Switching to Fish Only, Anybody Have any Advice for me???
- Thread starter aanthony
- Start date
aanthony
Member
SOoo, basically nobody wants me to do this, but i'm still contemplating. As far as fish go, this would be my stocklist
1 pink square anthias
2 true percs
1 hippo tang (2 inches)
1 SMALL powder blue (considering)
maybe a dwarf angel
and a few small fish (1 inch)
Now take into consideration i would be very patient when adding these fish, and wouldn't be adding them for a few months
1 pink square anthias
2 true percs
1 hippo tang (2 inches)
1 SMALL powder blue (considering)
maybe a dwarf angel
and a few small fish (1 inch)
Now take into consideration i would be very patient when adding these fish, and wouldn't be adding them for a few months
cracker4418
Member
with that stock list you must KEEP THE LIVE ROCK . i only say that because the two tangs you want will reach 9-12'' full grown,and will create alot of waste and tangs love rock work.its not the number of fish you have, its what fish and there servival requirements that will decide if your tank will support them.plus you never want to get to the point of over stocking your tank. no body on this site or anywhere can tell you what your tank can support.were just trying to give you a base line and you and your tank with decide the rest.keep this in mined we want to help ,not make you feel stupid. we've all been in your position(wtf am i doing wrong)at one time or another.
cracker4418
Member
have you thought about a goby or wrassel?
cracker4418
Member
another quick question. is that the same hipp from when your tank crashed? if so that shocks me. i would think he would have been the first go belly up.
rudedog40
Member
As everyone else has said, the Live Rock will help with your biological filtration. How much space does this synthetic reef take up? Are you talking like the reefs you see at Seaworld or other aquariums? If so, sooner or later they'll gather algae like anything else permanent in your tank. Your 90 gallon will be fine for fish you have on your list. Don't know why you want to sell the inverts. They help with keeping the tank clean.
Overall, it sounds like you want a 'low maintenance' tank, and don't want to worry about it if you choose to leave your house for an extended period of time. Personally, I'd just ditch the whole saltwater livestock, get your synthetic reef, and put freshwater fish in it. You can find some nice colorful freshwater fish that would care less that they're swimming around fake coral. Stick an automatic feeder on it and have a safe trip to Europe...
Overall, it sounds like you want a 'low maintenance' tank, and don't want to worry about it if you choose to leave your house for an extended period of time. Personally, I'd just ditch the whole saltwater livestock, get your synthetic reef, and put freshwater fish in it. You can find some nice colorful freshwater fish that would care less that they're swimming around fake coral. Stick an automatic feeder on it and have a safe trip to Europe...
aanthony
Member
yes it was the same hippo tang from the crash, but and at 2 inches he somehow outlived the others.
Rudedog (seems your name suits you) i am not a lazy person, and am not looking for a maintenance free system. I plan on doing weekly water changes, driving down to the store to buy ro/di water, clean my synthetic reef weekly, and i will take time out of my day to feed my fish. So no need for one of those automatic feeders. I am selling my inverts because first of all, i trust nobody, and do not like to rely on people to feed my fish. I am selling my inverts, because i would rather sell them now, then have them die.
But i must confess to something, my tank crash was not due to a sheet of nori, i had a huge battle with ich, and it killed me tank. I qt'd all my fish, but the ich came in on the shell of a hermit crab. Now if it comes back, i would like to just dose my tank. I have lost way too many fish due to this, and all because i didnt want to kill my rock or shrimp. I love the look of the synthetic reefs, and will make my tank look 10X better. so i am not looking for something maitenece free, i am looking for a tank which is easier to manage. I can pull my reef in and out of my tank as a please, i can dose my tank if disease breaks out, its just an easier system.
And sorry if i'm coming across as a horrible person
Rudedog (seems your name suits you) i am not a lazy person, and am not looking for a maintenance free system. I plan on doing weekly water changes, driving down to the store to buy ro/di water, clean my synthetic reef weekly, and i will take time out of my day to feed my fish. So no need for one of those automatic feeders. I am selling my inverts because first of all, i trust nobody, and do not like to rely on people to feed my fish. I am selling my inverts, because i would rather sell them now, then have them die.
But i must confess to something, my tank crash was not due to a sheet of nori, i had a huge battle with ich, and it killed me tank. I qt'd all my fish, but the ich came in on the shell of a hermit crab. Now if it comes back, i would like to just dose my tank. I have lost way too many fish due to this, and all because i didnt want to kill my rock or shrimp. I love the look of the synthetic reefs, and will make my tank look 10X better. so i am not looking for something maitenece free, i am looking for a tank which is easier to manage. I can pull my reef in and out of my tank as a please, i can dose my tank if disease breaks out, its just an easier system.
And sorry if i'm coming across as a horrible person
rudedog40
Member
Who said you were lazy? Sorry, but you seem to read into responses too much. Hate too tell you, but 'low maintenance' and an 'easier to manage' tank are one in the same. How do you know the ich came on the invert? Was that the last thing you put in your tank before the ich showed up?
Don't get defensive if you're not getting the heartfelt responses you thought you'd get. The theory behind what you plan on doing with your tank sounds interesting. I'm just not sure how pleasant the tank will look with only 5 or 6 fish moving around in it. That's what makes saltwater tanks so interesting - Watching star polyps, anemones, colt coral, and other motion-type corals move with the flow of the water. Watching hermits and snails move around. See what a starfish might do when you place food in front of it. Watching a CBS shrimp fend off a passing fish. Watch a Sally Lightfoot dart across the tank... You got burned by a bad bout of ich, so you're alleviating the problem in case you have to treat your tank for it again. Good for you. Unfortunately, I think it'll end up being a pretty boring display. Hope it doesn't. Post some pics when your done. You may convert others and convince them to do the same.
