Predator Tank

[saltynay]

I am thinking a devil lion fish, a cow box fish, A puffer, a cat or bamboo shark with remora (not the giant remoras the smaller suckerfish grow to about 10"), a Garden or snowflake eel, a bubble anemone with a pair of false clown fish (hopefully they won't get eaten by the numerous highly predatory fish), Sergeant major damsels, a lobster stolen from the restaurant food tank and some corals

So the Clownfish are gonna be questionable. I have massive quantities of marine baitfish on my doorstep so feeding the preds is going to be easy. I am thinking with the lobster if it gets put in first and has a couple of weeks to venture around its territory and claim its caves perhaps it will stand a chance against predation.

 

[ben1987]

clown fish and nem a deffinate no go in that tank.

also corals would be difficult too, they would either get munched or suffer with water quality due to high feeding on preds.

 

[saltynay]

any nem clown sybiotic relationship a possibility? Maroon and long tentacle perhaps?

 

[ben1987]

they only clowns that may be ok in there are maroons as they are big (ish)females are anyway. But i dont think any nem would. Nems require high light intnsity and really good stable water conditions, neither of which are usually accosiated with a pred tank. You usually have high nitrates in a pred tank due to loads of food going in. so high lighting just means masses of algae. Aswel as your hard as nails fish battering the hell out of everything

 

[saltynay]

Yeah but the sergeant majors are pretty much rubbish eaters in my experience. I will also be changing the water frequently with fresh sea water and running a Berlin sump giving limited room for aerobic bacteria.

I am listening and taking your advice in btw

 

[saltynay]

No other fish gurus going to add?

 

[ZoddyZod]

I'm only going to add that I'm watching this thread.....sounds like a fantastic stock selection if you get it up and running.

 

[Pearsondesign]

i keep lionfish, volitan ones had 3 in a 7ft tank with a large panther grouper years back too.
also recently had a snowflake moray, but unfortunately he escaped the tank overnight one night

as for the lobster, how big will it be?

also, how big a tank are you looking at here by the way?

i love huge predatory fish, id love a huge tank with nothing but huge fish in it!

 

[saltynay]

The lobster will probably be around 10" when placed in the tank. The tank is going to be around 150 gallons and 7 foot long. I haven't actually got a tank model as they don't really exist out here you just get one made by the local craftsman but the space is 7 foot long and probably 1.5' wide 2.5' tall

 

[seffieuk]

I do have to agree with Ben however, if you are able to give the Nem the light it requires, get a large pair of adult Maroons and keep the water to a high standard, in theory it should be do-able. It would be hard work though keeping that water clean enough for the Nem - mind you, you have a lot of staff and the sea on your doorstep, so assume this wouldn't be a problem

Seffie x

 

[saltynay]

So I am on about 5 different salty forums and all seem to be telling me different stuff which is kinda strange as I can't work out the general rules they are following.

The puffer is out which is a shame as I love porcupine fish but it will supposedly be uncontrollable. The nem has a heavy question mark next to because of the eel stinging itself on it. Sergeant majors are supposedly a bit too aggressive. I am at the point now where I might just chuck everything in and see how it turns out by watching for 10 hours a day

 

[seffieuk]

So I am on about 5 different salty forums and all seem to be telling me different stuff which is kinda strange as I can't work out the general rules they are following.

There are few 'general' rules in the salty world as there are too many variables!

I didn't clock that you wanted a porky - oh how I would love one, but they cant live with Nems as the Puffers often bite their tentacles.

If it were me, I would make the decision about what I want the most and then go from there

I suppose the question is: do I want a Nem and clowns more than a Puffer?

Seffie x

 

[saltynay]

I want the Shark, lionfish and eel the most if I could squeeze in a blue spot then I would be very happy. The Porcupine, lobster and longhorn are second favourites. For scenery a giant carpet nem flowing around one corner with harlequin shrimp and maroon clowns frolicking in its folds.

 

[seffieuk]

Well, as you cant add a nem for at least eight months, why not go for your first wish list then

The lion, shark and eel

Seffie x

 

[saltynay]

Thanks seffie this is my plan


Lobster in first so that it can find a good cave. Then lion fish, Shark and eel and so on through preferences