80 Gallon Reef Tank

[sh2000]

Hi,
I argue with some of my friends on whether or not I have too many animals in my 80 gal RT.
I hope some of you might be able to share some of your thoughts.
Here's what i got;
2 False Percula clowns. (pair) 1.5 inches ea.
1 Royal Gramma 1.5 inches
1 Orange Spotted Diamond Goby 1.5 inches
1 Flame Hawkfish 2 inches
1 Six Line Wrasse 2 inches
1 Blenny 1 inch
1 Coris Wrasse 1 inch
1 Firefish Goby 1.5 inches
1 Yellow Tang 3 inches
In addition the tank is stocked with LR,Corals,and some Inverts. (clean up crew,Red Tree Sponges,4-Pincushion Urchins,Carpet Anemonie.)

 

[big]

With you bio-load it will be very difficult to keep you nitrates in check over a period of time. It looks to me like you are on the very upper limit ( or some whould say well past it!) How long has this tank been up????? What are your nitrates now??? Remember all these fish will grow and some like the Diamond Goby are high maintenance fish. That little bugger will eat ever pod in your tank, although you will have a spotless substrate. I have had one for about a year now and he is huge. Unless you have a very large sump- refugium to supplement the DT, you are already over crowded.
Remember those little tips when we all started this obsession like DO NOT have too many fish. Good luck but do not add any more fish, with the load you have now there will be losses with time.......... Warren

 

[alex4286]

well i have 5 blue/green chromis 2 perc clowns & a six line wrasse in a 55gal and im at my limit. How do i know this? Because every other fish ive bought after these guys all have died within a week to a month. My mistake but at least i know better now. I have problems with nitrates always around 10-15 but just purchased a hang on refuge so we'll see if it helps. It looks like ur at your max in your 80gal as well. Do you have a sump/refuge?

 

[sh2000]

I have a 15-20 Gal. sump with a Superskimmer for 90 Gal setup.
Nitrates are stable between 5-10 ppm (I'm wondering says here on my Red Sea test kit that for a reef tank Nitrates should be at 20 PPM ??)

 

[sh2000]

Bumpy

 

[nereef]

it probably means that they should be at least lower than 20ppm. 5-10 is fine.

 

[big]

In the long run, I think many would say any Nitrate level is not good. We all at times may have some Nitrate issues, but Zero is what we should have. In the real reef world it is most always Zero. Look at the box again, are you sure it did not say less than 20???

 

[nycbob]

with those number of fish, i think its adequately stocked. i dont think its overcrowded at all. with enough live rocks and perhaps a fuge, one can easily keep nitrates down. also, most people dont know that clams absorb ammonia and nitrate. i hv 5 clams (3 corcea and 2 derasa) in my 72, and all of my numbers r 0, except calcium is at 450-500. i hv 3 clowns, 2 tangs, 3 gobies, 6-line wrasse, royal gramma, 1 chromis, mandarin and a scooter blenny.