55 gal to Nano?

[ASH556]

Hi all, I'm new to the site, and from some Google reading, this seems like a solid place to get some info.  10 years ago I got into my first saltwater aquarium with a 55 gallon setup.  Unfortunately, this has been a hobby that comes and goes for me.  From day 1, I got bad advice from a local shop and after spending over $1,000 getting setup, my tank crashed in 3-4 months.  That store quickly went out of business, I found another (seemingly better) local store and started over.  The tank crashed again (huge black algae takeover) and that store also went out of business.  Since then, I've just been coasting along with no corals, no lights, and my lone Percula who has, remarkably, survived all along since the beginning.  

 

My current setup is a 55 gallon that's a little deeper front to back, so not as long as some.  I have a Current USA Sunpod light that doesn't work anymore.  A Marineland Cannister filter, Protein skimmer, some powerheads, and a heater.  I think roughly 30-40lb live rock (really not sure without taking it out and weighing).  

 

Since I only have the one Percula and since I now have 2 kids (3rd due in 6 weeks) and life has changed, I'm thinking I'd like to ditch the 55 gal setup and go with a Nano Cube for simplicity and space savings.  

 

Here are my questions:

What's the minimum recommended size for my Percula (about 2.5"-3") for a Nano Cube?

How much live rock do I need to keep?

Keep the sand as well or start over?

Is there any re-sale value to my current equipment?  Craigslist?

I might like to add 1-2 simple corals/inverts (I like Feather Dusters) and some snails/shrimp.

 

I'm in Atlanta, GA Metro area if anyone can recommend any local resources.

 

Thanks for the help and input!

 

-Josh

[RIP Sebastian]

 

Hi @ASH556,

 

Welcome to N-R! Congrats on the baby.

For your perc, you could do a 10 gallon. Personally though, 10 gallons just isn't enough reef! Rule of thumb for LR is about 1 pound/gallon. You can do more or less, though. If I were you, I'd go with new sand. Less detritus. For your current setup, I think maybe two or three hundred dollars is a good resale value. Snails/crabs are great for managing algae and detritus. Feather dusters, in my experience, are pretty easy to care for. Research, Research, Research!

 

Nick

 

[Clown79]

Welcome and so sorry to hear you've had a hard time with the first 2 attempts but its great you haven't given up! We can help you get in the right direction with your newset up from maintenance, testing,  etc.

 

I started with a 55g reef and now i have a 15g and 10g which i prefer and find more enjoyable.

 

You could do a 10g with your clown but honestly a 15g or 20g would be perfect.

With either option you could add another clown(smaller than your current clown) and a goby. That being said, you could do a 10g with just the clown, add a shrimp, some inverts and corals. 

Its really whats best for you and your situation.

 

I would advise using new livesand, it gives you a new start. The old sand will be full of crap.

 

You will want to keep 10-20lbs of your rock depending on tank size you go with.

 

You can either get an all in one which allows you to ditch the filter and hide everything in the back chambers or a standard tank and use your filter or go with a hang on filter. 

 

Depending on what tank you choose and budget there are various options for lighting. We can help you once you decide on what tank you are getting.

 

The switch over will be fairly easy.

 

Syphon some water from 55g into buckets. Don't disturb the sand.

 

Take your chosen rock out, place in new tank, then add the new livesand, then   add the water  to the new tank, add your fish, powerheads and heater.

 

Keep some seachem prime on hand in case of a small spike in ammonia.

 

 

[Steve H]

Went from a 55g to the next generation Nano Cube24 about a year ago. For live rock, I went 1.5 lb.s per gallon. Tank cycled in a month, did not add fish until 3 mos. The new LED lighting is great, all self contained. Easy to maintain, I do a 4g water change and change out charcoal and rinse sponge once a month. Added corals a month ago and they are growing and thriving. My fire shrimp added 9 mos ago is twice his size, clown and cardinal growing well. Easy, looks good, much less work!

[SeaFurn]

Where at in Atlanta?  I'm in the northern suburbs.