Order of fish and substrate

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SaltwaterAussie

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Aug 13, 2003
Messages
12
Location
Canberra, Australia
Hi ALL!!

I am currently setting up a 650L (180 gallon) FOWLR I plan on having about 90kgs (200 pounds) of live rock along with wet/dry sump (bioballs) and skimmer under the tank. Still trying to decide on the substrate...
i dont really want a DSB or thick substrate, should i go with thin layer of crushed coral or 1/2 inch sand?? any thoughts??

Once I have added all of the rock and the tank has completley cycled I plan to add a volitian lionfish, snowflake moray and a blue/regal tang a couple of months apart. Maybe a husk or angle down the track.
Any thoughts on the order? Do I need to quarantine the first fish I place i the tank?
Thanks in advance 8O [/b]
 
From everything I have been reading and what everyone is saying. I would go with dsb.and yes quarantine the first fish before you place them in the tank. i'm new at SW so if that is not right please correct me
 
I would go with the DSB and stay away from the CC. I am fairly new to this hobby as well but have read many posts of people wishing they had gone with the DSB. I think i read that the CC will produce alot of nitrates. You should QT all fish before you put them into your tank, even if its your first fish. If you put the fish in the tank without QT and it gets sick, you would have to take it out of the tank and QT it anyway to medicate it because many medications will kill the benificial bacteria on your LR.
 
There are other options here...

First of all, if you don't want to have a DSB and you are willing to do the water changes that result from the absence of one, then you have no problem. However, I think that water changes on a 180 gallon tank could be annoying.

Secondly, you could set up a refugium with a DSB so it doesn't have to be in your display tank.
 
Your liverock will provide nice filtration. With the bioballs in the sump, you will possibly have issues with nitrates. (Bioballs produce nitrates). If you do not wish to go with a DSB, for whatever reason you dont like it, your tank will be adequately filtered with your mentioned plan. Both eels and lions produce alot of waste matter and you are helping with that by your skimmer too. Just make sure you do not skimp on the skimmer.

I would add the tang first, then the eel, then the lion.
 
Cheers for your advice everyone.... I think I will go with tht thin subtrate.... heaps of live rock and do regular water changes, Is a bit a pain for this size tank but IME it is worth it in the long run.

Not sure if you are familiar with it but Im running a Jebo Venturi skimmer with a Rio 2100. Hopefully will be enough? May have to wait till Ive stocked the tank to see what happens.
 
I just wanted to add a little info about the pump. I to have a 180 gallon FOWLR. With my wet/dry filter I also got a rio 2100 and my water stayed cloudy and I had other water problems. I asked some people about on the internet about water circulation on a 180 and about the rio 2100. They said my pump size was the problem and I should at least have a pump that will circulate at least 1000 gallons an hour. Besides that IMO with all the Rio pumps I had where pretty much junk. But rio makes a good skimmer pump. The pump I got now is a MAG 1800. This pump is awesome. Like you I have thin layer substrate. This pump is also warrantied and has hardly any maintenace at all. Unlike the rio and use less electricity.
 
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