How to be Aggressive!?

[misskitty]

So.. I got a 55 gal ( or so I think) that was a freash water tank that my mom had and she cant stand it any more.
So I get to reep the benifeits! So since I have a reef tank already, I was thinking about a aggressive tank.
How cool would that be in my bedroom! With some eels and triggers and puffers, anglers and octopus.
So what I need to know is how much LR and should I use LS and lights and filters and all that good stuff..
Pretty much spill the beans for me so I know what I am getting into!
Moshie Moshie
Kitty
:jumping:

 

[moraym]

Set it up similar to your reef set-up. You'll need a good LS bed and plenty of LR to help cycle all the waste that aggressive fish build up. Although people will differ in opinion, all my aggressive tanks have about 4-5 inches of LS in the bottom. I also like having 2 pounds per gallon LR, so my 40 started out with 80 lbs (now higher). And this keeps my system specs very stable, even when going through periods where the fish will leave a lot of leftovers.
As far as filters goes, it depends if you have a lot of LS/LR obviously. If you have very little LR, you'll need more mechanical filtration. On aggressive tanks I like wet-dry filters, and depending on the bio-load, a good skimmer.

 

[moraym]

With some eels and triggers and puffers, anglers and octopus.
Once your tank is established and before you buy fish, run the stocking list through the forum first. Just saying this because the 'wish list' you mentioned above isn't going to work in a 55g. Good luck, aggressive tanks are definitely fun. I have two in my bedroom and another on the way in my living room.

 

[innsmouth]

Octopus must be kept alone from what I understand. They will either eat or be eaten by just about anything else.

 

[moraym]

Octopus must be kept alone
That and they're nasty little things to try to keep in an aquarium. They're really smart when it comes to solving problems, eg: how to escape from a tank. And theyre also extremely powerful. Making them pretty hard to keep in a tank unless it's sealed off.

 

[gkp]

How cool would that be in my bedroom! With some eels and triggers and puffers, anglers and octopus.
The problom is the octo will eat the trigger or vice versa, the eels will eat the octo( I feed my eels octopuse all the time they LOVE it). the eels will eat the puffer (depending on size) the triggers will bite the eels if large enugh or the eels will eat the trigger if small enugh.
I dont think this could ever work......SORRY it would be cool though.

 

[moraym]

Exactly, my comments on that 'wish list' not working in a 55g wasn't due to size, definitely due to compatibility.
I'd say go with a SFE, theyre easy to take care of, good for beginning aggressive tanks, and they go well in a tank sized at 55g. If you got a larger puffer, it would be fine. SFE eels are not very aggressive towards most fish, and their mouths stay fairly small, even as they grow they stay pretty skinny, just elongated.
Add with that a dwarf lionfish, and you've got a nice 55g.