TBS coral/Richard I need your advice!

[Mangodude]

Hi, I would like to have a FOWLR tank and use your live rock but I'm afraid that if I use your live rock I'll have so much coral (not a bad thing to everybody else but I'm looking for lower maitenance) that it will have to be a reef tank. How high of maitenance is the coral that is on you rock? From I've read fish can take much higher amonia/nitrogen levels than coral can. Does that mean if I keep the ammonia/nitrogen levels low enough for the fish that the coral will not survive?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Also, does anybody have any experience with either hexagonal tanks or bicolor-dottybacks?

Thanks

 

[Raggamuffin]

Even the stoney stuff that he sends along is some tough stuff because the params of the gulf swing MUCH more then where most corals come from, I would advise to stay away from Gorgs but the rest of the stuff is very easy to care for. A few drops of filter feeder food 2 times a week and you are golden. I ran without a protein skimmer for awhile with temps swinging between 76 and 83 before I got things settled and not a thing died... I'm not saying it was good but it made it. (crazy weather in SD is a pain 10 to 75 and back to 10 degrees in 2 days)

 

[dwculp]

In addition, most of the corals, sponges and other life on the rock is low-light species so you should have no problem.

 

[noahm]

I would not worry. If some of the stuff can't handle the params, it may die, but shouldn't affect the fish. Also, the fish may eat a lot of the stuff, but thats life. Just make sure and cycle it properly and add fish slowly. Also, if you are going to have a sump, I recommend putting a few rocks with macro algae in it. This way you can cycle them in and out of the DT to feed tangs and stuff.

 

[Mangodude]

Thanks for the advice. I will try not to worry too much about it. I've got a corner that is small but is big enough to put in a hexagonal tank. From what I've read on the internet a hex. is very bad for freshwater fish. Is this the case with saltwater ones too? Do you think I could put one or two small goby-like fish (sorry not sure excalty what I would get) because they would be hiding in the LR anyways?

Thanks

:fish1:

 

[dwculp]

The only problems with hex tanks are they are usually very tall relative to their width, this makes getting adequate lighting to the bottom of the tank a problem sometimes. The other problem is that because of their odd shape, it can be hard to find standard equipment that easily fits them. However, I think the problems are usually overstated and with a little diligence and work on your part you should have no problem.

 

[Yogre]

I think it also depends on the freshwater species you're keeping. With cichlids it's all about footprint, the more floorspace the better for those very territorial animals. My 3' x 1.5' 58 gallon was just too small for some of the cichlids I tried to keep.

For saltwater, the same applies. I wouldn't keep a large free-swimming fish like a hippo tang in a smaller hex tank. Maybe some smaller fish like gobies would be fine; again it depends on the behavioral characteristics of the fish.

 

[NeonFish]

I have 45g hex loaded with colt coral, xenia, mushrooms many fan worms as well. Even my acropora valida was growing well in it. I have 3 fish in it as well pygmy angel, dispar anthias and a royal gramma. Underneath it 20gal sump with refugium. nova extrem lights easily penetrates 18" depth.

I think you'll be fine with a hexagon.

 

[noahm]

Just to add, I have no exp with a bicolor, but my neon dotty is a %$&&$ (bad fish). I would go with a royal gramma if you want that look, but even they should probably be added after anything more timid. My dotty will kill any new fish in my 125. It is going back to the LFS one day when I catch it, otherwise I can never add anything new.