New Aquarist interested in advice / suggestions for a SW Predator Tank

[mikewolverine]

Im still looking for used equipment to start my setup and have found a 125g with the following:
125G COASTS TO COAST OVERFLOW
2 x 250 WATT MH LIGHTING. lamps included
VHO BALLAST AND 4 FOOT LAMPS 
4 x HYDOR POWERHEADS.
MIXING PUMP. 
MAG 9.5 RETURN.
ATO SENSOR. 
LIVE ROCK LOTS.
LIVE SAND 
65G SUMP 
NAC7 SKIMMER. 
STAINED WOOD CANOPY.
COVER FOR TOPOFF CONTAINER. 
MAGNET CLEANER & SCRAPERS. 
MAG 7 PUMP FOR CHANGES
This seems much more suitable for what im hoping to set up. Thoughts, comments, advice would be wonderful!
Thanks & Cheers,
-Mike

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikewolverine http:///t/395420/new-aquarist-interested-in-advice-suggestions-for-a-sw-predator-tank/20#post_3520471
Im still looking for used equipment to start my setup and have found a 125g with the following:
125G COASTS TO COAST OVERFLOW
2 x 250 WATT MH LIGHTING. lamps included
VHO BALLAST AND 4 FOOT LAMPS
4 x HYDOR POWERHEADS.
MIXING PUMP.
MAG 9.5 RETURN.
ATO SENSOR.
LIVE ROCK LOTS.
LIVE SAND
65G SUMP
NAC7 SKIMMER.
STAINED WOOD CANOPY.
COVER FOR TOPOFF CONTAINER.
MAGNET CLEANER & SCRAPERS.
MAG 7 PUMP FOR CHANGES
This seems much more suitable for what im hoping to set up. Thoughts, comments, advice would be wonderful!
Thanks & Cheers,
-Mike
Hi,
There you go...much, much better. How much for everything? What is a live rock lots? LOL...or are you saying lots of live rock?

 

[mikewolverine]

Yes apparently a lot of LR! Ill learn how much is a lot very soon. It also includes a full reef of corals...total sale price is $800 obo, which seems pretty good...

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikewolverine http:///t/395420/new-aquarist-interested-in-advice-suggestions-for-a-sw-predator-tank/20#post_3520477
Yes apparently a lot of LR! Ill learn how much is a lot very soon. It also includes a full reef of corals...total sale price is $800 obo, which seems pretty good...
That's a very good price...offer $650.00 to $700.00 and see if the seller will take it...hey best offer is best offer....$800.00 is the asking price. Cash on the spot is what the seller is looking for. The rock alone is worth the price.

 

[mikewolverine]

That's the plan. Im going to try and go inspect it tomorrow, but then i need to figure out how to move it from his house to my place! With that setup and with my stocking list being a fimbriated moray eel, lionfish, and something else, will i need to purchase any additional equipment or should i be good to go?
Thanks,
-Mike

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikewolverine http:///t/395420/new-aquarist-interested-in-advice-suggestions-for-a-sw-predator-tank/20#post_3520487
That's the plan. Im going to try and go inspect it tomorrow, but then i need to figure out how to move it from his house to my place! With that setup and with my stocking list being a fimbriated moray eel, lionfish, and something else, will i need to purchase any additional equipment or should i be good to go?
Thanks,
-Mike
Hi,
I don't think a 125g is large enough for a moray eel. Saxman is the guy to go to for information on the lionfish. I never kept either of those critters, so I know nothing about them. I can tell you a CUC (clean up crew) will be hard to keep because lionfish eat them up.

 

[mikewolverine]

From everything Ive read over the past few weeks, a 125g is good for a fimbriated moray, as it only gets 30" long max, so compared to most other eels its relatively small. The trouble is that they are highly aggressive piscinivores, which means most tankmates are a bit of a gamble...The tank setup has approx. 100lbs of LR included!
Thanks again,
-Mike

 

[mikewolverine]

Im looking at a Foxface as another tankmate...hmmmm...

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikewolverine http:///t/395420/new-aquarist-interested-in-advice-suggestions-for-a-sw-predator-tank/20#post_3520496
Im looking at a Foxface as another tankmate...hmmmm...
Hi, There are so many fish in the sea, and with on-line fish places you can look for, and get just about anything you want.
Before you make any stocking decisions....Do yourself a huge favor and get this book. It will save you not only money, but big headaches as well.

here is a page so you can see the info it offers:

 

[mikewolverine]

Ill do that! Im on my way to check out the tank setup...i might have my initial setup pretty soon! Then just need to find a way to move it all to my place!

