Large aggresive fish tank - What can I put in to clean up?

[techma1]

Hi. I have a 220 tank with the following large fish: Volitan Lionfish, Panther Grouper, Niger Trigger, Maroon Clown, Fox face, Spiny Puffer, Naso Tang, Three Stripe Damsel and I still want to add a clown trigger. I have 5 large pencil urchins and about 300 pounds of live rock. I do water changes every two weeks but I am worried about the fact that there is nothing in there to clean up debris that falls into the rocks. One of their favorite meals is Krill but there is often a few tails left floating around...
Are there any large crabs or other inverts that would live with this group? Thanks for any advice.

 

[xcali1985]

What I do is take a turkey baster and blast the rocks before I do the water change. It suspends the particles in the water and allows me to suck it out. Also It give my fish a chance to eat it again, which they normally do to full pieces.

 

[blackjacktang]

emrald crabs, brittle stars, hermits, snails, etc etc

 

[brandonsivek]

Wouldnt the Emerald Crabs, Brittle Stars possibly be a snack for the trigger and the puffer? Also, I dont know if I would add anymore fish to your tank, seems pretty well stocked as is. Some of those fish you have can get massive including the Lion, Trigger, Panther, Puffer ans Naso.

 

[aquaknight]

People often forget that copepods, amphipods, bristleworms, etc, are also part of the tank's clean-up crew. In the aggressive marine aquarium, they are often the only CUC. Your hands, well, siphon tube/turkey baster/etc, are what will do the bulk of the cleaning and tank maintenance. That is a pretty hefty stocklist, but I say to not add the Clown Trigger, for it's incompatibility with the Volitan. Lion's and aggressive triggers don't make for good tankmates.
I would also strongly suggest to stop feeding Krill to the fish, it leads to several health problems specifically with some of your fish. At least no krill as a 'staple diet,' no more then once or twice a week.

 

[saxman]

Quote:
Originally Posted by AquaKnight http:///forum/thread/383191/large-aggresive-fish-tank-what-can-i-put-in-to-clean-up#post_3350215
People often forget that copepods, amphipods, bristleworms, etc, are also part of the tank's clean-up crew. In the aggressive marine aquarium, they are often the only CUC. Your hands, well, siphon tube/turkey baster/etc, are what will do the bulk of the cleaning and tank maintenance. That is a pretty hefty stocklist, but I say to not add the Clown Trigger, for it's incompatibility with the Volitan. Lion's and aggressive triggers don't make for good tankmates.
I would also strongly suggest to stop feeding Krill to the fish, it leads to several health problems specifically with some of your fish. At least no krill as a 'staple diet,' no more then once or twice a week.
+1. The reason for not feeding a staple diet of krill is that it has been linked to lockjaw in many predatory species, esp. lionfish. They strike and their jaws lock into the extended position. Sometimes they can "unlock" them, sometimes it requires intervention. Either way, once it has occurred, the fish will be prone to future jaw issues.

 

[techma1]

Thanks for all of the advice. I have been adding Copepods. I have not seen any bristle worms in ages. Would that be something you would purposefully try to get? The lion rarely eats anything but live fish and I do vary the diet. Live Minnows, and frozen Clams, Octopus, Brine shrimp, Mysis shrimp. I try to give a few krill everyday though becuase that is all I have ever seen the puffer eat.
I usually blast the rocks after the water change when I am refilling. I use a python to suck the water out of the sand cleaning that, and then hoping that a lot of the floating debris will get filtered out.
The tank really does look good, I just don't want things to go bad if I am missing something.
I will take your advice and hold of on the other Trigger. I thought one Trigger per tank was a limit but I say a Niger and a Clown together in a tank at the doctor's office so I thought maybe it would be OK.

 

[brandonsivek]

If you are feeding your Lion freshwater minnows, or any other type of freshwater feeder fish, I would stop that immediatly and try to get him on something like silversides. Freshwater feeder fish dont have the right type of supplements to support a saltwater fish.

 

[mjm889]

snails and crabs will be lunch for the triggers and the puffers, I feed those fish chopped up squid,shrimp with vitamins added to it. i would also suggest clams on the half shell for your puffer and trigger to grind there teeth down. As far as clean up crews your gonna have to most of the work, the fish you listed leave a huge mess behind and you might want to do weekly water changes if you have problems with nitrates.