stocking question??? need opinions..

justchillin

justchillin

Member
Ok well here is my wish list for my 75 FOWLR/DSB...
in order of prefrence
1)snowflake eel (transfer from old tank-not optional)
2)black volitan lionfish
3)dogface puffer or long-spined Porcupinefish or Honeycomb Toby Puffer
4)Atlantic Blue Tang
5)Green Mandarin or Psychedelic Manderin
i know the eel and lion are compatible with eachother, but i'm not sure about the rest or how many of them my tank can handle...
any opinions are helpfull as well as any web sites with specific requirements/compatability charts/etc...
thanks in advance,
mike.
 
robbytt

robbytt

Member
Is an eel and a DSB a good idea? I don't know...just wondering. How big is your snowflake? I have one that is 18" and digs like crazy...You'll definitly need a barrier in the bed of somekind otherwise he'll disrupt the whole tanks.
RobbyTT
 
justchillin

justchillin

Member
he's about 14", i've had him in another tank for about 2 years and never had a problem with him digging...
any opinions on my "wish list"???
 
robbytt

robbytt

Member
Wow - how big was he when you got him? I would still recommend (phenlum sp?) to provide a barrier in your 'aggresive' DSB.
I'm not sure how the tang and manderin would do with the others. I like they are far less agressive. I have an obsession with Trigger fish because of their interesting swim patterns, inteligence, eating habits, I could go on and on....I wouldn't mind trading the tang and manderin for a trigger of some kind...remeber you only have 75g tho. In that space I would go with a smaller, less agressive trigger such as a Niger, Whitetail, Pinapple, etc...
Hope this helps...
RobbyTT
 
lionfish

lionfish

Member
LionFish says......
First off, welcome to the board. Well I found a couple of small problems with your setup here. Number 1 probelm is the tank size. Too small for all those fish. Get a Dwarf Lion instead of a Volitan and it will be fine. Volitans generally grow to be too big for a 75 gallon and they need a 100 or more. Number 2 problem is the fact that you want a small little Mandarin in with a Lion, Eel, and a Puffer. You could strap a sign around him that says free dinner. They are too small for any aggressive tank, although they excude a poisonous toxin on their skin it would be easily killed. They also need a very mature tank. I would put in a Snowflake eel, a Porcupine Puffer, a Dwarf Lion, and a Niger Trigger. That would be nice. If you need any more help we will all help you.
 
justchillin

justchillin

Member
yeah i figured the manarin wouldn't work...but i keep seeing them in my lfs and i want one more each time...but i figured i couldn't have one (at least untill i get another tank!!!)...
what do you think about substituting a blue (atlantic) tang for the trigger?
does it matter which order i introduce them (is one more/less territorial than the others)???
[ May 01, 2001: Message edited by: justchillin ]
 
heithingi

heithingi

Member
Hi,
I think the DSB is a great idea, I have one in my aggressive WITH an eel AND a wrasse, and it works great. I also have a plenum in my 45 community, and I hate it. Will never do a plenum again.
Agree with all of the above regarding size and the manderin. Good luck!
Lynda
 
robbytt

robbytt

Member
Lynda - Why do you 'hate' the plenum? Your eel doesn't disturb the bed or dislodge rocks and make the tank collapse?
Just curious.
RobbyTT
 
heithingi

heithingi

Member
RobbyTT,
The plenum is a pain to set up, #1. It is very systematic, one uses aragonite which takes hours to wash, then tops with LS, after all the screens are in place. The problem is that after all that work, if you have any creatures in your tank that sift through the sand, they might uncover a portion of the plenum, which is almost a guarantee of your tank going haywire, unless you are able to see it right away. For example, something was uncovering a section of ours, so we covered it deeper...assuming it was a cucumber....come to find out, it is the maroon clown!
With a DSB, I have yet to have a problem with my rocks falling over or my tank "collapsing". One way to avoid the rock problem is to place some of the rock directly on the glass, then go from there. We did not do this, however, used very large rock and it is working great.
Lynda
 
bluto

bluto

Member
I agree with Lynda...
Although I don't have an agressive tank (I have a 90g community), I have a 4" DSB which has done wonders in controlling my nitrates.
I don't think aggressive/non-aggressive has anything to do with it. I think the real question is...does any sandsifting/sandstirring fish benefit or wreak havoc with a DSB?
I'm kind of wondering about the answer to that one myself.
Bluto
 
heithingi

heithingi

Member
Hi,
Forgot to mention one other thing. Our checkerboard wrasse was in our 45 gallon while we were waiting for our 120 to cycle. The 45 has the plenum....he was not a very happy camper. He did bury himself everynight, but was unable to get as deep as he would obviously like. Plus, we were on the constant lookout for him unburying the plenum, and I worried that he might get ill from lying on top of it.
Now he is in the 120 with the DSB, and he is one happy fish! He has a few spots he buries himself in every night, pretty deep, too! That tank seems more stable, in regard to testing, then the 45 with the plenum. Regardless of debate, I will stick with the DSB!
Lynda
 
justchillin

justchillin

Member
ok well assuming that i do go with my eel, lionfish, and a puffer/porcupinefish, would it be a problem to keep a few annenomies???
if that isn't a problem, what is the minimum amount of light i would need??? i've read on other boards that i would need ALOT of light to sustain them, but i have spoken with some people who said they kept annenomies on the standard (flouresant) lighting years ago...
anyone know if this is possible?? i would definatly like to have a few, but i can't upgrade my lighting any time soon...
thanks,
mike.
 
lionfish

lionfish

Member
LionFish says.....
Not possible bud. The Puffer would definitely eat the all. They are more reef related and they do need good lighting. Most require 5 watts per galloon and some need even more. I would not try it.
 
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