Help me put together a good aquarium for my appartment

[DaiShan]

So I have a 240gall tank that will be going into my appartment in the fall. It is 8x2x2. I would really like to put a cat shark in there, but what type of maintenance do they require? What type of food? Also what kind of fish will they play nice with? Can I put an eal in there? So far I was thinking of putting a black volitan or two and a spotted grouper in there as tank mates, as they are both fairly stout fish. What should I do in the way of filtration? And what about substrate? I've had a 55gallon tank for about 9 years and have had all kinds of smaller fish in there, minatus groupers, volitans, damsels, clows, tangs, wrasses, some angels, even a butterfly. I really like angels butterflys and tangs, but I don't think (esp the angel and butterflys) that they will go well with the other fish (shark) what do you guys think? Will larger tangs and triggers do ok in there? What would you guys recommend for this tank? Also bear in mind that I don't really want to have to do live food all the time (can sharks eat frozen?) Thanks in advance!

[ben72227]

Here is a compatability chart (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/compatibility_chart.cfm) that may help.

[DEmigh]

OMG!

A 240 in an apartment? I hope you've got a long lease... with option to renew ;)

I'm still a n00b myself, but I feel compelled to ask a few questions about your experience in the hobby.

You describe a myriad of former occupants of your 55, many of whom have long lifespans, even in captivity. You speak of them in the past tense, so it doesn't seem they live with you anymore. What became of them?

I killed quite a few fish when I first started :sad , but I learned from every mortality and didn't repeat my mistakes. What are the current inhabitants of your 55, and how long have you had them?

If they're just the latest in long line of doomed inhabitants, then I'd be worried that going from a 55 to a 240 would just allow you to kill fish 4 times as fast.

This isn't a flame. I'm not accusing you of doing these things, I just want to help you avoid them :)

[DaiShan]

Most of the fish lasted a year or better, you have to keep in mind I've had that 55 for going on 10 years now. As everyone has, I've learned through experience, and I've made some mistakes (ph problems salinity problems etc) Since I've moved off to college, and left the 55 at home, it just has Damsels and Tomato clowns as they are colorful, and don't require a lot of maintenance (my parents can easily take care of them, and I just have to clean the tank when I go home each month, plus it looks good in the downstairs living room)I've always wanted a shark but size constraints have always limited my decision. I'd like a nice colorful tank, and I dunno if a shark would be my best option now, anyways still taking opinions for what should go in heh.

[DEmigh]

Whew!

I'm glad of two things: 1) Your fish survival rate isn't as bad as I(paranoia will destroia) feared, and 2) you don't take offense easily :D

I am envious of your future setup ;)

As a recent convert to the concept of Deep Sand Beds, I have to preach that for substrate.

For filtration, will the tank be drilled for overflow, or do you have to work that out on your own?

Check out some of the threads in the "Members Aquarium Specs" forum for details on big tanks. There's one in there titled something like Twize's 770g (!). Maybe you could Private Message some of the members with big tanks to invite them to read this thread and help you with ideas.

Welcome to AC!

:cool:

[LT1OwnzYou]

From what i have read, a wet/dry would be ur best bet for filtration. If u could find a good deal on a used 20 - 55 gallon tank only and make ur own wet dry that would be the best bet. If that isnt a good option in ur opinion, go for a good sized canister filter. The only thing I would recommend is running 2 filters with different filtration types in each one... Helps keep that water sparkling. THe bio wheels are supposed to do wonders for the Nitrite levels etc in your tank...

as far as tank mates.. I have a Marble Cat Shark i recently got, They arent the most COLORFUL fish but they sure are cool. as they get older they are really pretty fish. In the beggining i am finding they are a lot of work... make sure they stay healthy may require hand feeding... mine doesnt really like to chase down its food, it prefers i hold it right in front of him (Live guppies)
I have him mated with a Clarkii clown about 2" long, and a Bursa Trigger, about 2" long and a tiny lil striped damsel that i dont really want cause its a mean lil sucka, but nothing will kill it... the cheap ones never die.... with some lawnmower blennies in there and some hermits... he actually ate a Mandrin Goby I had... the one fish i was determined to keep alive... gets eaten...It WAS in there with a Dwarf Lion and filefish but last night i had a Nitrite catastrophe and lost those 2 :( live and learn.
Just out of curiostiy, what apartments lets u have a tank that big...lol my buddy is limited to under 30 gallon...kinda funny, hope ur on ground level just in case.
What about lighting? If u dont have an idea yet, there is a dealer on Ebay that sells under AquaDeal. He has great deals on PC's. U can get a nice 330Watt fixture with bulbs for about $170 shipped... 2 of those would do nicely on that tank :)

[DaiShan]

What would you recommend for a pump? Also do you have any links for a diy wet/dry? I understand the concept, just looking for a little expert design help. Also what type of Protein skimmer would you recommend for a tank that size?