Reef Eel Tank

[puddle_inc]

in that case i'm definatly getting the cheap one, hehe.

i know everyone is probably sick of all of my questions and threads on the reef tank and stuff, but if you guys don't mind, i'd like to talk over some refugium ideas.

will a clam, a feather duster, couple shrimp, brine shrimp, and snails be good?

and what are the chnaces that my eel and lionfish will go after live scallops if i have a few? if there well fed will they avoid them?

thanks

 

[sianeds]

in that case i'm definatly getting the cheap one, hehe.

i know everyone is probably sick of all of my questions and threads on the reef tank and stuff, but if you guys don't mind, i'd like to talk over some refugium ideas.

will a clam, a feather duster, couple shrimp, brine shrimp, and snails be good?
In a refugium or in your main tank? No for in a fuge for sure. A clam requires LOTS of light, preferably from MH. Feather dusters need way more food than people realise. You need to add lots of phytoplankton to your water or it will shed it's crown and eventually starve to death. They are pretty easy to keep if they get enough food though. A clam and a giant feather duster together would be ok as clams use the nitrates in the water that you may have from the large phytoplankton feeds. Also as you plan on having 2 fish that are messy eaters the clam should be quite happy. BUT...I honestly don't know if a lionfish or an eel might try to nibble a clam. My guess is that they would... As for the shrimps and the snails...put them in but don't be surprised if they get eatenand what are the chnaces that my eel and lionfish will go after live scallops if i have a few? if there well fed will they avoid them?
Again I don't know for sure but I wouldn't be surprised if they try to eat live scallops. I suppose it would depend on the individual fish and how greedy they are
thanks

 

[Lynden]

Only Tridachnid Clams require lots of light. The other genera would do well in a refugium, and take loads off the nitrates. Feather Dusters would also do well in a refugium, and there would be likely enough food from the leftovers of Coral and Fish to feed it. As well, phytoplankton are useless for a Feather Duster. They are in fact too small to be useful as a food source.

The Snowflake Eel may try to attack a Tridachna, but it is highly unlikely. The Lionfish wouldn't even notice it. As goes for the scallops. Neither fish would touch the snails, and the Lionfish may have a go at the shrimp. Are you sure your that big a fan of Lionfish Sianeds?

Puddle, what are your janitors going to be? The Moray and Lionfish would very doubtedly harm Hermits and Snails, or any other commonly used janitors for that matter.

-Lynden

 

[sianeds]

Yes Lyndon I love Lionfish and I also said I didn't know for sure but I wouldn't be surprised if they bothered the clam or snails. Yes they would probably eat any crustaceans in the tank as this is their natural diet in the wild. I have also said that I'm no expert on them or eels.

As for clams, you say that only Tridacna clams need light....while it is true that there are clams which don't require as much light, I don't know of any other species of clam which is generally available to aquarists with the possible exception of the Hippopus clam/horseshoe clam which also needs a well lit tank. Perhaps it's different where you are.

All feather dusters are filter feeder and feed on fine particulate organic matter in the water. This includes Phytoplankton and bacterial aggregates. Whoever told you that phytoplankton is too big for them is wrong.

 

[Lynden]

I'm sorry Sianeds, I didn't mean to sound so aggressive.

But a search on FishBase backs up my opinion on the Lionfish's diet.

Whoever told you that phytoplankton is too big for them is wrong

Well I guess nobody is wrong in this situation; as I said that phyto is too small, not too big. My opinion on this topic comes from watching Feather Dusters feed in an aqurium setting, where they consumed food up to .3 mm in diameter. To me, a Duster's tentacles look too large to capture phyto plankton. I could be wrong, or maybe the specimen I was observing was just a giant.

Also I'm pretty sure that the scientific name of the Hippopus clam is in fact Tridachna hippopus; making them a Tridachnid Clam. If I'm wrong, go ahead and tell me. That's what forums are for.

