fishes for the reef aquarium

[eelman]

I am setting up a reef right now, and I am deciding on fish. the tank is 70 gal with a 25gal sump, and a 10 gal refrigum. I have a Tunze 100gal protien skimer, and a fluval 304. I will have a sponge block, and bio balls. I will also have an eclyips 25 gal filter over my sump. lighting is a 300 and something watt Smartlight PC and a 55 watt atinic. that is aprox 6.8 watts per gal. oh yea, I have about 90 lbs of live rock, and I have live sand in my refrijum. every month I will take a scoop of LS and put it into the main tank, and replace it with a scoop of the "dead" sand until every thing in the tank is "live."
I am planning on keeping lots of coral and inerts, and about 7-10 fish this is the order that I will add them.
firefish goby
yellow head jawfish
a pair of banghi cardinals
pj cardinal
mandrine dragonite
skunk clownfish
purple tang
I will add everything at 3 week intervles, including coral and inverts, so that means I will add the fish at about a month and 1/2 intervles + or -. I will get the tang about 1 inch, and trade it in after it reaches 4"- 4 1/2" for a smaller one depending on how things go.
PS: I use coral vite, iodine, calcium, esentle elements, and tec M on weekly intervles. I use pro buffer every month. I will feed live brine and tang heavan(www.ipsf.com).
¿¿¿¿¿¿Do u have any other suggestions or ideas??????
[This message has been edited by eelman (edited 10-02-2000).]

 

[eelman]

there is no way that I am losing the mandrine, but I will wait until about 4-5 months.

 

[mr . salty]

Everything sounds good except the mandarine.Put him in too soon and you WILL LOOSE HIM. They slowly starve to death unless they are in a VERY mature tank with a ton of live rock. I also like your idea about the sand. I've been doing the same thin for three months. STEVE

 

[eelman]

would it be okay if I put in the mandrine after the tang? I was trying to put the most aggressive fish in last, but I heard that tangs are only aggressive to other tangs.

 

[mr . salty]

90lbs of rock in a 70gal tank wont leave a whole lot of swimming room. Even a small tang may not be ok. Besides,a purple is an expensive fish to possably put in jepordy. I'd try a yellow or a sailfin.As far as the mandarine,You know how I feel about that.STEVE

 

[eelman]

Reef vixen, I am planning on trading the tang in for a smaller one after it reaches 4" in length.
Mr Salty, about the price of the tang, I have a deal with my lfs that I get everything at wholesale prices, that means that I get the tang for $23

 

[broomer5]

eelman,
sounds like an awesome tank. Fish selection seems okay but I would agree with Steve and Maggie that the tangs may feel a little cramped eventually.
As far as the dragonets, it's true they do need a mature tank with lots of live rock, which it sound like you have. The real question is do you have the copepods and critters that live in the rock and substrate that both the Mandarin and the Spotted Mandarin feed upon. Both have special diets of copepods, amphipods, worms etc., but they also love live or frozen brine shrimp. My tank is teaming with copepods, and I have been doing the following to insure that my Spotted is well fed. Feed your fish normally, flake or whatever ... then after they have eaten and are full ... slow down or turn off your pumps/circulation and allow a 1/4 chuck of frozen brine shrimp to sink down to the bottom. The other fish may grab up some of the brine as it decends, but most will make it down to where the Mandarin feeds. He'll find the shrimp in short order, and will start feasting as well

Good luck ... sound like a well thought out plan you have there.
Brian

 

[tjswanson]

Reef Vixon, Purple tangs don't get 15 inches in captivity. They hardly get 15in. in the wild. The absolute most a purple tang could probably grow in a 70g would be 5-6in, but w/ all that live rock I wouldn't even get a sailfin. The sailfin is one of the biggest member of its genus. W/ all that live rock in a 70g. greatly restricts the swimming room of any fish. Unless you return some live rock I would stay w/ smaller fish. TJ

 

[eelman]

Broomer, my grandmaw geve me a 7" diamiter dead brain coral that she found on the beach in cayman. After taking all of the precausons I put it in my 25 gal for about 2 months. the Brain (rock) was totaly green, it looked alot better than the white that it used to be. now in my 70 it has literaly thousands of copeopds and 4 baby feather dusters on the side that is closest to the glass, I cannot see the other side.
I may return about 15 or 20 lbs
[This message has been edited by eelman (edited 10-03-2000).]

 

[jimi]

Sounds like your set up should work. If you have that many copepods a mandarin may make it too. I personally like purple tangs and have found them to be much more hardy then even yellow tangs. If you can get a good one for $23 and your tank is well established I say go for it. If you get a 3to 4in one it should not get much bigger in that size tank.

 

[eelman]

thank u all fot the imput, I realy apreceate it