near future tank setup

[tmaxxracer32]

Hey guys,

This is my first post here so I apologize for asking these questions that I am sure have been posted before. Since Im knew to the saltwater game I honestly dont even know what keywords to search for in order to find the answers..

anyways heres the deal.

Ive been looking to get into the saltwater game for the past few weeks and have done SOME research on what I want.. originally I was going for a predator tank, but it seems that that is for more advanced folk.

I think im going to start off with a clown/anemone tank while possible throwing some other cool fish inside there.

I dont have a tank or anything right at this point becaue I want to have all the facts before I dive into this hobby (dont feel like killing any fish...)

desired specs

--60-75 gallon tank similiar to a style like this
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...age=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0&tx=100&ty=53

--Ill have a protein skimmer that will work for a 40-80 gallon tank
--possibly a couple power heads (Im pretty sure those are needed for reef/anemone tanks right??)
--obviously Ill figure out the type of anemone/sand/reef/all that stuff when I figure out my fish

anyways here is a list of the fish I would like to get in the tank eventually
--pair of ocellaris clown.. these will go in first
-- one type of blenny or goby
--yellow and blue tang (I see that these cannot be in tanks smaller than like 75 gal but I could have sworn Ive seen these in 60-70 gal)
--can I put those cleaner shrimp in? They just look cool and would be a sweet addition
--I have seen the volitan lionfish mixed with clowns and I think that the tangs will be big enough where the lionfish wouldnt mess with them..? If the volitan requires a larger tank possible a different lionfish?
--can puffer fish be put in as well? I am not sure exactly on the species, but lets just say... a blue spotted puffer

those are the main fish I am thinking of now.. I dont plan on dropping them all in at the same time.. basically I would put them in as the order in which I listed them.

I do have a couple questions also.. I apologize for the long thread and questions..

But what exactly is the difference between a reef/coral/anemone tank?

will the same fish be okay in all of those?

One last question.

what fish go well with clowns? I have tried searching for this, but cant seem to find much info.

From what I have read, you cannot mix clownfish with the following:
-Other clownfish (for the most part..)
-other damsels (since they are the same family correct?)
-any trigs (can the niger trig be put in without problems? I see that they are the least aggressive trig?)
-I would think eels.. plus my tank probably wont be big enough

is this compatability chart pretty much 100% legit?
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/compatibility_chart.cfm

obviously fish are not an exact science, but is it something that I can follow without problems?

Thanks guys for everything!!

Ive been apart of many forums and I know what its like when a new guy comes in and asks 21 questions when they are so common... but after all.. I am in the "New to the hobby" subforum!

thanks again for any input

flame away if you must

 

[Mrsbmckee]

Hello. I am relatively new as well but you basically have my exact tank in your wish list. We have 2 clowns a blue and yellow tang ( yes these will out grow a 75 but not for a while) a banded goby a flame angel and a valentini puffer ( this is the smallest puffer that I could find ) they all work really well together. I am wiring on the lionfish u tip my clowns get bigger but I Am going for a dwarf species because although harder to keep they are less likely to eat your fish... From what I've heard. Also I have a bubble tip Anemone which hopefully my clowns will host too and a long tentacle anemone that I M holding to keep alive. Good luck with your tank but from my experience your fish list will work fine! Oh the shrimp might get eaten by the puffer so if your going to get it for sure then I'd get it early.

 

[tmaxxracer32]

okay sounds good.
I was watching some show today and there was this massive eel and it allowed the mini shrimp to go in and clean the eel INSIDE ITS MOUTH!!

I just figured if a massive eel wouldnt eat it then why would any small fish eat it!

haha anyways thanks for the quick reply! I think the tank that you have and that I am looking to get is the best for beginners.. the fish are very abundant and not very aggressive!

 

[Virtuoso]

I'd shoot for the 75 gallon if that is the footprint you are looking at. On the protein skimmer, generally the bigger the better. You should aim for something well above the "80g" mark. Check out some of the Reef Octopus skimmers, they get good reviews here. You absolutely will need power heads, probably 2-4 depending on which ones. You should look at setting up a sump with a refugium as well. As far as tangs go, there is a sticky at the top of the "Reef Fish" forum that discusses which ones can go in which size tanks. You should check out the Scopas Tang. Probably one of the best tangs for a tank that size. Yes, you can put in a cleaner shrimp and most people recommend it. You will need to stay away from the lionfish and probably the puffer too. Definitely do your research before you seriously consider either of those.

Yeah, you absolutely cannot put them all in at once. I think a good rule of thumb is a fish a month, after you quarantine them for 4 weeks. A reef tank is like a blend of everything, fish, coral, inverts, etc. A "coral" tank would be a tank with just coral in it, I assume. An "anemone" tank is a tank specifically designed for anemones, as they can be very problematic and quite a few experienced reefers seem to say to keep them out of your "reef" tanks (with fish). Plenty of people do keep them successfully in reef tanks, though.

