i think im going agressive fowlr - fish suggestions?

[saltyandsweet]

I went to my LFS and had a chat with the manager for about 2 hours (it was slow for them so I got all the time i wanted ) We basically went over 2 different types of tank builds. A passive one where I can have my fish, inverts, and coral. Seems awesome but the cost is like 5:1 to a FOWLR build.

With lighting, cost of corals, anemones, cleaners, fish etc. I just cant handle that without a job and being in school at the moment.. Something I want very much but its a bit expensive.. especially when I need a new computer and camcorder for work purposes.

I think I might go with this setup, since I dont have money for a reef atm.
1 year to graduate college then once I get a job I will probly buy me a 150
gallon or something if I'm still addicted to this hobby ))



Green Wolf Eel
Dog Face puffer
Black Volitan Lionfish
And I think it was a yellow tang or butterfly fish something like that.
It was yellow with a little black on it.

And maybe 1 or 2 more.. I am open to suggestions and I really should have written down those fish I saw that I wanted... silly me.

I'm buying next week so help me out here!!!!

[Elegance Coral]

What size tank is it?

[sox59]

Here's what I have...........
Vio Lion
Miniatus Grouper
Yellow Tang
Snowflake Eel
Cat Shark
Niger Trigger
Piccaso Trigger

All get along great!!!!! The Yellow Tang is a mean SOB, and to think I was worried about adding him, LOL. I've wanted to add a DogFace for a while, but havent found a local specimen big enough, as the Lion is huge about 12-13" long, and generally any stranger gets attacked immediately.

[[WDT]TardFarmer]

As Elegance asked what size tank do you have? Hard to make recommendations til then.

[Fly Guy]

need a tank size.....but if its a decent sized tank here are my first three choices in a agressive tank and three fish I want if i ever have one

rhinopius scorpion- not cheap though. not too awful if you shop around($400)
lunar wrasse
clown trigger

[fish.freak]

if cost is your biggest issue get a small tank 30 - 50 gal and get small reef fish then upgrade you lighting slowly and get a few softie frags and then upgrade your filtration. Im a student to and havent been able to buy a full set up right off. a 29gal bio cube is a great all in own that would let you get you feet wet and start reefing now. Besides a FO with the all fish your describing would need to be big. Check out the nano builds for some reef tanks on a shoe string budget.

[sox59]

I misread his original post, I thought it said he was going 150 gallon for this. I retract my suggestions if this is not the case.

[saltyandsweet]

its a 55 gallon

[fish.freak]

most of those fish are going to get huge for a 55

[Jflip2002]

You could do the eel, and probably the lion if its small (but itll probably outgrow that too). I personally think you have to have a HUGE tank to do FOWLR to make it worth it. Most cool fish like Tangs and Triggers like bigger tanks. And to make up for the lack of scenery like coral, you gotta make up for it with fish. So I wouldnt do a FOWLR smaller than 180g.

The money you think you are saving with lights, you will be spending on a skimmer. Since most of the nice non reef safe fish are very messy.

On a 55g, you can do a reef fairly cheap. Search craigslist, there are always good deals. Buying used usually saves at least 50% of the start up cost.

55g, with some T5 lights, some LR, and a couple decent fish wont be too bad to start. Then you can add a couple decent pieces of something that grows fast like Xenia, or any kind of polyps, which will take off, making your tank look more full.

I think a reef is the best way to go......

[saltyandsweet]

well I saw the lights in store and it was like 200 bucks for them and I just cant spend that money for lights alone

I already have a protein skimmer. I personally like the look for a reef tank better, but the agressive fish are more attractive to me. IDK im so torn between the two!!!!!!!!!!! man marine aquariums..

Well I have time to think about it. Can someone link me to some lights that would would satisfy my needs?

[Fly Guy]

Originally Posted by saltyandsweet

I personally like the look for a reef tank better, but the agressive fish are more attractive to me. IDK im so torn between the two!!!!!!!!!!! ..

FYI-

niger trigger, volitan lion, dwarf lion, eels......to name a few are all reef safe, as well as their messy eating will make for some happy LPS and softies if you can keep the water quality up which can be done without too much difficulty. you can have your agressive fish and reef too

edit-i forgot were talking about a 55.........you could have a lion in there. a volitan and a rabbitfish for algae could work. just make sure to get the rabbitfish signifigantly bigger than the lion.........or you may end up with two dead fish. I dont know...would a lion know not to eat a rabbit or would it eat it and die?? theres a question for ya

[fish.freak]

dwarf fuzzy lions are one of my fav fish! and a rabbit fish, and a dwarf angel, and a long nose hawk, or a flame hawk would be cool fish for a 55.

[Fly Guy]

Originally Posted by fish.freak

dwarf fuzzy lions are one of my fav fish! and a rabbit fish, and a dwarf angel, and a long nose hawk, or a flame hawk would be cool fish for a 55.

one of the most most personable fish i have ever had was a dwarf fuzzy.

[Jflip2002]

I loved my porcupine puffer. He was so cool, hed get exited and swim back and forth real fast when I entered the room. I miss him. I'm actually going to make my 60g a tank for just my puffer, and maybe a clarkii. Though the puffers arent reef safe.

This thing is around Austin, dont know where you are, or the length of your tank...
http://austin.craigslist.org/for/557354534.html

It literally took me 2 clicks to find. Do some searching, and you can find something. That light would be totally fine to keep Softies and some LPS under. Stuff is really cheap if you find it used.