75gallon salt water predator tank help me stock it

[75 pred]

hey i need help i have a 75 gallon salt water tank and i was wondering what i could put in it i would like it to be a predator tank with low priced but cool fish also with color (im kinda broke :/ )
it current inhabitants
1. 8 or 9in snowflake eel
1.sailfin tang (juvinile)
1. panther grouper (small)
1. lawnmower bennie (same size as grouper and best freinds)
a little odd that the grouper hangs out with and defends it but hey luck of the draw
so i would like a porqupine puffer or a puffer like that none of the streamlined ones they just arent apealing to me
a lion fish any kind that wouldnt kill my other fish or get too big
a better alge eater like a star fish or some fish that does the same job the bennie just nibbles at the tangs flake food and doesnt clean my rocks
it has to be cheap cause im 14 and with an allowance of 8 dollars a week so thats a limit on what i can get
thanks for any and all feedback

 

[75 pred]

thought it might be good to add it has a protine skimmer and 60+ lbs of live rock
Sorry for spelling errors

 

[geridoc]

Sure the grouper and the blenny are good friends - the grouper is making sure that nobody else eats the blenny before it gets large enough to dine on it himself. A 75 just isn't large enough for a panther grouper. It is small now, but it will be noticeably bigger by next month, and will outgrow the tank soon. The tang is another problem - it will get to be the size of a dinner plate, and there just isn't enough swimming space in a 75 gallon tank. Your planned puffer also gets to be over a foot long, so you are setting yourself up for a disaster. Sorry to rain on your parade, but I think you might be overcrowding your tank with more additions. At least wait until the grouper eats the blenny - that will clear a little space [/irony].

 

[75 pred]

thanks i had relised the bennie was going to be food but i had a small alge bloom and he was a quick fix i also plan on upgrading the system in a 2-3 years to a much larger set up
what could i put in the tank that wouldnt get eaten and would still stay relitivly small

 

[saxman]

If you aren't going to get rid of the grouper and the tang, you're all full-up, dood...more than full, as GeriDoc mentioned. We won't mention what might happen when your eel reaches 20" or so (they tend to become very aggressive and attach/eat their tankmates).
That being said, you really need to decide what you want to keep. There are lots of options for a 75 gal, but you do need to go with the right mix of fish.
What kind of filtration are you running?

 

[75 pred]

I have a protine skimmer thats running 90 gallons an hour and a canister filter that i think is doing 100 gallons an hour and what size of a tank shpuld i plan on upgrading to that wont take up much space
thanks for everything without this site i would of overstocked my tank and would be in trouble

 

[reefr]

bottomline: if you want to keep these fish, as they grow, so does your tank(and wallet haha)

 

[saxman]

Let's see...for a panther grouper, you're talking at least 240 or even 300 gals as a minimum. The fish can reach 18" easily in captivity, and the tang will be slightly smaller in terms of length, maybe 14" or so. You'll want at LEAST a 8' x 2' footprint for your "final" setup.
I'm no stranger to "upgrades", as we tend to buy our fish on the small side and grow them up, so I do feel your pain. For instance, our P. volitans went thru four setups before landing in its final system.

 

[reefr]

Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http:///t/393568/75gallon-salt-water-predator-tank-help-me-stock-it#post_3502416
Let's see...for a panther grouper, you're talking at least 240 or even 300 gals as a minimum. The fish can reach 18" easily in captivity, and the tang will be slightly smaller in terms of length, maybe 14" or so. You'll want at LEAST a 8' x 2' footprint for your "final" setup.
I'm no stranger to "upgrades", as we tend to buy our fish on the small side and grow them up, so I do feel your pain. For instance, our P. volitans went thru four setups before landing in its final system.
i think 240 is even too small. This fish can reach 24" easily, if cared for properly, maxing out at 27-30". I think 300g is BARE minimum for this beast.

