compatible tankmates in a beginner's tank?

[reef150]

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I just bought a 180 gallon fish tank and I'm going to start a reef aquarium. I wanted to start slow and small. I was wondering what are some good fishes and corals that i can add that are compatible and can tolerate a lot of stress?

With 180 gallons how many fishes can i have?

How many corals?

Thanks!

[Geoff]

Welcome to TRT!!



what kind of lighting do you have for the new tank? this will determine what kind of corals you can think about putting in there.

as for fish, that can be a tricky question. in a reef you will need to keep the # of fish pretty low. the more fish you add the more problems you could be fighting. i have 8 fish in my 125g. 6 of them are small, under 4 inches. the other 2 are under 6. now my total system is close to 200g. 125g tank. 45g sump. several gallons in plumbing.

what kind of filtration are you thinking for the tank?

G~

[reef150]

well i havent purchased any lighting yet. THe tank is being made right now which is 92 x 18 x 21. I meant a 150 sorry.

I was probably going to get a flourescent and halide lighting system. Like a combo.

I'm just starting, im actually on chapter 7 in this book. :-)

The tank wont be here until another week and wont be able to add water for antoher 3. so i have at least 1 month to decide all of this. As for the filtration, I do not know yet. I will let you know after i finish chapter 9 which is by tonight

Can the tank just be 1/3 corals and the rest is just space for the fishes? I noticed from the gallery, lots of people are filling their entire tank with corals etc.,

[Harpo]

Welcome aboard. I noticed you said you have a month to make your decision. You have all the time in the world, take your time, go slow. It'll be awhile before you want to add anything besides some live rock and water. Keep reading, thats the best thing for now. Take your time deciding what type of fish and corals you want. What type of fish, and corals attract your attention, also what type of set up do you have(skimmer, pumps, overflow, lighting, plumbing) ?

Bill

[reef150]

I know this sounds funny, but what attracted me to wanting a reef tank was the movie "Finding Nemo". I was awed with the beauty and the varieties of fishes. I have had fishes for 15 years now but I've only had fresh water fishes since I was 12. I'm 24 now and I have had anywhere from large goldfishes(kois), to tropical fishes (tetra, barbs etc.,) to even cichilds (oscars, demsey).

I have been so hesitate to start a reef tank up due to the cost and complexity but I'm going to give it a shot and start small. If it doesnt work out, then back to fresh water.

I really dont want my entire fish tank to be full of corals. I want mainly fishes with a few corals and rocks. I like any fish that is hardy doesnt require high maintenance and can tolerate different changes. <--- because im a beginner i know i will screw up. For now, i'm looking for easy fishes to maintain and corals and rocks.

Thanks for responding!

[Geoff]

when you are able to finally get water in the tank. it will be another 2 months before you can put any fish or coral in the tank. it takes this long for the tank to cycle. you will run into all kinds of problems if you rush.

look through books. pick out fish that you like. the more you are interested in the fish the better off they will be. run the suggestions by us. a lot of us have first hand experiences with most of the fish offered for sale. we can let you know which are ok for beginners and which should never be imported. once a system is stable things become relatively easy.

another thing to consider is whether or not you like shrimp. shrimp are a favorite food for a lot of the fish. this can be a problem when selecting fish, if you like ornamental shrimp. my wife really like predators, and she like zoas. so she has a predator reef. stuff like lionfish, groupers, and some eels do not harm corals at all, but will do a heck of a number on shrimp and small fish.

G~

[wanareef]

What book are you reading

For fish the guage is about 1 per 6gals. You can't stuff a tank like a FW one and then add bubbles in the water to try and get the oxygen lever up. Doesn't work. As mentioned - pick the fish you like, then read up on them or post ??'s here on the board. As you mentioned - this hobby is expensive and by asking questions and going slow, you won't make too many mistakes.

[PJ]

Reef150,

Welcome to TRT. Listen to Geoff, Harpo and wannareef. They're experts here (notice, i didn't say "old timers?")

I'm new here myself and these people has convinced me to GO SLOW.

I've got a 40g I've had for 6 weeks. We're still letting the Live Rock cure.

Only critters are some blue leg hermits at this point.

My advuce:

(1) Go slow (2) read these threads - especially those from those new to hobby who went too fast. (3) read, read, read.

Oh, good name by the way. Reef 150.

Further suggestion? Before you buy any fish, corals, etc, count to 150 so you don't buy on impulse.

good luck

PJ

Good name by the way.

[PJ]

Further "advuce" is to check your spelling.

PJ

[wanareef]

PJ

Why count to 150? Just leave the wallet @ home and bring the wife.

[CAT]

Since you have some time to read you can pick up "Marine Fishes" by Scott Michael. Great book. It will give you info on just about any type of fish and whether they're easy to keep, if they're reef safe, what they eat etc.

Also, what kind of equipment are you putting on the tank?

[Superfly]

You can certainly keep a semi-reef tank with just a few corals and several fish. But whether you have mainly fish or mainly corals, you'll need at least 1 pound of live rock per gallon of tank water (IMHO) -- this provides excellent biofiltration and sets you up for success.

Sounds like you're getting some really good advice. I think the reason that no one is giving you many specific answers to your stocking questions is that there are a lot of variables, and a lot of it will be your personal taste/preference.
Here are some examples of the variables and inter-species relations that make giving you specific answers difficult.
> Mushroom corals, zoanthids and "soft" corals are generally considered some of the easiest corals to keep, but some of the easiest fish to keep like to munch them
> As was mentioned, some large hardy fish will eat shrimp, snails and smaller fish.
> The hardiest fish there are (the damsels) are completely reef safe, but are generally so aggressive toward other fish that only someone with an addiction to watching violence, mayhem and death would want to keep them.

Since you mentioned the influence of Finding Nemo, I'll add that many of the fish in the movie are fairly easy to keep. Clownfish and Royal Grammas are colorful and very hardy, reef safe and fairly non-aggressive. Tangs (like dori) can be a little more difficult because they're susceptible to stress and disease (ich) and need a large tank, but once you get them settled in your tank, they are usually very hardy too. It should also be said that anemones for hosting clownfish are quite difficult to keep and should not be tried by beginners in new tanks.

Besides Scott Michael's book on Marine Fishes, I'd recommend checking out the marine articles and FAQ's over at wetwebmedia.com. Good luck!
HTH,
Superfly