Freshwater Guy With Saltwater Idea

[MJDuti]

Disclaimer: I am in no way going to set this up anytime in the near future and I'm not ready for it yet.

However, I was watching the end of "Finding Nemo" the other night (funny right) and realized I know very little of the salt water trade. So I've been reading up for hours to try and see what the deal is. The outcome was that I need to master my fish skills so I can eventually get salty! It is a vast beautiful world that I will Have to at least try. So then I got into thinking of some crazy tank ideas. Let me know your thoughts about this, if it'd work, and ideas to build upon: (thanks)

*125G FOWLR tank. I'm hooked on Snowflake eels, so would want ONE. Built the tank from there. Basically need fish that won't fit into its mouth. Found a lot of people kept lion fish with them. So thought maybe a dwarf fuzzy lion. That way it won't get huge and also eat everything. Then I wanted to stick with the crazyiness and tried looking at puffers. Still have no idea which one would work in this situation. That's where your expert knowledge comes in. I did find one guy who had this combo but was on a different discussion board.
Those were my main attractions. From what I read, some clownfish (ocellaris) will just get eaten. But I like the idea of them and an anemone (which I read is tough to keep). Then I found maroon clowns get up to 6", so would they work? That would be more than enough fish. Any other ideas of fish that would work in that combo?
The only problem I might see is that I won't be able to have much of a cleaning crew and I read these guys have a big bioload. Would a protein skimmer and a lot of live rock be enough? I was thinking of a brittle star fish, so it could agitate the sand, and read they might work. I did find that someone mentioned his eel wouldn't pick on cleaner shrimp (like common skunk and even coral branded). However, how would these fair with the lion fish and puffer. Everything I read about FW or brackish puffers was something about them getting super aggressive and being killing machines. Would any shrimp, or even large hermit crabs, or Large snails work at all?

Being completely clueless to the SW side of things, I am Very curious for answers. Thanks, and be gentle, this was only a crazy idea...that would be awesome if it'd actually work.

 

[cm11599ps]

And shrimp, crabs, snails or smaller fish will get eaten by either the eel, lionfish or puffer so those are out of the question. You do have other options like an urchin though.

If you want an anemone then I would suggest against corals. I'd pick either an anemone tank or a coral tank, not a mixed tank. Anemones can and will move about the tank and sting and kill your coral.

If you want a lionfish then be prepared to feed it live food.

 

[LukeTheDuke]

CM nailed it pretty good

you can keep puffers and lion fishes together, ive seen it done multiple times, corals are a big no no with those fish though,
puffers normally do not eat other fish... unless taught to lol,

we are setting up a 55gal, and want a porcupine puffer very badly, sadly though 55gal is too small, and i kinda want corals... its a win win or loose loose, so many descions and options... you must choose wisely lol

LOL a 55gal DT with a 55gal sump... who does that?

 

[MJDuti]

I wasn't thinking of corals cause from what I read coral just makes thing more demanding and potentially more difficult, yet beautiful.
I have seen that the snowflake eel, porcupine puffer, and fuzzy dwarf lion fish can all work together. I am having a real hard time figuring out what else would work with them though...not that there needs to be much more added. CM, I like your idea of adding an urchin but from what I read it will eventually just be another expensive snack for the puffer. Why do puffers eat everything?! What can actually go with these innocent looking bad boys? I mentioned that I did see someone have a starfish in a similar tank. Would that work with the puffer though? I mentioned a brittle star before, maybe?

I stumbled upon someone complaining about a mantis shrimp so decided to look it up. I DONT want one but from what I read, holy ****! These things can get pretty big and just go to town on your tank, wow. Nice looking though. How often do these guys come with your live rock? Any way to minimize the possibility?

 

[cm11599ps]

IMHO, you DON'T want a mantis shrimp. That's one of the reason I used virtually all dry rock in my tank. Dry rock is the same as live rock but it was allowed to dry out so there's no fear of getting anything bad on it.

 

[MJDuti]

I watched some videos of mantis shrimp. These things are nuts! Are they compatable with ANYTHING?! They not only kill everything, they absolutely destroy it! How do you even catch or handle them?

Anyways, was wondering if any SW fish school. It seems a lot are good by themselves. I haven't found any that would be too good in groups, let alone school. Any ideas?

 

[cm11599ps]

You might want to look at Green Chromis, PJ Cardinals and Anthias. They seem to be hit or miss.

 

[lanlesnee]

I have a Volitan and a drawf in a reef tank with a snowfake eel.
I have the V. lion trained to eat pieces of meat from a pair of tongs. Still working with my drawf on this.
The snowfake eats from tongs too. (You want a tight lid with these. Mine has made it out once already. Lucky for him/me I seen him in time.)

I also have a brown tang and a some kind of dottyback. Along with a selpant star, various small hermits and a couple of arrow crabs.

The lions and eel don't bother anything. Not to say this is the normal. My lions are content with greeting me and begging for food every time they see me and the eel is happy swimming around in the rocks until feeding time. I plan to add to the cuc, but would never consider a shrimp of any kind in this tank. Most likily a couple of bigger crabs and abalone soon.

I have over 200 pounds of live rock, a refugium with chateo and a protein skimmer in this tank and I still have to do large water changes once or twice every two weeks. But being a reef clean water is a must.

My V. Lion will be moving soon to a bigger FOWLR tank. Not because of any issues. He will just need a bigger tank. I plan to have a dog face or a poccupine puffer with him in there.

I have a different tank with green spotted puffers and they don't bother anything either. Again I wouldn't say this is the norm. They did well with a pink tailtrigger I had in there at one time.
Be cautious with puffer they can give you quite a bite. Ask me how I know. lol

 

[MJDuti]

lol. since you have them all, what would hurt most: an eel bite, puffer bite, or lion sting???

 

[Cichlidnut]

Lion sting perhaps?

 

[lanlesnee]

lol. since you have them all, what would hurt most: an eel bite, puffer bite, or lion sting???

I've never been stung by the lions, but I'm sure the sting would be worst.

I've been bit by a puffer and eel both. Eel didn't really hurt,but it caught my finger nail. Puffer hurt, but more like a hard pinch from someone.

 

[MJDuti]

if you had to rank their aggression, where would you put them? From what I hear, puffers are the meanest, but I guess that isn't always the case. Have you had any good experience with compatable tank mates?

 

[lanlesnee]

if you had to rank their aggression, where would you put them? From what I hear, puffers are the meanest, but I guess that isn't always the case. Have you had any good experience with compatable tank mates?

I've never seen any agression with my puffers. My lions are quite peaceful as long as they can't get them in whole in there mouths (don't under estimate their mouth!) they don't bother them.

The eel is capable of taking chucks of anything, but shows no interest in anything unless it's food. It's the slowest and not the best when it comes to catching food, so I make sure it gets food brought to it, (tongs).

I have more problems with damels and tomatoe clowns, in my other tanks, when it comes to agression than I do with these guys. WIth that being said I use common sense, when I was looking for a home for my clowns it wasn't this tank. lol

Main problem with these guys is nitrates, so water changes are a must with them.