Reef/Predator?

[wbsurfer101]

Call me crazy but im setting up my 125 and i really wana do coral and predators. Anyone had a setup like this work? Tips would be greatly apreciated.
List of what to get.
Small grouper
dwarf lionfish
tangs
swalowtail angle
angler?
bluejaw trigger
still thinking. Give me some ideas yall!

 

[peckhead]

people have done eels if you dont have to worry about things getting knocked over.. snowflake would work.

 

[ophiura]

Yes, it is done, though not with a stocking list like that.
Remember, predators mean a lot of waste. and corals need very good water quality. The two can work, but not necessarily in the "best of both worlds" scenario. Reef tanks tend to have lower stocking levels than the tank can sustain. So you can keep more aggressive fish, but I would recommend fewer of them to keep the water quality good.

 

[nycbob]

i hv leathers with an eel, lionfish, niger trigger, saddleback wrasse, damsel and 2 tangs. take a look at the pic i posted today.

 

[aquaknight]

That's funny, I actually am cycling my 125 which will be a predator reef. The key I think I've found is pretty simple, MASSIVE FILTRATION. Get the best skimmer you can, run lots carbon/phos, and a nitrate reactor (in due time with that one). Also, you'll need lots of current flow to get all that waste up and out and processed, minimum 40x turnover IMO.
If you can keep nitrates under 10ppm, 0 phosphates, 0 ammonia, and keep up on your preferred dosing method, you can do lots more beside xenia and gsp. About your list, the angler is probably a bad idea, never get enough food, there is no such thing as a 'small grouper'

and at least in my opinion, tangs and angels, aren't 'predators'.

 

[wbsurfer101]

Well i was gonna get a 'Young Grouper"
As far as tangs and angels im just looking for fish that are compadable.
What are you planning to put in ur 125?

 

[aquaknight]

So far I've planned, a panther grouper, harlequin tusk, bluethoart trigger, eel (no sure snowflake/zebra, or banana if roommate wants to cough up the $$), and a porkfish. I really wanted a lion, but the only suitable with halides is the volitan IMO, but I don't feel 125's aren't really big enough. I might also get a Cuban Hogfish.

 

[texasmetal]

As mentioned, Angler's a bad idea for a mixed tank. What they don't swallow whole will probably pick on them, and if they eat something too big, they die.
Sounds like a fun tank though.

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by ophiura
Yes, it is done, though not with a stocking list like that.
Remember, predators mean a lot of waste. and corals need very good water quality. The two can work, but not necessarily in the "best of both worlds" scenario. Reef tanks tend to have lower stocking levels than the tank can sustain. So you can keep more aggressive fish, but I would recommend fewer of them to keep the water quality good.
I believe herbivores may produce even more waste; because of the low nutritional value of most of the green stuff they eat, they have to eat, and poop, lots! Thats why herbivores like tangs or cattle need to be grazing all day. The more stuff that passes thru their system; the more pollutants. Or, am I missing something?