180 Gallon Reef Tank build!

[nauticac4]

Ditch the Achillies they are an advanced fish and some will say that they will outgrow that tank. They are horrible ich magnets and don't seem to a be a fish well adapted to aquarium life.

I have heard that the fire gobys wont do well long term unless they are a pair. Not sure might want to research it.

Make sure the Banggai are captive bred if you get them. They is a heavy load on wild populations and captive bred is the way to go when possible. I have never had any luck with them.

Look into anthias and chromis for schooling fish Tank looks good

 

[amay121]

Itay,

I'd really not add any of the Tangs just yet. Leave them out of the picture for now.

I'd start off like the last user said.

Get 5 green chromis, 5 anthias, 2 clown, and the blenny first. I think they they'll be hardy enough for the new tank.

 

[Itaysworld]

Thank you for your feedback Amay and Nautica-

I'll definitely take your advice and stay away from the Achilles if its a 'sensitive' tang.

What about the rest of the tangs? What's the danger with them? Everything I have read indicates that tangs do best when introduced to the tank early so they aren't picked on as newcomers later. Are they hard to maintain fish? What problems could they have/cause? I really like tangs and was really wanting to get them in there early. Actually I'm having one delivered today (my first fish!) to start grazing on the algae once I clean up a lot of it manually and do the big water change. My tanks' been cycling for 7 1/2 weeks (since June 14). I should be in good shape and levels are pretty good...


I will make sure the cardinals are captive bred before placing the order.

As far as anthias and chormises, I was told by my LFS to 'avoid them for now'. Chromises for being aggressive and fight too much and anthais as fish that aren't recommended for my set up as they will eat inverts and pick at everything.


Any other recommendations as far as what fish to keep?


- 1 Yellow Tang
- 1 Achilles Tang -- OUT
- 1 Purple Tang
- 1 Pacific Blue Tang
- 2 True Percula Clown Fish
- 12 Banggai Cardinal
- 2 Blue Spot Jawfish
- 1 Scott's Fairy Wrasse
- 1 Solar Fairy Wrasse
- 2 Whiteray Shrimp Goby
- 1 Lawn Mower Blenny
- 1 Randall's Shrimp Goby
- 6 Fire Goby

 

[amay121]

Wow, I think you're talking about damsels (they're nasty). My chromis live in peace with my yellow tang (can't wait to get rid of him), kole tang (not sure he's going to make it due to ich), 2 ocellaris clowns, royal gramma, and lawnmower. I'd say get them last because for me, the tangs are the most aggresive since they'll be the largest fish you'll have in there.

 

[asonitez]

Tank Looks good... I'll be setting up my new tank myself. A 180 Custom built. I'll be moving the contents from a 90 Gallon Tank.

 

[s ruppa]

chromis are very peaceful ( and hardy ) and anthias are reef safe. both make very nice schools

 

[s ruppa]

just saw you had a solar fairy wrasse on your list. they are very cool fish. peaceful, active swimmers at all levels of the tank and seem to eat well also.

be warned though that they are jumpers. make sure you have a cover of some sort. i would hear mine hit the egg crate cover about once every two weeks

i used to have a kole tang also. very peaceful active fish as well.

good luck!

 

[Itaysworld]

Thank you asonitez and s ruppa - I'll have to revisit the chromises!

Agree with you with the wrasses they add such nice color to the aquarium. Can't wait to have those fish on order and in QT! (I don't have a QT tank, but will be using one at my LFS)

Best, Itay.

 

[Itaysworld]

GREAT UPDATE TODAY!

GREAT UPDATE TODAY!

The much anticipated algae clean up and water change happened today!

Spent a good 30 minutes siphoning water out via a canister filter sucking up a bunch of the nasty algae. In addition I added a phosphate removed to my charcoal filter to aid in lowering the level, and tested kH which came good.

After that was done and while I was acclimating the 4 emerald crabs and the tang I did the water change.

With the reduced algae, and addition of the crabs and tang I'm hoping to get the upper hand on the algae. The tank already looks a million times better having removed all the algae manually.


Then it was time to put in my first salt water fish in my first salt water tank EVER! So exciting.

Not sure what kind of tang it is exactly so I'd appreciate an ID.

At first he was a little shy, and was hiding in a cave:

Then he gathered some courage and started exploring:

Soon thereafter he was swimming all over the the place and found a patch of algae I left for him have plenty of food. He didn't mess around and started going at it!

