livestock quantity ????

as i'm sure you guy's know, i am currently setting up a FOWLR,in a 96gal corner tank.

current stock that will fill this tank are:
1-emperor angel
1-fu man chu lionfish
1-volitains lionfish(spelling?)
1-niger trigger
1-lunar wrasse
1- tassel finned filefish(on order)

my questions are:

1- what type of maintainence crew can i have, given the fact that i have that wrasse, and want to add a harliquin tusk.
2-can i add the harliquin tusk, and if so, can i add any more fish, or will it be over crowded? i perfer less then capacity, rather then more.
3- can i add a bullet gobie, for sand sifting? i will only be having 40 or so lbs. of live sand.
4- is that enough sand?

i know i've asked a lot of questions, but you guys have'nt failed me yet, so....

 

Thinking about tank stocking is great fun. But you have to think about it over long period of time. Not for initial stocking. Best to start with small hardy proven species till you get system well established and have developed skills to keep new additions alive.


Recommend you take a look at:

Fish to be avoided Part I


Fish to be avoided Part II

A good list of beginner fish


Add fish very very slowly. Take into account compatibility and ultimate size.

We all have tendency to want to overstock, with fragile exotics when first starting out.

You tank is going to need at least a year or so to develop biofilter to handle even half the fish you are contemplating.

Even then, am not sure they will get along together or be reef-safe.

Remember, you are in this hobby for the long run (I would hope)...so go slow and pick fish carefully based on extensive personal research (not just advice from others), elsewise you will pissing away $ in wind and dooming animals to certain death.

Other issue with overstocking with fish initially is no room later for a really cool species that catches your eye. You hopefully living with the critters you introduce for a long period of time.

IMHO


Have fun.

Keep us posted.



;D

 

i would listen to omard.....

 

i appreciate this advice, however:
this WILL NOT be a reef tank. it will be FOWLR.

I have researched all the fish, for compatibility, as well as talking to others, and they all seem to be compatible.
both lionfish are fine together, trigger is best type to keep with the lions, wrasse is fine, tassel file is docile, and compatible, so they should not be a problem.only one i have'nt checked, is the angel, but it should be fine.
the water is from the original tank set up, and was with a heater, and pump, along with the original sponge from the original set up. 1/3 of the water to be added, will be from my established reef setup.
the rock, is from it's original set up. other pieces to be added, will be from my established reef, loaded with coraline alge.
still see a problem?

 

Worth a try... :-/

 

i don't plan on adding all the fish at once. i figured i'd do one a week, starting with the smallest first. probably the fu man chu, and trigger, at the same time, then the wrasse, and so on.
i plan on the voltains lion, to be added last.

 

Marine Compatability Chart
Here's a compatibility chart.
A general rule of thumb is a one inch fish per three gallons of water, a two inch fish per five gallons or a four inch fish per ten gallons. In a FOWLR.

 

Umm, 1 a week? for those dirty large fish, id go 1 a month, or less. Omard said it perfectly. A 96 gal isnt a huge tank just like my 55 is a small tank, and i cannot see all those fish, plus a harlequin tusk surviving. if im correct harliquins need what? 200 gals each? 2 lions? big fight waiting to happen, especially with filefish. Filefish are hard to keep, and a tank cant be setup by taking water from a previously established tank. As bacteria live on surfaces, hence bio-medias. Best to make fresh SW and plump your rock in. cut your list in half, and maybe that will work.

 

well i don't have the file fish, and don't have the tusk, so that can be eliminated.
as for your theory that 2 lion fish will fight, you'd better read up on that. there is no problem with a fu man chu, and a voltaire's lionfish, coexisting.please read what i pasted below:
compatibility:

One of the most common questions I address is, "What else can I keep with my lionfish?" The answer is a complicated issue [Figure 19]. Frequently, hobbyists want to keep multiple lionfish in the same aquarium, and although there is no problem housing two or more of these fish together, closely related lionfish will fight. I have found this problem occurring most frequently with the dwarf lionfish, in that Dwarf Fuzzy lionfish will often harass Dwarf Zebra lions. Although these skirmishes are often nothing more than gill cover flaring, head shaking, and chasing, many times it's accompanied by a bite or two. If one lionfish persistently attacks another, they should be separated or the subordinate lionfish will cease feeding and may die. Another point of consideration when keeping both large and dwarf forms of lionfish together is that large lionfish will eat smaller lionfish, and I have personally witnessed this on several occasions.
as you can see, it is not an issue to house 2 or more together, as long as care is taken.
Triggerfish are notorious for nipping off the dorsal spines before killing lionfish. However, I have found the planktonic feeding triggers (Blue cheek, Pink-tailed, Niger) to behave more predictable towards lionfish, and I would consider them compatible tankmates.
the above statement is why i chose the niger as it's tankmate.

the wrasse is a good tankmate,also.

the angel, i am still researching.

 

Harlequins are an aggressive fish and I wouldn't add it. Also, with the size and amount of fish that you have already, I would deter from adding anything else.