55 gallon stock/equip suggestions

well i got the tang and the clown back to LFS. they will hold off for two weeks max. instead of another koralia 4 i got a 2. i was going to buy the 4 but the guy at the LFS advised against it. he said it would be way to much for a 55, even a 3 would be pushing it. i was surprised because you would think most of these guys just want to make money. so now i have a hydor 4 and 2 in my 55g. its empty with just a turbo snail and 5 hermits who are all doing well as of now.

still need a confirmation on a good HOB protein skimmer. i want to make the best decision and not waste money. thanks ace for the input. i just didnt want the poor guys to croak on me overnight. no more wc until the tank is fully cycled.
 
so i was beginning to think that i had no hitchhikers what so ever but today i saw two starfish, both similar and smaller then a finger nail. i also saw a red worm with bristles along its underside. there were also a few of these small; smaller then the starfish, i want to say shrimp looking things. they curl up and have distinguishable tiny eyes and legs or bristles on their undersides.

i know pics will help. this will all come when my dorm opens up on the 20th.
 
Its good that you returned the fish.
Just keep watching ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and you'll know when the cycle is finished.
On the skimmer I would start a new thread like 'Best HOB SKimmer for a 55g', this should get you more replies. I personally think the Reef Octopus are best but if you want more opinions just start a thread.

The shrimp looking things could be amphipods, copepods or similar, good critters to have. The starfish are most likely brittle starfish, and the worm is most likely a bristleworm. Just google images those things and you'll soon know if thats what they are. Hard to know for certain without pics.
 
well all i really wanted was confirmation from you that this was the best skimmer for a 55g in your opinion. since you have given it i will give it a shot and order one.

quick question. i have been browsing picks and some of the yellow tangs im seeing are completely yellow aside from the small oval white spots where their tail begins. but on some others like the tang i used to have in my tank, they have a white streak across their body. is this damage from scraping against rocks? mine always squeezes in between rocks to get to the back of my tank.
 
I believe it is normal for yellow tangs to have a white, or whiteish, marking running along their body.

Best way to know if a colouration is a natural marking or an injury is if its on both sides in the same position its normal, if its only on one side its probably an injury.
 
The white thing you are seeing on the tangs tail is for their defense. It is actually a very sharp bone that sticks out right before their tail starts and they use that like a razor blade when fighting. A lot of tangs also have a slight discoloration under/behind their eyes, sometimes loooking like a white patch. Some tangs are actually named for that patch like the "Orange Shoulder Tang".
 
No bone--actually a modified scale, but unbelievably sharp. They live up to the name of surgeonfish. They can briefly twist the tail to cause the modified scales to stand out laterally and use them as scalpels.
 
its on both side so i guess its natural. interesting facts to know. i was reading a thread about poison squirting corals, interesting read.
 
One thing we all need in this hobby is patience. A word of advice is to take it slow. I mean, it is very exciting having a piece of the ocean in front of you (believe me, I could stay in front of the fish tank forever!) but trying to move a bit too quick could cause you to get frustated in the future and maybe even quit. I'm still new in this hobby but when I started I only wanted a freshwater tank. Then it turned out that I wanted saltwater with fish only running on a canister filter and no skimmer. Then I wanted liverock and skimmer. Then I wanted corals. Then I wanted a sump with refugium. For some reason it is kind of addicting. But my point is that it will probably take some time to decide exactly what you need and if you do it slowly it will help you so much and you will be much happier later on. Look around for equipment advice and then do more research on it. It will save you money and your fish will be even happier. Let the tank run for a while and in that time keep on doing research on equipment. Then once you get your equipment, look for the fish you want. Your fish will appreciate it. They told me. Just kidding.
Just keep on asking and this place will help you out. They have helped me a lot.

By the way, I have used the AquaC Remora Pro skimmer and it did a great job especially for the money I paid.

Good Luck.
 
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