1 step forward, and 2 back.... I'm coming back!

[mattsilvester]

Well not quite..... but suffice to say I am throwing the towel in with the sps idea and I am going back to softies.......

Well actually, I always consdiered my previous tanks to be FOWLR tanks with a couple of soft corals for decor ..... and thats what I'm going back to.

I sort of deluded myself there for a while thinking that trying to maintain sps wasn't that much extra expense and bother.......... suffice to say I woke up!

So..... my 8x2x2 tank is about to become a FOWLR + a few hardy leather corals .... or a softie tank..... call it what you will, but the emphisis is back on the fish! Well it always was on the fish really I suppose

So, my stocking list currently stands at:
6" Emporer Angel (changing)
4" Blonde Naso Tang
4" Powder Blue Tang
3.5" Purple Tang
3.5" Yellow Tang
4 Lyretail Anthias (1 male)
1 Orange Spot Goby

And I'm also going back to my old winning formula......

1. Not too much LR and PLENTY of good strong flow.
2. A sprinkle of sand..... more like an untidy BB tank to be honest.
3. Macroalgae on 24hr lighting

The only addition this time is that I have a much better skimmer, I'm using RO water and I have a proper waterchange facility....

My emporer has shown phenominal growth so far..... I'll try and put some pics together.... he grown from about 3" to a good 6" in about 6 or 7 months (8 months max) and is half way through his change and already showing good colours......

Many updates to come - hopefully

 

[jmccown]

Alright man. Welcome back. I can't give you any advice you don't already know. Sounds like you have it down pat. What about your tank lighting? With those dims. it is a 240, right? You should be good for another 10 fish or so with the right stocking.

 

[mattsilvester]

jmccown - yep, should be a few more fish

Lighting is kind of good actually..... I have 2 no. 250MH lamps.... I have raised them up to like 13" or 14" iff the water, so I am getting great spread, and a very natural look. There's a little bit of shading due to the braces, but nothing that really matters.....

I suppose I am not really looking ofr advice, per say, in this thread.... I just wanted to announce to everyone on this board that I've got to know quite well (some better than others) that I am, in effect "back"..... not that I was ever "gone", btu you know hwat I mean.

Thats not to say I do nto welcome peoples advice / thoughts / comments

As far as other fish - well I am partial to my clean up crew - I have been for a few years now. It just makes life so much easier from a hobbiests' point of view to let creatures do all the work and then we just "fund" the whole enterprise by providing light, heat, and water

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Ha, good to have you back Matt! Unfortunately I just left, went to the reef side. What other fish are you considering stocking? What corals as well? Be nice to see what softies work with most angels, I've always wanted to try it, but never got around to it.

 

[ccampbell57]

Welcome back to the world of fish! Your tank will setup great for another large angel or 2 and maybe some less aggressive triggers.

As far as the coral, I tried that with my 3 angels (emperor, blueface, and french) and they ate EVERYTHING! $2000 worth of coral down the tube.

The only thing that survived was the green star polyps that covered a 30# piece of Marshal Islands. I think that it survived cause it grew as fast as they ate it.

Good luck with the stocking of the 240...show some pics!

 

[sean48183]

Welcome back and fish really are the way to go. Forget those high maintenance sps and get some life in the tank. For my soft corals I am only trying $10 frags to see if they fly. If they don't owe well (cheap snack) and if they do hopefully they'll grow and fill the tank up. Get pics up when you can.

 

[Water Box]

Sounds like a good re-start to me. I have the same philosophy. My FOWLR has enough sand to cover the bottom, a skimmer, and live rock. Of course I have recently been called "too old school" by someone else in the hobby, I guess I don't have enough wires and gadgets sticking out of/hanging onto my aquarium to be cutting edge. (BTW I still like BB tanks.) Anyhow sorry to ramble and good luck...again.

 

[mattsilvester]

Corals.... well in the past I have had great sucess keeping sacrophyton mushroom/toadstool corals, star polyps, 'shrooms, finger leathers / devils hand....... so I am going to give each one of those a blast...... and I am pretty optimistic ...... if not, then FOWLR it is....

Still have my shrimps & snails etc.

I have lots of baby snails, but the emporer eats quite a lot of them..... once he knocks them off, he goes at it relentlessly until he gets the meat out..... swine! But he has been a model citizen with shrimps and corals...... so far BUT...... he is getting big, and getting there quickly..... he's a good 6" now..... growing about 1/2" a month, typically.....