Setting up a 180

[baloo]

Whats up everyone... i was just wondering what everyone did for filtration in an aggressive setup tank. like what kinda sump did they use (homemade or bought as a unit). and what kind did they use if they bought a complete sump.
The tank is probably going to consist of 2 sharks (prolly banded cats or a cat and a horn), a sweetlips, lunar and paddlefin wrasse, zebra eel and possibly a few other fish that i've yet to decided on. (does anyone see a possible prob. with the combo of fish so far?)
I was also wondering about what kinda waterflow does everyone have in their tank? like approx. how many gph should be run into the tank.
Any advise would be great! thanks

 

[bdhough]

Hmm. As far as sumps try to get a 30 or 40 gallon sump. Wether you do it yourself or not just depends on how handy you are. They seem relatively easy and its just a matter of buying a regular tank and outfitting it with glass sheets to creat compartments in the tank for water flow. You want a pump that can turn the water over 5 or 6 times an hour at least.
As far as your fish selection. Less is better with the big guys you are getting. I would stay away from the wrasses and shark combos. Wrasses are sand dwellers and im sure would bicker with the sharks, as would triggers, and angels for that matter. Lunares especially are nasty nasty.... If you can do without the sharks it opens up a whole host of different fish you can get. The zebra eel can go with pretty much anything. Just make sure he has a nice home he can reside in. Do your HW on the sharks. They can be tough. Your tank is probably a minimum size i would put a shark in....

 

[baloo]

Thats the thing tho... the sharks are the reason behind the tank...
If it was possible i would like a tank of just sharks but that dont seem like the best of ideas. My whole thing was base it around the sharks and have a couple extras in there for color. i eventually want to move up to like a 265 or so when i get things established.

 

[bullshark]

The sweetlips grow too big. And fast. The Horn sharks also grow too big. Banded sharks would fit well or a cat shark. Wrasses are super cool, but as stated above the sleep in the sand mostly and the sharks are nocturnal, you can see where this may end up.
For a 180 try this:
Banded shark, Miniatus Grouper, large Harliquin Tusk and a Sohal tang. All real cool. I think they would mix well.
I sure would like that setup...