72 gallon drilled bowfront possible??

fishygurl

fishygurl

Active Member
Since upgrading to my 125 for my reef, my mom has always liked aggressive tanks too. So we are wondering if there is any possible aggressive stocklists for a 72 gallon..
fish (something we like/hope would fit?)
A puffer- (porcupine or dog face?)
an eel (green wolf eel only get 18 inches and arnt really an eel?)
trigger- (any type i know the valentini's stay small?)
So would any type of puffer, eel, trigger, etc fit in a 72 gallon? Other things we like would be stingrays and sharks but they get to big i think?
So can anyone list some aggressive fish that would fit in the tank, they dont have to be aggressive just like eels puffers triggers and what not.
Also how do you handle putting your hands in the tank? Big duty heavy gloves? could anything bite through those?
How do you put an eel in the tank? net it?
etc. Just researching on whether or not this would work..
How much rock should you put?
And no lions cuz they can hurt you really bad if you got stung by them.
How often do you feed everything, and what do you feed.. meaty frozen foods and silver sides?
This is about all i know about aggressive things.. but i know most need a big tank and i am thinking a 72 is too small or border line, but i hear people with like 30-50 or so gallons with an aggressive tank.
Any help will be much appreciated!!!
 
fishygurl

fishygurl

Active Member
o ya, we like anglers/frogfish too, but if i got a green wolf eel wouldnt he be able to eat it? or would this be compatible for anything? i might just get one that stays small in a 40 gallon breeder i will set up once i find one cheap...
 
it's chuck

it's chuck

Member
Green wolf eels are actually a pseudochromid(Dottyback) you could also get a Snowflake eel which is a real eel and much more attractive IMO. As far as puffers go the only thing you could permenantly house in a 72G is Tobys(also known as Sharpnose puffers) I Believe. I would look at some of the smaller Wrasses like the Christmas or Paddelfin, and Hamlets. A 72G isn't big enough to permenantly house any trigger how I believe all of the Rhinecanthus triggers(Picasso, Bursa, Rectangle) are all slow growers( I know the Picasso's are) and if you got a smaller one it should be fine for a couple years in your 72.
I Personally do not use gloves, I am just careful. Everybody just hides when my hand are in the tank anyways. I feed my tank twice a day(Yellow Tang, Picasso Trigger, Red Corris Wrasse, Snowflake Eel, and a Blue Devil Damsel) and my Eel about every 3 days. I feed a mix/Rotation of formula 1 and 2, Shrimp pellets, red and green algea sheets, silversides, krill shrimp, clams, and squid, all treated in selcon. As far as live rock goes the more the better, I would say somewhere between 75-100lbs( I have ~70lbs in my 55G and I am putting 120-150lbs in my 100G plus 50lbs of live rubble in sump)
You can deffentantly do a nice aggressive Tank in a 72 just take your time and research you fish properly before buying anything
 
fishygurl

fishygurl

Active Member
Originally Posted by It's Chuck
http:///forum/post/2715021
Green wolf eels are actually a pseudochromid(Dottyback) you could also get a Snowflake eel which is a real eel and much more attractive IMO. As far as puffers go the only thing you could permenantly house in a 72G is Tobys(also known as Sharpnose puffers) I Believe. I would look at some of the smaller Wrasses like the Christmas or Paddelfin, and Hamlets. A 72G is big enough to permenantly house any trigger how I believe all of the Rhinecanthus triggers(Picasso, Bursa, Rectangle) are all slow growers( I know the Picasso's are) and if you got a smaller one it should be fine for a couple years in your 72.
I Personally do not use gloves, I am just careful. Everybody just hides when my hand are in the tank anyways. I feed my tank twice a day(Yellow Tang, Picasso Trigger, Red Corris Wrasse, Snowflake Eel, and a Blue Devil Damsel) and my Eel about every 3 days. I feed a mix/Rotation of formula 1 and 2, Shrimp pellets, red and green algea sheets, silversides, krill shrimp, clams, and squid, all treated in selcon. As far as live rock goes the more the better, I would say somewhere between 75-100lbs( I have ~70lbs in my 55G and I am putting 120-150lbs in my 100G plus 50lbs of live rubble in sump)
You can deffentantly do a nice aggressive Tank in a 72 just take your time and research you fish properly before buying anything
Wow!!! thanks! yay!!! i was thinking it was going to be too small and i wouldnt be able to have one.. lol..
So, im guessing since i will probably get an eel and kinda big fish that you need a BIG really good skimmer? I will make sure and get that before i get my fish. lol. I will get 100 pounds of base rock and add some live rock to it will that be fine? What about sand, how deep of sand should i get?
So some options right now are:
SFE
GWE
Red corris wrasse (ive always wanted one, but i have a reef so couldnt.. lol
Toby puffers-- what are toby puffers?oo a hawaiin white spotted toby puffer is really cool! Out of the puffers i like (hawaiin white spotted, dog face, and porcupine)
some triggers i know i like are the picasso, clown, and bluelined (yellow spotted) - i know the clown is extremely aggressive so i wouldnt be able to have that right?
I like yellow and blue spotted (male) boxfish, could i get these with other things above or would they eat it or what?
I also like hawkfish, im guessing they would be food as well?
I also like comet/marine betta and panther groupers.
Sorry for all these questions.. i am just trying to figure out which fish i might be able to put in the 72 for long term. And then i will have you guys help me narrow the list down to something where everything will be compatible, which should go first, if anything should be bigger than something else. etc.
Thanks again!
 
bioneck47

bioneck47

Member
Originally Posted by FishyGurl
http:///forum/post/2715048
So some options right now are:
SFE
GWE
Red corris wrasse (ive always wanted one, but i have a reef so couldnt.. lol
Toby puffers-- what are toby puffers?oo a hawaiin white spotted toby puffer is really cool! Out of the puffers i like (hawaiin white spotted, dog face, and porcupine)
some triggers i know i like are the picasso, clown, and bluelined (yellow spotted) - i know the clown is extremely aggressive so i wouldnt be able to have that right?
I like yellow and blue spotted (male) boxfish, could i get these with other things above or would they eat it or what?
I also like hawkfish, im guessing they would be food as well?
I also like comet/marine betta and panther groupers.
Sorry for all these questions.. i am just trying to figure out which fish i might be able to put in the 72 for long term. And then i will have you guys help me narrow the list down to something where everything will be compatible, which should go first, if anything should be bigger than something else. etc.
Thanks again!
First off, I would like to welcome you to the dark side!
Unfortunately a 72 gal kinda limits you to what you can have. Sorry to say but the red coris wrasse and most triggers and puffers get too big for that size
. A marine betta and any hawkfish (I recommend the flame hawk) would be great additions IMO. I would shy away from the boxfish as they can get pretty big and are known for wiping out an entire tank If/when they release their toxins. A SFE would also make a good addition as well. The SFE I had never touched any of my smaller fish so I think you would be ok with a hawkfish. Of course this is my experience with them, others may not have had as good of luck. A hawaiian spotted puffer would also be another great addition IMO as they are one of the few puffers that don't get very big and are pretty docile.
 
bioneck47

bioneck47

Member
Originally Posted by FishyGurl
http:///forum/post/2715048
So, im guessing since i will probably get an eel and kinda big fish that you need a BIG really good skimmer? I will make sure and get that before i get my fish. lol. I will get 100 pounds of base rock and add some live rock to it will that be fine? What about sand, how deep of sand should i get?
It's really all up to you. you can do a FOWLR or just fish only with some decor. I'd recommend a fowlr as the LR adds more filtration,hiding spots, and food for your fish. As far as sand goes, 2-3" should be fine. Although water quality is important, it doesn't have to be as good as your reef tank's IMHO. Fish can tolerate much higher nitrates than your coral can. Good luck and once again, welcome!
 
it's chuck

it's chuck

Member
I meant to say a a 72 isn't big enough to permenantly house any trigger but the three I listed could be house for a couple years. Yes a good skimmer is very important. No groupers, but you could do a Marine Betta and I would also look a hamlets. Flame Hawkfish is very a good choice however if your doing the angler he might get eaten( I would rather have the Hawk). As Far as the Red Corris goes they can not be permenantly house in a 72G , did you look at the other two wrasses I mentioned before?
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
A toby puffer is any puffer in the Canthigaster genus. You more or less with only find three types commonly available, the Hawaiian Spotted, the White-Spotted, and the Valentini.
Well fish-only setups can have higher parameters levels, it's important not to actually skip on the filtration, and use equipment, equal to at least what you would on a same sized reef tank and to keep up your water changes.
I hate giving a "what I'd do list," but here's mine for a 72bow
SFE
Flame Hawk
Coral Beauty Angel
Toby puffer
Small Rhinecanthus Trigger*
2 or 3 exotic types of damsels NOT a DOMINO or a 3-STRIPE
*The note from the trigger, I must give. He will be fine in a 72bow for quite some time, however, this is not forever obviously. I have also, not mixed Rhinecanthus triggers with Toby Puffers. My initial reaction is that if the trigger is added last, there should be no issues. We've had to QT a Picasso with a Dogface puffer a while ago in a 29gal, and they were best buds. The Picasso was smaller then the Dogface, so look for a large (keep in mind a large Toby is 3") Toby and a small trigger.
 
