55 gal fowlr

[reefaddict]

I have patiently waited 1 year with my 125 reef before i set up another tank. I wanted a fish intensive tank but i had to use mostly equipment i already have so 55 is as big as i can go. to offset the size limitations, i am using a 40 gal long as a sump with a seaclone 100 skimmer. I also have a emperor 400 hang on filter and a rio 2100+ as a return pump from the sump. i put 25 lbs of lr from my reef tank as a jump start on the cycle and i also put 25 lbs of new cured lr to complete the filtration. the tank was running without any bioload for 3 weeks with just the emperor 400 until friday when i installed the sump and half the rock and 40 lbs of aragonite. today i added the other 25 lbs of rock and a pygmy angel and a bi colored blennie. I want to eventually fill the tank with small "nano" size fishes because i think it will make the tank more colorful/ intertesting than putting( for example) 1 trigger and 1 tang in the tank. I think a tank filled with small colorful fish will be more fun to look at.
i am in the process of taking pics, so i will show "the worlds largest nano tank" in a little while.
thanks
mike

 

[reefaddict]

55 fowlr

her are some out of focus pics. i will try again when i get a background on the tank.

 

[NaH2O]

Excellent! I love the idea of having smaller fish in a larger tank. I think it will provide a lot of interest. Look forward to more pics!!!

 

[snobanker]

Yeah the large tank with small fish might provide for some neat schooling ......

 

[reefaddict]

55 fowlr

thanks guys,
any stocking ideas for small fish? i kindof looked online today and i wasn't too sure about what would work with the pygmy angel.
i added a full shot from tonight. i wonder how long those shrooms will last under n.o. 40 watt lighting? they aren't showing any stress yet, but they were right under a 250 mh bulb in my other tank.

 

[reefaddict]

55 fowlr

today i added 15lbs of lr. I also added a tomato clown(1 inch), firefish(1 1/2 inch), and a bi color dottyback(1 1/4 inch). i will wait now for some ammonia to show up to change some water but last time i did a tank this way it never spiked.I will wait at least one week before i put any more livestock in the tank. i am thinking a small group of something like maybe green chromis or cardinals? neon gobies look good in groups also.are there any other small schooling fish that might work? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
Mike L.

 

[Sparks]

I'd see if you can take back that dottyback, horrible little fish(much worse than even damsels of the same size). Only thing I've seen the bicolor/purple/skunkback dotty's (which all seem to have the exact same temperament) leave alone are clowns, angels, and aggressive fish much bigger than themselves. He's most likely gonna kill that firefish after a while. Make sure to notice your the firefish's fins for the next week or two. Dottyback's are a hardy fish that's about as brightly colored for the money as you can get, and everyone who comes to the store i work at and asks about them, I tell of my experience with all three kinds of the cheaper dottybacks.
I'd say if you plan on only keeping one of these and a pair of clowns in a 20g, or have a 75g+ with just large "medium+" aggressive fish these are great, but definitely not a community fish and say goodbye to shrimp and most non-hermit crabs if you grab one. I even had one purple 2.5" pick at snails til they fell off the glass and try to eat them.

kaudern cardinals are pretty cool, but i havent noticed neons really hanging out together much unless in a small tank.

 

[reefaddict]

55 fowlr

Sparks,
so far the firefish is untouched but, the pygmy angel has some fin damage. he is constantly bothering the clown which is twice his size. i haven't seen the dottyback bother anything yet, but it could just be a matter of time. there is a ton of hiding places in the tank and i hope they can find their own territories.

 

[reefaddict]

#&*^%$ dottyback

Well sparks,
you were absolutly correct. i was going to move the dottyback tonight after dinner. before we left everything was fine. the pygmy angel had torn fins but no worse than last night and everybody else was untoched. the firefish was totally nip free and was out mid tank looking unstressed. i got back 1 hour later and the firefish was dead. fins ripped up and just in bad shape. have you ever seen an oscar spit out a feeder after it has mouthed it for awhile? thats what the firefish looked like. I had to take all the liverock out to get the dottyback, he was in a hole somewhere in the rock. he is now in a 125 with the next smallest fish a full grown fire hawkfish. there is also a 4 inch lionfish in the tank that might keep the dottyback busy enough so it won't bother any other fish.If it ends up as lionfish food i won't be too upset either.
it just stinks that a fish that beautiful is so nasty.
thanks for the info. next time i will act on it faster.

 

[NaH2O]

reefaddict - sorry to hear about the firefish! I'm glad you were able to get the dottyback out. I had trouble with a bicolor blenny - including removal....I was close to introducing a lion just so I could get him out of my tank . Do you think you will introduce another firefish to the tank?

 

[reefaddict]

55 fowlr

Nikki, yes i do. but i think i want a purple one this time. their colors are awesome. on a sad note i think the dottyback is gone. eaten. nature took it's course and mr. lionfish got a meal. i guess i could have put it in the sump instead of the 125 but i hate to admit it but i was mad. revenge was on my mind as i was dropping it in the 125. at least it won't be killing anymore firefish.