-Lynden

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

Sorry for adding this but I have to say that I'm again thouroughly entertained by another thread of pure comedy by puddle.inc

SLC

P.S.: puddles, you need to take a breath and read before you get angry! Everyone just wants to see you have a very succesful tank, not tell you what you can and can't do! It's better for all of us salt water fishkeepers if you do well, it looks good for our hobby that's all. You have a vast information resource on here that can basically give you every bit of knowlege you need to have a perfect beautiful tank full of healthy, happy fish, but you have to be willing to acknowlege that some of these people have been at this for years and really know their stuff. They're not attacking you, noone has attacked you without you attacking first; everyone has been really nice at first but then come up annoyed at you immature lack of respect for thier willingness to return answers to your questions. They aren't attacking you, just informing you (probably from personal experience) that some of the things you propose just aren't good ideas nothing more than that. If you don't agree then kindly bow out of the thread instead of making your swearing impressions and going off on someone over the internet, it shows a lack of personal controll, bad taste, and is not healthy. Keep going like that and you'll have a heart condition before you're 40.

I'm going to say one more thing, and for the record, this is not meant to attack you in anyway; just to give you one more piece of advice/experience.

I kept brackish tanks for 4 years before moving to nano reefs during the past 2 months. I was a fan of puffers, fish which have a similar feeding behavior to the eel you are so desparate to keep. I'll tell you that I had some major major problems with water quality and algae untill I learned to feed sparingly. I attribute my problems to the size of my tank, I had a GSP in a 30 gallon tank which is less of a stretch than having a snowflake eel in a 55 in my oppinion. Because I fed the puffer often he was very docile and didn't ever bother the mollies I put in there with him. I think you are rationalizing your intentions of mixing a snowflake eel with a lionfish by saying that both fish will be well fed?

Now you need to know that you still have ignored basically everyones reccomendation to avoid both mixing a lionfish and eel ina 55 gallon, and avoiding an eel in a 55 gallon altogether, you state that you will get the lionfish and eel anyway. So basically I'm telling you that you have 2 options as I see it:

1. you can feed heavily and have trouble keeping the water clean, leading to stress on your fish (on top of the stress of being crammed into a tank that is arguably too small) and also have nightmares with algae controll and tank aesthetics.

2. You can feed sparingly and have possible agression/ injury issues stemming from the desparation to eat that your eel will go through.

Just think it through, and really try to avoid exploding over this. We're all rooting for you to do the right thing.

Just some friendly advice, take it or leave it!

SLC

 

[sianeds]

I'm sorry Sianeds, I didn't mean to sound so aggressive.

But a search on FishBase backs up my opinion on the Lionfish's diet.
Like I said I'm a fan not an expert

Whoever told you that phytoplankton is too big for them is wrong

Well I guess nobody is wrong in this situation; as I said that phyto is too small, not too big. My opinion on this topic comes from watching Feather Dusters feed in an aqurium setting, where they consumed food up to .3 mm in diameter. To me, a Duster's tentacles look too large to capture phyto plankton. I could be wrong, or maybe the specimen I was observing was just a giant.
Phytoplankton is the main food of feather dusters. I don't doubt that giants can consume larger particles. I'll see if I can dig out a link on their feeding if you like.Also I'm pretty sure that the scientific name of the Hippopus clam is in fact Tridachna hippopus; making them a Tridachnid Clam. If I'm wrong, go ahead and tell me. That's what forums are for.
The scientific name is Hippopus hippopus. Quite easy to remember -Lynden

 

[Lynden]

Okay.

 

[Mr Miagi]

in that case i'm definatly getting the cheap one, hehe.

i know everyone is probably sick of all of my questions and threads on the reef tank and stuff, but if you guys don't mind, i'd like to talk over some refugium ideas.

will a clam, a feather duster, couple shrimp, brine shrimp, and snails be good?

and what are the chances that my eel and lionfish will go after live scallops if i have a few? if there well fed will they avoid them?

thanks

I think a lionfish would purely ignore scallops, the eel might see their likeness to say cockle, and other foods you feed it, but it might totally ignore them. Id personally buy some and see how they go, if your eel wants to eat them, he will, it will just be another meal.

If you have these scallops in your refugium though someone predating on your scallops shouldn't be an issue!

Id say a clam would be fine. Ive seen a few reef's with Snowflakes and Clams co-habiting fine, and ive never read any reports of eels taking to clams.

