Newbie tank!

[Eel Steve]

I don't have anything in it, and I don't have it hooked up to the sump cuz I don't know how yet, and I broke the bulkhead on the right so I have to replace that this weekend.

But here's my 72 gallon bow front I'm totally gonna put a snowflake eel and bristletooth tomini and maybe a bluehead wrasse too!

 

[kevinsmixed90]

do you have the overflow "box" that is missing on the left?

 

[Mandee]

Not a bad. But like Kevin said do you have the overflow box

 

[Diesel]

Not bad.
We all looking forward for this puppy to be filled up.
Not sure if the right side is your return or your emergency overflow, your not the first one that will flood the floor :p
Tell us a bit more what your plans are Steve?
Lights, pumps, wavemakers, livestock and corals?
And welcome to a great forum.

Btw, you're the first one I see who can grow sponges in a empty tank o_O

 

[Mandee]

^^^^^^hahaha

 

[kevinsmixed90]

Oh Brother:D

 

[Eel Steve]

oh I totally have the overflow box - it came loose so I pulled it off, but I bought the silicone sealant for it.

Plans are a Snowflake Moray tank! Primarily anyways.

How many friends do you think he can have? I have to do this weird balancing act with something aggressive / big enough to not get Moray-ed , but something small (or stationary) enough that a 72 gallon isn't cramping.
as of lately I was thinking:
1) A baby snowflake (less than 1 year) I have picked out at LFS
2) bristletooth tomini tang, or some kind of bristletooth under 50 bucks, theyre a good size and cool shape, good colors
3) Bluehead wrasse or paddlefin wrasse. Something that eats mantis shrimp and bristleworms - it helps if you understand my original vision for a tank, which was gonna be a zebra moray, two triggers, and a bird wrasse. (Obviously this is a tank thats like 200 gallons and I can't do that yet)

So I bought this tank off of Craigslist and it came with almost everything I need - almost. (gotta get a light today, heater, and waiting on a glass lid)

It came with a super skimmer (I think the 125), 130 lbs of dead rock (2oo at start but i got rid of some that were moldy), a bunch of bioballs (which I understand are extraneous since I have rocks) a 30 gallon sump I need to create from scratch, return pump, two powerheads.

I don't know / understand how many powerheads I need. It seems like I need one for the skimmer? And the return pump is dedicated to returning. So I only have one spare for circulation, is that enough?

I was thinking around 3 inches of substrate, because I read both the eel and the wrasse like to burrow.

I'm *really* stuck on designing a sump. I don't know crap about plumbing, or how this equipment actually works, so sumps are a total ***** b/c there is no right answer, but I have no idea what actually works and how, ya know?

Oh I forgot to mention lighting - I'm buying a Coralife 48" T5ho today from a guy, retails for 125, hes selling it to me for $80 with a tank heater (which I still need)

My goal is to do Berlin Filtration which I read about, since I have the 1.5 lbs of rock / gallon needed, and a skimmer, and that's like, all I need for that, from what I understand (which admittedly is very little)

Forgot to say also, its gonna be FOWLR

 

[Eel Steve]

Reattached the overflow. Working on sump baffles too, taking a little cuz working down small bits of plexiglass without power tools is a real real real pain....

 

[Eel Steve]

One of four baffles..... (the second divider is a triple baffle)

 

[Eel Steve]

haha a good update to this thread is in order.

Unfortunately they're all playing in the back, but I have 2 damsels, 1 melanarus, 36ish (maybe down to 33) hermit crabs, somewhere between 10-13 nerites, 5-6 emerald crabs.

Think im adding a watchman goby tonight possibly.

 

[Diesel]

Ehhhh......... you know your corals................. are nice snow white :eek:

 

[Eel Steve]

Ehhhh......... you know your corals................. are nice snow white :eek:

They're coral skeletons I just bleached. They're supposed to be :)

 

[Eel Steve]

Ehhhh......... you know your corals................. are nice snow white :eek:

hence why I didn't list coral as livestock... lol

 

[Eel Steve]

Update - adding a small puffer in two weeks, probably a blue spotted, possibly valentini

 

[Amit Kumar]

I've had a snowflake in my 45 gallon. It was around a 20 inches. They are very hardy, mine didn't eat for 2 months. Then I put in 1 feeder fish O.O they love that stuff but can give him disease. Find safe food and especially one that'll he'll like. They don't really go out for other fishes like clownfishes or small fish. But don't starve them, their more blind but have an good sense of smell and hearing. So the fish are more scared at night. They can knock down rocks by digging. Hope you the best

 

[Eel Steve]

I've had a snowflake in my 45 gallon. It was around a 20 inches. They are very hardy, mine didn't eat for 2 months. Then I put in 1 feeder fish O.O they love that stuff but can give him disease. Find safe food and especially one that'll he'll like. They don't really go out for other fishes like clownfishes or small fish. But don't starve them, their more blind but have an good sense of smell and hearing. So the fish are more scared at night. They can knock down rocks by digging. Hope you the best

You had a snowflake in a tank that was slightly too small, from what I've read - they like 55 - 75.

I have this "flavor / scent enhancer" called ENTICE I'm super excited to try when I get him.

I've been debating a watchman Goby for sand aeration but am concerned the eel would pwn him

 

[Amit Kumar]

You had a snowflake in a tank that was slightly too small, from what I've read - they like 55 - 75.

I have this "flavor / scent enhancer" called ENTICE I'm super excited to try when I get him.

I've been debating a watchman Goby for sand aeration but am concerned the eel would pwn him

Well my eel liked it, it was high and long and wide. Not really a breeder tank, I've seen those. Honestly I think it was a 55 gallon, the person who sold it to the fish store probably was wrong. A goby is a good idea just make sure you get a good size one.

 

[Eel Steve]

Just added the diamond goby - he's AWESOME! Got the biggest one I could from the largest pet store on earth - That fish place / That Pet Place. Only payed 30 bucks for like a 4" one! He's now the biggest fish in my tank!

And hilarious. My one friend was like yeah, he needs a few days to adjust before he gets to work.

IF by few days he meant, the time it took him to his the substrate after I put him in the tank, yeah. There's been a giant cloud of sand and detritus in my tank for like 90 mins or so solid since he went in LOL. Awesome, awesome fish. God I love this hobby so far.

 

[Amit Kumar]

Is he eating? That'll take time.

 

[Eel Steve]

Is he eating? That'll take time.

lol if by "take time" you mean, the time it took him for him to stop moving substrate for 2 secs to go suck up some mysis (with vitamins soak) I threw in! He was a hungry guy!