zoltarblue July 2, 2012 Share July 2, 2012 So my reef is doing great and now I want to build another tank. Thinking of predator fish. An eel and maybe 3-4 other fish like puffer lion etc. So the question I have is this. I need advice on what I need for this tank. I have been doing reading but I would like advice from the community. Obviously do not need expensive LED or living rock. So where should I start and what would I need. Thinking 150-180 gallon. Any input is greatly appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icecool2 July 2, 2012 Share July 2, 2012 There's a whole predator section on RC that a friend of mine frequents. Supposedly pretty good info there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoltarblue July 2, 2012 Author Share July 2, 2012 Thanks i will have to take a look Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 July 3, 2012 Share July 3, 2012 Predator tanks are very dirty so you need to make sure to have good filtration - especially mechanical as fish like puffers and eels are messy eaters. I'd go with a high quality skimmer and a ton of agitation in the tank. I'd also go bare bottom as that will help you to avoid accumulating a lot of detritus in the substrate. Question, though, why would you not use live rock? You'll have more biological filtration needs with a predator tank than you would with a full blown reef as the fish are messier and produce more waste. Plus, many predators need high quality water in order to maintain their health and will go off feeding if the water quality declines too much. On the lighting front, you're right on that you don't need anything fancy, although you should keep in mind that most of the predatory fish that you'll see out there are living in the reef and are accustomed to sunlight during the day so will benefit from good lighting. On my school predator tank I had no lights but it was exposed to sunlight for several hours a day and also had indirect lighting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef July 3, 2012 Share July 3, 2012 I had a 150 predator tank with mainly triggers.... still had about 150lbs of live rock for places to hide and its filtration capabilities... had a GREAT skimmer on it and macro in the sump I prefer sand but never had a problem with it as I had 2 return pumps and 2 power head in the tank so the flow was above the normal to help with movement.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoltarblue July 3, 2012 Author Share July 3, 2012 Great help so far. Your right I should go with live rock. Thinking about sand substrate not sure yet. i plan on putting two korilla 6 power heads in it that I have laying around now that I upgraded to MP40's. Any recomendations for a good skimmer. I know pricey is often better in this item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epleeds July 3, 2012 Share July 3, 2012 I like ATB. in the next few months I will have an ATB small for sale. rated up to 249 gallons. uses a ehiem 1260 needle wheel pump. Not sure what your time frame is, but if your intersted pm me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roni July 4, 2012 Share July 4, 2012 Great help so far. Your right I should go with live rock. Thinking about sand substrate not sure yet. i plan on putting two korilla 6 power heads in it that I have laying around now that I upgraded to MP40's. Any recomendations for a good skimmer. I know pricey is often better in this item. that atb will probably work well. Another option would be a cs1. Should be fine for handling a predator tank since water changes are still going to be your primary form of nutrient export. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoltarblue July 4, 2012 Author Share July 4, 2012 What about some type of cleanup crew? Nassarius snails? Other snails? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef July 5, 2012 Share July 5, 2012 Skimmers...loved my asm G3 on my 150g predator tank snaiks...get a variety...some will get picked off others wont..replace as needed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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