New to Saltwater - Creating a entirely new setup

[LucasB95]

To start off I have multiple aquariums ranging from 75-125 gallons (not apposed to going larger if needed). I've had all sorts of Amphibians, reptiles, mammals, freshwater critters, etc. and am now looking to begin a Saltwater aquarium.
Obviously, a saltwater aquarium is much more complex and as I read more the complexity only grows. Factors such as individual fish temp requirements, predatory species, and overall difficulty.

Simply put, I want a tank with an awesome assortment of critters in a saltwater tank that can live together. With this, I'd like to know what makes certain species difficult and what you'd recommend. Mainly WHAT YOU'D RECOMMEND.

I'm very much not into plain fish. I've been looking into: Seahorses, Sting Rays (noted as extremely difficult in captivity), Eels, Shark (little), Shrimp, Crab, Pufferfish, and Jellyfish. I know most of these are deemed "difficult" - What kind of setup could I look into to maximize the species count? I would prefer to have an assortment versus one ****** eel but I'm incredibly new and open.

example: eel that doesn't target crabs/shrimp, pufferfish, with a jelly or two. Species of each that can live within the same temp

 

[James M]

Welcome to reef2reef !!!!
I don’t wanna sound rude but starting with difficult fish/inverts is a very bad idea. It’ll end up with you have to constantly needing guidance. They’re left to experts of the hobby for a specific reason, they know the ins and outs of our hobby and can spot a problem and fix it w/o needing help

 

[Marco S]

Welcome to R2R!!!

I have absolutely no experience with Seahorses, Sharks, Rays, Eels or Jelly's, so I will let the experts tackle this one. I'm sure we have some that will chime in soon enough. Good luck and post lots of pictures when you actually start to build your tank. I am very interested in all of the species you have interest in so I hope to live vicariously through your pics.

 

[reef lover]

Welcome to r2r!

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Welcome to the group.

You got a great attitude, ready to jump right in. I would say slow down just a bit and research which ones you really want. You got various critters there, several which are not compatible and housing needs are quite different. I would pick one that you really want, research it to make sure you have what is needed tank wise, care wise, etc. them build upon that

And welcome

 

[LucasB95]

Welcome to reef2reef !!!!
I don’t wanna sound rude but starting with difficult fish/inverts is a very bad idea. It’ll end up with you have to constantly needing guidance. They’re left to experts of the hobby for a specific reason, they know the ins and outs of our hobby and can spot a problem and fix it w/o needing help

I respect the honesty and that was truly an answer I was looking for. But why? What makes it more difficult to care for different species? What would you recommend to start off with? Obviously not a sting ray, but would a specific type of eel be possible? What eels can be most accommodating to other critters and could you recommend a build?

 

[Marco S]

I respect the honesty and that was truly an answer I was looking for. But why? What makes it more difficult to care for different species? What would you recommend to start off with? Obviously not a sting ray, but would a specific type of eel be possible? What eels can be most accommodating to other critters and could you recommend a build?

I think it is because of the specific needs of those breads, (such as round tanks for sharks and specific flow for Jelly's and Seahorses) and the survival rate of them in captivity.

 

[Peace River]

Welcome to R2R!!! One of the most important things in fish keeping and reef tanks is water quality - I encourage you to start your learning there. Try to honor the animals that you are keeping and limit the amount of time spent learning at their expense. This is a great community and we really do want you to do well - good luck!

 

[Marco S]

To clarify that a bit...it is hard enough to have to worry about salinity, PH, temp. alkalinity, calcium etc...add into the equation that those species have other specific needs and it becomes very hard to keep them alive in captivity.

 

[artieg1]

I would say the responses to your question here will give you only 5% of the data that you need. Look at other threads, there's a decade of discussion on these boards. Look up seahorses, and you will quickly find that they need a dedicated tank. Same for rays. Eels can go in a generic tank with lots of diversity. Read read read. Read about fish descriptions on Live Aquaria, while not perfect the information there is generally accepted. Reading will not prevent missteps (those are inevitable), but it will diminish them. Your real first decision is what type of tank you want (FOWLR or reef). Read up on those distinctions. That decision will close off many avenues you don't need to educate yourself about (e.g., if you want fish that are compatible with corals and inverts like shrimp, you don't have to read about aggressive fish).

 

[Jeight]

Welcome to R2R!!!!

 

[Bayareareefer18]

Welcome. Lots of good info here and keep asking questions. I just got into the hobby about a year ago and love it

My biggest recommendation is decide which direction you would like to take with your tank.

As others have stated some things you listed would be more suitable for species only setups

If you are looking for puffers, eels and things of that nature you may consider researching FOWLR/predator tanks

Good luck