Decisions, Decisions

[OldManOfTheSea]

Now I had another problem as some might know about and that is that I will now for a temporally for about the next 18 to 24 months beginning from the time I have the two reef tanks setup to handle FO. Like the skimmers and to get strips of glass to run across the back of both tanks and have strip lightings.

The ER skimmer for the 180, I will buy the one that I will have it as when a reef tank, so this skimmer for the 180 is $700+ and for the 240. Now this is another matter for since the tank will be just about completely rebuild later on when the money is together for it, I will not buy expensive skimmers for this for the skimmer that I will have later on as a reef tank will cost $1000+ and it too is a ER skimmer.

I will however get a ASM skimmer, or better yet two of them to maintain the 240 as a FO system that the two ASM skimmers will be for 150 gals each and I think they are like $250 if not less.

One problem im coming across in this idea is the fish inhabitants for I will not be getting any high cost fish for the time I be having them for is rather a short period of not more then two years. The idea here is so that both reef tanks not seat around empty for another two years doing nothing and being that the person who supposed to been doing these tanks had refused to call when he would finish the job, I now have to get money together to pay another lfs to do these tanks and they will however be better then what jeff of fish world was doing.

Here are some thoughts to what I put in the tanks:

Red Sea sailfin tang
lime green wrasse
Golden phase (Arothron meleagris)
Odonus niger
Red Sea Bird Wrasse
Harlequin Tuskfish

The thing is, I not believe it be a good idea to get any larger aggressive species and being that I not keep them for long, I not spend anything more the $150 a fish. So what ideas can one offer on this slight little problem?

Buddy ><{{{{">

 

[steve-s]

First off very sorry for missing this post. I looked at it while at work but was going to respond when I got home and forgot.

As far as your dilemma, I'm not completely sure of what your asking me? If you want to know if these fish will co exist together, I need to know which tank they will be housed in. You have mentioned 3 tank sizes; a 150, 180 and a 240. I need to know which fish will be housed in which tanks.

 

[OldManOfTheSea]

Hi there Steve, What I am asking here is that of because I a 180 and 240 gal tanks, that had been empty now for two years and would continue to be so for another two years. That I will do these tanks as FO for the time being.

That I not would spend any more then $150 for any certain fish and some the fish I would have would be kept for when the tanks are switched over to reef systems.

Also that large aggressive growing species such as triggers and grouper would have to be out due to problems of relocating them to new homes and as well in a case like this, my choices are between tangs and the wrasse families and many smaller fishes. That I would need to put a list together on the species in which I would house in these tanks until the switch over to reef.

I think you confused the limit of $150 for one fish as a tank

Buddy

 

[steve-s]

I'm still not understanding your question.

Of the fish you mentioned, do you wish to know which will be best suited for the 180 or the 240?
You have also mentioned switching to a reef so I need to know how that factors in and which tank?

 

[OldManOfTheSea]

Dear Lord, just how bad is my typing? I know these fish will be very suited for either the 180 or 240. I been saying pretty much what other species I might be able to get without spending few hundred dollars just on one fish.

And now being that in no forum did I get any type of response other then I appear to be as a lost soul, I was suggested too being that I already have 175 watts MH in place, only three of those on the 240 I would need to replace and a matter fact, I might replace them all for there is a date on one the bulbs I took out. The date was around 5/06 I think. Was this the date the bulbs was made and dated or the date its to expire?

I am thinking now that I do what was suggested some months ago that the lights I do have I can still manage certain beautiful corals. This however will leave out most the SPS corals im sorry to say, until that is I do the upgrading on the tanks.

I will even leave out the calcium reactors and dose the sump with Kalkwasser.

So now I have to see if I get the ER for $700 for the 180 or maybe go with the ASM skimmer. And later I will see what other options are left to me in doing the things with what I have for few years.

Buddy

PS. Steve, I do hope you understand me this time and if I do go with more soft corals, that list of fish is to be disregarded.

 

[sryder]

hey old man I am glad to see you here you are in good hands with steve-s on any fish questions. their is alot of people here that will help you along. you seem to have an idea of what you want and seem to thinking out loud a little...lol Is the 2 tanks running now or are they for the future set up.

 

[steve-s]

that list of fish is to be disregarded.

Okay, so basically your looking for a direction on equipment in regards to setting up a reef tank?

Even so, please choose your fish wisely for a reef system. Mobile invertebrates can be a very important aspect of a successful ecosystem. Even though the fish chosen may be deemed coral "safe" or friendly so to speak, they may not be advantageous from a mobile invert point of view. Snails, shrimp, worms etc.

If you plan on this eventually being an "SPS" type tank, I would plan for that from the get go and skip the soft coral idea all together. Softies as a rule are far too noxious to be mixed haphazardly with most scleractinians. They can kill each other just as quickly though. Your lighting and filtration needs will also be in need of a boost. If softies are to be the tanks future, nothing wrong with that either. My point being, choose one or the other and stick to that. You'll be that much more successful.

