All,
I have been reading this forum for about 3 months and am interested to see the response to my questions. I've been an active keeper of fish for about 8 years (thought I would say that since it's my first post). I've had a 55 gallon oceanic for 6 months. It's got a berlin 250 skimmer, as well as an emperor 400 and a magnum 220 polishing filter. I've got a few powerheads behind all the live rock for circulation through the little caverns they create; the damsels seem to like it. The tank always runs at 80-81 degrees F.
I have a koran angel, large and small yellow tang, 3 yellow-tail damsels.
I also have 2 domino damsels which I cannot remove, despite hours with a net and patience. They killed a clown I added (I suspected they would but tried alas), so I don't plan on adding any more fish until the damsels are all gone.
I have a large arrow crab, and a missing
horseshoe crab somewhere which I suspect crushed in the recent (and final) big rock reorganization.
This has been strictly a marine tank with 45 lbs of live rock for the last 6 months, and only has 2 40W 48" lights (one 10000k and one actinic)--however, lately I have added a coral (polyps) to see how it will do. I've built up live rock on both sides of the tank over time, and using a small power-compact 15W to expiriment in the left-top corner. I added a rock of polyps last week and they look very well it would seem. I pointed the magnum 220 at them for circulation and they seem to come out more beautifully since.
Daily, I watch all my levels of calcium, phosphates, etc. along with the usual nh4, no2, no3, ph, kh tests. Calcium is always around 450-550.
I'd like to think I'm doing something right becuase at month 4, I added a
feather duster and it was happy. I use micro-feeder solution with a surynge for feeding. After 2 weeks, it was eaten by a (short-staying/expirimental) undulated trigger, and by month 5 the duster was all grown back (trigger removed), with double the feathers. This thing is so big now, it seems like it never stops growing. No point to that stuff really; I just like that story.
What are any inputs? Do you think I will forsee any wierd or major problems? Am I doing something unheard of or am I a complete idiot? I love the diverse responses I get from people at these forums, so post away. I like criticism of all kinds and suspect both will come. I want to hear your thoughts. Remember though, I'm not trying to run seahorses here; I just want a nice looking aquarium with a few pretty fish.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Thanks in advance for the advice and time,
-Darin
CALL69@starpoint.net
UIN: 5639212
P.S. - Especially in the computer field, I see friendly web postings turn into controversial/hate posting that get into ethics and what-not. Before the aquarium pencil-necks out there start throwing hate-postings at me for expirimenting with varoius aggressive fish and inverts (which I have done knowingly) I would like to add that I am a fellow pencil-neck (computer nerd) and help run a financal company (
www.princetonfi.com), so anything you say to me is applied to the nerd masses. Proceed.
. 