Don't get defensive if you're not getting the heartfelt responses you thought you'd get. The theory behind what you plan on doing with your tank sounds interesting. I'm just not sure how pleasant the tank will look with only 5 or 6 fish moving around in it. That's what makes saltwater tanks so interesting - Watching star polyps, anemones, colt coral, and other motion-type corals move with the flow of the water. Watching hermits and snails move around. See what a starfish might do when you place food in front of it. Watching a CBS shrimp fend off a passing fish. Watch a Sally Lightfoot dart across the tank... You got burned by a bad bout of ich, so you're alleviating the problem in case you have to treat your tank for it again. Good for you. Unfortunately, I think it'll end up being a pretty boring display. Hope it doesn't. Post some pics when your done. You may convert others and convince them to do the same.
aanthony
Member
im really not too worried if you think my tank is boring, i am selling inverts because i know they will die when i leave. When i come back, i will put fish in my tank, and when all has stabalized, and my fish are healthy and swimming, then i will add my shrimp again, but only when i have everything the way i want it. Now don't get me wrong, i love looking at some of these reef tanks, however i can find better ways to spend 5 grand. I know the hermit effed up my tank because before i added him my fish were living, and ich-less. After i added him the fish had ich.
I really dont want this to turn into an argument. I just wanted advice on the subject. Last time i was on this site i saw a guy with a 200 gallon fish only tank. and he had a naso, black tang, hippo, 3 angels (each over $1000), cleaner wrasse, 2 clowns, etc etc. And he never got flamed half as bad as i did.
I really dont want this to turn into an argument. I just wanted advice on the subject. Last time i was on this site i saw a guy with a 200 gallon fish only tank. and he had a naso, black tang, hippo, 3 angels (each over $1000), cleaner wrasse, 2 clowns, etc etc. And he never got flamed half as bad as i did.
1journeyman
Active Member
Treating Ich in the tank is a viable option with a synthetic reef. It is not, however, viable if you are going to keep the sand in the tank. The live sand will be killed by hypo or copper.
Also, not cleaning a cannister filter will allow detritus to build up and feed Nitrates.
The synthetic reef makes much more sense now that you explained the Ich situation. Sorry for your losses.
Also, not cleaning a cannister filter will allow detritus to build up and feed Nitrates.
The synthetic reef makes much more sense now that you explained the Ich situation. Sorry for your losses.
rudedog40
Member
No one is trying to flame you. There's absolutely nothing wrong with having a tank devoid of any corals. I think everyone justs disagrees at the extreme measures you're taking to have what you're describing as a Fish Only tank. I looked online at some of these synthetic reefs pieces, and they are very colorful. Looks like you'll be dropping several hundred dollars to accomplish a fully loaded tank though - the average price I saw was $30 - $50 for each piece, and close to $250 for what they describe as a base to attach them to. But as you stated, if you ever do have another disease breakout in your tank, it'll be easy to treat.
Why would you think inverts would die before a fish if you left them alone for an extended period of time? I never feed my inverts anything. They just pick up the leftovers the fish don't eat, or eat the algae and other biological materials they find in my sand and LR. If you have a well established tank with plenty of LR, most FO tanks can go unfed for 3 or 4 days. Not sure if you'll be able to do that with a synthetic reef, since it won't host things fish can eat that you find on LR.
Also, take heed to journeys warning about your live sand if you ever treat your tank for ich. If you hypo or use copper, you'll kill the sand and have a big ammonia spike, which may do more harm than the ich.
Why would you think inverts would die before a fish if you left them alone for an extended period of time? I never feed my inverts anything. They just pick up the leftovers the fish don't eat, or eat the algae and other biological materials they find in my sand and LR. If you have a well established tank with plenty of LR, most FO tanks can go unfed for 3 or 4 days. Not sure if you'll be able to do that with a synthetic reef, since it won't host things fish can eat that you find on LR.
Also, take heed to journeys warning about your live sand if you ever treat your tank for ich. If you hypo or use copper, you'll kill the sand and have a big ammonia spike, which may do more harm than the ich.
aanthony
Member
well the terrorist of my tank is my cbs. Im pretty sure he killed all my huge hermits, and my arrow crab. And to be honest, i paid $15 for three of my shrimp, and $7.50 for the other three. And im selling then for 12 each, so i can always buy more. Its just i want to run FO for a bit, and make sure my fish are completely healthy. And when all is well then i add my shrimp. The company im getting my reef from is Living Color. I'd post pictures of some of their reefs but i don't think i'm allowed. And yes they are pricey, im probably looking at 800 dollars, and thats Wholesale pricing!!!!. And i know about the live sand situation, but its MUCH easier to take a few scoops of sand out, rather than take out all my rock. I guess i should have said the ich situation sooner. It's just one of those situations i hate to talk about. I'm also building myself a new stand and canopy, so i will for sure update you guys when i finish all up.
robdog696
Member
I don't think synthetic reefs were made to REPLACE live rock. Without live rock you have no beneficial bacteria to feed on the ammonia in your tank. It would be like never flushing your toilet. I gotta say, I don't care for the way you say that you don't care if your tank crashes again because you only have three fish. Put those three fish in a bag, take them to Fed Ex, mail them to me, and go get yourself some goldfish and synthetic corals. Good luck with your freshwater tang aquarium.
N
nyyank
Guest
Kind of looks like something out of "Nemo"--not bad-just too perfect.
Good luck
Good luck
