[jenajet]

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]

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

 

[zxcv123]

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]

my mom didnt want an eel in her house.

I could sooo hear my mom saying the same thing!

 

[Fly Guy]

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]

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]

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.

 

[test1]

<<< 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]

. 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]

Sorry i meant just sps.....

 

[jenajet]

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]

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

 

[jenajet]

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]

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]

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!

 

[skeety]

WAY too many fish. there's no hard fast inch per gallon rule in SW. FW yes, SW no. It all depends on the fish. Some fish need LOTS of room, like Tangs...cause they are active swimmer. Some fish need hardly ANY room, like Watchman gobies. They stay in one place all day. Predetory fish need even MORE room than most...mainly cause of water volume. They are VERY messy eaters, and if you don't have a good amount of water volume to handle the mess, they can die in their own filth, so to speak.

First thing you need to do is decide if you really want a predetory tank. If so, lighting becomes less important, and skimming becomes MORE important. If you go predetory, you DEFINITELY need a super skimmer to get all the mess out.

You DEFINITELY can't have predetory and SPS's. (unless you have 1 or 2 predetors at most). But as Fly Guy said, LPS's and predetors can work. Even sofites like Xenia LOVE the mess created.

If you do want predetory, and decide you want a few LPS's in there, then you will need PC lighting at a minimum. MH is not really needed. But if you already have it...go with it.

I think if you really want a predetor tank, go for it. Tell your husband he'll have to get his OWN tank for the fish he likes. Besides, might be nice to have another tank!! hahaha

good luck, and can't wait to see some pics!

 

[jenajet]

Thanks skeety. I misunderstood the post I quess. I thought they were saying sps did better. I like the lps better and softies so that is good. Mh is coming with the tank. I'll tell the hubby to decide between a few predators or the smaller fish he wants. I know the list is too long which is why I put it up. Now I can say see I told you it was too many fish. What I really want to go in there is:
Porcupine puffer
Black Volitan Lion
Either Bluejaw or Picasso trigger(not both)
And if possible Yellow Eye Tang

When considering total water volume do you count the sump or just whats actually in the tank?
As far as skimmer I'm doing a MR-1 with mag 12

 

[skeety]

you count total water volume. Display, Sump, refugiums if you have them, etc.

I think your list sounds good. getting the right SIZES will be tricky...as some of those will eat the others if they're considerably smaller.

the MR-1 will be good. How much more is the MR2? If not much, I'd recommend getting that one...simply cause it's upgradable. The MR1 isn't, I don't think. MIght be worth the xtra money.

 

[jenajet]

I read the mr1 is upgradable. Now what does that mean? Now what might eat what? I am going to get everything in the 3-4 inch range.

Oh I forgot the snowflake eel. I forgot about him. He is only about 8 inches long right now, he's in my 20 gallon qt for now. Tank has a completely closed off hood, there's no escape for him.

 

[Geoff]

some eels are more reef safe than others. the best eel to get if you also plan on having fish is the Zebra moray. they only have crushing teeth so they are not really able to eat fish. great eels.

G~