Carey's Quandry- What next?

[carey]

So I cane across a new 20L locally for $8 and had a 30g tank and stand that my father in law garbage picked ( holds water and stand is in ok condition!) so I figured I'd appease my MTS and setup another tank. NOW the only question is what exactly to do with it. lol

I have a hangon filter and heater already to go and have like 100lbs of crushed coral left so the basics are covered. Even have some rock in it now and I have some more on my back patio. Lighting, well not too sure what I will use but I do have a regular dumb single florescent fixture that came with the garbage picked setup lol. So nothing too light demanding just yet.

I have thought about just throwing inverts in there or maybe doing a small goby and pistol shrimp with lots of inverts....I even thought of seahorses but the tank is long rather than tall and I still think they are kinda creepy. hehe

What ideas can you guys come up with? Maybe a species specific tank? I think I may be all out of ideas finally, I have setup so many tanks. lol

Let the ideas flow guys, I think you all might be deciding what i do with this tank!!!

Here is my "new" baby

 

[ImACoolguy]

Lots of hermit crabs!


Caleb

 

[alex07]

I don't know what other tanks you have but how about a seahorse tank or a frag tank.

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[Adamski]

+1 sea horse/pipe fish


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[Toffee]

Quarantee tank

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[PB_Smith]

challenge yourself,
get an octopus.

 

[Toffee]

Jelly fish

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[carey]

Interesting ideas, you guys have more imagination than I do. lol

For those who don't know what I currently have here it, as of today anyways:

40g breeder, some coral fish etc***60 rimless bunch of coral, a baby naso tang and a firefish. lol for the time being.*****180g lots of tangs and some coral****90f fowlr, nasty little bugger tank
I have two fresh tanks too. a 125g cichlid and a 34g kinda planted gonna be a betta sorority

I've had at last a dozen other setups over the last few years so it almost seems like I;'ve tried it all. lol
Jellyfish and octopus aren;t practical btw, but would be cool if someone could do it. I am liking the idea of lots of inverts, small ones and maybe pipefish? Or even some of the miniature seahorses. See if I like them. lol But then I was thinking of making this a budget build since I havent bought anything but the tank hehehe....
So a budget reef or try some slow moving slow eating fish? I've always wanted a signal goby, but they look so delicate. But if I got him I would need fine sand as he sifts. I'm kinda stuck at this stage until I get the sand I guess. I really wanted to use the crushed coral I have, its actually not very large grained, its been sitting for years and has settled in the bag. I added a few new pieces of old rock to the tank and I think i found the right amount.

SO which one do I try?

 

[alex07]

How about a goby tank? I can't recommend a wrasse tank because they require a larger tank.

 

[PB_Smith]

Ok, no octopus.
how about one of the cool little frog fish or scorpion fish

http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/frogfish
they could go with coral and other inverts, except shrimp probably.
I have always liked those little oddballs, but they do need a species specific tank.

 

[Brookster123]

Fw strolling through.. lose the rock and get some apistos

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[carey]

what do those frogfish eat? Are they difficult to feed? They are super creepy but awesome at the same time! lol

 

[spoonman]

I think they eat live prey. I think that is the best suggestion you have gotten. Love the looks of the frog fish. They come in all kinds of different colors too! That is the way I would go!

 

[PB_Smith]

what do those frogfish eat? Are they difficult to feed? They are super creepy but awesome at the same time! lol

yeah, I think live stuff, but probably could be weaned onto frozen.

I see them all the time at a couple of the stores I frequent, ranging in price from around $50 up into the multiple hundreds for the really spectacular colored ones.
Live Aquaria calls them angler fish, which is what they are...


http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+19+1685&pcatid=1685

 

[carey]

AHHH ok, anglers i have heard of. lol

I really do not want to work with a fish that requires live food, I need more information. Does anyone keep anglers on this site i can ask, does anybody know?

I put some more rock in the tank yesterday, rigged up a temporary light and have started cycling. I use the dr tims stuff so it shouldnt take long at all.

Tried some old english furniture polish on the stand, it brightened it up a little bit so might work on that. I also did not put a backing on the tank, I almost always paint them but got so excited I forgot, again. lol

The crappy walmart filter stopped working so I cracked out the old aquaclear 50, the same one that I used on my first saltwater tank, the 29 standard, a few years ago. Still works, though its a little loud now. But it's ok. Put some floss into it to pick up small matter but nothing else in there yet. The only big thing I need is some sand. I guess I will have to bite the bullet and buy some, I figure 20lbs should be plenty. Will most likely get the tiny oolite sand so I can have a sifter if the angler angle doesn't work out. SO far, my total cost for the tank is $8. Oh and had to add another heater I had around, the one in there got the water to about 100 degrees even though it was set to 75 whoopsie lol

 

[redsea]

Ooo fun, another tank build! I like the idea of a Goby and Pistol Shrimp combo, and it may be easier to see them than in a larger tank! What about Sexy Shrimp? Or maybe another kind of anemone shrimp like these... Saltwater Aquarium Inverts for Marine Reef Aquariums: Venus Anemone Shrimp

 

[PB_Smith]

ok instead of an octopus, how about it's cousin, a nautilus;

 

[carey]

Still cycling. I will test tonight, it should be almost done.

Still debating what I should get as far as livestock. I am leaning towards an angler though. Is this a fish that eats anything it can fit in its mouth? I have an extra hawkfish that needs a tank soon so not sure if he;d be eaten. lol

 

[PB_Smith]

Still cycling. I will test tonight, it should be almost done.

Still debating what I should get as far as livestock. I am leaning towards an angler though. Is this a fish that eats anything it can fit in its mouth? I have an extra hawkfish that needs a tank soon so not sure if he;d be eaten. lol

yeah, I believe so.
There are the frog fish and also what I would call true anglers that have the appendage worm thingy on their head. Lfs had one a couple months ago. It was cool to see it eat cause it would wiggle this little lure around until the fish came over than WHAM!

Saw a mimic octopus at the store yesterday.......tempting just for the uniqueness, and I have a tank that it could go into, but the $250 price tag cured my temptation.
It was pretty good sized, easily 18" from tentacle tip to tentacle tip.

 

[carey]

Yeah, octopus are unique but to keep them you need to literally tape up every possible hole in the top. They can get out of the tiniest little itty bitty opening. lol I;ve seen stuff online and its amazing. Plus Idont think they have a very long life in home aquaria, I firmly believe they are one of the things that should be left to the oceans. They are fascinating tho, my lfs had one awhile ago and it was so creepy and just moved so weird....never asked how much cause I know better. lol

I;d like the guys that were pictured above, a pair if possible. ANd ai guess no other fish in the tank. Its only a 20l so anything bigger than them would be too big for the tank. hehe