Lr?

[Landolakes]

This may be a dumb question but I finally worked up the nerve to ask. Well here goes, I see that a lot of reef tanks have a ton of LR for example a 55 with 100lbs of LR. I am assuming that the rock displaces a good portion of that water so it would not actually be 55gal. anymore. I have done fresh for over 20 years and know that there is no substitute for size of tank but if I had a 20gal and it was full half way with gravel that tank would not be better then a ten, right? Please help me as I am debating on how much LR to put into my 75, since I have about 40 lbs now and would like to know if the extra liverock would be more beneficial or water.

 

[dreaminmel]

Depends how heavily you stock the tank. People with SPS growout tanks succesfully use no live rock due to there being a very minimal waste load. In my 72 I've had a little under 1lb per gallon with no issues and what many would consider a higher than optimal fish load.

What are your plans as far as fish go?

 

[Landolakes]

I have a flame angel, 4 chromis, a lmb, clarkii and thinking of maybe something really colorful like a mandarin. I do have a fuge and will try the fish egg thing I read on another thread. Or any other suggestions for a show type fish that will be the centerpiece not set in stone about the mandarin.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7688202#post7688202 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dreaminmel
Depends how heavily you stock the tank.

Agreed. A really good skimmer can help, too.

 

[dreaminmel]

Nothing wrong w/ having your heart set on a mandarin, just please wait for your tank to mature for at least a year first. I just barely added one to mine but I've been eyeballing them at the LFS for a couple of years now.

If your plans for a mandarin in the future are in fact definite, I would add as much porous rock as visually acceptable to your tank to promote safe breeding grounds for many pods. Say like around 80-100lbs of rock?

Honestly for another centerpiece fish suggestion I have what I consider some nice fish in my tank but EVERY time people come over and start looking in it the first fish they point out and "ooh, aah" over is my firefish. Might be one to consider... you'd probably want to look for a full grown one though so it'd be more likely to stand its ground with the chromis and clown.

Hope that helped but if not I'm sure others will speak up w/ suggestions too.

 

[Landolakes]

OOps

OOps

How could I forget my firefish he has been with me since I started in a 10 gallon tank, from the ten to a thirty to now a 75 its been about 2 years. The 75 was set up in Jan. and the thirty was up for 1.5 years. Not really sure I want the Mandarin but I dont want to do a tang(if the police are listening,lol) but my wife would like something else that is perty,lol to compliment my angel. How much LR would be optimal, I based it on what I would see diving as a kid which I guess to most reefers is not astheticaly pleasing but I dont like the whole wall of rock.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I'd consider more rock or adding a refugium (or both) if you want to keep a Mandarinfish (or better yet a pair). It's one of the few fishes that would influence the amount of LR I use in my aquarium.

I'd add a mate for the Clarkii, Lando.

If you do a Tang it should be a Scopas, Yellow, Kole, Purple or Convict. Maybe a Tomini. Something that stays small. Add it last. It will become aggressive and prevent future additions. A 75 is the absolute smallest aquarium I'd ever add a Tang to.

 

[dreaminmel]

Another colorful alternative Link

I have no personal experience w/ them but do think they're fascinating and there are many different color forms. They can get quite pricey though too.

 

[Landolakes]

mate

mate

would adding a mate for the clarkii make it more aggressive? She doesnt host anything in the tank but a piece of rock with nothing on it and everyone else including me know to stay away from it. I have about 8 heads of various frogspawn, 3" toadstool leather, 7" yellow fiji leather, various zoos and shrooms, rics. both yuma and florida, rhod., carr., andregular purple, blu, green and flame red and orange shrooms, 4" devils finger leather, 3 heads of neon green candy, anthelias, pulsing xeniasome un.id leather, stars and a really nice gorgonian who is always open along with his two feather duster buddies. Would I run the risk of them hosting and killing any of those guys? I do have a fuge to. On a side note do serpeant stars eat fish mine is black and grey banded and every time I add either a orchid dottyback or royal gramma they disappear after a week or so and there is no way out of the tank and no one else big enough to eat them?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Dottybacks and Grammas disappear, eh?
I don't think it's the black and grey star but it might be.
A mate will make the female clown more aggressive. It will preoccupy her as well. I wonder what happens to your disappearing fishes. You don't have an Elephant's Ear shroom, do you?

 

[Landolakes]

I did and after he ate one of my gobies traded him in. The star seems to always be sneaking up on stuff in the tank including my hand occasionaly, I will throw him in with my eel and let them hang out alone so that neither one eats anything.

 

[Stephany]

Won't the eel eat the star? What kind of eel?

 

[Landolakes]

No they were both together for a long time, hes a 2" snowflake eel and the star is probably 7". The eel wont eat anything unless it is al;ready dead, hes a good guy, was great in the reef but made monster sand storms.

 

[chrisqueenz]

IMO, I think adding about 40-65lbs of rock would be perfect according to how you landscape it. You could have a couple of great pices that dont wiegh much and create magnificant caves that would look great with all of your corals placed in the right places!

 

[Landolakes]

Can you guys tell he's been over, he wants my tank closer to his. It looks fantastic but I still have more coral, lol. I will add the LR slowly and be picky about the pieces since I dont want to overdo it. Thanks for all the advice and how can I sex Mandarins? Really want a pair now, thanks Gary

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7710392#post7710392 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Landolakes
Thanks for all the advice and how can I sex Mandarins? Really want a pair now, thanks Gary

Males will fight immediately. The males have a long dorsal fin (spike) on the first ray that the females lack. Most Mandarins seen for sale are males- you'll probably need to look for a female.
Several folks in the URS have pairs of Mandarinfish.

 

[Landolakes]

Dumb question but do they have to be the same kind, green, psych., blue other then the color I am not sure of the difference? Also do they get along with a lmb?