new guy Predator tank frustration

[Mannblack76]

I have 55 gallon predator tank. I let it cycle for a year(haha) mainly for lack of funds. I recently added a baby panther grouper and baby snowflake eel along with 6 hermit crab and one blue knuckle. I came back the next day and my wife said she wanted some small fish for the kids so we got two yellow tail damsels. All were purchased from my LFS. As u probably can conclude the latest two (damsels)didnt last when the lights went out then today (a few days in) my blue knuckle is dismembered and a hermit is gone. I researched all this and got a compatability chart and have no clue why my local fish guy sold all this to me (well i guess i do know but still)my question mainly is this: are there any cleaners
that will cohabitate with my predators and can i add any coral stuff or will i b wasting my money again? Also i have read that the panther grouper needs at least 100 gallons is that true or is 55 ok?The store owner is out of town so it is yet to be determined if i will continue my business there.

 

[FTMMWS]

I have 55 gallon predator tank. I let it cycle for a year(haha) mainly for lack of funds. I recently added a baby panther grouper and baby snowflake eel along with 6 hermit crab and one blue knuckle. I came back the next day and my wife said she wanted some small fish for the kids so we got two yellow tail damsels. All were purchased from my LFS. As u probably can conclude the latest two (damsels)didnt last when the lights went out then today (a few days in) my blue knuckle is dismembered and a hermit is gone. I researched all this and got a compatability chart and have no clue why my local fish guy sold all this to me (well i guess i do know but still)my question mainly is this: are there any cleaners
that will cohabitate with my predators and can i add any coral stuff or will i b wasting my money again? Also i have read that the panther grouper needs at least 100 gallons is that true or is 55 ok?The store owner is out of town so it is yet to be determined if i will continue my business there.

Sorry for your bad luck and bad info,,i would find another LFS,,seems they only want to make a buck,not help out the consumer...
Panthers get HUGE!!...They need minimum 180's and up IMO....a 55 is not a good size to house predator fish...maybe a dwarf lion fish and the eel ,,but thats about all i'd do

Most inverts will probably be prey for the eel,and corals should be just fine to add,,as long as you have proper lighting

 

[Mannblack76]

If all crustaceans will be prey whats the best way to keep algae down along with nitrate levels (are water changes my only fix or can i add a type of animal to help)

 

[FTMMWS]

Well, i could steer you in the direction i took(cause its the best answer i have for this question) ...I have a predator/aggressive set up as well..i have not had a CUC crew in years...I run an algae scrubber and nothing else ...0 trates,,0 algae in DT..it all grows on the scrubber...best thing i ever did
Do you have a sump,,if so it would be very cheap and easy to set one up,,if you chose to do so

 

[Crew]

I just looked them up, beautiful by the way.
Says they need a minimum of 100gallons.
As the average one will max at about 20inches.

 

[ErrolP]

Thru my experiences with predator tank the only inverts that have lasted have been giant Atlantic wild hermits I caught at the beach, all other attempts with inverts have failed.

The only damsel I have see live with larger predators are larger damsels that are over 3'' long and whose temperments are unusually aggressive. Good luck

 

[crister13]

I have a 150g tank and I would NEVER put a panther grouper in it. IMHO I would go 250-300+. Your talking about a HUGE fish that produces a ton of waste. That can barely fit the eel, I would shoot for a 75 if possible. Good luck.

 

[ErrolP]

I agree with crister13, Your tank will suffice for maybe a year.I have raised several panther groupers in tanksranging from 100 to 200. Just know the pros and cons to having a grouper, when its gains size it will pose a serious problem during feeding as most groupers will " Hog" all the food and one thing you don't want to do in a predator tank is overfeed. That will cause your Nitrates to raise very fast. Your Snoflake will be fine for most of his life in a 55g being they are not very territorial and stay stationary for for of the day. Just make sure the top of your tank is covered tightly. Good luck

 

[slitherbomb]

Thru my experiences with predator tank the only inverts that have lasted have been giant Atlantic wild hermits I caught at the beach, all other attempts with inverts have failed.

The only damsel I have see live with larger predators are larger damsels that are over 3'' long and whose temperments are unusually aggressive. Good luck

How do those hermits look like? I caught 2 different hermits from the Atlantic ocean. One is tan and the other is reddish.

 

[ErrolP]

The shells can be any shape, mine are around 8" big and have VERY large claws, the legs are a red and blue striped pattern

 

[slitherbomb]

Where'd you can it? Lol

 

[ErrolP]

how big are the hermits you caught?

 

[slitherbomb]

One of them(red one) is the size of a golfball and the tan one is the size of a quarter.

 

[hiltymj]

My friend has a panther grouper and it is about 2 and a half feet. It's in a 500 gallon tank. They get massive. The smallest of the groupers IMO is the blue line. They still need at least a 125 though

 

[ErrolP]

I got them at Wrightville beach NC both mine are huge, thus them surviving with a 6" clown trigger and snowflake.

 

[slitherbomb]

Oh wow lol. I got mine in the fl keys.

 

[ErrolP]

My friend has a panther grouper and it is about 2 and a half feet. It's in a 500 gallon tank. They get massive. The smallest of the groupers IMO is the blue line. They still need at least a 125 though

I have raised 3 panthers to almost 1ft each, for one to get 2 ft must have took quite a long time, mine took 2 years to reach 8 inches, but yes if one were to reach 2 feet i would would require a very large tank. IMO if i had a fish that reached even 1.5 feet i would probably adopt to to someone else, there is no need to have a 200g tank with one fish, what a waste of space, i personally like a lot of variety in my tank so i could not sacrifice that much space for one single fish.

 

[ErrolP]

Correction my groupers took around 1 year to reach 8"

 

[hiltymj]

Ha ya he has had him for a very long time the coolest thing is when he goes to the bottom and flares his gills and opens his mouth and the 15 cleaner shrimp come running! It's amazing to watch. Abd he never eats them

 

[ErrolP]

Does he have antithetical fish other than the grouper? How do the shrimp survive?