How many fish can I keep in a 60 gallon tank??

[Edgar Newbie]

Hello folks! I've got a 60 gallon tank with live rock/live sand. A Fluval hang on filter rated for up to to 70gallons, and will be getting a skimmer before adding more fish.
Tank Currently has 3 Small Damsels and 2 small clowns. HOW MANY fish can I add max?? I plan on adding 3-4 more fish perhaps a small Blue Tang, a Dottyback, and goby etc. Any recommendation? I know Tangs need bigger tanks but I will keep them till they outgrow tank.

 

[Snookin]

It all depends on the type of fish and your set up....
But, I foresee a lot of problems in your tank from those pictures besides what fish to add. You need more than that HOB filter ASAP like more powerheads for increased flow just to start. Not having a sump is going to be a problem. You are going to probably want to run GFO too if phosphates become an issue. With that live rock set up like a wall you will have a lot of detritus build up in areas since you have limited flow. Get rid of the damsels...they will get aggressive. Don't get tangs your tank is too small. I assume you are on a budget but diatoms are going to get worse and expect bad cyano soon with the low flow you currently have. That is a very basic set up and it has a low chance of being successful long term as it is now. Please do some research before adding more fish because even with a FOWLR you will likely run into multiple issues.

 

[JennyGutt]

I have a 65 gall. Started out with hob filter 2 of them. Got a sump within 5 mnths. So glad i did. Started running the gfo too. I have 1 foxface, 1 coral beauty, and 2 clowns currently. I want to add a flame angel but im afraid of upsetting the system cause its finally all working after 1 year of hard going. But thats what all i have now snd it seems to be working great.

 

[JennyGutt]

Also added powerheads, ato, and skimmer pretty quickly. I learned most things people say u can do without you just end up getting cause it saves a lot of headache but i got it a little at a time cAuse it ain't cheap...lol

 

[Edgar Newbie]

It all depends on the type of fish and your set up....
But, I foresee a lot of problems in your tank from those pictures besides what fish to add. You need more than that HOB filter ASAP like more powerheads for increased flow just to start. Not having a sump is going to be a problem. You are going to probably want to run GFO too if phosphates become an issue. With that live rock set up like a wall you will have a lot of detritus build up in areas since you have limited flow. Get rid of the damsels...they will get aggressive. Don't get tangs your tank is too small. I assume you are on a budget but diatoms are going to get worse and expect bad cyano soon with the low flow you currently have. That is a very basic set up and it has a low chance of being successful long term as it is now. Please do some research before adding more fish because even with a FOWLR you will likely run into multiple issues.

What will powerheads do for my tank? How many powerheads should I get? How about a second hang on filter?
What is GFO and what do phosphates do to tank?
What about getting a "clean up crew" for Diatoms/algae?

Thanks!

 

[Jason mack]

Also added powerheads, ato, and skimmer pretty quickly. I learned most things people say u can do without you just end up getting cause it saves a lot of headache but i got it a little at a time cAuse it ain't cheap...lol

It's the way I started as well .. but it's just a long learning curve .. we all take different paths ,

 

[willthethrill]

What will powerheads do for my tank? How many powerheads should I get? How about a second hang on filter?
What is GFO and what do phosphates do to tank?
What about getting a "clean up crew" for Diatoms/algae?

Thanks!

Without powerheads moving your water around and stirring up detritus into the water column, it will just sit there and cause your tank to build up real ugly cyano and algae in these dead flow areas. Check out bulkreefsupply or marinedepot and look at the different power heads and their respective tank size recommendations.

I'd move away from Hang on back filters completely with a tank that big. Put it to you this way, I use a 70g hob filter on my 20g quarantine tank. In this hobby, it's always better to get a size or two bigger than what the manufacture "recommends". Plus, your live rock is providing your biological filtration. Unless youre using that HOB filter for stuffing in filter floss or carbon it's serving no purpose and either way, its certainly not moving enough water.

GFO is granular ferric oxide. It's a media that is used to remove phosphates from your water. Either in a reactor or in a little baggy in a high flow area (like an HOB filter). Phosphates are what causes nasty algae in people's tanks. Light+phosphates=algae. Those diatoms happen with all new tanks. It will eventually go away. Keep up with your water changes to remove nitrates and phosphates.

Add a clean up crew slowly. Don't buy 100 snails like some of these websites say. Add a few add a time and see if they are doing a good enough job. Add more as needed. If you add so many all at once, sure they'll clean everything up, but then start dying because the food source is gone. All about balance.