There are plenty of fish that go well with clowns. Just continue to read and check out the "CHECK THIS THREAD BEFORE YOUR FISH PURCHASE" to give you ideas. The eel is also something to stay away from.

Hope that helps. I am not very experienced but I have been carefully reading a lot of the information on these forums for quite a while.

 

[Rocdoc]

+1 on the powerheads and larger skimmer.

I disagree with the other poster encouraging a couple of tangs in a tank that size. I have never been a proponent of the "I'll trade them in when they're bigger" though process. Get fish sized for your tank and go from there.

Clowns can pretty much handle themselves, but they are pretty territorial and might take over a large portion of a tank that size, especially if they are mating.

Puffers and lions are cool, but will both eat whatever fits in their mouths, including your cleaner shrimp.

I would do a ton more research regarding anenomes before you get one. They are a little more difficult to keep and most people recommend a tank that has matured for a year before introducing an anenome. Your clowns do not need one and they will often host corals that are easier to keep.

You're on the right track with reading and asking questions before buying anything. Read the stickies and pare down your fish list to the must haves, then check again.

Good luck.

 

[tmaxxracer32]

I had assumed anemones were needed, but now that you say that I do remember reading that they arent mandatory..

Heres possibly a dumb question, but you know those castles, teasure chests, etc that people put in in freshwater tanks.. Can those go in saltwater tanks? I think that the salt would eventauly take over the color, but this may be actually kind of cool and possibly give some play/living space for those hiding type of fish.

I would of course get coral reef and stuff, but as you said I have a ton of research to do on that..

So far the Ive looked at mainly the types of fish I want to get and the things needed to keep the tank running. IE power heads, protein skimmers, all the chemicals, etc.

Im going to further read into sumps right now because Ive seen that word thrown all around here but dont fully understand it.

 

[tmaxxracer32]

+1 on the powerheads and larger skimmer.

I disagree with the other poster encouraging a couple of tangs in a tank that size. I have never been a proponent of the "I'll trade them in when they're bigger" though process. Get fish sized for your tank and go from there.

Oh and I think he was referring to the fact that your fish wont outgrow the tank in a few years and then when that comes you will probably want to upgrade the size of your tank.

That is what I got out of it at least.

 

[Virtuoso]

I had assumed anemones were needed, but now that you say that I do remember reading that they arent mandatory..

Heres possibly a dumb question, but you know those castles, teasure chests, etc that people put in in freshwater tanks.. Can those go in saltwater tanks? I think that the salt would eventauly take over the color, but this may be actually kind of cool and possibly give some play/living space for those hiding type of fish.

I would of course get coral reef and stuff, but as you said I have a ton of research to do on that..

So far the Ive looked at mainly the types of fish I want to get and the things needed to keep the tank running. IE power heads, protein skimmers, all the chemicals, etc.

Im going to further read into sumps right now because Ive seen that word thrown all around here but dont fully understand it.

I think the little plastic thingies are not generally put in people's tanks because they can become algae magnets, plus who knows what type of plastic they are made of. It is possible they could leach bad things back into the water. On top of that, I think they have a "goldfish bowl" type vibe to them, which I think would turn a lot of people off. Not sure on any of that, though. Definitely read up on sumps, in my opinion they are very important.

Oh and I think he was referring to the fact that your fish wont outgrow the tank in a few years and then when that comes you will probably want to upgrade the size of your tank.

That is what I got out of it at least.

Yes, but this is a very bad habit to get into. Upgrades are expensive and sometimes it is impossible to predict the future. Tangs are very sensitive to tank size, for several reasons.

 

[tmaxxracer32]

I could understand the algae concerns and chemical problems, but personally I think it would be cool to get a sunken ship and have it at the bottom of your aquarium. Like you said though, some/most of them could give you a bad look to your tank.

how long would it take for a 1-2 inch tang to get too big for the 60-75 gallon tank? Or is it one of those things where they should just never be in that size of a tank due to territorial habits and such

thanks for your input!

 

[Virtuoso]

It really depends on the tang. There are a couple that would work in a 75g, including the Scopas Tang I mentioned earlier. But the tank is too small for the popular Yellow Tang. It is not really their size, but the fact that they do a lot of swimming and grazing.

 

[Rocdoc]

Most people avoid the treasure chests and things like that because they are going for as natural a look as possible, so they skip that. Some of those things aren't safe in saltwater anyway. In reading your first post, I don't see anything about live rock. You definitely need 70 pounds or so of that to work as a biological filter. LR can be used to provide hiding spots for your fish.

 

[tmaxxracer32]

Yea I didnt forget about the live rock just dont have much questions on it now.. I know most of the startup needs (sand rock test equipment etc) but this thread was mainly to ask about the fish.