Question for you all....

[Alisha]

Hi Everyone..Ive posted here before a while ago when I decided I wanted to start up a tank. Back then I thought I might do a 15 gal Hex tank, but now after all the advice I received from here and other places, I decided to go with a 72 gal bowfront.

 

I want to do LR and a bunch of things like hermit crabs and snails and shrimp and stuff..Obviously, I want to have fish too..How many would I be able to do?? Also - Does anyone suggest a good site that I can get some ideas on how to design my tank to look good? I really am impressed with the tanks Ive seen here so far - did everyone just do it by "eye" or was it a design seen somewhere else?

 

Thanks!

 

Alisha

[Alisha]

Hi Everyone..Ive posted here before a while ago when I decided I wanted to start up a tank. Back then I thought I might do a 15 gal Hex tank, but now after all the advice I received from here and other places, I decided to go with a 72 gal bowfront.

 

I want to do LR and a bunch of things like hermit crabs and snails and shrimp and stuff..Obviously, I want to have fish too..How many would I be able to do?? Also - Does anyone suggest a good site that I can get some ideas on how to design my tank to look good? I really am impressed with the tanks Ive seen here so far - did everyone just do it by "eye" or was it a design seen somewhere else?

 

Thanks!

[Crakeur]

you're going from a 15 gallon hex to a 72 gallon bowfront? If that isn't a typo, you can do a decent amount of fish. You can look for sand sifters and bottom dwellers like some gobies and blennies. You can go for schooling fish like cardinals, chromises etc. as well. One thing to be careful of is not to put in too many territorial, aggressive fish. Otherwise, they might start going after eachother.

 

If that was a typo and you are going to do a 7 gallon bow front, I would say 2 fish tops and make sure they will get along before adding them. One way to avoid fish conflict is to go after a bottom dweller and a surface swimmer or two very passive fish.

[Alisha]

Hi.

No, initially I wanted to purchase a 15 gal hex but was advised not to do it. This weekend we went to price the tanks and I almost passed out at the prices they were asking for it. Big investment, for the 72 gal bowfronts. I am going to go for a 55 gal "standard tank"...flat front. THATS what I can afford right now and I think I'll be okay.

 

Right now, Im just reading up alot and asking a ton of questions. Went to look at fish also and am in love with Gobies. Theyre the best!! LOL...Just picking out the fish I want and the look Im going for. The guy in the store told me I could do 12 small- med sized fish in a 55. I do want to do alot of invertebrates as well...

 

Thanks for your help.

 

 

A

[Crakeur]

If you plan on keeping hard and soft corals, polyps etc. you might want to rethink the tank size. 55's are very wide and aren't so great for a reef. If you go up to a 60 you will get a more square shape, allowing you to aquascape a more realistic wall for different levels of placement. The 55 is not as high and, due to the width, will require you to either spread the rock wider or leave lots of open spaces for fish. If you plan on keeping a larger number of fish, than the 55 might work better. Also, the 55's will require a wider lighting system and might wind up costing more money.

 

Just a thought.