Newbie - More Questions

[sweiss1971]

Everyone was so helpful the first time I had a question..well here are 2 more.

Planning on setting up a fish only, 90 gallon tank with between 50 and 75 lbs of live rock. Do I need a canister filter in addition to the wet/dry and protein skimmer I'm planning on?

Read contradicting view on how hard Butterflys are to keep. Particular interest is in the Yellow Longnose and Copperband Butterflys.

Your opinions are appreciated!

 

[aresgod]

dont need a canister filter, a good powerhead or two would be a better purchase seios or tunze are good choices.

 

[sweiss1971]

Noticed you were from MA...what fish store do you like?

 

[Mushroomman]

The problem with the butterflys is sometimes its difficult to get them feeding, but if you can find a nice robust healthy eating one consider it. Copperbands are usually more successfully kept than longnose from what Ive seen.

 

[aresgod]

I live in Boston, there are lots, all over the state, I usually trek out to western mass ~ 1.5 hours away, aquadreams. There is a good place just over the border in NH, about 45 minutes outside of the city.

 

[wayne]

Oof, I have a cbb in quaratine now along with a kleins butterfly. Is this for a reef or fishonly/fowlr tank.

My personal opinions is that you don't need a cannister or a wetdry, rather you're better off with a GOOD skimmer (not a seaclone or other kak) plus liverock. Wetdrys are a bit olde worlde, but very efficient. Actually they're too efficient, and usually leave lots of nitrate lying around. Rather than a wetdry plumb in a sump, light it, and grow macroalge like caulerpa or chaetomorpha in it.
I don't know if you've done the standard reading yet - Mike Palettas book is pretty nice.

Butterflies - hmm - genreally I think butterflies are tricky as they are very unforgiving of water quality issues, usually going on hunger strike. Copperbands have a very bad rep for being hard to keep, longnoses are better, but still not what you'd call hardy. As well as long noses I'd also rate dome of the Chaetodon species like kleinii, auriga, falcula, and 'raccoon's' as being hardy, as butterflies go.... Also they need abunch of swimming room, so if your tank is very tall you might have the gallonage, but keep only one or two of these guys... here's a decent link or two....

Chaetodon
Auriga
Raccoon
Forcipiger
Chelmon

And read the FAQ's. My own preference is for the chaetodon species though all of these are hit or miss with corals, feather dusters, clams. Beware that even tho' the copperband is declared reefsafe, some stuff is still at risk.

 

[sweiss1971]

At this point, being a beginner, planning on a FOWLR 90 gallon tank. I will absolutely give that book a try.

As I'm planning my tank, was trying to find a nice fish with a splash of yellow and was tossing around the Butterflys, Rabbitfish or a Yellow Tang (Worried about disease issue's). Other fish I'm planning on are Coral Beauty, clown - pair, Black Cap Basslet, Shrimp Goby and poss. a few Cardinals.

Great website, I'll be spending some time on that for sure!

 

[Lorna]

As a beginner a yellow tang is a good option. They can be territorial and should be added last......they are relatively easy to keep, eat voraciously and if quarantined properly shouldn't be a disease issue.