A noob learning the hard way. First post. LONG READ sorry

Here is what I'd recommend if you don't want a lot of rock in your tank. Buy a large sump, it sounds like a 40 breeder might be perfect (36x18x17) and you can get them at Petco for $40 during their $1 per gallon sale. You can put a LOT of rock in the 40b... it just has to be in your system, not necessarily in your display tank. This way, you can buy cheap dry rock (like from reefcleaners, etc) and it will not look out of place with the rock you have. I'd still add more to your display, but having a lot in your sump means you'll need less in the DT.

One thing I noticed is that you said you want it to be a FOWLR tank, but then also mention an anemone. This is a bit of a contradiction... the anemone will require very bright lights and water quality of a reef tank... Is it worth all the extra expense and maintenance for the anemone? You might as well add coral too since your tank would be able to support it! Just something to consider.
 
Novadan, thanks a million for that! Great idea for the 40b I'm going to try and find one. Hopefully the 17" is the width because I don't think I can fit 18 wide. I have a 12" wide 38 gallon I just grabbed. Didn't leak test it yet tho.

The anemone was for the clowns really. I know they don't need them, but who can resist watching clowns rolling around getting all high off anemone stings... Little junkies. I have a 6'coralife light fixture with 4 96watt PC's and 3 250 watt mh bulbs, as well as 4 tiny leds. Old school energy and heat wise I know, but this was a $1000 light new and I couldn't pass it up knowing its a reef quality light.

The main reason I don't want other corals or inverts is because I really really really want a clown triggerfish and I know they are unpredictable and known as not reef safe.

I was wondering if anyone can tell me if restricting my returns for noise reduction (also my only means of flow right now) is damaging my cycle. If necessary I'll put em on full blast and deal with the noise until I can afford some mp40s.

Thanks
 
Well you were off to a rocky start but you recovered. Good save. By the way, I think being OCD is a definite plus in this hobby.
 
PatW said:
Well you were off to a rocky start but you recovered. Good save. By the way, I think being OCD is a definite plus in this hobby.
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Thanks.. I have selective OCD. as in I over tighten and quadruple check random things and usually end up going just beyond the point of perfect... And by perfect I mean as in stopping exactly on the edge of the cliff, as opposed to sliding right over it and burning.
 
Clown triggers are beautiful fish, but are not even close to being reef safe, not even smaller fish safe. Clown triggers are one of the more aggressive triggers and unless you plan making this a predator fish tank with other large aggressive fish you may need to put the clown trigger on your imaginary wish list. It sucks cause we all have fish we wish we could keep but know for some reason we cant.
 
Clown trigger is way down the line for me. He will be my last addition once everything else has grown and established itself. 2 clownish first, then porky puffer, then flame hawkfish, I'm mainly concerned for the male clown as he'll be the smallest, that's why I'm also very interested in keeping one anemone for them. I won't add a clown trigger unless everything else in the tank is of substantial size. The trigger is my goal fish, whether that 6 or 18 months from now, so be it, but eventually I must get one.
 
You might get lucky but the trigger may go after the anemone, even if it is a large anemone he might try and take bites. For the clowns I would take a look at the maroon clownfish, they are one of the larger more robust of the clownfish, much more likely to stand up to a pushy trigger and more successful at defending its home from a hungry trigger. If you are dead set make sure everything else is near full size and then find the smallest trigger you can. Also post pictures so the rest of us that aren't as brave as you can drool over the trigger.
 
Lucky Lefty said:
Clown trigger is way down the line for me. He will be my last addition once everything else has grown and established itself. 2 clownish first, then porky puffer, then flame hawkfish, I'm mainly concerned for the male clown as he'll be the smallest, that's why I'm also very interested in keeping one anemone for them. I won't add a clown trigger unless everything else in the tank is of substantial size. The trigger is my goal fish, whether that 6 or 18 months from now, so be it, but eventually I must get one.
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Lucky, on the top of this New To The Hobby forum, there's a sticky thread titled "Check out your intended fish purchases here first!" Before you get any (more) fish, be sure and post in there. Snorvich answers those threads and he's an expert. He just needs your tank description and parameters and what you want to put in it, and he'll advise you. I'm getting nervous about what you want to put in that tank :lol2: :wildone: :crazy1: :eek2: :hmm4: :lmao: :spin2:
 
Usually the noise complaints come from the overflow not the return. Is your return pipe submerged in your display tank?
 
reepher315 said:
Usually the noise complaints come from the overflow not the return. Is your return pipe submerged in your display tank?
Click to expand...

Did I say return pipe? My apologies if so, I meant the drain pipe. Returns are submerged just below the surface.

Tank is actually very quiet with the returns dialed down and submerged, much better than day 1. At that time it sounded like niagra falls was in my house.
 
frogdog said:
Lucky, on the top of this New To The Hobby forum, there's a sticky thread titled "Check out your intended fish purchases here first!" Before you get any (more) fish, be sure and post in there. Snorvich answers those threads and he's an expert. He just needs your tank description and parameters and what you want to put in it, and he'll advise you. I'm getting nervous about what you want to put in that tank :lol2: :wildone: :crazy1: :eek2: :hmm4: :lmao: :spin2:
Click to expand...

Thanks, I've been doing a lot of research about compatibility. Seems like although a general idea of what works is out there, clown triggers are just completely unpredictable. For whatever reason I like that. I say that now as I have no fish, we'll see how I feel once I raise my clowns and porky puffer I plan on getting.

Clown trigger is a must though. A risk I can't wait to take.
 
Donkeykong said:
You might get lucky but the trigger may go after the anemone, even if it is a large anemone he might try and take bites. For the clowns I would take a look at the maroon clownfish, they are one of the larger more robust of the clownfish, much more likely to stand up to a pushy trigger and more successful at defending its home from a hungry trigger. If you are dead set make sure everything else is near full size and then find the smallest trigger you can. Also post pictures so the rest of us that aren't as brave as you can drool over the trigger.
Click to expand...

LFS has some beautiful breeding black maroons with a ton of babies. I was wondering, can I get a black maroon and say, maybe a snowflake.. Would they pair up or will only like clowns pair up. Not looking for them to breed, just become a couple... That sounds weird and creepy.

Finding the tiniest trigger possible once everything else is big has been the plan since day 1 though.
 
frogdog said:
How big is your display tank, Lucky? I went through this thread, but couldn't find it.
Click to expand...

Oh I thought it was buried in my random posts somewhere.

It's a 150 gallon tank. 72"L x 18"w x 28"h. 2 corner overflow boxes in the back corners. 1" drain in either corner, 1/2" returns coming from each box as well. Little giant pump 3-mdq-sc 700gphb dialed back to about 50% for noise reduction at the drain.
 
Lucky Lefty said:
Oh I thought it was buried in my random posts somewhere.

It's a 150 gallon tank. 72"L x 18"w x 28"h. 2 corner overflow boxes in the back corners. 1" drain in either corner, 1/2" returns coming from each box as well. Little giant pump 3-mdq-sc 700gphb dialed back to about 50% for noise reduction at the drain.
Click to expand...

Nice setup. If you think 35 gallons on the floor was a problem, wait until you get all those aggressive fish in that tank. You'll have a tsunami. It will be like Guadalcanal under water. Maybe you should set up a second 150G tank? or a third?

How's Bodybag?
 
Here is my tank, and stand that I made.

Bodybag looks.. Well like a body bag.

Pulling out the test kit now to check levels.

Some kind of super tiny life form is completely covering that stocking. Super cool.
 

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