90 gal predator plans

jenajet · 07-29-2006, 06:02 PM

Finally getting my big tank. Getting the tank, sump, skimmer, mh canopy, the works. 90 gallons to be exact. So I was thinking for fish: black volitan, trigger, puffer, snowflake eel. It says these are reefsafe but no inverts. I will start with some small coral to check. Will some large stars be okay once stabilized? I am getting a refugi full of plants and pods and will keep some of the origional water. Is this too much for a 90? Let me know suggestions before I do something wrong.

thekid55 · 07-29-2006, 06:05 PM

sounds really good jena. i love puffers their like small dogs to me

zxcv123 · 07-29-2006, 06:22 PM

The eel will eat crabs snails, shrimmp, and pretty much anythig that can fit into its mouth. I had to get rid of my eel becuase it ate a clownfish and my mom didnt want an eel in her house. cool thou

webdr · 07-29-2006, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zxcv123

my mom didnt want an eel in her house.

I could sooo hear my mom saying the same thing!

Fly Guy · 07-29-2006, 06:49 PM

I disagree with the snowflake eel harming everything. I had one for over a year with a lion in a full reef with featherdusters and such. Shrimp probably wouldnt be safe though............your snails and crabs will be fine..........the only thing it ever hurt was the stability of the rocks when it would burrow. He was a cool eel with a ton of personality as far as eels go. He did eat this one hermit once but only because i took him out of his shell and fed him to him. (he was a BAD hermit crab)He readily ate frozen food too.

jenajet · 07-29-2006, 06:50 PM

yep wasn't going to get any inverts like that. The fish will be bigger than the eel if I go that rought. I like the snowflake it doesn't get too big.

Hong Kongan · 07-30-2006, 07:26 AM

When you say mh canopy you mean metal halides right? If its a fish only predator tank with a few crustaceans etc. why spend lots of money on metal halides? The fish dont really need them. Its more for corals particularly sps. If you dont plan on anything that requires high amounts of light you dont need the halides. I wouldnt keep things like sps and lps in a preadator tank. To much nutrients. Just my opinion tho.

HowardX · 07-30-2006, 07:47 AM

<<< So I was thinking for fish: black volitan, trigger, puffer, snowflake eel. >>>

Most of the triggers ( picasso, clown, undulated, rectangulatus, etc.) are not reef safe and will readily eat most any invert or anything with a shell and will pick at anything that even resembles a possible meal, in addition a good size trigger can and will re-aquascape the tank. Also some larger puffers will eat shrimps and other inverts. Also if you're going to get any eel make sure the tank is 100% covered and has plenty of hiding places, PVC tubes under the rocks work well.

Fly Guy · 07-30-2006, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hong Kongan

. I wouldnt keep things like sps and lps in a preadator tank. To much nutrients. Just my opinion tho.

LPS corals LOVE predator tanks (assuming theyre not the ones being eaten)and the extra nutrients that the carnage provides..........IMO, in the right balance of predator in a lps tank no spot feeding is ever required.......its all about finding the balance that keeps you lps fat and happy but still maintaining decent water quality. I have been keeping a bunch of lps in a BB holding tank waiting to finish MY lps/predator tank, i have totally been neglecting the tank..............there is no skimmer running and its barebottom AND i havent been siphoning it. Corals look AWESOME. Nitrates are a solid 20 and have been for the last month. They look better than when they were in my more sterile display tank with perfect water........or should i say..."perfect for sps" water.

Funny thing about corals is just how individually releveant "looking good " is. I thought my LPS looked good when they were in my display but now that i have put them all in a "dirty" system............i realized that they didnt look as good as i thought they did before.........

Hong Kongan · 07-30-2006, 11:53 PM

Sorry i meant just sps.....

jenajet · 07-31-2006, 12:07 AM

I will have some corals in the tank plus the tank already has mh. So quess the trigger is out. I won't be putting any crabs or shrimp unless they are meant to be a meal. What is another fish that would work? I saw a yellow eyed tang. How about that?

dobejazz · 07-31-2006, 08:07 AM

Kole tangs are cool ! Why did you decide against the trigger?

jenajet · 07-31-2006, 09:22 AM

Heard they might make a meal out of coral. I want a predator tank but would like to stick with stuff that won't mess with corals. If there are any less coral hungry triggers let me know, I really like them but not enough to give up my reef.

VWD · 07-31-2006, 09:27 AM

Blue jaw may work just fine, Get him small and place in reef. The one thing I think is no one fish will eat everything. it may nip at one or two things in the tank. but alot of time it really won't do any lasting demage. I do have friends with triggers and large angel in reef tanks. They pick but don't kill off corals.

jenajet · 08-01-2006, 03:40 AM

Yes researching said they could be reef safe as well as the Picasso. I quess the only way to know is try. The corals will come some time after the fish tho. So is sps the only way to go? I currently don't have sps cause I cant provide adequate lighting. What about mushrooms and zenia since they do well in "dirtier water". I really like lps. The tank will have a skimmer. Anyone want to explain why a predator tank is not as good on lps? I am assuming is has to do with waste of larger fish.

BTW: Stocking may change. Hubby has been surfing and found lots of fish he likes. I am trying to explain to him he wants too many fish. He saw somewhere about 1 gal per fish inch rule and has gone nuts. This is what he wants now:
bluejaw trigger
Picasso
Foxface
Cuban hogfish
Dragon Wrasse
Porcupine Puffer
Flame Angel
Black Volitan
Yellow eyed Tang

I think it is too many fish More because of the size of these fish and not the overall number. Help lower this list please!