A Bit Of Assistance, Please

[Ayudar]

Okay, I'm looking to starting a reef tank with a couple of clown fish, featuring some anemome hosts and various corals, and maybe a lionfish down the road.

I'm going to need a little help, however, and I haven't been able to find any, and I'm hoping this will do the trick.

I want a 50 gallon tank, thus far, that is all I know. What is the most effective filtration system, or what do you reccomend? And around how much will that set me back?

Thanks.

[opihi]

i got a used 50g plexi with stand for $140. when i was looking, i found that a new one costs around $200 in the SF area. dunno if there are price differences regionally.

i have a cpr backpack 2r. so far, it's been doing the job. my water params are on target.

as for the fish choice, the lionfish will eat the clowns.

HTH

[asmith]

Ayudar,

Welcome to The Reef Tank. Now on to your questions. For filtration I recommend a 4-6 inch deep sand bed and around 50 pounds of live rock. A good skimmer is also important. Many people have had great luck with the AquaC Remora line of skimmers.

You may want to reconsider the anemone. They have a very poor record of survival in home aquariums. There are many other inverts that clowns will adopt as a host. Anemones require perfect water conditions and high light. Even with great lighting and water quality they tend to have short lives in our aquariums. I personally feel that they should be left in the ocean.

I don't think that clowns would last long in your tank with a lionfish. You should decide which you want the most and plan your stock list around that.

HTH,
Andrew

[Lock]

I have to agree with Andrew, anemone's have a terrible servival rate in captivity and in most all cases you are flushing your money down the drain as they usually die. They should be left in the ocean. Also you really need to research the animals you want for compatability as your choices for fish are very incompatible. The clown fish will be a good meal for the Lion.

[Doug1]

Concur. Even the dwarf species of Lions have really big mouths and will make snacks of most clowns, tho full grown female Maroon or Tomatoes may be OK
They really arent good choices for a reef tank, not only smaller fish but srimp and crabs are also in jeopordy, best kep iin an aggressive swim tank.
A pair of clowns in a 50 would be interesting with smaller goby or blennies that didnt cause their territorial issues to surface.. Clown fish as a rule are particular to certain host anemones and as the others stated most host anemones have a miserable survival rate
The clowns dont need an anemone, they may pair with out one or they may adopt other corals as host, tho there are no guarentees. I recommend reading Joyce Wilkersons book on clownfish t the very least

[Ayudar]

Thanks for the help. ^_^

Anyway, what kinds of fish would be peaceable with a lionfish?


Bah, another quick question...what kind of lighting would you reccommend for a tank that would contain quite a bit of corals?

[Doug1]

To keep fish with a lion fish they need to be nearly the same size or larger. Even a full grown Denderochirous at 6"+ limits the size and number of companions you can keep in a 50gal tank. Salt water tanks dont have the biocapacity as a equal sized Freshwater tank. Salt water has a lot lless oxygen capacity and the waste products(Ammonia, nitrite, and Nitrate) are more toxic and troublesome in saltwater than fresh.. Most fish large and aggressive enough to co-habitate with a lion fish that size will require more swimming room and produce mega amunts of waste, that complicates the water quality issues. You have to think in terms of the fishes size if it survives to adulthood.
As to the lighting for corals question the more light the better. Given that the typical light levels on near equatorial reefs exceed the levels found in a typical Metal Halide lit tank by a bout 8 am you can see why so many people that raise small polyp scleractiniian corals are embracing 400 watt MH usually with VVVHO actinic supplementation. It is possible to grow some corals under less intense light but it definatly limits your choices

[FishDaddy]

Hi Ayudar,

Glad to have you with us!

I would also concur about the Lionfish: eats any fish it can get into its big mouth and also inverts, such as shrimp and crabs. As Doug mentioned, one of the larger clowns might be alright; just keep the lion well fed. Bear in mind that a 50 will limit the number of larger size fish you can have. For example: I have a pair of Ocellaris Clowns; a Pygmy Cherub Angel; a Lawnmower Blenny; and a pair of Neon Gobies in my 55 reef and feel that it's about maxed out as far as fish are concerned. As a general timetable, I would recommend waiting at least 3 months after setup to add fish and another 3 before adding corals. It takes time for a new reef to begin to stabilize, during which time you will almost certainly go through algae blooms, and it's just easier to get your system settled in without too much bioload. Once your tank has cycled, you could then add your clean up crew of snails and other critters:
http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish/li...=&RecordNo=166

I also agree with Andrew's suggested setup of Deep Sand Bed; Live Rock and skimmer. You might also want to consider a sump for added water volume and a good place to put heaters; skimmers; etc.

If you don't have it already, I recommend you get and read Robert Fenner's The Conscientious Marine Aquarist before beginning this exciting project. Other almost "must haves" would be Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals; Joyce Wilkerson's Clownfishes if you want to keep Clowns. All three of these books can be had for around $100 online and will be the best $$$ you can spend on your reef.

Some very good articles and sites for beginning a reef tank are:
http://www.wyx.com/iheo/tank/new.htm
http://saltyzoo.com:8081/
http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/a.../1/default.asp

For good info on Live Rock and Sandbeds, see:
http://www.reefs.org/library/article/n_cope.html
http://www.rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm
http://www.reefkeepers.org/faq/cache/33.html

For lighting info, see:
http://www.candybass.com/lightingtypes.htm
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merch..._Code=Lighting

For sump info:
http://www.northernreef.org/sumps101.htm

There is so much to read but this is a very read-intensive hobby. You will encounter varying opinions even among the experts but by reading as much as possible you can make your own informed choices and avoid many pitfalls.

Again, Welcome to TRT!
Dick