40 Gallon Tank....Any Set-Up Ideas

[amphibianboy528]

oh,sorry I did not know you could *fish-less* cycle your tank.I thought Bio-Spira would provide all the bacteria to start the tank.Also if they will put the fish through this death trap why do they allow it.This fish-less cycling is a pretty good idea,and fish should not really be allowed.Why does the law allow it,because it IMO is some sort of animal abuse.And my mollies,I have put them in my established marine tank.

 

[steve-s]

I thought Bio-Spira would provide all the bacteria to start the tank.

Shortcuts never yield positive results. Personally I always recommend you take the road of tried and true methods over fast and foolish. They will never lead you astray and teach you one of the most important values in marine keeping... patience

Also if they will put the fish through this death trap why do they allow it.This fish-less cycling is a pretty good idea,and fish should not really be allowed.Why does the law allow it,because it IMO is some sort of animal abuse.

It comes down to one thing most of the time... $$$. Unfortunately the need to earn usually outweighs the needs of the animals that fall below the top of the food chain. Not that I am by any means affiliated with the likes of PETA nor am I a hypocrate but where we can go that extra step and not needlessly waste life, why not!

And my mollies,I have put them in my established marine tank.

Kudos

Cheers
Steve

 

[grimlock3000]

Put the brakes on for a second and relax. Now that you got the tank setup, you need to give it some time to balance itself out before adding fish to it. Your tank may go through a small cycle during this process, even though the rock is cured. Glad to hear you got the Mollies out of there. You are going to need various test kits to track the tanks progress (you probably already have these). I think the marine Bio-Spira was a waste of money since you bought LR, but anyway... What do you have in that tank for water movement? Also, you will need to start adding a cleanup crew once the cycle is complete, then you can start looking at fish.

Only bad things happen quickly in this hobby

How did you manage to get 40 gallons of water home from the LFS?

 

[amphibianboy528]

well at the LFS you rent these five-gallon(i think) buckets and bring them home and give it back to them.Also what kind of clean-up crew do you mean.The only thing I have ever had that cleaned up stuff was a very large hermit and a lawnmower blenny.I have never used snails and such.Also I have decided not to use the tank for pipefishes.I would like to have atleast one mandarin goby.But I need to wait atleast six months right.So I need to have some suggestion of fish that will not affect the coeppod and amphipod population.And will not really be aggresive to the goby.Thanks Everybody!!!!!

 

[grimlock3000]

A 40 is not really large enough to produce enough pods to support a Mandarin Goby. Very few Mandarins will accept frozen foods and slowly die of starvation in a home aquarium. An established 75g tank with 100 pounds of LR (or more) makes a nice home for them.

 

[RocketSeason]

Yeah I have the same problem amphibianboy. I have a 37 gallon system that is, unfortunately to small for a mandrin. Try maybe a brightly colored Goby like a watchman goby. those guys are very cute. as far as fish selection goes, look at Clowns, pigmy angels, and small wrasses and firefish.

 

[amphibianboy528]

so what kind of tank-set up do you guys suggest.Also I'll edit the title so I can get more posts.

 

[RocketSeason]

are you interested in some of the more exotic looing fish? why not a dwarf Zebra Lion and an angler fish? That would look really awsome in a nice reef tank.

 

[amphibianboy528]

yeah cool I wanted a dwarf zebra before.They were cool fish as people said but I have never seen one on the market and I do not Intend to get one off the internet.

 

[RocketSeason]

You can get your LFS to special order one for you. that way you can check it out before you buy it. If you don't want it, chances are someone else will.

 

[amphibianboy528]

so any special requirements on the zebra lionfish.I have never had any carnivourus fishes before and have no idea what to do.

 

[steve-s]

The main concern with these types of fish is getting them to eat when first introduced. This often requires live foods (shrimp, fish ect..) but once the fish has adjusted it can and should be nudged over to dead foods. Much easier on you and ensures the lion gets a proper diet. Just be sure not to feed more than once or twice a week. One major downfall is overfeeding. It can often lead to digestive ailments which will kill the fish.

Once the fish is eating they are usually quite easy to keep otherwise.

Cheers
Steve

 

[amphibianboy528]

Well, I read an old article on my aquarium fish magazine and they said to feed gut packed ghost shrimp,damselfish,and mollies.Goldfish are bad feeders because of some chemical in their flesh that fattens the liver.And they can be fed raw fish and shrimp.But my concern is the filter bed mature enough to sustain a lionfish.I don't want the poor fish to suffer.

 

[steve-s]

If you want to keep feeding live foods I would look more towards black mollies as a solution. They can be converted to SW easily enough and breed like rabbits. Once the tank and fuge are properly set up and cycled the mollies can be introduced to the fuge with some non caulerpa maco algaes. Once they are settled in and breeding, you can aquire the lion.

I would still suggest trying to wein the lion over to dead foods. Much easier in the long run. Just be sure you get a decent feeding stick for the task. No fingers 8O

Cheers
Steve

 

[amphibianboy528]

ok thanks,also I have no idea how to breed mollies.do i need to give them a special breeding tank or they can go right in the fuge.

 

[steve-s]

I would try and find some black mollies that are already SW converted. Easier on you in the long run and some LFS may have them. Once the tank/fuge are properly cycled, acclimate the mollies properly as you would any fish. The male/female pair will do the rest

Just be sure you have a decent amount of macro algae for the young to hide from the parents. The adult mollies will also chew on the macro as a food source. If you can put some LR rubble pieces here and there as it will offer additional places for the brood to grow unhindered.

Cheers
Steve

 

[amphibianboy528]

macro algea...hmmm...I don't have a light to the fuge.

 

[steve-s]

Any cheap ($20.00) strip light will do for macros. They do not need special intense lighting. Just be sure the bulb output is either a 03 or preferabley 10,000k. Lower kelvins will promote nuisance algaes.

Cheers
Steve

 

[amphibianboy528]

ok,when do I add the macro algea to the fuge with some live rocks.Also can I put live sand in there too,or will it be too packed for the fish.

 

[steve-s]

The sand and rock can be added at any time. Best to start from the beginning while the tank is cycling. I wouldn't bother with LS, just use typical dry aragonite. Depth is up to you but my choice would be no more than 2". As for the rock, I would choose smaller pieces that can be loosely stacked in small piles. It will leave enough gaps for baby mollies to hide as well as promoting higher pod populations.

Once the tank has fully cycled then acclimate the macro's the same you would an invert. Slow acclimation with macro's will typically mean less if any die off and it should start growing failry quickly. I would set the light schedule up so the fuge is on the reverse of the main. It will help keep the pH in both tanks balanced. Just be sure the macro gets pruned regularly to avoid heavy mass. If the light gets blocked to much near the bottom or detritus accumulates it can cause the algae to rot. Once the macros are showing signs of growth, add the mollies.

Cheers
Steve