I'm so excited! He seems to be doing well and likes his new home. My wife named him 'Niel" for Neil Armstrong - first man to walk on the moon.

The emerald crabs and hermits are at it too - eating and cleaning:

Lastly, the monti cap frag which was face down for a few days while I was out of town is starting to look a little bit better. The polyps are opening up again, and despite a significant discoloration, I'm hoping it will pull through.

I'm hoping I turned a corner here!

Regards, Itay

 

[badewilly]

Itaysworld that looks like a Tomini Tang. One of my favorties.

 

[Itaysworld]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13104804#post13104804 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by badewilly
Itaysworld that looks like a Tomini Tang. One of my favorties.

Thanks for the ID badewilly!

I looked it up and its exactly the tang I have. The Bristletooth Tomini Tang. I'm watching him from work on my webcam and he's swimming around and seems to be eating a lot of algae! Just what the doctor prescribed! :rollface:

Thanks again. Itay.

 

[badewilly]

They are beautiful. Good luck from what I hear they are pretty hardy and good eaters.

 

[RcReefer]

damn that is a thick sand bed

 

[boxer385]

next week i'm doing a aquascape and my sandbed will be that thick also i heard it is good for your phosphate and nitrate.
i had a hair algea bloom and i got rid of mine by doing a water change and i turn off the MH light for 48 hours and it went away.

 

[Itaysworld]

Thanks guys! Yes the tang is beautiful and he's a little shy still.

Boxer - I had the lights off for about 36 hours. It seems to have helped a bit. I don't want to run it in the dark too much because I have coral frags and the tang in there..


This morning I did a water change (I also did one on Wednesday) and swapped the halides for 20,000 K ones. It looks soooo much bluer... will take me a bit to get used to it.

Whatever courage the tang had built up over the last 30 hours went away with the water change and canopy coming off for the bulb change. He's hiding most of the time again.


Pharmacist - As far as the sand bed, yes, its pretty deep! (and essential for the proper bacterial population to thrive and clean up the tank properly if you're doing a DSB tank).

I have 320 lbs of crushed coral sand in there will take the typical 'soda can' picture and post later for size comparison, but I'd say its a good 5 - 6 inches if you consider that the tank is sitting in the stand about 1 inch down.

 

[hulley]

Beautiful tang Itay! Those are also called "Flame Fin Tangs", I'm wanting to get one but I already have 4 in my 180g and I'm afraid he'll get beat up if added this late. I have a yellow and purple tang, you'll need to add those guys at the same time if you want to keep the peace in your tank! Yellows and Purples can be very aggresive and will fight with each other, especially if added at different times. Hang in there!!!!!

 

[boxer385]

ltay that's a beautiful tank you have , after reading your threads
i decided to do the same, i'm connecting my LR together so that it will sit in the middle, and i'm replacing my sand, i got 360 pounds to go into a 144 gal.

Hulley i'm going to add a purple tang to my system i have a yellow im going to add them together when i aquascap.

 

[Michael]

i know its a little late, as this thread is 116 posts old but id just like to say, nice set up, and i recommend dry skimming as mentioned in a very early post

 

[hulley]

boxer, thats quite a sentence! Do you already have the yellow? Are planning on adding the purple after re-aquascaping? If so, I'm sure you'll be fine! You must be a Blackhawks fan, I'm from Detroit.....Go RedWings!!!!

 

[Itaysworld]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13119976#post13119976 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by boxer385
ltay that's a beautiful tank you have , after reading your threads
i decided to do the same, i'm connecting my LR together so that it will sit in the middle, and i'm replacing my sand, i got 360 pounds to go into a 144 gal.

Hulley i'm going to add a purple tang to my system i have a yellow im going to add them together when i aquascap.

Thank you Boxer - appreciate the comment!

I definitely recommend a structure like that -the flame fin tang (thanks for the 'everyday name' Hulley!) is really digging swimming through all the crevices and openings.

I also plan adding clams on on those shelf rocks along with some nice corals. I can't wait!

With this tang doing well, I'm going to put in the order for the rest of the tangs and add them.

Hulley, indeed, I will be adding all the other tangs at once, to prevent major "I was here first" and the rest of the territorial battles.

Thanks, Itay.