Shrimp, either larger feeders, ornamental, or brine shrimp will be eaten. Brine shrimp will not last long in your refugium, it may be best to culture them outside your display tanks. If you wanted somewhere where crustaceans and other inverts etc can take refuge, id suggest growing some form of macro-algae in your refugium. Maybe research this, im sure the concept would have been visited in your books. Any ornamental, or feeder shrimp will be eaten in due course. Some lions/eels will leave them alive whilst they are well fed, but this arrangement wont last long term.

Feather dusters and snails should be fine!



SLC, I think other members made the same points to Puddle Inc, we are now just trying to help with other questions. We don't need to continually state our opinions to the point of forcing someone from here, if Puddle Inc wishes to take in the information, thats up to him and him alone. Ideas in this hobby float and drift, and "rules" guarding stocking options change. Keep that in mind, and allow others to think for themselves without the idea being overly repetitive.

 

[boshank23]

We don't need to continually state our opinions to the point of forcing someone from here, if Puddle Inc wishes to take in the information, thats up to him and him alone. Keep that in mind, and allow others to think for themselves without the idea being overly repetitive.

then whats the point in having a forum if not to get other peoples opinions/sugestions? if he is capable of thinking for himself why ask all the questions if he is not prepared to take GOOD advice?

if he didn't wan't opinions and advice he shouldn't put his intentions on a forum, he could have done all his reserch on google or read books.

 

[Mr Miagi]

We don't need to continually state our opinions to the point of forcing someone from here, if Puddle Inc wishes to take in the information, thats up to him and him alone. Keep that in mind, and allow others to think for themselves without the idea being overly repetitive.

then whats the point in having a forum if not to get other peoples opinions/sugestions? if he is capable of thinking for himself why ask all the questions if he is not prepared to take GOOD advice?

if he didn't wan't opinions and advice he shouldn't put his intentions on a forum.

You didn't read my post, or have failed to grasp what im trying to say.

He has been given the ideas and suggestions, he has been given material for thought. He doesn't need the same suggestion and criticisms OVER and OVER again, they have been aired. You cannot force anyone to listen either in real life nor over the internet, but our opinions on the topic have been expressed. He did ask questions, he got answers, let him decide what to do with our suggestions.

(BTW, im not suggesting SLC's post was in anyway incorrect or mis-informed)

he could have done all his reserch on google or read books.

But he decided to come here, and we are here to give information. We have.

The saying "Dont flog a dead horse" applies itself here. Keep things civil. Lets keep this thread open.

 

[boshank23]

The saying "Dont flog a dead horse" applies itself here.

ok point well made

i just dislike being told i am the one with an attitude problem, i only gave attitude because i received it. i especially dislike getting PM's from lynden calling me a
p rick, especially when what i said had nothing to do with him.

 

[Lynden]

the reason i said what i did is because you live in a freakin bubble. keeping a shark in a 55gal for a few months/years untill it outgrows it WTF are you on about?

i am gonna have to stop comming on this forum, its proving to do nothing but wind me up with all the bloody numpties on here who ask for advice then ####ing ignore it.

ALL ANYONE IS TRYING TO DO IS STOP YOU FROM KILLING FISH, GROW THE #### UP AND LISTEN

can a mod please delete my log in details from whatever data base its on i shant be coming back here again, its giving me an ulcer thanks

Noun
Prick (plural pricks)
6. (slang) (derogatory) a man or boy; usually unpleasant

Hmm....

 

[dixaisy930]

And to get the thread back on track.....

What about a dwarf species of lionfish for the 55 gallon? I've seen them in my lfs, and think they look very much like the big guys. I'm not sure if the smaller guy would be fair game for the eel (I wouldn't think so, though), but seems you would be able to have your lionfish without the worry of compromising water quality. I know they don't look exactly alike, but close enough?

 

[Lynden]

Yep, I think dwarves would work as well. They do indeed look very similiar to the large ones, and will not eat even small fish (Mr Miagi kept one with Ocellaris Clowns way back). Though I do think that the Moray should perhaps be discluded, since they do grow quite large. In it's place, why don't you try something like a Thalassoma wrasse Puddle? They are very personable and psychadelically colourful, but are very un-reef safe, eating Echinoderms, Molluscs, and Crustaceans (including Mantis Shrimps). They do not harm corals, though.

-Lynden