Calling all FO tank owners - questions...

[frankandmaura]

Ok...few questions before I get started.

1. What do you do about clean-up crews? Most of the fish that you would have in a FO tank eat the snails and stuff, right?

2. How much flow? I was planning on 2 Hydor 4's and my sump return (1 on each end of the tank (powered by a Mag 9.5)

3. How much light? I have a few corals left from before the accident and I was thinking about adding them back in. All I really have is some GSP and some Xenia. I don't want the lights running all the time...is 4 to 5 hours a day good?

Can't think of anything else right now...but I will have more...

[frankandmaura]

no one?!?

[know-it-all]

the fish won't care about the flow for the most part
but you use starfish and urchins for the clean-up crew

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Tagging along since my tank will be FO for a while and may turn into a reef.

[know-it-all]

and I would recomend some sort of sandbed in there if you want to have wrasses

[frankandmaura]

Don't some fish go after starfish too?

[know-it-all]

Originally Posted by frankandmaura

Don't some fish go after starfish too?

not really

[frankandmaura]

Thanks KIA...any other advise? How about the light question?

[know-it-all]

Originally Posted by frankandmaura

Thanks KIA...any other advise? How about the light question?

not at the moment
let me think about it

[Jnicho]

With out a fair bit of light your GSP will turn into BSP (brown). Both Xenia and GSP will tolerate pretty low light, but I think your photo period is pretty short to try and keep any corals. As a baseline both corals will survive under pretty low wattage 6500K lights, survive being the key word, they will not thrive in that environment.

As for cleaners I've kept a variety of snails, crabs and shrimp in my "FO" tanks with no problems, but I've never really kept any "predator" species. I think it depends on what you want to keep.

Ditto on the flow...the fish don't care, but Xenia and GSP both appreciate some decent flow, especially the GSP, as in a FO detritus will tend to accumulate quickly in the mat.

[s7knight]

I think some of the large wrasse eat inverts, and triggers.

[frankandmaura]

Hmmm...every Wrasse I look at says it will eat serpent stars...

So...what kind of stars are recommended? I am really struggling with a fish list. I want a clean-up crew, but everything I want seems to eat them

Puffers, Wrasses, Triggers...etc...

Here is what I really would like, but I am not sure I can have it all:
Couple of Tangs - Maybe a Kole and something else
Hawkfish
Rabbitfish
Trigger (maybe Picasso)
Puffer (maybe Valentini)
Angel (maybe a Koran)

I am totally open to suggestions...please feel free...

[luvmylo]

I have been wondering this same thing and really never thought of posting the question. I really need to do some sort of clean up crew for my 90 as I can't keep up and the cyano in my tank is out of control. I'm thinking of doing a couple of chocolate chip stars in there. I have an atlantic blue tang, a tennant tang, a stars and stripes puffer and a niger trigger. i'm hoping they'll do ok with these fish.

[know-it-all]

Originally Posted by luvmylo

I'm thinking of doing a couple of chocolate chip stars in there.

ding ding ding
we have a winner

plus all those cool urchins you can't put with corals

[luvmylo]

I was concerned about my puffer going after the stars