I think you need to make a firm decision on which tank (180 or 240) you will be converting to the reef as well. It will make a very considerable difference on your equipment choices.
The resource library might be a better way to get a general idea of what your looking at. Once you have narrowed down certain choices to just a few, more detailed feedback could be offered on which would work best for the type of animals/set up you've chosen.

As far as the ASM skimmers, I think they're going to become hard to get a hold of. You might want to ask about that in the skimmer (sub) forum.
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=88

 

[OldManOfTheSea]

Hi Steve, I had little trouble signing in here to answer you yesterday for at reef.org I not been able to sign in at all.

I some new things to add to this mess for I learn now that even thou I have 175 watts MH bulbs, that I can only maintain a soft coral aquariums and I not want this for the idea was to do the last thing that I never done till now, which is to maintain SPS coral with clams.

I took one the MH bulbs out today and took it too the new lfs and the manager has said that in no way I ever manage any SPS corals with those.

Now why I said about disregarding that fish list is simple, it will cost me some where around $700 for glass covering and strips of lighting (twin bulbs) to be on both the 180 and 240 and as it is, the new sump for my 240 will cost about $600 as well the new stand will be around $1,200.

For the fact be that I giving up keeping FO tanks some 6-7 years and I not honestly care to return to it even if for 18 months or more. So now I will first put together after the start of the new year $2,500 and will then do the new stand and sump and after that I will go to the next items to do.

For as well, I know what I want Steve for my problem is, I cannot do these things myself anymore with my disability for I might be able to do something's like putting in the skimmer or the reactors and things like that, but I can no longer put in a sump.

So I will continue with my SPS corals selections and being that I time and all, I will once done with it post for any professional views for I must had said this that this is a new deal for me over soft corals.

Also the thought to start the tanks as it is now, what will I do? Stock the tanks with corals and soon after I fully stocked both tanks will have to tear them down to rebuild again, that is really stupid of me to even think I would do that.

Also Steve, I know that I need to choice wisely my tanks invertebrates and the reason I told Jeff from fish world that why I wanted a fuge on the 240 was to help me battle against high nutrients. And being now that I will move slowly ahead and just rebuild the tank, I will also have the calcium reactors a long with phosphate reactors.

So Steve, everything on the 240 will be replaced that only the tank and canopy a long with the chiller will be the only items still in place. Even the ballasts. the whole works period. It just short of hurts after paying someone more then $24,000 in the new tank and upgrades and all he ever did was screwed me with it.

Steve, they are both (180 and 240) reef tanks and will both have 400 watts MH bulbs that it be three on the 180 and four 400 watts MH on the 240.
I do however look into other members threads for pics and details which helps myself as well make my own decisions. I look through in RC and few other sites on pics of SPS corals for even that I have the three book set of corals of the world, I not believe it has ever SPS coral.

So the hardest part is the coral selection I believe and I will first work on that and then after the fish part will be the far simplest to select to were inverts are another matter depending on fish inhabitants.

As for the ASM skimmer, I not think it be hard to get for the new LFS could get them and I will have a large suitable skimmer on this 240 when all is said and done.

sryder, the 180 was running before with soft corals before I moved more then two years ago, it too was never completed with the upgrading on the lights correctly and is why I not started anything in it for more then a year Jeff said the tank was ready and I told him I wasn't satisfied with the setup and wanted everything to be done before I started in any coral stocking.

And this will now make it that soon enough I will have to upgrade the tow wall outlets on their amps load that if just those two lines can be upgraded to 30 amps each.

Steve, It is just not feasible for me to spend so much to temporally do FO tanks.

Buddy

 

[sryder]

buddy, If it were me in your situation I would contact the better buisness beurau and turn the creep in. It sounds like you put alot of money in a setup that you never recieved. two years is a long time to wait. did he evr tell you or have a contract of what you would get for the money? I see alot of realy nice setups here that didnt cost anywhere neer that. with that said, I would set up the 180. you have the stand for that correct? you do not need an elaborate sump. a 75 gallon tank will work just fine. you can use a submersible pump for the return and place your asm g4x in there and your set.
There is alot of good sponsers here that will give some discounts on lighting. check the used section or for sale section maybe youll find something there. ask around here people are always selling,upgrading, downsizing or just giving up. I personally would get one system running and then worry about the 2nd later. I know you already have alot of money in this but some things can be alot more reasonable. They make alot of options out there for as fuge. some just use a plain tank and overflows for them to return back to there main tank. just an inexpensive way to get you going and start enjoying the hobby. worry about the setup before fish ,corals or inverts. the 175,s will work if you have enogh rock in your tank and your sps are higher in the tank. I am sure people will show you there sps systems using those same lights. hope this helps and hope others will chime in.
steve

 

[steve-s]

Buddy,

Why not concentrate your efforts on just one tank for now. Get that up and running and move on to the other later. It would make it much easier financially and much less work on your part in the long run. You can then choose items best suited to your need rather than cost and convenience.

As for the lighting, why do you need a 400 w Halide?