Hey folks! I've always been a strict reef guy so have never really looked too closely at fish-only kinds of fish and their requirements. I have just set up a tank for a friends' bar, however, and I need some help coming up with a good stocking scheme. You all's input would be much appreciated!
Here's the set-up:
It's a 210 RR (6L' X 2W' X 30H") with two overflows; 4-1" drains and 2-1" returns. I have 3 drains plumbed to a Oceanic Systems 250 sump full of bioballs (never used those before!), and one drain feeds a Turboflotor 5000 shorty skimmer, which drains to the sump as well. I also will install a phosban reactor to run carbon and a turbotwist 18W UV sterilizer next week. The return pump is an off-brand 1/2 hp pressure pump and does the trick quite adequately.
Also, there's about 200lbs of LS and 165lbs of nice Tonga LR in it already. Lots of caves and places to hide. Lighting is 2 6ft VHO's, one actinic and one daylight (URI). Lights and heaters are controlled with a ReefkeeperII.
So here's what I need to decide:
1) should I go with a community FOWLR, or an aggressive FOWLR?
2) what fish should I put it in?
They have expressed some interest in an eel (like a zebra moray) and some other very colorful and flamboyant fish (think volitans). But I also was thinking that I would like this tank to have lots of inverts in it, and I'll explain why:
I was talking to the owner of the bar, who is also a school teacher, and I was showing him all the cool worms and brittle stars and snails that came in on the live rock (it was from an established reef breakdown), and he asked me to send him a list so of things like that so that he could make drawings of all of them to post next to the tank, and make it a game for kids to try and identify them in the tank (it's family style dining, too, and there are lots of kids). So that gave me the idea that I should pack it full of inverts, too, and put fish in there that are invert-safe.
So what do you think? Can you toss in some ideas for stocking and provide some reasoning. I'm in need of a quick education! Thanks!
---Jesse
(BTW, if you are ever in Decatur, please check out the tank at Twain's (corner of church and trinity) and tell me what you think. Mobius, the rock looks incredible!)
Here's the set-up:
It's a 210 RR (6L' X 2W' X 30H") with two overflows; 4-1" drains and 2-1" returns. I have 3 drains plumbed to a Oceanic Systems 250 sump full of bioballs (never used those before!), and one drain feeds a Turboflotor 5000 shorty skimmer, which drains to the sump as well. I also will install a phosban reactor to run carbon and a turbotwist 18W UV sterilizer next week. The return pump is an off-brand 1/2 hp pressure pump and does the trick quite adequately.
Also, there's about 200lbs of LS and 165lbs of nice Tonga LR in it already. Lots of caves and places to hide. Lighting is 2 6ft VHO's, one actinic and one daylight (URI). Lights and heaters are controlled with a ReefkeeperII.
So here's what I need to decide:
1) should I go with a community FOWLR, or an aggressive FOWLR?
2) what fish should I put it in?
They have expressed some interest in an eel (like a zebra moray) and some other very colorful and flamboyant fish (think volitans). But I also was thinking that I would like this tank to have lots of inverts in it, and I'll explain why:
I was talking to the owner of the bar, who is also a school teacher, and I was showing him all the cool worms and brittle stars and snails that came in on the live rock (it was from an established reef breakdown), and he asked me to send him a list so of things like that so that he could make drawings of all of them to post next to the tank, and make it a game for kids to try and identify them in the tank (it's family style dining, too, and there are lots of kids). So that gave me the idea that I should pack it full of inverts, too, and put fish in there that are invert-safe.
So what do you think? Can you toss in some ideas for stocking and provide some reasoning. I'm in need of a quick education! Thanks!
---Jesse
(BTW, if you are ever in Decatur, please check out the tank at Twain's (corner of church and trinity) and tell me what you think. Mobius, the rock looks incredible!)