fishygurl

fishygurl

Active Member
ok so revised options list:
**SFE- would this bite me while i clean the tank since you cant have a clean up crew?
*flame hawk
*comet/marine betta
christmas wrasse
coral beauty angel
**big (3") hawaiin white spotted puffer
**small (1-2"??) picasso trigger (added last.)
rarer damsels, maybe a deep water canary damsel, i know ive seen a pink damsel which looked cool too.
maybe a fuzzy dwarf lion? just dont want to get stung...
Would the ones i starred (the ones i want the most) be too much or just the right amount for a 72? Or could i add more?
100 pounds of rock (most base rock then add a little of live rock to seed it (should i wait to add anything till my tank is like 6-12 months?) also when would you add everything? Could i add the eel first? how long should you wait (obviously after the cycle)
2-3 inch sand bed of aragonite sand.
Just looking for information now so i dont mess anything up when i can do it.
Thanks so much for everyone that has answered ive already learned a lot!

oh ya and list anything you would do differently than a reef tank, is it still do a water change every week or 2 10-20%, temp of 78?, do you do the same technique for a water change as you would for reef etc.
 
A

arlene1995

Guest
My SFE has not tried biting me before yet. I don't think that it would, I would just exercise caution when doing anything near it. I also try and keep track of where every fish is when I'm in the tank. I have been bit by my puffer and don't want it to happen again...
 
fishygurl

fishygurl

Active Member
i think i will wear gloves just to be on the safe side, or atleast for a long time till i get used to them more.. lol
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
I wouldn't do a lion with the trigger and puffer.
Only thing differently I'd do from a reef is running a lower temp. 75°/76° or so.
Also, note that the Comet is a rather timid fish. They take some time to adjust. Definitely add/QT him first. They somtimes don't take to prepared foods right away and have to been weaned off live foods.
 
fishygurl

fishygurl

Active Member
Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/2715553
I wouldn't do a lion with the trigger and puffer.
Only thing differently I'd do from a reef is running a lower temp. 75°/76° or so.
Also, note that the Comet is a rather timid fish. They take some time to adjust. Definitely add/QT him first. They somtimes don't take to prepared foods right away and have to been weaned off live foods.
ok so the comet first, what live foods do you feed, i think ive read a couple times that freshwater fish arnt good. So is there like cheap feeder shrimp or something?
 
fishygurl

fishygurl

Active Member
Originally Posted by regina13
http:///forum/post/2715544
I love the dark side!!!

I will be watching this tank come along!

it will probably be awhile, but my mom is definantly getting into the saltwater now and it looks good! she wants me to set up a frag/fuge/ and hospital tank too. i will prob get an angler that stays small in the frag tank.
I think i will like the 2 tanks that are so different from eachother.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Originally Posted by FishyGurl
http:///forum/post/2715561
ok so the comet first, what live foods do you feed, i think ive read a couple times that freshwater fish arnt good. So is there like cheap feeder shrimp or something?
Yea, either ghost shrimp or adult brine shrimp are used. Both are very empty nutritionally. One of the ways to make them better is to enrich the shrimp. Before you feed them to the fish, feed food to the shrimp. Usually good quality pellets and flakes for the ghost shrimp, and phyto-feed and crushed up flakes for the brine. Keep in mind this should only be used temporary, if the Comet doesn't eat prepared.
 
fishygurl

fishygurl

Active Member
Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/2715578
Yea, either ghost shrimp or adult brine shrimp are used. Both are very empty nutritionally. One of the ways to make them better is to enrich the shrimp. Before you feed them to the fish, feed food to the shrimp. Usually good quality pellets and flakes for the ghost shrimp, and phyto-feed and crushed up flakes for the brine. Keep in mind this should only be used temporary, if the Comet doesn't eat prepared.
so do you have to acclimate the shrimp to the tank after you feed them, or do they eat them so fast that you dont have to worry about it. Do you just buy how much your going to feed?? or do you have a tank for them to be in?
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Brine are typically sold by the 'portion' at your LFS. I don't want to guess, but the usual portion amount is like 250 or so? Brine are saltwater, so they can be kept in whatever the LFS sells them in. One LFS here uses foam cups with lids, or the other uses typical clear fish bags. You can keep them alive for quite awhile if you keep adding fresh SW to the cup. Just use a turkey baster to suck the brine up and add to the tank. Then replace that amount with fresh tank water.
Ghost shrimp are usually sold by the dollar, 10 or 20 for $1.00. Most LFS carry the freshwater type. They usually just get eaten as soon as they hit the water, but some do acclimate to SW. I've had some live in non-hypo'ed QT for a good bit. So you can either dump all of them in, or feed a couple a day.
 
bioneck47

bioneck47

Member
My marine betta took almost a month to start eating frozen foods. I started with ghost shrimp until he finally started eating frozen mysis. As mentioned, they are very timid and won't come out of hiding while there are other fish around when first introduced. Definetly add the betta first and get him eating then add your other fish.
 
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