davidbates
New Member
Just a few pics. Comments welcome.
My 250 Gallon
- Thread starter davidbates
- Start date
1968oldsma
Member
looks real nice i like it.
vtecbro007
Member
is it going to be a fish only for life? cus that would make a very nice reef with those fish
vtecbro007
Member
i think he need a lot more rock hehe
eoalulavis
Member
nice tank
dogstar
Active Member
Thats a nice size for a tank and looks great with the bow front. Damn I am jelous !!
BUT I will add that IMO you need to adgetate the water surface some to get a rippleling effect from your MH lights and add some actinics to get a nicer color and add more live rock so your fish can have some holes to sleep and play in.
BUT I will add that IMO you need to adgetate the water surface some to get a rippleling effect from your MH lights and add some actinics to get a nicer color and add more live rock so your fish can have some holes to sleep and play in.
susiestank
Member
That is beautiful so far , but I must say it needs more lr , looks
[hr]
. Especially for such a big tank , you could make some nice aquascaping with all that space.
[hr]
. Especially for such a big tank , you could make some nice aquascaping with all that space.
1968oldsma
Member
it's funny every single person asde from myself that posted said he needed more live rock....hmm i wonder if he gets it lol, just giving you guys a hard time...lol
davidbates
New Member
I really appreciate all of the comments. I will try to answer some of the questions. The tank size is 96 x 24 x 25. The stand, canopy and wet/dry filter are homemade. I am still debating on the live rock. I only have one fish that likes to hide and I am sure you would have guessed the regal tang. He has his place right behind one of the plants. When I first bought the tank it was going to be an aggressive tank and I didn't think I needed any live rock. I shifted gears and turned it into a community tank and I just haven't added any rock. I have had to spend too much money on other items like a good protein skimmer and a UV sterilizer. I am sure I will be adding it soon though. Do you guys think I should stop with the fish that I have or do I have enough room for a few more?
thejdshow
Member
IMO you have room for a few more. Some LR will help with the BIO load. I would say LR before more fish. Get a rubbermaid tub and cure some LR as it will help keep your water free of toxins. Im sure you know the speel, you seem to know what your doing. I love your tang! keep up the good work, and keep us posted.
- JD
- JD
lion_crazz
Active Member
You definitely can do more fish in that tank, but as said by everyone else, I would do the live rock first. It is in my opinion, and I am sure most will agree with me here, every fish no matter what it is appreciates live rock, not only for the biological purposes of filtering your water, but also for the natural hiding spaces, caves, protection, etc. You can name any fish and I could tell you how that fish uses live rock to its benefit. Take a trigger for example. You will find many triggers that like to protect themselves at night by wedging themselves under a piece of live rock. I don't think you can find too many ornaments that will provide a trigger with that type of protection. Then, you have fish like puffers. Live rock is great for puffers to get food off of when it floats to the bottom. Plus, puffers can grind their teeth on the rock to keep them filed. Then, you have the whole class of herbivores, like what you have in your tank. Every fish in your tank right now (with the exception of the clown) is a grazer and will definitely benefit from being able to eat the algae on the rock as they swim around in the tank all day. This is a whole lot more natural than using lettuce clips to feed your fish. Tangs eat all day as they swim in and out of the reefs. They do not just go in one place to eat.
I would definitly do the live rock. I feel it is one of the most needed things in every saltwater tank, no matter how large or small. I think it has MUCH more of an importance than a UV sterilizer. Yes, the UV sterilizers keep the water clear, kill free-floating parasites, etc., however, live rock has much more important and better purposes. Live rock serves to hold your biological filtration better than any media, denitrates water, provides fish with natural enviroment, and keeps your tank more stable. It will make the tank look a lot more full of life, plus it will serve every purpose that I mentioned above. Right now, your tank looks empty. No offense, don't get me wrong, the fish are very impressive, however, the full tank shot though makes the tank look like there is nothing in it. If you add liverock, it will basically look like a coral reef would look, just without the coral. We are trying to replicate the ocean in our homes. Live rock is the natural filtering process of the ocean and reefs. It would be silly not to use it in a tank if the purpose of a tank is to replicate the ocean.
Beautiful looking fish, none-the-less! I am really not trying to attack you, this is just something that I am adamant on as I feel it is very important. Keep us posted with pics and on what you decide to do with the tank though!
I would definitly do the live rock. I feel it is one of the most needed things in every saltwater tank, no matter how large or small. I think it has MUCH more of an importance than a UV sterilizer. Yes, the UV sterilizers keep the water clear, kill free-floating parasites, etc., however, live rock has much more important and better purposes. Live rock serves to hold your biological filtration better than any media, denitrates water, provides fish with natural enviroment, and keeps your tank more stable. It will make the tank look a lot more full of life, plus it will serve every purpose that I mentioned above. Right now, your tank looks empty. No offense, don't get me wrong, the fish are very impressive, however, the full tank shot though makes the tank look like there is nothing in it. If you add liverock, it will basically look like a coral reef would look, just without the coral. We are trying to replicate the ocean in our homes. Live rock is the natural filtering process of the ocean and reefs. It would be silly not to use it in a tank if the purpose of a tank is to replicate the ocean.
Beautiful looking fish, none-the-less! I am really not trying to attack you, this is just something that I am adamant on as I feel it is very important. Keep us posted with pics and on what you decide to do with the tank though!
dragonfli
Member
i got the same thing and the same comments a while ago. there is an evolution to the saltwater aquarist. first we love fish and open spaces. second; we add more fish third;we add more artificial "stuff." third; we add a bit of live rock thinking wel i had better try it out to get tose guys on that post to lay off.
then we end up staying up at night looking at thwe critters and watching the fish eat them as soon as we can spot'em. then we think well i had better add more......and.........more....and more..............and more etc etc. then you get into soft corals and so on and so forth. so i loved the look of your tank, and it looked alot like mine did, but now ive been through the process and man i love this hobby more now than i did. you'll see. good luck and have fun even through the down times.......
inkman2004
Member
Hey the tank looks great. I guess the people didn't read the rest of your post. A lot of people don't elect to use LR in an agressive tank. It does make it easier to clean up. You have a lot more waste with that sort of tank, so you want to get as much out as you can with clean up and you don't want to have to rearange the whole tank every week. That would be a beautifull tank for a reef set up though. Let us know what you decide.
inkman2004
Member
I for got to say also. All of your fish are beautifull and healthy. Good job.