Switching to Fish Only, Anybody Have any Advice for me???

[aanthony]

So i have a 90 gallon aquarium, with roughly 130 lbs of live rock, and about 100 lbs of live sand. At first i wanted it to be a reef, however, since then i have had about 200 dollars worth of coral die. So at that point i decided to have FOWLR, and at the time had:
6 cleaner shrimp, 1 cbs, 2 arrow crabs, 1 coco worm,
5 featherdusters, 1 tube anemone, and a few mushrooms.
Along with:
1 Hippo tang, 1 yellow tang, 1 bi-color anthias, 1 mandarin dragonette, 1 powder blue tang, and 2 clowns.
So here i am today, the only things left alive are the hippo tang, 2 clowns, 4 cleaners, 1 cbs, 1 tube anemone, and 1 coco worm.
I am selling all my live rock and inverts, and with that money i am going to get a synthetic reef made up for me. So basically i am switching to fish only, and i am going to get the reef i always wanted (only this time its synthetic). Anybody have any advice for me?

 

[aanthony]

 

[azul1994]

My advice would be not to do it. Live rock is essential to the saltwater aquarium IMO, and is also a biological filter. Also your tang(s) need LR to survive.
The bigger question is, why did all of this coral and fish die? Parameters?

 

[mr_x]

well, from what i just read, a few things come to mind-
don't put so many fish in the tank this time.
research the animal's needs/behaviors before you purchase it.
check your water parameters regularly, and don't put sensitive animals in a new tank.
that's about the best advice i can give you without more information.

 

[cracker4418]

I agree with mr_X and azul1994 going to a fowlr isnt going to solve the reason your tank crashed. dont sell your live rock, your tank will crash again with out this major part of your filtration system.

 

[aanthony]

it crashed because i went on vacation and had somebody take care of it for me. So in that 2 weeks all went to hell. I was told that live rock was needed for aquariums, and had close to 1.5 lbs per gallon at one point. And was still told that i could only fit 5 fish in my 90. Plus live rock is boring, all it is is rock with some purple algae on it. and how exactly do my tangs NEED live rock. and what also gets me mad is how is 6 fish in 90 gallons considered overstocking.

 

[cracker4418]

micro bateria live in the tiny holes in the live rock and they help consume extra waste. 6 fish is not overstocking but 3 fish that reach 9 to 12 inches is overstocking to the third degree.1 yellow tangis ok with 4 or 5 fish that reach no more than 3 to 4 inches.

 

[xcrvin70098]

I hope 6 is not overstocking in a 90 also, I have more then that in a 110 they are all fine. & I have 6 in a 55g that have been fine for a long time! & they arge large full grown fish!
You should reconsider on the live rock/ It is very benneficial, My Blue hippo picks at the live rock constantly. it is a more natural setting then the "fake stuff" that you will probably regret later. because it gets bad looing.
I hope you got your water straightened out & tank is better

 

[salty blues]

Heck, why bother with an actual tank at all. Just get one of those fake aquariums with plastic fish. Just kidding,

. I would keep the live rock and revise your livestock.

 

[salty blues]

Heck, why bother with an actual tank at all. Just get one of those fake aquariums with plastic fish. Just kidding,

. Actually, I would keep the live rock and revise your livestock.

 

[xcrvin70098]

6 cleaner shrimp, 1 cbs, 2 arrow crabs, 1 coco worm,
5 featherdusters, 1 tube anemone, and a few mushrooms
I tried an arrow crab too with feather dusters. They eat them. Mine anyway, and according to this site, you can only have 1 arrow to a tank. if it is true?
maybe that some of the damage

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by AAnthony
http:///forum/post/2557960
it crashed because i went on vacation and had somebody take care of it for me. So in that 2 weeks all went to hell. I was told that live rock was needed for aquariums, and had close to 1.5 lbs per gallon at one point. And was still told that i could only fit 5 fish in my 90. Plus live rock is boring, all it is is rock with some purple algae on it. and how exactly do my tangs NEED live rock. and what also gets me mad is how is 6 fish in 90 gallons considered overstocking.
Tangs graze on the algae that grows on your live rock.
It's not that you had 6 fish, it's that you had 6 fish, including 3 Tangs, that get huge, needs lots of swimming room, need lot's of gazing room, and are territorial.

 

[srgvigil]

Originally Posted by AAnthony
http:///forum/post/2557960
it crashed because i went on vacation and had somebody take care of it for me. So in that 2 weeks all went to hell. I was told that live rock was needed for aquariums, and had close to 1.5 lbs per gallon at one point. And was still told that i could only fit 5 fish in my 90. Plus live rock is boring, all it is is rock with some purple algae on it. and how exactly do my tangs NEED live rock. and what also gets me mad is how is 6 fish in 90 gallons considered overstocking.
How did the tank go to hellin two weeks?

 

[xcrvin70098]

Is that true on Tangs? I only have a blue hippo, was thinking of addinag another one later it is 110. i have heard both ways one that you can mix tangs (a Tang tank) but then I hear you can not mix, or if you do introduce togeher.?

 

[aanthony]

how did my tank go to hell you ask?
Ok heres the story, i put a sheet of nori in my tank for my tangs (on a clip) the nori split in half, one peice got stuck in my filter, the other peice got stuck in my powerhead.
Although i like my rock, i love the look of these synthetic reefs. Here are some examples. You get to choose what corals you want and everything, and theres about 300 to choose from.

I am not worried about the fish dying after taking out my live rock, because i only have a small hippo, and 2 clowns.

 

[prime311]

What are you going to use to do Biological filtration of your tank? Without this, pretty much nothing will survive.

 

[aanthony]

Ummm, how bout my 100 lbs live sand, my canister filter, and the 20 lbs of sand i am adding next week. And im pretty sure my 90 gallon can handle my baby hippo and 2 clowns

 

[geoj]

Did any one say that FO’s can crash if over stocked and you let the nitrate buildup? Don’t give up just slow down and let your knowledge catch up.

 

[aanthony]

my knowledge? THERES 3 FISH!!!!!, your making it sound like i'm the very first person to start a FO tank. I would still be keeping up to my Ro/di water changes, so im not too worried about nitrates.

 

[prime311]

Probably want to make sure you clean out the canister filter regularly as well since those are prone to causing nitrate spikes. Is you're plan going forward to just have the 3 fish in the tank then?