FOWLR predator tank questions

[Mustang Boy]

ok thanks the angler fish will be off my list of possibilities i was thinking that maybe they wouldnt eat a poisonous fish like a leaf fish. Now do scorpion fish eat smaller fish like in the 2-3in range? If not how does this stocking sound

1 leaf fish
1 sailfin scorpion
1 falco(max 2.5in) or pixy(max 3in) hawkfish


again substiutions and critiques encouraged

 

[Amphiprion]

Should work. For those fish, a heavier-bodied 2-3 inch fish should be fine. If you are considering slender fish, like wrasses, then that's a problem, since these guys can fold over and make it easier to fit in someone's stomach.

 

[Mustang Boy]

thanks for the help and i wasnt talking about slender fish like that i was mainly asking because of the size of the hawkfish i listed.

and ggggrrrrrr i keep looking at fish on the internet that look like they would go so well in this tank lol the only one that i am really thinking about is a filefish because of how odd they look but i doubt i would have the room and i dont know how well they would fair with them being peaceful

 

[Amphiprion]

While filefish are very placid compared to their cousins, they may still nip at your scorpionfish.

 

[Mustang Boy]

While filefish are very placid compared to their cousins, they may still nip at your scorpionfish.

oohh yeah that is true i didnt think of that. i guess that goes out the window then lol.

 

[Mustang Boy]

ok an equipment question now.

I know predator tanks have some nitrate problems and i was wondering if over skimming would be good or just a waste. I am planning on using a knock-off of the bakpak 2 but if over skimming is a good thing i will upgrade it to the knock-off of the dual bakpak skimmer which holds alot more water volume, has 2 skimmers, and a decent sized center section where i could stuff extra chaeto

 

[Amphiprion]

The extra skimming won't hurt, but it won't stop a big nitrate problem--it can slow it or lessen it, though. A refugium, turf scrubber, etc. is much more efficient than a skimmer in reducing nitrates and can generally lower them much more.

 

[odinthejd]

pic's?

 

[Mustang Boy]

yes i know this amp and i am planning on modding an AC110 into a fuge and if i do go with the dual HOB skimmer i will be stuffing some chaeto in the center section where there is a big opening that would be perfect for some macro. i will also have a small macro field that will help with nitrates too(can never have too much nitrate absorbtion specially in a predator tank)

now i know all of these stocking questions are probably getting old but could i substitue the hawkfish, which could take precious perching space away from the scorpion and leaf fish, with a Fu Manchu Lionfish which only get to 4in and i believe would spend most of the time swimming around instead of perching


and sorry no pics yet this is still in the planning stages

 

[Amphiprion]

Those fish aren't particularly or usually known to be aggressive, but you are starting to crowd the lower portions of the tank, making any sort of negative interaction more likely. The leaf fish and scorpionfish are less likely to leave the bottom than the hawkfish, so that sounded better to me. That's not to say that they necessarily will fight, but you are increasing the chances. The lionfish will likely be the most territorial out of the bunch, followed by the scorpionfish and then the leaf fish.