45tall set-up need some ideas, and thoughts

[Smoke20ster]

Hopefully this is the right thread to be asking....

Ok, this is the 2nd salt tank I have done, the first was over 10years ago....

the tank is a 45tall (25x18x25)
My thoughts are this for filtration and what not
-Fluval 205 (already have)
-Pentair Aquatics (Lifeguard #FB300) Fluidized bed filter (rio 600 powered)
-Protein skimmer (unknown brand right now...)
-ebo jager heater
-2 Hydor Koralia #1 wave circ. pumps hooked to a wave maker
-Lighting will be 2 bulbs at ho, and 2 bulbs at vho. Like to add some lunar lights. The only issue I have is that Id like to have a single unit. Ive found a 4 bulb hood, that is hooked up for 2 ho, and 2 for vho(just need a ballast for vho)

As for the protein skimmer.....I originally thought the seaclone 100 would be a good choice, but after reading alot of different reviews, I struggle to think that was a good choice. 2nd choice is a Aquarium Systems PS, its used and reminds me of a seaclone.....but I came from using a Lee's counter current PS, so...these new skimmers a trick to me :P its really between the Aqua-C and a CPR Bak-Pak 2.
Ive seen some hang on the back ones called "Aqua-C Remora or Remora Pro" using a surface skimmer/bubble trap, and a Maxi-jet pump. Id like to find a hang on the back PS thats very reliable, and easy to use and set-up.

The lighting is also a big factor...as I plan to get a few soft corals(colt, mushroom, clam, and afew other easy to take care of ones to start with.) Id like to either make a case to hold a 4 or 6 bulb retro kit in VHO, as I have read 4-6 watts per gallon. Id like to see daylight bulbs, and attinics, or 50/50 in there as well. Im not sure if a MH bulb would cook the tank, as I dont want a chiller......would a MH bulb sitting on top of the aquarium raise the temp enough to cook stuff? Ive seen 150watt bulbs as the lowest so far

As you can see...I have aloy of questions....and hopefully some of you might be able to help. As for fish....
Im looking at a clown fish, hippo tang(dora from nemo :P ), prawls(or prawn) gobie, and a scooter blennie and a 8line wrasse. would a MH bulb sitting on top of the aquarium raise the temp enough to cook stuff? Ive seen 150watt bulbs as the lowest so far.....The tang is open to discussion to say, since Ive got to have the blennie, gobie, and the clown. other tank inhabitants(sp?) will be brittle stars, serpent stars, a long spined sea urchin, hermit crabs and some snail of different types.
. Down the line Id like to go with a much bigger tank...possibly a 90ish that will be housing a dwarf octopus.

Any ideas and help you can throw my way would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
S

 

[Smoke20ster]

Deffiently going to have a few soft corals the choices I have looked at were:
Yellow Fiji Finger Leather, Flourescent Green Rasta Leather, Neon Green tree coral(leather), Colt Coral, Yellow tree Gorgonian, Red Sea Pink/white pumping Xenia, short tentacle plate coral.

As for all the fish I looked at:
Randall's Gobie, Golden head sleeper gobie, watchman bluespotted goby, scooter blennie, 8 line wrasse, starry lawnmower blenny.
Later on, Id like to get that blue hippo tang(dora-finding nemo?) and a Black tang. This of course will be in a 90 gallon I might do in a few years.....right after I get a house bought or built.

 

[monty]

to TONMO.

Here is the best place on TONMO to ask about tank and equipment topics, although most of what you're asking seems to not be ceph-specific. We do have some experienced reefers around, but other sites like reefcentral may be better for answering some of your questions.

 

[Paradox]

Hello, is this going to be a ceph tank? If so, you will not want all the fish. In regards to your coral list, all are pretty easy except the gorgonian unless its photosynthetic. If I were to suggest lighting, T5s would be my recommendation. You will not need much for the all the soties you want.
Of all the skimmers mentioned, Id recommend the cpr backpak or remora skimmers. ALthough, I would suggest a sump and good in sump skimmer if it were up to me. However, that adds a whole new system to your design.

Also, I would think hydor 1s to be to weak for a 45 tall and would recommend the #4 models. Or a maxijet 1200 with the current mods available to them. Good flow is important so you dont have too many dead spots that will accumulate detritus which will eventually foul your water. The fluval canistor is not needed as well for it will just trap detritus and pollute your water unless its cleaned once a week.

I would put my focus on a good skimmer and have decent flow in the tank.

 

[Animal Mother]

As Paradox said, if this tank setup you're discussing is going to be a ceph-tank, you don't want to add those fish. The Wrasse would probably harrass the octopus, and perhaps the Tang also (octo might be mistaken for some tasty algae) and the other fish will end up being octo toys... broken toys at that, and probably dinner. The inverts should be fine. Just stay away from carnivorous starfish.

The soft corals you mention probably won't be an issue, but they might end up torn to pieces. Octos don't like bright lighting, and although most of those corals don't have high lighting requirements, they might still require higher lighting than the octo will like, depending on the placement in the tank. If you put them all very high up that might work out, considering it's a tall tank, and most light isn't going to penetrate strongly all the way to the bottom. Maybe the corals can be arranged to provide lots of shading for the bottom portion of the tank. Just make sure whatever corals you add don't have sweeper tentacles, or a toxicity to them if damaged. Lemnalia (a type of tree leather coral) can kill inhabitants if it is damaged or dying.

The Koralia #1 pumps are VERY weak. I have 2 in our seahorse tank and I'm considering putting an MJ-1200 back in.

A decently priced good skimmer is the Coralife Super Skimmer. Again, as Paradox said, a sump with in-sump skimmer would be ideal.

One more thing, you might never find a dwarf octopus in a 90 gallon, and if you do, it will be rare. They tend to hide a lot and only come out at night.

 

[shipposhack]

You need to choose whether you want a reef tank or a cephalopod tank. To me it sounds like you want a reef. A T5HO fixture (even 2-bulb) will work fine for what you want to keep. You do not need VHOs unless you plan on SPS corals or high-light LPS corals. A metal halide will not cook your tank (I have one on a NC12 ), but again would be overkill for what you want. Halides come in as low as 70 watts, but heat emissions will be high no matter what the wattage is. Moonlights are also a no-no if you want an octopus.

I just bought the surface skimmer for my Remora pro. It is large and takes up probably about half the width of my 55 gallon. It shades the rocks underneath it (of course... 2 of the rocks with the most coraline), but does do it's job. I installed it last night and the surface of the water is clear now. When I bought my aquarium (purchased everything for an octopus species tank) I was going for whatever was cheapest and easiest. I bought a Fluval 405 and a Remora pro with Mag3 for my filteration. If I were to do it again, and probably if I had had more experience when I bought this tank, I would have plumbed in a sump with an in-sump skimmer instead of the Fluval and Remora.

I think a cuttlefish would be better-suited for your plans. They are a heck of a lot more reef-friendly than octopuses and like tall tanks. You don't have to worry about them escaping either. They will eat fish, and most motile inverts, but clams will be fine and so will corals. BTW, clams require a metal halide (or other intense fixture) or they will die, which contradicts with the other coral you want to keep. Cuttlefish are harder to get to eat dead foods than octopuses are.

Animal Mother is right, a dwarf will rarely be seen in a 90. Sounds like you should make this tank a reef and set up a smaller tank for a dwarf octo.