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3K views 39 replies 9 participants last post by  luvmylo 
#1 ·
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...
 
#10 ·
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.
 
#12 ·
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...
 
#13 ·
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.
 
#21 ·
Just to chime in here..
I've had a 180 FO for going on 24 orso yrs now, and never had anything close to a cleanup crew, in reefing sense of the word.Most of what i've had would "take out" anything resembling a snail/crab etc.
I've gotten by over the years by just doing w/c's and while doing so, gravel clean pretty throughly. Yoda(Well now named Yodette since she's done this) has expelled eggs about once every year , for the last 13-14 yrs. so she must be happy (other than calling her a "male" name):lol:.

The only flow i have in my tank is from the return out of the wet/dry (yes some of use still have/use them LOL),in the form of a Mag (forgot the number).I had wished i had more flow within the tank, but never got around to it all these years, and prob would not like seeing anything other than plumbing lines (powerheads/pumps) in the display.Plus i think Yodette or the Clown trigger would have bit through the power cord by now:freak:.
If/when i upsize this tank , to a larger one in the basement i'll prob run a CLS of some sort just tomove water around.

I would prob advise anyone with my setup in my FO to add more flow, but it's kind of "do as i say, not as i do" thinking.
Dunno if this helps in any way, just offering my :2cents: .
 
#28 ·
IN setting up a tank for FO. I was planning on having some LR in there and some flow. I am debating on the sump setup. I was thinking a wet/dry type since its a FO but not sure. Can someone explain how to actually setup a FO tank? From day one and on?
 
#32 ·
In my 130g Fo tank i use agronite only about 1/2 inch think just for the look .

I only feed my fish every other day well 1st day I'll feed them some dry seaweed and the second day I'll feed some mysis shrimp so i guess you can say once a day . I've had FO tanks for about 10 years now I've just started to get into reefing about 2 years ago .

As far as a clean up crew i don't have anything like crabs or snails like a reef my sail fin tang spotted rabbit fish and yellow tang do a good job of keeping the rocks clean and along with water changes and cleaning the glass once in awhile .

maroon clown
sail fin tang
yellow tang
bird wrasse
porcupine puffer
Koran angel
elbil angel
lion fish
pink spotted rabbit

i use to keep some triggers groupers and dotty backs but i started to get limited on what i could keep with them so now i just stay with the more passive fish
 
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