New tank FOWL 180 stocking list

[Gsparker71]

Hi,

I am new to this forum and aquariums, so please be gentle. ;-) I have a long 180 (6 ft) and it looks like it's cycled, so I am looking to start stocking it, slowly. Ideally, I want Caribbean fish, like I used to see when I worked on the boats in South Florida. I am putting them in the order I'm thinking of stocking them, with my preference order in parenthesis. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

1. Porkfish (3)
2. Shy (Indigo) Hamlet or Atlantic Blue Tang (5)
3. French Angel (1)
4. Long spine Porcpupine (2)
5. Cuban (Spanish) hogfish (4)
6 Snowflake Eel (6. Not from Caribbean, but hard to find a good eel that would work)

Any thoughts on a possible starter fish to make sure everything is good? Don't want a damsel. Would the porkfish be good? Otherwise, I was thinking about a Chalk Bass, harlequin bass, or Tobacco Basslet, for something "smaller" to test the waters. I also considered blue reef Chromis (not blue/green), but not sure.

The tank is drilled with side returns, I have a Sicce 5.0 pump, an ASM G4 skimmer and a 40 gallon breeder for a sump.
What are your thoughts on the fish? Good selection, getting along okay, overstocked/about right, etc.

Your wisdom is greatly appreciated.



Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[kateater]

Borderline overstocked due to messy eating porcupine. Have you ran any test on the water? How much live rock do you have in tank?

 

[Gsparker71]

I had dead rock, then added nitrifying bacteria. Dosing ammonia to about 3-5 ppm, and it is back to 0 for both ammonia and nitrites in just over 24 hours; this has been consistent for at least a couple weeks now. Ph is consistent at 8.2, and I've been between 1.024-1.025 for SG. Nitrates keep escalating, but I've been doing sporadic changes to keep it from getting too high.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[Gsparker71]

The rock in there is about 100-150
Lbs worth.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[kateater]

When you say dead rock was it dried live rock or dry rock ancient coral harvested from land? Big difference in them. I'm not familiar with the way your cycling the tank to give accurate advise. I believe it's too soon.

 

[Keepnitreel]

I had dead rock, then added nitrifying bacteria. Dosing ammonia to about 3-5 ppm, and it is back to 0 for both ammonia and nitrites in just over 24 hours; this has been consistent for at least a couple weeks now. Ph is consistent at 8.2, and I've been between 1.024-1.025 for SG. Nitrates keep escalating, but I've been doing sporadic changes to keep it from getting too high.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

3-5ppm ammonia to cycle is the optimal way to have a very large colony of beneficial bacteria. Your tank is more than ready. Once you add your first additions your nitrate shouldn't climb like that anymore because the livestock will not produce the amount of ammonia that your dosing.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk HD

 

[Keepnitreel]

When you say dead rock was it dried live rock or dry rock ancient coral harvested from land? Big difference in them. I'm not familiar with the way your cycling the tank to give accurate advise. I believe it's too soon.

What's the big difference? Isn't live rock also ancient coral?

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk HD

 

[glb]

What's the big difference? Isn't live rock also ancient coral?

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk HD

There's a huge difference. Live rock is called live because it's been in sea water for quite a while and is filled with all sorts of living organisms. It can be an old coral rock but it's the organisms that allow for natural denitrification, converting ammonia to nitrite to nitrate to a gaseous form which leaves the tank. It takes a long while for any rock to become 'live' so I would be very careful with your tank. It may be cycled but without live rock the nitrates will stay in the water and you'll have to lower them with water changes. Hope this helps.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps, Acans and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

 

[Keepnitreel]

The OP said dry rock so even if it was live at one point in time, it wouldn't have any living organisms on it because its dry, no?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[glb]

The OP said dry rock so even if it was live at one point in time, it wouldn't have any living organisms on it because its dry, no?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Yes. It will acquire living organisms the longer it's in your tank but it's not going to help with the biofilter for a while.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps, Acans and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

 

[Keepnitreel]

Yes. It will acquire living organisms the longer it's in your tank but it's not going to help with the biofilter for a while.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps, Acans and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

Long story short, the OP tank is cycled & has been cycled for awhile now. The 3-5ppm of ammonia the OP is dosing, is causing the nitrate to be so high. He needs to do a water change to get the nitrate down(do not dose anymore ammonia) and add his first livestock additions 24 hours afterwards. The nitrate will not climb like before due to the small amount of ammonia the livestock will produce.
I've cycled two FOWLR tanks using pure ammonia, so I'm very familiar with how it works.


Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[glb]

Long story short, the OP tank is cycled & has been cycled for awhile now. The 3-5ppm of ammonia the OP is dosing, is causing the nitrate to be so high. He needs to do a water change to get the nitrate down(do not dose anymore ammonia) and add his first livestock additions 24 hours afterwards. The nitrate will not climb like before due to the small amount of ammonia the livestock will produce.
I've cycled two FOWLR tanks using pure ammonia, so I'm very familiar with how it works.


Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I cycled a freshwater tank using pure ammonia as well and it worked very well. I was just saying that the rock won't be contributing to denitrification for a while.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps, Acans and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

 

[Keepnitreel]

I cycled a freshwater tank using pure ammonia as well and it worked very well. I was just saying that the rock won't be contributing to denitrification for a while.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
12g Nanoreef. Zooanthids, Ricordia, Star Polyps, Acans and two clownfish. CF Lighting, 75% actinic blue, 25% 10,000k white.

I agree with you my friend. Btw: do you still have a FW tank? I'm thinking of starting a heavily planted 40b

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[Gsparker71]

Thanks for insight and great information.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP