Patient High-End Reef Setup

NYCEnglish · 04/22/2013, 09:14 AM

Hi all,

I'm in the process of setting up a mixed reef tank and looking for livestock suggestions.

I will be upgrading from a 34G RSM130D to a 75G Elos with BM skimmer, PM sump, twin MP10s, twin AI Vega, Tunze Osmo, BM doser, all controlled by an Apex.

Coming from the RSM will be my Leopard Wrasse and my pair of Perculas, all approx 3 years old. No real corals to speak of by plenty of hermits and snails who've been with me for almost as long.

I'm a patient man, so no rush to acquire more livestock and corals, I want to do it right, in a well planned, methodical manner.

My current thinking for the end state would be to add a Mandarin, a Kole Tang, and a Blue-spot Goby. I think there's room for one, maybe two more. I see this as a multi-year project and I don't mind spending some coin for the right fish.

Any suggestions? What would you guys recommend? Something more eclectic? I'm looking for some usual suggestions possibly!

Next up will be inverts (thinking RBTA so far) and corals!

Thanks in advance!

d-man · 04/22/2013, 12:22 PM

Go with a nice wrasse. Always active. Lineatous, labouti, rhomboid. Etc.

Coral bonsai type setup.

NYCEnglish · 04/22/2013, 01:39 PM

I do love Wrasses, but I already have my female Leopard - you think another would be good still?

coralsnaked · 04/22/2013, 02:06 PM

6 fish in a 75G mixed reef will be just about a good limit w/ around 100lbs of good rock. Substrate always means combat around here when you tyalk about it, so i'll just say do what you think is best although < 2" of dry aragonite reef quality sand is best =[

Some of the branching SPS will be the hardest to accomodate in a mixed reef. And if mixed w/ Softies don't expect phenominal growth. Personally in a mixed I would avoid Zoas, Palys, GSP, Discoma and a few others and concentrate more on the Ricorrdeas like Floridas, one of my favorites. Very illuminicent! Otherwise plan on running a reactor w/ good GAC to help control the Allelopathic toxins, as these will greatly influance the SPS. I would totallly avoid any Lemnalia and Sarcophyton, such as leathers, toadstools, ect... as these 2 groups are considered the most toxic set of groups.

I would concentrate on LPS and SPS stonies. THere are some good varieties of LPS which provide some good movement, and others that are quite illuminecent as well. Plating and encrusting corals will do well in a mixed reef such as Montis. I like nice colonies of colorful Indonesian Chsalice as well as Scolymias placed on the sand. Others for sand = Wellsos, Lobos

NYCEnglish · 04/22/2013, 02:56 PM

Thanks corals! I forgot to mention that a GFO reactor is on my list asap. I really appreciate your thought of SPS, LPS etc. I was against toadstools and leathers but was liking some zoas - may have to rethink that now. I do like hammers though due to their movement.

NYCEnglish · 04/22/2013, 02:58 PM

Will less than 2" of sand bed be ok for my wrasse?

NYCEnglish · 04/24/2013, 07:27 AM

A fish on my potential list would be a Flaming Prawn Goby - anyone have one and care to share their thoughts?

Andyf30 · 04/24/2013, 07:49 AM

as far as your sand bed, just leave it deeper in some parts. The wrasse will figure out where it is comfortable. As far as corals, sps will be fine with lps, and in my experience I have never heard about zoas causing problems with sps unless they grew over a portion of the sps aggressively. The only ones that are toxic to my understanding are the softies like toadstools, leathers, etc. You should be able to pull off a nice reef of lps, a few hardy sps, and zoas and rics without too many problems.

NYCEnglish · 04/24/2013, 07:58 AM

Thanks Andy - I'm such a dummy - it never occurred to me to have the sand bed deeper in certain parts!

That's good news about the Zoas.

Andyf30 · 04/24/2013, 08:03 AM

Lol its all good. Thats what forums are for haha I'd just leave it deeper behind the rock scape. That'll keep the shallow sand look more consistent in the front, and the leopard will most likely dive in back there anyway.

NYCEnglish · 04/24/2013, 08:03 AM

Brilliant Andy! Much appreciated.

ingtar_shinowa · 04/24/2013, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYCEnglish

I do love Wrasses, but I already have my female Leopard - you think another would be good still?

Yes. Wrasse can be mixed for the most part, and female leopards are not very agressive. Some of the fairy wrasse do get quite large though and will need a larger tank than 75g to flourish. As far as aggression is concerned, stay away from the Red Velvet Fairy. I have a 125g with two very closely related fairys and they are doing great, I also have a melarunus and a iridis.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYCEnglish

Will less than 2" of sand bed be ok for my wrasse?

I have about 1 inch in my 125 and my sand sleeping fish do fine. My melarunus is about 5 inches too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYCEnglish

Thanks Andy - I'm such a dummy - it never occurred to me to have the sand bed deeper in certain parts!
.

Another option is to place a container, or slicone in a 'dam' if you will for an area of the tank with a deeper bed. Right now in am QT'ing a sand sleeping wrasse with a small container of sand and he dives right in at night. I've even seen people keep a leopard wrasse in a bare-bottom tank by using a 4 inch PVC fitting in the back of his rockwork filled with sand.

