JP's Standard Issue Tank thread

[animalmaster6]

 

I'm using zip ties, thorite cement, epoxy, glue, PVC, a lot lol.

[bitts]

heres a good looking scape tank belongs to you then me

 

[bitts]

ok so in the spring i will be going back to school or at least thats the plan. student loans & all so we'll see how things go. I want to get things set before this though, other wise it might be awhile. like i have the 75 & 40b waiting to be set up so I can do tangs & sps. but I still don't have a stand for it. really I need to replace the 29s stand as well. the current stand is freaking me out at times. if I'm quiting the land of jobjob fun & doing school full time. I'm not sure how to pull some of this off. I just don't want to spend the next 5 years with a closet full of tanks. does any one have thoughts on how to set the tank up for ultra cheap. i don't really care about it being a reef for know so much as that its up. so probable fish only live rock.

[animalmaster6]

Well I am not an equipment person but I know all the best places to buy corals I will sell you corals for dirt cheap and I can help you with any livestock questions

[bitts]

awesome so any advice on finishing the stocking on the 29.

theres probably a couple months to play with. but I want to be careful about stocking to quickly. but i figure that I will be unable to do much stocking after January.

 

of the original list i have almost every thing. will still have to wait on the mandarin. but will go with the regular mandarin from ORA as soon as the tanks ready. leaving the bluespot, blue linckia star, & sps which may have to wait. any way having just added the wrasse & shrimp do you think it would be too soon to add the bluespot & star in the next 2 months. was figuring to wait on the bluespot for a while but would the star really be that much bioload.

 

the 75 will be what it is but as long as its out of the closet thats ok. only problem i can see is that if I add tangs just to have the them. that their supposed to go in last & may therefore be the only things that go in.

[animalmaster6]

What's the current fish list?

 

2 months between adding 2 things of livestock is definetly not overstocking.

 

Is the 75 up yet?

[bitts]

the 75 is in the closet. i need to figure out a stand, as soon as i do it will be up. but may not do much more than sand & rock for a while.

 

as to fish, there not that many i like. but still enough that they wont all fit. but it could be worse, i could like gobys.

 

 

 

Clowns

Helfrick

Bluespot

Mandarin

Lemonpeel

Greenbanded

Powder blue

Yellow tang

Red saddled anthais

Yasha hashe

Helfrick

Golden dwarf moray

Mccosker

Copperbanded butterfly

red banded Highfin

harliquin triger

 

 

 

so if its just a box of rocks what should i throw in. sps later. must have the mccosker & powder blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29 when done

clowns have

helfrick have

maccosker have

bluespot

mandarin

 

porcelain

red banded shrimp

yellow cucumber

blue linckia

[animalmaster6]

Don't get a Golden Dwarf Eel, trigger.

 

Can you cut down a few? Only get one species of shrimp goby.

[bitts]

seriously you could fit all of that.

if you were going to limit it to say 8 what combo would be the best.

[animalmaster6]

Clowns

Bluespot

Mandarin

Greenbanded

Powder blue

Helfrick

Mccosker

red banded Highfin

**** Yellow Assessor ****

 

 

 

clowns have

helfrick have

maccosker have

bluespot

mandarin

 

porcelain

red banded shrimp

yellow cucumber

blue linckia

 

With the famous "Bitts/JP Style Filtration System" you could do that or something similar. Just make sure you wait a long time for the mandarins. Try to add him before the tang in the 75.

[bitts]

mmm...

 

wait yellow what!!

[animalmaster6]

They are soo cool though.

[bitts]

ummm

 

lemon peel

[animalmaster6]

Yes you can.

[bitts]

Damn, need a stand.

of coarse I still need to drill the 75 so theres that.

[animalmaster6]

haha It's going to be a while I see. Or will it...

[got2envy]

careful when adding angels...they will eventually nip corals I have 2 that will not leave some zoas and LPS alone...especially brains, which is why all my trachs are in my 28g

look at your local reef club for used equipment...I got most of my live rock and schtuff for my 125g used from my club.

 

I love your fish list!

[bitts]

OK so what I'm thinkin is that I can build a stand or find an elcheapo one off cragis list. Since I don't have lights or a skimmer yet, the easiest way to minimize the expense's would be to go fish only on the 75. Then turn the 29 into the sps reef crest manaziory. Basically just fish & filtration in the 75. As much as that may suck.

 

At the moment I have the tanks a HOB skimmer I can use until I can get a actual skimmer. Some where around here is the pump that is for the build. I was planning to have Dave Fasion build me a light but that may have to wait.

 

There's not much I actually need really. But what do you guys think about going fish only then later (4-5 years) up grading to a full reef. I know its kind of back wards. But I think it may be more affordable.

 

If I were to go fish only would you keep the stocking the same or does it change things. Maria out of the fish I like what would you suggest. AM would you reconsider the trigger or add some thing I haven't thought of. I would add an orange spoted but I doubt I could teach it to eat. Morish idol would need a bigger tank even if the shop had thought it to eat.

 

Mmm...

 

 

 

Well I guess I'm getting ahead of my self. Untill the 75 is drilled & passes the leak test. Its just wasting time. If it dies then so be it, but should be ok. its 3/4" glass. Old school 75 with out the cross brace.

[spanko]

I read this thread first.

 

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.p...1152&page=8

 

Then I decided to go ahead and purchase the African Flameback Angel. Centropyge acanthops Cool fish, always moving, in and out of the rocks. No nipping yet. Mostly SPS coral in my bC20. I do have a maze brain, a few heads of candy cane, and a Fox coral though and it hasn't hurt anything.

 

You pays your money and you takes your chances I guess, but I thought the RC thread a good resource to use to decide what I was willing to try. Go to post #193 and open the excel file, great stuff.

[bitts]

I had always heard that if you get them small & keep them well feed they will be less likely to ever nip. Which seems to be supported. The one thing that seems interesting is the concept of using aggressive fish to counter each other & smaller fish to disrupt the aggression.

 

Thanks Henry.

Great info.

[bitts]

How this sound

 

 

Clowns (could stay in the 29, if needed)

Bluespot

Mandarin

Green banded (pair)

Powder blue & yellow

Helfrick (may stay in the 29)

Mccosker (moved from 29)

Yasha

 

Maybe the dwarf angel.

 

 

Basing the filtration on a system of about 12 fish if every thing goes in. 4 or 5 with a heavy bioload. Using the 40 to create a 30gal fuge/macro area. Maria, how do you think this would afect the setup. Could it keep up with the bioload. Would still run a large skimmer.

 

Thinking that I should Leave room for the red saddled if they ever show up. But with as rare as they are I expect that it may be a while.

[animalmaster6]

I like it a lot. Add the Yellow last.

[bitts]

I'm thinking that with the 75 I may turn the 29 into the super peaceful tank we were talking about. With the helfrick, Yasha hashia, flaming prawn, green banded, & mandarin. Although the mandarin should/would probably go in the 75.

 

But yeah think it sounds like a plan & I can now start planing the systems setup.

 

Not sure as to which over flow will be the winner. Worrying about the age of the 75 making the exo less likely. May just go with a corner overflow for simplicity.

[animalmaster6]

Sounds Good

 

I like cornerflows. Very simple.

[bitts]

yeah I'm loving the idea of doing something as simple as one but with any kind of wave they become a source of endless irritation. I know I'm a freak. the exo's just what I'm used to. but also its the best design I've found.