High bio-load with sps

Matt850 · 11/12/2009, 08:58 PM

I am working on finishing up the stock list for my 90g and I plan to keep a mainly SPS filled tank. I was wondering if I could get some input on the following list? Some specs on the tank are a 90g display with a 20g long refugium are where I house my skimmer (g2 or g3... i should really know this). I think that I should have sufficient filtration for a heavy bioload on this system but how much is too much?

2x False Perculas
Flame Angel
Coral Beauty Angel
Red Mandarin Dragonet
Yellow Tang
Blue Hippo Tang
Purple Psudochromis
Diamond Goby
2x Kaudern's Cardinal

I know the tangs aren't in this tank for life so please don't give me grief over those. I may be taking the coral beauty out to better my chances against sps eating fish.

OneReef · 11/12/2009, 09:52 PM

the angels may fight

rort · 11/12/2009, 10:15 PM

may... I can almost guarantee they will! lol

jda · 11/12/2009, 10:22 PM

Depends on how much you feed them. Fish aren't the issue, properly feeding them is.

If you ever feel that you will purposely underfeed to keep nutrients down, then don't get the fish... this is abuse in my mind. If you fed that list appropriately, your SPS would likely be brown unless you stepped up the skimming, changed a lot of water and ran lots of carbon 24x7.

Ditch an angel and the tangs and then you should be OK (dwarf angels can nip and SPS polyps). The yellow might be OK for a while, but although it is reef safe, it is not reef friendly requiring a lot of food. Same with the hippo except it will get too big... and fast.

You know that the mandarin will need a large population of pods from an established tank.

Matt850 · 11/12/2009, 10:40 PM

I was waiting for a response to my question before replying heh, thanks jda. One note on the angels, they may nip on corals, they may bicker a bit with each other but there should be plenty of room for them in a 90g.

The skimmer should be plenty I would think. I do need to measure the height again to see if it is the g2 or g3 model but if its just the g2 then it is still rated at 200g. I believe it is the g3 which is supposedly good for 250g. I don't see myself ever underfeeding my fish, but I do frequent water changes and watch my parameters carefully. So is this just borderline for an sps dominated tank or should I still step it down a notch?

jda · 11/12/2009, 11:02 PM

I am usually on the money with my SPS tank care and I would not keep those fish in that tank - there are too many and some are too big.

I might suggest:
Clowns - Cool
Goby - Cool
Dragonette - When the tank is established, cool
Cardinals - Cool
Swallowtail angel - Reef safe, stays relative small and slow grower
Chocolate or bristletooth tang - stay small for a tang, if you must have one

I have had tons of dwarfs nip at coral - I will never had one again. Yellow and hippo are not reef friendly, grow fast and require lots of food - they are reef safe though and will likely leave your coral alone (some tangs get a taste for coral when they get bigger, but not usually).

G3 might be OK for a normally stocked 90G, but it is too small for your list IMO. Keep in mind that the bioload, not the gallons of the tank, is the main issue.

Even the slightest presense of excess nutrients will keep your SPS from being very colorful or grow. Nutrients at the level above that can kill them.

11/12/2009, 08:58 PM	#1
Matt850 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 260	High bio-load with sps I am working on finishing up the stock list for my 90g and I plan to keep a mainly SPS filled tank. I was wondering if I could get some input on the following list? Some specs on the tank are a 90g display with a 20g long refugium are where I house my skimmer (g2 or g3... i should really know this). I think that I should have sufficient filtration for a heavy bioload on this system but how much is too much? 2x False Perculas Flame Angel Coral Beauty Angel Red Mandarin Dragonet Yellow Tang Blue Hippo Tang Purple Psudochromis Diamond Goby 2x Kaudern's Cardinal I know the tangs aren't in this tank for life so please don't give me grief over those. I may be taking the coral beauty out to better my chances against sps eating fish.

11/12/2009, 10:15 PM	#3
rort Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 1,934	may... I can almost guarantee they will! lol __________________ Bobby Current Tank Info: Aquanano 60

11/12/2009, 09:52 PM	#2
OneReef Reef Guru Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: the great South Posts: 3,218	the angels may fight

11/12/2009, 10:22 PM	#4
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	Depends on how much you feed them. Fish aren't the issue, properly feeding them is. If you ever feel that you will purposely underfeed to keep nutrients down, then don't get the fish... this is abuse in my mind. If you fed that list appropriately, your SPS would likely be brown unless you stepped up the skimming, changed a lot of water and ran lots of carbon 24x7. Ditch an angel and the tangs and then you should be OK (dwarf angels can nip and SPS polyps). The yellow might be OK for a while, but although it is reef safe, it is not reef friendly requiring a lot of food. Same with the hippo except it will get too big... and fast. You know that the mandarin will need a large population of pods from an established tank.

11/12/2009, 10:40 PM	#5
Matt850 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 260	I was waiting for a response to my question before replying heh, thanks jda. One note on the angels, they may nip on corals, they may bicker a bit with each other but there should be plenty of room for them in a 90g. The skimmer should be plenty I would think. I do need to measure the height again to see if it is the g2 or g3 model but if its just the g2 then it is still rated at 200g. I believe it is the g3 which is supposedly good for 250g. I don't see myself ever underfeeding my fish, but I do frequent water changes and watch my parameters carefully. So is this just borderline for an sps dominated tank or should I still step it down a notch?

11/12/2009, 11:02 PM	#6
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	I am usually on the money with my SPS tank care and I would not keep those fish in that tank - there are too many and some are too big. I might suggest: Clowns - Cool Goby - Cool Dragonette - When the tank is established, cool Cardinals - Cool Swallowtail angel - Reef safe, stays relative small and slow grower Chocolate or bristletooth tang - stay small for a tang, if you must have one I have had tons of dwarfs nip at coral - I will never had one again. Yellow and hippo are not reef friendly, grow fast and require lots of food - they are reef safe though and will likely leave your coral alone (some tangs get a taste for coral when they get bigger, but not usually). G3 might be OK for a normally stocked 90G, but it is too small for your list IMO. Keep in mind that the bioload, not the gallons of the tank, is the main issue. Even the slightest presense of excess nutrients will keep your SPS from being very colorful or grow. Nutrients at the level above that can kill them.