NYCEnglish · 04/24/2013, 09:56 AM

1 inch of sand? I feel much better now - I was planning on no more than 2.

04/22/2013, 09:14 AM	#1
NYCEnglish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: NYC Posts: 109	Patient High-End Reef Setup Hi all, I'm in the process of setting up a mixed reef tank and looking for livestock suggestions. I will be upgrading from a 34G RSM130D to a 75G Elos with BM skimmer, PM sump, twin MP10s, twin AI Vega, Tunze Osmo, BM doser, all controlled by an Apex. Coming from the RSM will be my Leopard Wrasse and my pair of Perculas, all approx 3 years old. No real corals to speak of by plenty of hermits and snails who've been with me for almost as long. I'm a patient man, so no rush to acquire more livestock and corals, I want to do it right, in a well planned, methodical manner. My current thinking for the end state would be to add a Mandarin, a Kole Tang, and a Blue-spot Goby. I think there's room for one, maybe two more. I see this as a multi-year project and I don't mind spending some coin for the right fish. Any suggestions? What would you guys recommend? Something more eclectic? I'm looking for some usual suggestions possibly! Next up will be inverts (thinking RBTA so far) and corals! Thanks in advance!

04/22/2013, 02:06 PM	#4
coralsnaked Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Austin / Port Aransas, TX Posts: 1,479	6 fish in a 75G mixed reef will be just about a good limit w/ around 100lbs of good rock. Substrate always means combat around here when you tyalk about it, so i'll just say do what you think is best although < 2" of dry aragonite reef quality sand is best =[ Some of the branching SPS will be the hardest to accomodate in a mixed reef. And if mixed w/ Softies don't expect phenominal growth. Personally in a mixed I would avoid Zoas, Palys, GSP, Discoma and a few others and concentrate more on the Ricorrdeas like Floridas, one of my favorites. Very illuminicent! Otherwise plan on running a reactor w/ good GAC to help control the Allelopathic toxins, as these will greatly influance the SPS. I would totallly avoid any Lemnalia and Sarcophyton, such as leathers, toadstools, ect... as these 2 groups are considered the most toxic set of groups. I would concentrate on LPS and SPS stonies. THere are some good varieties of LPS which provide some good movement, and others that are quite illuminecent as well. Plating and encrusting corals will do well in a mixed reef such as Montis. I like nice colonies of colorful Indonesian Chsalice as well as Scolymias placed on the sand. Others for sand = Wellsos, Lobos __________________ Merry Skerry Current Tank Info: 1 G Nano jellyfish to 1200 G Bull Nose FOWLR featuring large Holacanthus and Pomacanthus

04/24/2013, 07:49 AM	#8
Andyf30 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Maine and Florida Posts: 675	as far as your sand bed, just leave it deeper in some parts. The wrasse will figure out where it is comfortable. As far as corals, sps will be fine with lps, and in my experience I have never heard about zoas causing problems with sps unless they grew over a portion of the sps aggressively. The only ones that are toxic to my understanding are the softies like toadstools, leathers, etc. You should be able to pull off a nice reef of lps, a few hardy sps, and zoas and rics without too many problems. __________________ Nothing but a FW tank owner now :/

04/24/2013, 08:03 AM	#10
Andyf30 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Maine and Florida Posts: 675	Lol its all good. Thats what forums are for haha I'd just leave it deeper behind the rock scape. That'll keep the shallow sand look more consistent in the front, and the leopard will most likely dive in back there anyway. __________________ Nothing but a FW tank owner now :/

04/22/2013, 12:22 PM	#2
d-man Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Diego, ca Posts: 2,732	Go with a nice wrasse. Always active. Lineatous, labouti, rhomboid. Etc. Coral bonsai type setup.

04/22/2013, 01:39 PM	#3
NYCEnglish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: NYC Posts: 109	I do love Wrasses, but I already have my female Leopard - you think another would be good still?

04/22/2013, 02:56 PM	#5
NYCEnglish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: NYC Posts: 109	Thanks corals! I forgot to mention that a GFO reactor is on my list asap. I really appreciate your thought of SPS, LPS etc. I was against toadstools and leathers but was liking some zoas - may have to rethink that now. I do like hammers though due to their movement.

04/22/2013, 02:58 PM	#6
NYCEnglish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: NYC Posts: 109	Will less than 2" of sand bed be ok for my wrasse?

04/24/2013, 07:27 AM	#7
NYCEnglish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: NYC Posts: 109	A fish on my potential list would be a Flaming Prawn Goby - anyone have one and care to share their thoughts?

04/24/2013, 07:58 AM	#9
NYCEnglish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: NYC Posts: 109	Thanks Andy - I'm such a dummy - it never occurred to me to have the sand bed deeper in certain parts! That's good news about the Zoas.

04/24/2013, 09:56 AM	#13
NYCEnglish Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: NYC Posts: 109	1 inch of sand? I feel much better now - I was planning on no more than 2.