Another question, this time about fish count

[Paste]

so rule of thumb as I understand it is 1 per 10gal (see people say like 6 for a 55gal tank)
and this does not count shrimp snails ect...

does this count cleanup type fish as well (lawnmower blenny come to mind)..
Fiance says they don't count in freshwater, but we are not certian with reef.

Still planing, figured I would get my fish list together, we are tank shoppin today, I may have been talked down to a 55 from a 75, then do another 55 or maybe larger in a year or so... so I can have a aggressive and non aggressive tank.

Thanks again.

 

[wontonflip]

Yes, cleanup fish count (don't hurt their feelings! They're fish too!) :mrgreen:

And in keeping with the 1 fish per 10g rule, keep in mind the fish's space requirements. Obviously you cannot keep a tang in a 10g ;) Most of us go to Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums to check on a fish's minimum requirements. They tend to be more or less accurate.

 

[Paste]

nice link,
yeah, don't wanna cramp fish, but the little lady said she didn't think hidding/cleaning fish types counted.
good to know... and you guys ROCK!!!
Tank shoppin is gonna be fun today, it means I get to start, the point of no return (or 30 day returns...)
YAY !

 

[little_fish]

Hurray for tank shopping!!! Welcome to the dark side!

 

[FishyReef]

I'd stay with the 75, it gives you far more options than the 55!

 

[wontonflip]

If you're not on a tight budget, try to get a predrilled tank. That way you don't have to buy an hob overflow.

 

[Paste]

Blaaahhh..
4th of July getting in the way of my plans.. (I knew I was off for the next 6 days for some reason)
Got half my supplies... But couldn't fit the tank with the kids in the car (off to fireworks here in a couple hours) so now I have to wait till tomorrow. I feel like a kid on Christmas eve... I know Santa's coming.. But I want my presents now.

 

[Paste]

Ohhh and pre drill is a little out of my budget, but I do have glass cutters and am pretty MacGuyver-ish ;)

 

[wontonflip]

Oh good! Quite a few people here have drilled their own tanks. You're in good company.

 

[Jmck]

Hurray for tank shopping!!! Welcome to the dark side!

We have cookies.. :bounce:

Congratulations on tank shopping.

And thank god there is someone starting that is ACTUALLY researching. I prefer answering this question then. "Can I have 4 tangs in my 30g" :death: :grumble:

 

[little_fish]

Darn good cookies too :D

 

[Paste]

Tank acquired.
Not exactly as planned, but very happy.

Originally I was going to get a 55 or 75 for my man cave, the more I planned and closer I got to pulling the trigger... The more the fiancé started putting in her two cents...

Now we bought a 65 and a stand that match our dining room B-)
It went from sure you can do it but keep it in your space to let's get this one because it would look good in the house.

Local store is having their 1st Friday sale tomorrow (1st Friday of the month) with 20% off and free beer and bbq... So will be getting live rock and maybe a little tipsy tomorrow!

 

[Bifferwine]

Great! 1 to 2 lbs of rock is the way to go -- but to save money, you can do a mix of live rock and dry rock. Dry rock is much cheaper than live rock, and after it's in the tank with live rock for a while, it becomes live rock anyways. You'll want to get your sand too. You don't have to spend the extra money on live sand for the same reason. Dry sand is fine.

 

[Paste]

1-2 lbs live rock total?
How will the dry rock effect my cycle?

 

[Bifferwine]

Oops! I meant to say 1 to 2 lbs per gallon! Sorry. I was thinking faster than I was typing. :) The dry rock won't impact the cycle.

 

[FishyReef]

Also make sure to put your rock in the tank before the sand - you want the rock resting on the glass instead of on the sand, otherwise you could get a rockslide later!

 

[wontonflip]

And make sure you get nice aragonite or fine sand; NOT crushed coral! Can't wait to see pics!

 

[Paste]

Got argonite substrate... Spent 45 mins or so cleaning it. Water still comes out cloudy, but don't think it's gonna get much clearer.

Pics are a couple days out, once I get my rock setup will begin(tomorrow or Saturday).

 

[Bifferwine]

Got argonite substrate... Spent 45 mins or so cleaning it. Water still comes out cloudy, but don't think it's gonna get much clearer.

Yep, give it up. It's impossible to get the sand completely clean!

 

[Paste]

So the one place I chose to be cheap fell through...
Ahhhhh
My buddy had a 90 gal tank previously and thought he had his hob skimmer still... Nope.

Any ideas to get me going quickly on the cheap for now?