 

[75 pred]

well then im in for some fun where on earth am i suposed to find a 300 gallon tank and how much would the entire set up cost

 

[75 pred]

you said my wallet grows dont you mean shrink and then dissapear

 

[75 pred]

ok sorry for all the random posts but
just give me an idea how big are your tanks because what you guys are recommending would weigh almost a ton and cost aboust the same as a car
please explian how my grouper who right now is smaller than my betta fish will become an 18 inch monster and even then are we talking about the same fish the tang i could believe getting to be a foot but a 18 inch grouper thats only about the size of my thumb right now thats what gets me
help im going crazy thinking about this i need some good news

 

[saxman]

I don't even want to THINK about what our new setup (7' x 2' x 2' acrylic peninsula) has run us so far, and we still haven't bought lights yet, which will likely be another $2k or so (will likely be going with Maxspect as it has the features we want). Granted, this setup has ALL the bells and whistles, but it's still a FOWLR at the end of the day...however, one could indeed buy a car for what it cost to build.
The thing is, most peeps who do large builds like this acquire the equipment over time as the build progresses, so the dent in your wallet isn't as noticeable.
As for HOW your little fish will become huge...it will grow. For instance, our P. volitans started life with us as a cute little pecan-sized fish in a 6 gallon cube, and by the time it reached adulthood, it became the size of a football. As I mentioned, it outgrew 3 setups along the way before it ended up in its last tank (48" x 24" x 20" 100 gal).
Quote:
help im going crazy thinking about this i need some good news

This is why it's REALLY important to research every critter you plan on keeping. There is TONS of info out there on the forums as well as some good articles, and there are even "specialty" sites for certain types of setups where you can really learn the finer points of their husbandry.

 

[sweatervest13]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 75 pred http:///t/393568/75gallon-salt-water-predator-tank-help-me-stock-it#post_3502428
ok sorry for all the random posts but
just give me an idea how big are your tanks because what you guys are recommending would weigh almost a ton and cost aboust the same as a car
please explian how my grouper who right now is smaller than my betta fish will become an 18 inch monster and even then are we talking about the same fish the tang i could believe getting to be a foot but a 18 inch grouper thats only about the size of my thumb right now thats what gets me
help im going crazy thinking about this i need some good news

See those other two fish?? One is a large tang, and the other is a large angel. They look pretty small compared to a adult PG. Fish start out small and grow, the PG keeps on growing, and growing until its a huge fish.
I have a 125g DT and have well over $5K into it. For 300g + tank you are looking at spending at least that. That's just over 12 years of your $8.00/week allowance if you saved every penny of it. You would just need to wait until your 26 to get a home for your $20.00 fish. Or you could take it back to the store and find something better suited for your 75g tank.
If you want an aggressive predator tank to last long term you need to stock it correctly from the start. The eel and PG are not the best choices. Sorry to break it to you. Have you checked out frog fish???
Don't get discouraged. It takes some time to research things and get it right. There are lots of knowledgeable folks on here that only want to help you to be a happy SW tank owner.

 

[75 pred]

ok how fast will the grouper frow because i might be getting a 125 gallon tank for free from a visitor center that i volunteer for
would that do until i can save up for a bigger tank
I plan on doing a ton of work over the summer cleaning up after sandy at my grandparents beach ouse in new york

 

[reefr]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 75 pred http:///t/393568/75gallon-salt-water-predator-tank-help-me-stock-it#post_3502470
ok how fast will the grouper frow because i might be getting a 125 gallon tank for free from a visitor center that i volunteer for
would that do until i can save up for a bigger tank
I plan on doing a ton of work over the summer cleaning up after sandy at my grandparents beach ouse in new york
depends on the specific specimen, but FAST. They eat anything and everything in the tank that fits in their mouth, fish included. as for growth rates, I am not sure, but it would outgrow your tank in probably 9-12 months easily.
PLAN FOR THE CURRENT TANK, NOT THE "FUTURE TANK". NOT trying to sound rude, just informative for the care of the PG.

 

[75 pred]

ok by that time i will be able to get the 125 gallon tank which should last him im guessing from what you have said 7 or 8 months after that i will hopefully have a job to get him a bigger tank

 

[reefr]

keep us posted!

 

[75 pred]

will do i have confirmed that i will be gitting the 125 gallon tank in a few months do you think i could get fish for now with the knolage that i will be upgrading soon

 

[saxman]

It depends on which fish you want to keep. Bear in mind that the grouper and the tang will still outgrow a 125. Also, don't forget that the blenny will likely become food for most predatory fish, assuming they can swallow it whole or tear it into bite-sized bits, depending on the pred in question.