What would you do?

Blown 346 · 11/09/2007, 06:19 AM

I just got my 125 set back up, I was looking to get a sting ray but my tank isnt large enough. I thought about getting a eel, and only an eel alone for the tank.

Now Im thinking I might get bored with just an eel that lays around most of the day and doesnt do much, plus there escape artist ways would worry me.

I am going to have this tank be a FO tank. What would you do?

What fish would you recommend that wont out grow the tank and would be neat to have?

cd77 · 11/09/2007, 06:33 AM

How about a Volitan Lionfish, or maybe a Niger Trigger?

Blown 346 · 11/09/2007, 06:40 AM

I have had both of those guys before, they are cool, but Im looking for more rare type's of fish.

I want something that is differnt to keep, that you dont see everyday.

cd77 · 11/09/2007, 06:45 AM

Hmm.. How about Scorpion fish, or maybe cephalopods or seahorses?

S. verrucosa isn't one I've ever seen in a tank

KDodds · 11/09/2007, 07:21 AM

A 125 for Seahorses? Man, that would be some tank, but you'd need to keep a fairly large, mobile species like H. kuda and get only those already accepting frozen mysids. Food concentrations, no matter how you fed, would be REALLY low in a 125.

I'd vote for a deep-water tank. You're taking a risk on individual specimens, though. A lot of the deep water species coming in (probably because of the increased demand, and increased ability to reach them) appear to, IMO, not have been handled properly during collection (decompressed). This would open up a whole new world for a lot of people, Spanish Flag, deep Anthias, etc.

Of course, with rarely available species, you're also talking large price tags of hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars for an individual fish.

So, if a deep tank doesn't "float your boat", have you considered some commonly available, but rarely kept, species? The Thalassoma Wrasses immediately spring to mind, maybe a tank centered around T. quinquevittatum? A FO or FOWLR doesn't have to be a "predatory" tank. Tobies and smaller Files, larger Dottybacks, moderately aggressive Damsels, Spinecheeks, and maybe a Soldier or Squirrelfish would make nice tankmates and produce a pretty unique FO/FOWLR.

plyr58 · 11/09/2007, 09:11 AM

You could do a large 8-10" Angler. It is unusual to see one so large and people who have never seen one up close are always mesmerized. They come over and I take them to my 90 that he is in and say, find the fish on the bottom. It can keep kids busy for 40 minutes. Also, watching them feed is one of the most interesting things in the hobby.

plyr58 · 11/09/2007, 09:12 AM

Or a wobbegong... if you are wiling to buy a 1,000 tank in a few years. But you could say, "hey, I've got a wobbegong." Who doesn't want to be able to say that?

KDodds · 11/09/2007, 09:27 AM

A 10', a Wobbegong really would be out of the question in anything but a full-blown shark pond.

plyr58 · 11/09/2007, 09:28 AM

I know, I know. Wobbegong is just fun to say though.

wizzbane15 · 11/09/2007, 09:37 AM

decent size angler are pretty neat and you don't see them regurally. Or maybe a scorpionfish or popeye sea goblin. That's almost as fun to say as wobblegong.

If you are going to do fish only, how about a big angel or trigger? There are some rare triggers you can get there are really cool.

11/09/2007, 06:19 AM	#1
Blown 346 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Rockford, Illinois Posts: 6,596	What would you do? I just got my 125 set back up, I was looking to get a sting ray but my tank isnt large enough. I thought about getting a eel, and only an eel alone for the tank. Now Im thinking I might get bored with just an eel that lays around most of the day and doesnt do much, plus there escape artist ways would worry me. I am going to have this tank be a FO tank. What would you do? What fish would you recommend that wont out grow the tank and would be neat to have?

11/09/2007, 06:33 AM	#2
cd77 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Fishers, IN, USA Posts: 1,169	How about a Volitan Lionfish, or maybe a Niger Trigger? __________________ -Chris Current Tank Info: 70G Reef (Aug 2007), 45G Reef (Dec 2007)

11/09/2007, 06:45 AM	#4
cd77 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Fishers, IN, USA Posts: 1,169	Hmm.. How about Scorpion fish, or maybe cephalopods or seahorses? S. verrucosa isn't one I've ever seen in a tank __________________ -Chris Current Tank Info: 70G Reef (Aug 2007), 45G Reef (Dec 2007)

11/09/2007, 07:21 AM	#5
KDodds Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Suffern, NY Posts: 2,731	A 125 for Seahorses? Man, that would be some tank, but you'd need to keep a fairly large, mobile species like H. kuda and get only those already accepting frozen mysids. Food concentrations, no matter how you fed, would be REALLY low in a 125. I'd vote for a deep-water tank. You're taking a risk on individual specimens, though. A lot of the deep water species coming in (probably because of the increased demand, and increased ability to reach them) appear to, IMO, not have been handled properly during collection (decompressed). This would open up a whole new world for a lot of people, Spanish Flag, deep Anthias, etc. Of course, with rarely available species, you're also talking large price tags of hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars for an individual fish. So, if a deep tank doesn't "float your boat", have you considered some commonly available, but rarely kept, species? The Thalassoma Wrasses immediately spring to mind, maybe a tank centered around T. quinquevittatum? A FO or FOWLR doesn't have to be a "predatory" tank. Tobies and smaller Files, larger Dottybacks, moderately aggressive Damsels, Spinecheeks, and maybe a Soldier or Squirrelfish would make nice tankmates and produce a pretty unique FO/FOWLR. __________________ The sum of my knowledge is great, the sum of my ignorance greater still Kieron Dodds Administrator Inside Aquatics Current Tank Info: 450 Reef/180 FOWLR/125 ARLC/40 Seahorse/12 Planted/12 Planted

11/09/2007, 09:27 AM	#8
KDodds Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Suffern, NY Posts: 2,731	A 10', a Wobbegong really would be out of the question in anything but a full-blown shark pond. __________________ The sum of my knowledge is great, the sum of my ignorance greater still Kieron Dodds Administrator Inside Aquatics Current Tank Info: 450 Reef/180 FOWLR/125 ARLC/40 Seahorse/12 Planted/12 Planted

11/09/2007, 06:40 AM	#3
Blown 346 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Rockford, Illinois Posts: 6,596	I have had both of those guys before, they are cool, but Im looking for more rare type's of fish. I want something that is differnt to keep, that you dont see everyday.

11/09/2007, 09:11 AM	#6
plyr58 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 747	You could do a large 8-10" Angler. It is unusual to see one so large and people who have never seen one up close are always mesmerized. They come over and I take them to my 90 that he is in and say, find the fish on the bottom. It can keep kids busy for 40 minutes. Also, watching them feed is one of the most interesting things in the hobby.

11/09/2007, 09:12 AM	#7
plyr58 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 747	Or a wobbegong... if you are wiling to buy a 1,000 tank in a few years. But you could say, "hey, I've got a wobbegong." Who doesn't want to be able to say that?

11/09/2007, 09:28 AM	#9
plyr58 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 747	I know, I know. Wobbegong is just fun to say though.

11/09/2007, 09:37 AM	#10
wizzbane15 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Chicago SW suburb Posts: 283	decent size angler are pretty neat and you don't see them regurally. Or maybe a scorpionfish or popeye sea goblin. That's almost as fun to say as wobblegong. If you are going to do fish only, how about a big angel or trigger? There are some rare triggers you can get there are really cool. __________________ ...ancient Chinese Proverb: keeping big fishtank is not hobby, but addiction. 125gal AG, dual overflows; ReefKeeper Elite Controlled [currently have 7 modules on-line] Custom built 48" x 16" x 16 Current Tank Info: 125g mixed reef