Goin Marine With The 5ft

[kubora666]

*edit*
Very sorry for the double post. my internet froze.
also its 4ft tank not 5. sorry to annoy or enfuriate anyone


right this is my second time going marine so im going to set up my 4ft tank around 60 gallons
im goin to keep decorations to a small rocky outcrop.
i can use some of my dads reef tank water to help mature the filter, which will be an Eheim cannistor.
not sure of the strength but i specificaly got it stronger than whats needed.

im looking at stocking a snowflake moray and a dog faced puffer(maybe)

in the future as the fish grow i wont see it a problem to get a new larger tank, but there are several lfs near me which would take the fish.

im not sure on the species specific i was thinking---

either Dog faced puffer, or porcupine fish? as a single active family pet,
with a snowflake moray.

ive kept both morays and puffers in the past so im no noob id just like ideas and input =)
thanks in advance

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, longterm, the snowflake moray would do fine in a 4' tank. The dog faced puffer though, prolly needs a bigger home. Were it my tank, I'd be looking for smaller puffers that could live there longterm instead of having to part with it once it got too big. Wish I could offer suggestions but I'm admittedly not up on my puffer knowledge/species.

 

[kubora666]

what i meant was im prepared to buy a larger tank to replace the 4foot when i need it as i will have more money in the future.
admittedly i dont know alot about marine compared to cichlids,

so what would you say i could house that is personable and human loving such as puffers?

 

[matt295]

there are smaller puffers that are cute such as the valentini and those guys but they are small and dont know how they would do with the eel. a panda puffer could work for a while but would have to be moved to at least a 100 gallon tank. another guy is the spiny box puffer which i think have good personality, here is a link

http/liveaquaria.com/product/prod_displa...tid=256&N=0

 

[tahneen]

I saw a spiny bow puffer in the wild when I was snorkling in cuba a couple years back

 

[@ombomb]

What about a marine betta?

Lovely fish, will not get too big for the tank but will (probably) be too big to look like an eel snack.

 

[kubora666]

ive had good luck with the combo of
moray + puffer + trigger

im thinking
snowflake moray
dogface puffer
undulate trigger/picasso/other

i know the undulate has a very aggressive behaviour, but i hear the dogface does too,
would a small undulate and dogface grow up fine and tolerate eachover as adults?
this trick works with aggressive cichlids if you introduce them young, could it here?
if not i guess a picasso could work

i was also debating some kind of wrasse?

 

[SkiFletch]

You could go with larger wrasses of the Thalssoma, Halichoeres, or Coris genuses. Also dont forget ther Harlequin Tusk Wrasse. Those are stunning and suitable mates.

 

[kubora666]

so you think the wrasse would make a more suitable tankmate than a trigger?

 

[SkiFletch]

Not more suitable, but equally suitable. Perhaps wrasse AND trigger

 

[kubora666]

i was under the impression with my tanksize i should only ahve say 2 openly swimming fish?
is it true i could have a wrasse and trigger? or would it be safer to play it just the dogface and one or the other

 

[SkiFletch]

Unless you're going for some horribly aggressive trigger like a Queen Trigger (which I wouldn't reccomend for a 5' tank anyways), yes they'd be fine. Heck, some of those Thalssoma wrasses can be as big if not bigger than some Triggers. Very spunky fish and will easily stand up to boisterous puffers and triggers.

 

[Lynden]

Pretty much agree with what SkiFletch says here. You're on your way.

Undulate triggers... one of the most aggressive of all fish. Red Sea specimens are reportedly more "mellow", but unfortunately I can't seem to recall the difference between Red Sea and Indo-Pacific specimens. You will need to ask the dealer. The only aquarium suitable wrasse that I could see standing up to an undulate is a dragon wrasse Novaculichthys. Luckily, your tank could easily support one of these if you so choose. They are one of my favourite fish by the way, but most people don't seem to like the adults.

Snowflake morays don't usually eat fish, so they are compatible with most fish that won't attack them.

 

[kubora666]

id like to thank you lynden and skifletch for all your advice, its been great.
funny you should say because the dragon wrasse was the one i was thinking of!
it was the aggressive reputation that made me think twice about the undulate,
i just want a species of trigger 12" or less (preferbly) that isnt a picasso because ive had them before, and i really like these undulate guys
or would he eventualy kill everything?
my last marine tank sadly ended because my white eyed eel attacked my puffer while i was on holiday which released toxins and killed my tank,
because the lady i asked to feed them was scared to feed the eel. this year i think il get someone else to do it =P

*edit*
if the undulate would be too aggresive,
would Rhinecanthus rectangulus be a safer bet? i really like the look of these guys, their like picaso's but something alternative i havent kept before