ya i hope he will give it to someone who can actually take care of it ill try to convince him to give it away thanks guys!

 

[rabbut]

In a 2ft deep tank, you can consider a 250W halide minimum lighting for a carpet nem, with a 400W halide lamp being preferable. Carpets are one of the most light demanding nems going and have very high mortality rates. Also, when they are successful and thriving, they are prone to eating live and healthy fish that find their way into them - including their clownfish hosts

Unless you have a big lighting up-grade planned - with a spare £600 if buying new - I'd strongly advise leaving the nem