And one final thing, go easy with stocking the tank so quick. You need to let the tanks biological filtration catch up to the amount of waste produced by the livestock. Other wise you'll get ammonia spikes. There are already 5 fish in the system and your tank is still going through its diatom phase. Slow and steady wins the race in this case especially[emoji108].

 

[glb]

I agree with all the advice here. I'd do a lot of research on tank chemistry to understand why you need more filtration. Make sure you have good testing kits for Nitrates and Phosphates. You don't want those to get too high. You also need to monitor pH, temp and salinity. I recommend a digital ph monitor and a refractometer for salinity. It's much easier to keep a tank stable than fix it if something goes wrong. I'd definitely do a sump. It will save you a ton of headaches in the future. Ask a lot of questions here. We all want to help!!

 

[jenreefer]

Hello folks! I've got a 60 gallon tank with live rock/live sand. A Fluval hang on filter rated for up to to 70gallons, and will be getting a skimmer before adding more fish.
Tank Currently has 3 Small Damsels and 2 small clowns. HOW MANY fish can I add max?? I plan on adding 3-4 more fish perhaps a small Blue Tang, a Dottyback, and goby etc. Any recommendation? I know Tangs need bigger tanks but I will keep them till they outgrow tank.

Welcome to Reef2Reef. You have come to the right place. The amount of knowledge on this site will keep you reading for years. Go to the forum main page and look at each category. At the top of each section there will be some sticky threads (meaning they stay at the top). These will be the place to start with your education.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/new-to-saltwater-reef-aquariums-post-here.130/

here is the link to the "new to saltwater aquariums" topic. You will see at the top all the great information that will help with your questions. I still go here first when I have an issue or question because most of the time I will find the answer here.

More information about your tank would be helpful in helping you decide how to proceed. Also, reading up on types of fish and suitable tank mates will help you decide what type of fish you can successfully keep together in different size tanks.

I will say that 60 gallons (my tank size also) is pretty small when it comes to saltwater fish. I have had to think and rethink my choice in fish several times. I am currently at 6 fish and thinking that I am near capacity. All six are smaller sized fish (clownfish and wrasse).

Those yellow tailed damsels are great for a new tank because they are tough little buggers. After you have some experience and the tank has matured, you will likely want to return them to the local fish shop. They are aggressive and likely will beat up on other tank inhabitants.

Again, welcome

Jen

 

[miyags]

I think you could add about 3 to 4 more small fish. And I mean small,as in smaller than the clowns. How old is your set-up?. Do you QT your fish?

 

[govolsguy31]

+1 to all this.

I started my tank with two 4-stripe damsels. Worst move I've made. They're complete jerks. I later added a Foxface three or four times their size (granted, a peaceful fish, but most do well with semi-aggressive tanks due to the fact their venomous). Those damsels kept him in a corner of the tank and scared out of his mind. I removed one of them and took it back to the local store. I hoped it would get better only having one... it didn't. Fast-forward several weeks and I added 2 small oc. clowns. As soon as I put the two clowns in the tank, they both were attacked. The damsel hit one of the clowns so hard it audibly squealed in the tank. For a second time, I had to tear all my rock work down to catch the pain in the neck. Needless to say, I won't be adding damsels to my tank(s) again any time soon, if ever.

I do things quicker than most will recommend on this site. However, I spend hours reading about issues people had, mistakes they made, what works together and what doesn't, etc. I'm religious about water changes and I test almost every day. You have to have good flow and you have to keep the tank stable, especially if you ever plan to add any coral to this setup. Jebao power heads are cheap and work decently. You can do this hobby on a budget; watch for people selling equipment on here, on Craigslist or on a local forum site (Richmond, VA for me).

All this to say, think things through and do your research. There's nothing worse than spending $80 on a new fish only for your $4 damsel to eat it's fins off and it be dead in two days.

 

[USMC4Life]

Do you have water testing kits? Get a sump. If you can't afford a sump get at least an oversized canister filter. If your tank is 60 gallons the. Get a canister that is rated for 100 gallons or more. This is not an ideal solution but it will bridge you till you can save $$ for a good sump, skimmer and all that that comes with having a sump. Until you have filtration that is adequate do not add more fish because you will end up flushing them. If you want help let me know.

 

[PatW]

The only tang that might do ok in a 60 gallon is a Kole Tang or another member of the same genus. Even then, 60 gallons is a stretch. With tangs, the more space the better.

Your yellow tailed damsels are supposed to be one of the most placid of the damsels which is not saying much. Damsels tend to be mindlessly aggressive. You can plan on probably getting rid of them and put in more placid fish, or you could go with aggressive fish like other damsels. There are a pot load of appealing damsels. They just are not advised because they only really work in tanks with other really aggressive fish. Also, damsels have the tendency of looking great as juveniles and getting dull with age.

