Casey and Sarah's brand new tank!

[R3verb]

Hey guys, any good articles out there on where to set up powerheads? I want to create good flow for the corals that I want to put in. Right now I have one very small Hydor pushing water past the heater and then a large one on the left side of the tank (the return is on the right). I am thinking I will probably need like 3 more plus the Hydor wave maker? Should I just put them on oposite sides of the tank or is there a better way to do it? Thanks!

Casey

 

[little_fish]

There really isnt a specific way to place powerheads because everyone's rockwork will effect the flow differently, you just have to play with it

 

[R3verb]

There really isnt a specific way to place powerheads because everyone's rockwork will effect the flow differently, you just have to play with it

Is there something specific I should look for? I am guessing I want higher flow in more densely populated areas correct?

 

[little_fish]

Not really, you want to have flow everywhere, but its good to have high and low flow areas so that you have good spots for different coral requirements. Really, you just have to put them in there and play with it.

 

[R3verb]

Ok all! Here is what I am thinking is going into my tank. After a LOT of research and deliberation with the wife, we have decided on the following list. Let me know what you all think. (remember this is a 90 gal tank)

1: Radiata Lion Fish
1: Yellow Tang
1: Kole Yellow Eyed Tang
1: Bristle tooth tomini tang or the Two Spot Bristletooth Tang
1: Mimic Half Black Tang
1: Flame Angel

To all you tang owners out there, yes I am aware that the Kole and the Bristletooth are from the same family and will have to go in at the exact same time or they will fight. This is exactly 45" of fish (1" per every 2 gal). I am putting a skimmer on the tank for up to a 250 gal tank and if need be I could go bigger (up to 400 gal). I am trying to do a reef tank with corals (sps, lps the works), the guys at the LFS said the lionfish should do just fine with them. Any thoughts or big red flags for anybody?

 

[monsterfishlove]

love!

 

[R3verb]

Alright a quick update! I sold my other 2 tanks today (well one tomorrow morning) and made $500. Now tomorrow we will be going to the LFS and getting another AI Sol light and hopefully 2 extra powerheads! Now all I need is to change my sump (I'm slowly removing the bioballs) and get a skimmer! Then it's on to fish! Pics tomorrow when the second light is in!

Casey and Sarah

 

[R3verb]

Well I am ALMOST ready for tangs and coral! So my buddy was getting out of the hobby and gave me all his old stuff. Sold 2 tanks for a total of $500 so today Sarah and I went out and bought the second AI Sol lights and a Reef Dynamics INS80 protein skimmer (rated up to 250 gal!) from the LFS. Needles to say they were happy campers today! After fighting with the sump and the skimmer for probably 2 hours, I finally got it to not be louder than my 1966 Piper Cherokee. I have it running pretty open right now, I figure I'll give it a day or two with the bubbles just at cup level to aclimate and then dial it in. I am thinking 2 weeks, get 2 more Hydor powerheads and then on to fish! I will try and post pics tomorrow when the tank clears up but in the meantime here is a pic of the skimmer we got! This is my first skimmer so any advice is much appreciated!

Casey

 

[Samhain]

I am trying to do a reef tank with corals (sps, lps the works), the guys at the LFS said the lionfish should do just fine with them. Any thoughts or big red flags for anybody?

From my research, lions are fine with coral. You just have to watch them with smaller fish (none on your list, so you're probably ok) and inverts, especially shrimp. So as long as you're ok with losing shrimp and other inverts on an occasional basis, you'll probably be ok with a lion. However, if you're contemplating keeping cleaner shrimp to take care of your tangs, you may want to reconsider the lion!

 

[Bifferwine]

+1 Samhain.

 

[R3verb]

Pictures!

 

[R3verb]

Wow sorry those are so big and not rotated! I'll get better next time lol

 

[R3verb]

From my research, lions are fine with coral. You just have to watch them with smaller fish (none on your list, so you're probably ok) and inverts, especially shrimp. So as long as you're ok with losing shrimp and other inverts on an occasional basis, you'll probably be ok with a lion. However, if you're contemplating keeping cleaner shrimp to take care of your tangs, you may want to reconsider the lion!

I saw that same research. It wasn't so much the coral that we were worried about it was the inverts. We want to do a couple cleaner shrimp and everything I have seen says he will tear those guys apart. we also want to do a Mandarin and since he is a little fish, we are afraid the lion will try and eat him. Here is our new list:

1 Yellow Tang
1 Kole Yellow Eye Tang
1 Tomini Tang
1 Reef safe Wrasse (maybe a sixline)
3 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Mandarin (when we get a fuge)

We are also thinking we may try and keep our damsels and our Clarkii clown fish. We are going to try them with the yellow tang and see what happens. If they leave him alone, we may be able to keep them. If not, we will need homes for them so anybody in the Fort Collins/Denver area that wants a few damsels, we may be getting rid of ours!

Thanks guys!

 

[MikeG]

If you like having cleaner shrimp you might not want a six line wrasse. It's hit or miss with them eating your shrimp. I really like six lines but I like my shrimp more and that's what kept me from getting one.

 

[NanoReefer]

6 lines wont eat large cleaners. i have two cleaners with mine, and he didnt even act curious around them...

 

[little_fish]

I cant see the pictures . . .

But there is still a chance that a wrasse will eat your cleaner shrimp, even if they are large.

What a goby or blenny for your tank?

 

[R3verb]

Hey guys, so the next thing I want is random flow. I was thinking about just going to the EcoTech VorTechs. I have a 90 gal tank, will a MP10 work? Maybe 2 MP10s? Or should I go with an MP40? I really like the VorTechs, they seem like the choice of most really good guys.

As for the Sixline wrasse, I think we decided to go with a fairy wrasse instead. Seems like a more docile fish. Any more advice on putting those guys with the damsels I already have?

Casey and Sarah

 

[R3verb]

BIG DAY! Today was a great day for tanking. I got a stand built for my Skimmer to raise it about 2" from the floor of the sump. To anybody who is trying to quite down their sump DO THAT! My skimmer is completely silent once the doors are closed. Just the quite hum of the sump pump is audible now an I'm going to try some tricks to get rid of that too! On top of that, I was able to get the Tunze ATO that my friend GAVE me set up today so my skimmer will always be in exactly 6" of water! All in all, a very good day!

Casey and Sarah

 

[MikeG]

As for the Sixline wrasse, I think we decided to go with a fairy wrasse instead. Seems like a more docile fish. Any more advice on putting those guys with the damsels I already have?

If you are gonna keep the two damsels I would just make sure that any new addition is aggressive enough to stand up to them. Now that they are established they are not gonna be very welcoming to any newcomers.

 

[R3verb]

Some new additions to the tank today. We got a few sand conchs, a few red leg hermit crabs and a lawnmower blennie! They are the start of our CUC. Our blue devil damsel fish name Blue has been very funny around him though. We were a little afraid that he would be aggressive towards him but instead, he seems to be protecting him! The blennie is sitting in the live rock and Blue will sit in a little hole, if any of our other fish come close he comes out and swims around like crazy until they go to the other side of the tank and then Blue goes right back to guarding the blennie! It's very funny. I really hope that our damsels are docile enough to coexist with the new tangs we want to put in the tank!

Casey and Sarah