My new 200g tank (with 40 breeder DIY sump/fuge) currently has my first-ever batch of saltwater (SG 1.025) coursing through its plumbing. The live rock arrives today, and I'll be setting up my aquascaping over the next few days.
I've been reading everything I can and using this article as my main guide. The goal is to get cycled over the next 6 weeks or so and then to add my cleanup crew in the beginning of 2014.
I was originally planning on doing a FOWLR tank, but I know how I operate, so I expect to want corals and anemones after the tank has been established for a while. Given that, most of my fish stocking questions revolve around (1) the inhabitants (fish and inverts) getting along with each other and (2) suitability for a reef setup in the future.
Because I already have some regular freshwater community tanks, my goal with this large marine tank is to have a few large, fascinating fish in contrast to my tanks of barbs, cories, etc. Given that, I've compiled a list of fish that interest me and are at least "reef-safe with caution." Please note that I'm not planning to add all of these fish to the tank. This is a comprehensive list of fish that I like.
Fish:
Clownfish pair (maroon or other large)
Other clownfish (would they get along?)
Spotted puffer or other Canthigaster species
Cardinal fish--spotted and Kaudern
Blue chromis school
Angler
Blue tang
Naso tang
Large squirrelfish
Reef-safe wrasses
Rabbitfish
Firefish
Engineer goby
Snowflake eel
Flounder
Court jester goby
Horned blenny
Blue-dot jawfish
Inverts:
Typical cleanup crew to start
Arrow crabs
Hermit crab
Starfish (what kind?)
Are hermit crabs bad?
Urchin
Here are my questions, I think:
Are there any fish on this list that a beginner simply should not have?
The presence of which fish on this list would preclude the presence of which other fish on this list? (For example, "You can't have more than one tang in a tank" or "You can't have a squirrelfish with an urchin because they'll argue about their Netflix queues."
Are there any fish on this list that simply should not be in a reef tank? (If a rabbitfish precludes turning a FOWLR into a reef tank, I just won't have a rabbitfish because I'm not too attached to them. But if you can't have an angler in a reef tank, I might just keep it a FOWLR because I love anglers--which I think are "reef safe with caution.")
And the best for last: If you had an empty 200g tank and you could create an aquarium with some of the guys on this list, what would you select and why?
Thanks!
I've been reading everything I can and using this article as my main guide. The goal is to get cycled over the next 6 weeks or so and then to add my cleanup crew in the beginning of 2014.
I was originally planning on doing a FOWLR tank, but I know how I operate, so I expect to want corals and anemones after the tank has been established for a while. Given that, most of my fish stocking questions revolve around (1) the inhabitants (fish and inverts) getting along with each other and (2) suitability for a reef setup in the future.
Because I already have some regular freshwater community tanks, my goal with this large marine tank is to have a few large, fascinating fish in contrast to my tanks of barbs, cories, etc. Given that, I've compiled a list of fish that interest me and are at least "reef-safe with caution." Please note that I'm not planning to add all of these fish to the tank. This is a comprehensive list of fish that I like.
Fish:
Clownfish pair (maroon or other large)
Other clownfish (would they get along?)
Spotted puffer or other Canthigaster species
Cardinal fish--spotted and Kaudern
Blue chromis school
Angler
Blue tang
Naso tang
Large squirrelfish
Reef-safe wrasses
Rabbitfish
Firefish
Engineer goby
Snowflake eel
Flounder
Court jester goby
Horned blenny
Blue-dot jawfish
Inverts:
Typical cleanup crew to start
Arrow crabs
Hermit crab
Starfish (what kind?)
Are hermit crabs bad?
Urchin
Here are my questions, I think:
Are there any fish on this list that a beginner simply should not have?
The presence of which fish on this list would preclude the presence of which other fish on this list? (For example, "You can't have more than one tang in a tank" or "You can't have a squirrelfish with an urchin because they'll argue about their Netflix queues."
Are there any fish on this list that simply should not be in a reef tank? (If a rabbitfish precludes turning a FOWLR into a reef tank, I just won't have a rabbitfish because I'm not too attached to them. But if you can't have an angler in a reef tank, I might just keep it a FOWLR because I love anglers--which I think are "reef safe with caution.")
And the best for last: If you had an empty 200g tank and you could create an aquarium with some of the guys on this list, what would you select and why?
Thanks!