 

[mikewolverine]

Alright its official, i bought into the hobby! $700 for the whole setup, including the custom built maple stand, canopy and Brute cover! It has about 70lbs of LR and im also going to transport as much of the setup and cycled water as possible! Its going to be a lot of work transporting everything, but im stoked and excited to get things underway!

 

[jay0705]

Excellent. Your gona want to keep the lr in water and areated if you can. It will keep too much die from happening. Welcome to sw

 

[jay0705]

Excellent. Your gona want to keep the lr in water and areated if you can. It will keep too much die from happening. Welcome to sw

 

[jay0705]

Excellent. Your gona want to keep the lr in water and areated if you can. It will keep too much die from happening. Welcome to sw

 

[mikewolverine]

Sadly ive had to back out of the purchase as the total weight was too high for the 2nd floor of my condo...im now looking at a 75g-90g and doing a species only with the Fimbriated Moray Eel...thoughts?
Thanks,
-Mike

 

[intdes]

That's probably the best reason I've heard to back out of a tank! I am sure your first floor neighbor will appreciate your decision.
I've had two snowflake eels and they were so cool! A point to think about with your future eel, when picking live rock, make sure the eel can't get into it. My second eel was very small when I bought him and he could get into one of my rocks. For about a year, it wasn't an issue, but then he grew. I tried several times to get him out when he was smaller, but he was stubborn. He would come out of the rock to eat and I tried distracting him with food while a second person pulled the rock, but he would get back into it. To the point, he grew too big for the rock and couldn't get out to eat. He eventually starved in the rock.
The first eel was before the troublesome piece of rock. This eel would hide under the rock and you have to be careful to put the rock in before the sand so the rock won't crush the eel when they dig out the sand. This eel thrived until I bought the previously mentioned piece of rock. I got a mantis shrimp as a hitchhiker with said rock. The mantis eventually chased the eel from the tank... Make sure your tank top is sealed well as they can and will get out of any opening.
I had both snowflakes in a 30g tank. Although this tank was too big, I hope you the best of luck with finding a smaller one!

 

[jay0705]

Aww that's sucks. But the weight is def a factor lol. I have a 75 and they are a nice size for sw

 

[mikewolverine]

Indeed weight was a factor i simply had not accounted for...that said i understand a 75g is a decent tank for a fully grown 30" fimbriated moray, so im still excited! Thanks for the advice on the LR, good to know for sure! Is there a difference in colors/kinds of LR?
Thanks & Cheers,
- Mike

 

[jay0705]

Your welcome. Yes there can be big differences.mostly its the amount of life on the rock. Some places call rock liverock just BC its been in a tank for a few months. To me it looks like base rock. I have a lfs that carries really good rock. Lots of Caroline alage,clams,sponge,alage ECT. Look around if u can and see what's avb in your area.

 

[sweatervest13]

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikewolverine http:///t/395420/new-aquarist-interested-in-advice-suggestions-for-a-sw-predator-tank/20#post_3520606
Indeed weight was a factor i simply had not accounted for...that said i understand a 75g is a decent tank for a fully grown 30" fimbriated moray, so im still excited! Thanks for the advice on the LR, good to know for sure! Is there a difference in colors/kinds of LR?
Thanks & Cheers,
- Mike
Cheap stuff is about $5.00/lb and the really nice stuff can be up to $10.00+/lb. LOL.
The $5.00/lb stuff would be the non attractive stuff Jay mentioned.
But look around at LFS's some have good deals on good looking rock.
I did it a little different with my LR. I wanted to know what was being added to my tank. I decided to limit the amount of hitchhikers (good or bad) and started my tank with mostly dry base rock (about $2.00/lb) and seeded it with LR from my old 29g reef tank. I used about 40-45#'s of nice quality live rock that was under my care for a year, so I knew (for the most part) what was being introduced into my tank. This saved a lot of $$ and saved the hassle of dealing with unwanted critters. You can do the same thing with live sand. Buy dry base sand and seed it with nice live sand from a friends/LFS tank (use a couple of cups full).
75g are nice tanks. You will be pretty happy setting one up.