subtropical reef setup idea

[fermentedhiker]

Just kind of mulling this idea over and thought I do it out loud and see what you guys thought.

Every since I saw the reef crest AIO 35 gallon drop off this idea has been in my head. Although I'm thinking it might be cheaper to get an acrylic tank made with an interior partition(the drop off section) and just fill the other part with dead rock.

Back to the plan such as it is. A DSB in the drop section for a pair of bluespotted jawfish. The upper section would be live rock descending to an overhang to the drop section. A colony of Catalina gobies and Gulf signal blennies would inhabit the upper section.

Corals I need to do research into what types of corals thrive in the cooler temps this setup would require.

Inverts; essentially the same as the corals=more research required. Although on the snail front that's pretty easy as there are a number commonly sold in the trade that aren't really suiting for tropical temps anyways.

Thoughts?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I imagine most NPS corals would be suited for cooler temperatures and definitely any "deepwater" varieties. Keep in mind the jawfish will need plenty of space for burrowing and I would mix some shells and small rubble rock in with the sand to give them some structural elements to build their burrows with.

 

[fermentedhiker]

I imagine most NPS corals would be suited for cooler temperatures and definitely any "deepwater" varieties. Keep in mind the jawfish will need plenty of space for burrowing and I would mix some shells and small rubble rock in with the sand to give them some structural elements to build their burrows with.

Yeah the plan was for the whole drop-off section to be solely for the jawfish. And yes mixing rubble and shells with the sand for structure

 

[fermentedhiker]

I'm wondering to if "deepwater" corals actually deal with significantly cooler temps? All the ones I've found for sale give standard temp and lighting requirements. I wonder too if some stuff at the upper end of Florida reefs would thrive in the lower temps since they periodically are exposed to them for at least short periods seasonally? I haven't been able to find any sort of species list for the sea of Cortez in terms of corals/sponges/inverts etc... The musings will have to continue.

 

[malacoda]

It does sound like a cool idea.

However, while I am by no means experienced with, or an expert, when it comes to jawfish, I don't believe half (e.g. one level) of a 35g drop-off tank is going to give you anywhere near the square footage of sandbed ... or the height of water above it ... needed to successfully keep one bluespotted jawfish, let alone a pair.

Per the following resource, it sounds like one jawfish needs a sand bed that is at least 6" deep covering an area of 2' x 2' to be comfortable and non-stressed ... with at least 18 - 24" of water column above it:

THF Magazine - blue spotted jawfish

ReefKeeping Magazine - Let's Talk about Jawfish

Now, if you're thinking of a much bigger tank that is modeled off of the 35g drop-off, then yeah, that could be pretty darn cool.

 

[fermentedhiker]

It does sound like a cool idea.

However, while I am by no means experienced with, or an expert, when it comes to jawfish, I don't believe half (e.g. one level) of a 35g drop-off tank is going to give you anywhere near the square footage of sandbed ... or the height of water above it ... needed to successfully keep one bluespotted jawfish, let alone a pair.

Per the following resource, it sounds like one jawfish needs a sand bed that is at least 6" deep covering an area of 2' x 2' to be comfortable and non-stressed ... with at least 18 - 24" of water column above it:

THF Magazine - blue spotted jawfish

ReefKeeping Magazine - Let's Talk about Jawfish

Now, if you're thinking of a much bigger tank that is modeled off of the 35g drop-off, then yeah, that could be pretty darn cool.

Yeah I wasn't saying I was going to use that specific tank, just that it's what gave me the idea. Square footage wise it's not ideal, but it wouldn't need to be a lot bigger . I would probably go with a custom more in the range of 36x24x24 with an overflow to a sump instead of the AIO section. The TFH link mentions 24x24 but no other site does. The height above the sandbed is also a reference to how high they have been observed in the wild and not a reference to what was required for captive care. If a 30" plus high tank was required very few people would be able to keep them. Thanks for the links though. I'd read the TFH one, but had missed the Reefkeeping Mag one.