You could get any number of small fish: reef safe wrasses, dart fish, blennies, gobies are all good.

You could also drill your current tank on the side glass and put in a overflow and add a sump. Sumps tend to be the best long term solution. They put everything below or out of the way. They tend to give you space for reactors, skimmers, heaters and whatever else your heart desires. But it is hard to back fit a tank.

Good luck.

 

[Edgar Newbie]

Welcome to Reef2Reef. You have come to the right place. The amount of knowledge on this site will keep you reading for years. Go to the forum main page and look at each category. At the top of each section there will be some sticky threads (meaning they stay at the top). These will be the place to start with your education.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/new-to-saltwater-reef-aquariums-post-here.130/

here is the link to the "new to saltwater aquariums" topic. You will see at the top all the great information that will help with your questions. I still go here first when I have an issue or question because most of the time I will find the answer here.

More information about your tank would be helpful in helping you decide how to proceed. Also, reading up on types of fish and suitable tank mates will help you decide what type of fish you can successfully keep together in different size tanks.

I will say that 60 gallons (my tank size also) is pretty small when it comes to saltwater fish. I have had to think and rethink my choice in fish several times. I am currently at 6 fish and thinking that I am near capacity. All six are smaller sized fish (clownfish and wrasse).

Those yellow tailed damsels are great for a new tank because they are tough little buggers. After you have some experience and the tank has matured, you will likely want to return them to the local fish shop. They are aggressive and likely will beat up on other tank inhabitants.

Again, welcome

Jen

Thank you, I take everyone's advice seriously and implement it as best I can considering I have a lot to learn.

 

[Edgar Newbie]

Welcome to Reef2Reef. You have come to the right place. The amount of knowledge on this site will keep you reading for years. Go to the forum main page and look at each category. At the top of each section there will be some sticky threads (meaning they stay at the top). These will be the place to start with your education.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/new-to-saltwater-reef-aquariums-post-here.130/

here is the link to the "new to saltwater aquariums" topic. You will see at the top all the great information that will help with your questions. I still go here first when I have an issue or question because most of the time I will find the answer here.

More information about your tank would be helpful in helping you decide how to proceed. Also, reading up on types of fish and suitable tank mates will help you decide what type of fish you can successfully keep together in different size tanks.

I will say that 60 gallons (my tank size also) is pretty small when it comes to saltwater fish. I have had to think and rethink my choice in fish several times. I am currently at 6 fish and thinking that I am near capacity. All six are smaller sized fish (clownfish and wrasse).

Those yellow tailed damsels are great for a new tank because they are tough little buggers. After you have some experience and the tank has matured, you will likely want to return them to the local fish shop. They are aggressive and likely will beat up on other tank inhabitants.

Again, welcome

Jen

M

Without powerheads moving your water around and stirring up detritus into the water column, it will just sit there and cause your tank to build up real ugly cyano and algae in these dead flow areas. Check out bulkreefsupply or marinedepot and look at the different power heads and their respective tank size recommendations.

I'd move away from Hang on back filters completely with a tank that big. Put it to you this way, I use a 70g hob filter on my 20g quarantine tank. In this hobby, it's always better to get a size or two bigger than what the manufacture "recommends". Plus, your live rock is providing your biological filtration. Unless youre using that HOB filter for stuffing in filter floss or carbon it's serving no purpose and either way, its certainly not moving enough water.

GFO is granular ferric oxide. It's a media that is used to remove phosphates from your water. Either in a reactor or in a little baggy in a high flow area (like an HOB filter). Phosphates are what causes nasty algae in people's tanks. Light+phosphates=algae. Those diatoms happen with all new tanks. It will eventually go away. Keep up with your water changes to remove nitrates and phosphates.

Add a clean up crew slowly. Don't buy 100 snails like some of these websites say. Add a few add a time and see if they are doing a good enough job. Add more as needed. If you add so many all at once, sure they'll clean everything up, but then start dying because the food source is gone. All about balance.

And one final thing, go easy with stocking the tank so quick. You need to let the tanks biological filtration catch up to the amount of waste produced by the livestock. Other wise you'll get ammonia spikes. There are already 5 fish in the system and your tank is still going through its diatom phase. Slow and steady wins the race in this case especially[emoji108].

Do you have water testing kits? Get a sump. If you can't afford a sump get at least an oversized canister filter. If your tank is 60 gallons the. Get a canister that is rated for 100 gallons or more. This is not an ideal solution but it will bridge you till you can save $$ for a good sump, skimmer and all that that comes with having a sump. Until you have filtration that is adequate do not add more fish because you will end up flushing them. If you want help let me know.

Thank you, I will be getting a Skimmer before adding for more fish, I do have a kit it's a Salt Water Master kit from API Marine. When I checked ammonia, and nitrite was at 0. Nitrate was at 5ppm if I was reading the color correctly. Are you saying a cannister in addition to the current hang on filter and a skimmer will be ok? Thx

 

[Edgar Newbie]

+1 to all this.

I started my tank with two 4-stripe damsels. Worst move I've made. They're complete jerks. I later added a Foxface three or four times their size (granted, a peaceful fish, but most do well with semi-aggressive tanks due to the fact their venomous). Those damsels kept him in a corner of the tank and scared out of his mind. I removed one of them and took it back to the local store. I hoped it would get better only having one... it didn't. Fast-forward several weeks and I added 2 small oc. clowns. As soon as I put the two clowns in the tank, they both were attacked. The damsel hit one of the clowns so hard it audibly squealed in the tank. For a second time, I had to tear all my rock work down to catch the pain in the neck. Needless to say, I won't be adding damsels to my tank(s) again any time soon, if ever.

I do things quicker than most will recommend on this site. However, I spend hours reading about issues people had, mistakes they made, what works together and what doesn't, etc. I'm religious about water changes and I test almost every day. You have to have good flow and you have to keep the tank stable, especially if you ever plan to add any coral to this setup. Jebao power heads are cheap and work decently. You can do this hobby on a budget; watch for people selling equipment on here, on Craigslist or on a local forum site (Richmond, VA for me).

All this to say, think things through and do your research. There's nothing worse than spending $80 on a new fish only for your $4 damsel to eat it's fins off and it be dead in two days.

Thanks

 

[jenreefer]

You can make your current setup work, but you may want to read about the modifications people use in the cannister filters to adapt them to todays tanks.

Yes, you can use a skimmer along with a cannister filter, in fact, if I had to choose between two pieces of equipment, the skimmer would come first.

The more accurate test kits come from Salifert and Red Sea. API is minimally accurate, but better than nothing. Do check the expiration dates on all test kits, because it is the one time that expiration dates actually matter. Expired test kits are worthless, giving largely erroneous reading.

As you get farther into the hobby, you will start reading about sumps and equipment and setups and well, you get it. There are as many different setups and successful tanks as there are types of beer. I have seen successful tanks with cannister filters if they are used properly. Just make sure you are not going long periods between cleanings as they become nitrate factories and actually do more harm than good.

 

[USMC4Life]

I am running two canisters, one is rated for 80 gallons and the other is rated for 120. I use bio media, floss and PhosGuard in one. The other is floss, Purigen and Boyd Enterprises Chemi-Pure Blue Filtration Media. As well as a small reactor for additional media like phosguard if I think it needs it. You also have to think if you want corals as well, that will dictate the parameters even more. The thing about canisters is that they can be a haven for detritus and phosphates and other stuff you may not want. And that requires more maintenance. Hope this helps.

 

[Edgar Newbie]

I am running two canisters, one is rated for 80 gallons and the other is rated for 120. I use bio media, floss and PhosGuard in one. The other is floss, Purigen and Boyd Enterprises Chemi-Pure Blue Filtration Media. As well as a small reactor for additional media like phosguard if I think it needs it. You also have to think if you want corals as well, that will dictate the parameters even more. The thing about canisters is that they can be a haven for detritus and phosphates and other stuff you may not want. And that requires more maintenance. Hope this helps.

What is media, floss and phosguard? I don't think I plan on getting corals. My goal is to have plenty of nice looking fish in there with the live rock. Do you think just the skimmer, powerhead and a cannister down the road will do? How many powerheads?(Guy at the store said powerheads cause an electrical current he said he didn't use them)

 

[USMC4Life]

What is media, floss and phosguard? I don't think I plan on getting corals. My goal is to have plenty of nice looking fish in there with the live rock. Do you think just the skimmer, powerhead and a cannister down the road will do? How many powerheads?(Guy at the store said powerheads cause an electrical current he said he didn't use them)

I would say still have all of that because it cuts down on problems with water quality. As for the power heads if they are cheap they will have induced current at times in the tank. I have one and when it went bad it did have induced current. Easy fix. As for the other stuff you want to have as clean of water as you can for fish just to make life easier.

Just so you know any pump will have some induced current in the system.