Agressive Tank

[discretekarma]

Can anyone tell me what types of corals are usually safe in an agressive tank?

 

Thanks

[vaironman]

It's all depending on what kind of aggressive fishes you plan to put on your list/in your tank. Then do research on what's their favorite food. After that stock the corals that you like to have and not on your fish's food list.

 

Pretty simple homework to do.

 

HTH,

[discretekarma]

I'm sure the exact fish but probably Triggers, Angels, and maybe a puffer. Not sure that I'll get all those but some.

 

Where do I find out what type of corals those eat?

[gastone]

They *might* not eat plastic corals.

 

I'd say with that mix everything else is toast.

 

Garrett.

[flowerseller]

how about hydnophora?

[ctenophore]

The puffer is a no no. It will eat everything. I think a trigger will only be interested in your crustaceans. We have a big emperor angel in one of the coral tanks in FL that only eats zoanthids. It doesn't touch sinularia, GSP, leathers, sps or anemones. But that is only one individual fish. I would try the shotgun approach. Feed really well before you introduce new corals, and see what they don't touch once they get hungry again. A friend of mine with a large predator + coral tank said that his angels would leave the corals alone unless he fragged them, when they slimed up the fish would nip them. He had a stunningly gorgeous parrotfish that does not bother any corals at all- it only eats coralline. We inherited it and it is now in my friend's reef tank. I will try to find out the name of it and where he got it.

 

Other big fish like eels and groupers would work too. Maybe a polleni or a strawberry grouper? Tesselated morays are cool too.

[yagerboy]

I have a large aggressive tank with corals (trigger, wrasses, tangs, clown, eel). I have a large Pagoda Cup, hammer, lots of zoo's, mushrooks, yellow leather, BTA, Meat Coral, montipora without any issues. I am planning on getting some sps frags shortly for the true test. The triggger is my main concern. Also, don't bother with a clean up crew as snails and crabs become immediate appetizers. Urchins and stars are the only way. I have a few snails and crabs that keep hidden but sooner or later they will be sniffed out.

[discretekarma]

That's great info. I think the puffer may be out but the rest sound good. I'm thinking that I'll go with a big agressive tank. I'd like to bring my wife to see some nice agressive set ups so we can get some ideas about aquascaping, fish, lighting and that sort of things.

[Sharkb8]

Gorgonias?

 

http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts...0645&OB=ASC

[discretekarma]

I wanted to know if anyone has any pictures of a nice agressive tank. My wife thinks it'll just be a pile of rocks and some fish. In a sense it is but I think it can look really nice if aquascaped properly. I have a lot of nice big and unique rocks. Is there a way they can be attached to each other to make over hangs an things like that? Is anyone especially good at this and near Rockville area? I'm thinking about keeping my current tank. I already have a 180 so buying a new tank would only get me a few inches to the wall and nothing else. It may not be worth the money right now.

 

I'm thinking about putting the live rock in to a rubbermaid stock tank that I have for my koi ponds, draining some water, selling my fish, and then re-aquascaping and buying agressive fish.

 

Any thoughts???

 

Thanks

[Brian Ward]

I wanted to know if anyone has any pictures of a nice agressive tank. My wife thinks it'll just be a pile of rocks and some fish. In a sense it is but I think it can look really nice if aquascaped properly. I have a lot of nice big and unique rocks. Is there a way they can be attached to each other to make over hangs an things like that? Is anyone especially good at this and near Rockville area? I'm thinking about keeping my current tank. I already have a 180 so buying a new tank would only get me a few inches to the wall and nothing else. It may not be worth the money right now.

 

I'm thinking about putting the live rock in to a rubbermaid stock tank that I have for my koi ponds, draining some water, selling my fish, and then re-aquascaping and buying agressive fish.

 

Any thoughts???

 

Thanks

 

 

 

you can use epoxy to attach the rocks - ive seen this done in a few tutorials on how to build a tank. you can also build a pvc support structure for your rock work - another popular option for those with the patience to do it. if you want to go aggressive, it sounds like a good choice to me. you just have to be careful what corals you decide to put in the tank and i'd never put anything in that you'd be upset if something ate it.

 

Also think about growth on the corals - with an aggressive tank, getting in to trim the corals may be heart-pounding - esp if you need to trim one near the eel's hole and he thinks you're attacking him. So don't put anything that will grow out of control unless you're willing to risk the bites.

[discretekarma]

That's scary. I didn't think about that. I'll keep that in mind.

 

I have a Yellow Tang already. Would this be ok in an agressive tank or should I sell it with the rest?

 

Also, how about clowns? I have a medium Tomato Clown, a tiny Tomato Clown, and two medium Clowns in my sump.

[Brian Ward]

That's scary. I didn't think about that. I'll keep that in mind.

 

I have a Yellow Tang already. Would this be ok in an agressive tank or should I sell it with the rest?

 

Also, how about clowns? I have a medium Tomato Clown, a tiny Tomato Clown, and two medium Clowns in my sump.

 

 

 

 

Depends on what you're going to keep. Aggressive tanks are usually stocked with fairly large fish. Triggers grow to 9" on the small end - picasso - to 18-24" on the large end - queen or clown. I'm ignoring the Titan trigger which is the size of a small shark. Groupers all get very large with most in the 30"+ range, but there are 2 you can probably keep in a 180 - however, they will eat anything that will fit in their mouths. John has one at BRK that he feeds anything that dies at his store. He refers to it as his garbage disposal. I believe eels and puffers both eat anything that fits in their mouths as well. Sometimes things that don't fit in their mouths. So it really comes down to what you intend to stock. Will this be a true aggressive tank or are you more interested in keeping non reef-safe fish? Butterflies, large angels, less aggressive triggers? Or more aggressive triggers, groupers, puffers, etc?

[discretekarma]

I think this is what we'd like if they'll all live together.

 

Trigger/s (multiple if possible)

Lion Fish

Dog Face Puffer (multiple if possible)

Emperor Angel

Some type/s of Butterfly Fish

One ore multiple wrasse

Miniatus Grouper

Some type of Eel

 

These fish are why we got in the hobby in the first place. Someone sold us some live rock with polyps on it and from then on we limited what fish we put in the tank.

[Brian Ward]

I think this is what we'd like if they'll all live together.

 

Trigger/s (multiple if possible)

Lion Fish

Dog Face Puffer (multiple if possible)

Emperor Angel

Some type/s of Butterfly Fish

One ore multiple wrasse

Miniatus Grouper

Some type of Eel

 

These fish are why we got in the hobby in the first place. Someone sold us some live rock with polyps on it and from then on we limited what fish we put in the tank.

 

 

 

the lion and the puffer don't necessarily fit with the rest. all are high-motion, fast-swimming and the lion and puffer are both fairly sessile. they may become stressed with so much additional motion around them, but you may be OK - esp if you don't overload the 180.

 

I think that group of fish will work but I would not include the yellow tang or the clowns - between the puffer, grouper and lion, something will eat them. The butterfly is also going to be questionable. they tend to be very delicate but I think it will be OK as long as it's big enough. Same with the emporer - get one that is entering it's adult coloration unless you want to wait several years before you stock the agressive members of the tank.

[discretekarma]

Since I don't really have any SPS left I think I'm going to sell my lights and Kalk Stirrer that I just purchased. I'm going to keep the Zoas that I still have and once I stock the tank I'll see if the fish nip at them. If they do I'll sell the Zoas I have left.

 

I think I'll purchase a nice retro fit T5 set and mount them in my reflector with my actinics.