If you had my tank.......what would you do?

[mennazeher04]

Hey everyone, well my live rock is coming today(like right now, moms picking up from airport now....couldnt get off work)......anyways i have a 120 gal tank with 2-10,000k 96watts and 2-blue actinic 96watts lights PC's for right now.....saving up now for a metal halide system. If this was your setup for your tank what would you add first, next, etc. Just looking for some pointers and ideas. Also when the LR is cycling i dont have to add a "janitor crew" or anything do I?

 

[daugherty]

good lights and a good skimmer

 

[mennazeher04]

i already have a skimmer and the lights right now will have to do until i can save up and afford a $700-$800 fixture.....but what i meant by the question i asked above was what kind of fish/inverts, etc. should i get?

 

[daugherty]

for now i would just get some sanils and hermit crabs for inverts. well look at live aquaria for reef safe fish a tang,or some wrasses could be a good start clowns, then i would add a few pepermint shrimp when the tank get older and more stable

 

[Teixeira29]

I would just look at liveaquaria.com they have goos starter fish, but i wouldnt put to much in there!

 

[messiah023]

Hi Menna,

First, Welcome to the reef.
Second, you need to determine WHAT it is you are going to do with the tank :
a.) Reef Tank
b.) Fish Only Tank
c.) Peaceful Fish
d.) Aggressive Fish

Once you determine that, you will need to add your livesand & liverock. You don't need a clean-up crew during the tank cycle as the ammonia levels could kill anything in the tank.

Once you are done cycling, you can begin aquascaping based on your tank preference from above. After the aquascaping, get some powerheads blowing on the rocks and create your circulation, make sure you don't have any dead spots.

Add fish one or two at a time, no more than that per 3 week period.

If you go fish-only, your lights are fine....but I'm sure that you will end up wanting corals as the majority of people do.

Make sure you choose your fish wisely and plan for tankmates that will work.
I am a Triggerfish fan. If this was my tank, I would plan around that.

If this is your first SW tank, maybe a nice "community" tank would be the way to go....clownfish, wrasses, gobies, blennies, tangs, etc.

Good Luck! If you are unsure about a fish, ask on this site before you dive in and use everyone's experience to guide you.

 

[cthegame]

Messiah has you covered

 

[yote]

I'm thinking along the same lines as Messiah too.

 

[mennazeher04]

Thanks alot messiah, well i actually have my live sand and live rock in the tank now.....i actually just got done putting it in the tank. Well i want to do a reef tank, i know the lights i have right now limits me to alot of things but it will just have to work intil i can afford a better system. So now that is cleared up....everyone keeps telling me that i can do mushrooms, some LPS, leathers, etc.......but out of these few what would yall do first when that time comes to add fish and or inverts?

 

[Piggy]

Not a whole lot you can do until the tank cycles. Be sure to test the tanks ever few days. After the tank is done cycling add your clean up crew. Which consist of different types of snails,hermit crabs, shrimps, and other crabs.

 

[mennazeher04]

ok thanks piggy, now when im purchasing my clean up crew what would you or anyone recommend getting as far as snail, crabs, shrimp, etc.?

 

[project5k]

well i got 5 turbo snails and 10 blue banded leg hermits.. they are all just running around like crazy... the snails are doing the most visable work right now, but the crabs are all over too...

 

[mennazeher04]

hey what are those snails called that burrow in and out of the sand to help aerate it?

 

[dustin_P74]

nassarius snail

 

[project5k]

i need to get a few of thoes

 

[Bifferwine]

You should get a mix of snails -- a few mexican turbos, lots of nassarius, astraea, trochus, nerite and cerith snails.

I recommend a pair of emerald crabs, maybe 3 or 4 if you have a bigger tank.

I always always recommend at least two starfish -- stay with serpent or brittle stars, and do not buy the big ones with green coloration.

Every tank should have a handful of peppermint shrimp (3 or 4) and a pair of cleaner shrimp.

Of course, this is assuming these inverts are compatible with any fish you have.

 

[project5k]

yea, i think my snowflake would make a meal of the shrimp pretty quick.

 

[mennazeher04]

hey biff, is a 120 gallon big enough to have 3 or 4 emarald crabs, and all of the other snails and crabs that you mentioned?

 

[yote]

A 120 is plenty big enough for that many.

 

[Bifferwine]

hey biff, is a 120 gallon big enough to have 3 or 4 emarald crabs, and all of the other snails and crabs that you mentioned?

Yep it is.