Large fish only filtration?

[zchauvin]

Ok, we just got a bunch of new tangs, angles, and butterflys in at work today and Oh my goodness I now want a large fish only tank.... plus I don't like being a cabbage leather. So yeah, for a large tank to hold butterfly fish, and larger stuff like that what size tank would you need? I was thinking a 120 or 150 minimum? I know tangs need length so if I want those guys then a 6ft minimum as I've been told. Filtration is what? Live rock inside tank and then a large skimmer in the sump? Do you need the whole fuge and what not for fish only? How many different species can be mixed and how many in one tank? Please spread the knowledge!! thanks as always

Oh, my lighting would be 4 of those ecoxotic par38 bulbs. Cheap, but are they nice? And this would be my large tank that I would upgrade to eventually so if I put coral.. Just give me a heads up on what types of fish can absolutely no questions not go with coral.

 

[StirCrayzy]

Wow. Thats pretty open ended.
To makethe this easy...
if you think theres any chance of having corals then set it up that way from the beginning.
Sump with fuge and a scrubber. My opinion on perfect all around filtration.

Ive done FOWLR and some softies for years now with a canister, with great success, and some failures...
but now i have learned better more foolproof techniques, and am planning accordingly.

Lighting isnt a big necessity, but a 6'tank is a great start.

 

[StirCrayzy]

BTW.... drill it

 

[zchauvin]

Lol it will be drilled I promise!! It will still be a future project like I said but I just have to have one. I mean in a perfect scenario I would still rather have coral but I don't know what that would limit me to fish wise.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[TheBishop]

Flow and lighting is all coral requirements, just fish would greatly reduce that requirement. If you plan on coral in the tank then set it up for that. If so, lighting becomes critical. Also some fish are coral safe and others not, so decision will have to be made Reef tank or FOWLR before anything else is considered. IMHO

 

[ddelozier]

If you wana go fish only, id recommend a product. Garf Grunge or Grunge +. GARF.ORG - The reef aquarium place other option which is cheaper is Crushed aragonite gravel. Sand for a substrate wont give enough filtration. Get some grunge or aragonite gravel and point a powerhead or 2 at it. That will give you some of the same benifits of Live rock filtration without the Live rock taking up space.

 

[zchauvin]

If you wana go fish only, id recommend a product. Garf Grunge or Grunge +. GARF.ORG - The reef aquarium place other option which is cheaper is Crushed aragonite gravel. Sand for a substrate wont give enough filtration. Get some grunge or aragonite gravel and point a powerhead or 2 at it. That will give you some of the same benifits of Live rock filtration without the Live rock taking up space.

Hu?!?! Lol I will still have live rock in the tank. It would be a FOWLR if anything, but more than likely won't happen anyways. Most of the fish I want, im finding out now that Im looking, would go with a variety of coral. Not to mention I find a tank full of sps better than a fish swimming. But.. I do want alot of large fish so the big tank will still happen.