just getting started

[Bigdog]

hello reefers well im starting out small(5.5gl.)but in 1 yr. im thinking about up grading to a 55 or 75 any thoughts or ideas are welcome and needed

 

[Nate82]

honestly 5.5 might be a little too small i love my 15 at least go 10 just because the less water the more work

 

[Nate82]

or if you went with a 20 or a 30 gallon tank you could keep it for a sump when you upgrade... just my opinion though

 

[dan10342]

my first suggestion is... start with the 55 or 75. all the small equipment used on the 5.5 (e.g lighting) will be useless when u upgrade.. thus its a waste of money.

secondly, a 5.5 isnt very forgiving when it comes to water chemistry. small isnt always easier. its just cheaper. and if everything dies from a small mistake... i guess it isnt really cheaper after all.

initially, the investment for a 55/75 is larger. much larger. however, it will save u the hassle of "upgrading" later.

 

[Bigdog]

i know itll be alot harder but if i can manage a 5.5 a 55 should be easy im looking for harder i love this hobby so much that the work is half the fun my tank is 3 weeks old and already my water quality is pretty good heres my specs 5.5gl 20 watt compact 2 15 gl. hang filters 8lb. live rock(cured)5lb. live sand NO3-20 NO2-0.5 ph-7.5 KH-100 any ideas on livestock was thinkig zoas & mushrooms

 

[oceanparadise1]

its going to be SO much harder in a 5.5 verus a 55 save ur self the head ach now and just go at least 75 to be honest 55 is not a good footprint to start off with 75 is much better

 

[dan10342]

PH is low. and there should be no ammonia or nitrite. @ three weeks old, you might want to wait a bit longer before adding corals. and my suggestion for a first coral (trying not to start a war) would be a kenya tree. these things are very hardy. but mushrooms would be good starters too, as well as Green Star Polyps.

 

[oceanparadise1]

yea i agree i would wait untill the para get down to next to nothing

 

[dan10342]

and shoot for a Ph of at least 7.9. i think above 8 would be more ideal tho. 7.5 is quite low however, and might be due to (high nitrate??... low oxygen??). i really dont know. haha

 

[Bigdog]

im thinking of waiting atleast 8to10 weeks to be safe till then ill test my water daily its been my belief patience pays off in the end i love trees how hard are they ? will i have enough light?

 

[oceanparadise1]

o yea they are impos to kill LOL i would not test everyday that gest costly test once a week for now

 

[Nate82]

trees? do you mean SPS? and i admire your courage definitely go with zoas and some cool rics and maybe a cleaner shrimp

 

[Nate82]

oh kenya trees? yea man easy as can be most ppl will jsut give them to you too they grow like weeds

 

[dan10342]

ive had a kenya tree live in my sump without light for months. it was bleached white... but as soon as it went back in the display tank... it got color back. (but then i kalk blasted it.. and then it died)

 

[Nate82]

be careful of a kenya in such a small tank i feel like it could take over with relative ease

 

[dan10342]

they reprodue by dropping babie. and if they drop babies onto the sand... they should be easily removed. unlike some of the corals that "stick" like shrooms, GSP or zoas.

 

[dan10342]

*reproduce *baby

 

[oceanparadise1]

kenya are cool until u relieze its a kenya lol