Starting a 55G predator tank

reef4reak

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I'll be starting a new predator tank here pretty soon and I just thought I'd get some ideas on what fish I can house in it.
 
If you Google query for Predator tanks, you will find Clowns and many other fish are added to predator tanks. Just have to be bigger than the Predators' mouths and be somewhat aggressive themselves ( clowns are semi-aggresvie).

Clean-up crews are more challenging. CUCs seem to be safe enough. Some crabs or ok, but most of the other "normal" cleaners are food.

Other issue I have read about is attempting to feed on some schedule / food type where only some fish eat each day. This is done to limit the waste generated at one time as the biological filtration will have to deal with it ( since other clean-up crew are not possible ).

I read most handle the waste by oversizing sumps, skimmers, etc. Some of these fish shed a protective layer and need a high-flow area to assist, but it does not seem the whole tank has high-flow. Intense lighting does not seem to be necessary as most folks seem to recommend softies if there are any corals in the tank.


Will be interested in following along as you complete your build. I have a 56G I will be setting up as a predator tank shortly ( after I get done installing the wood floor in the room ( well, if ever get off my butt and actually start on installing the floor i might get it finished and then get the tank up)).

Interested in hearing from others who have this type setup.
 
Yea thanks for the advice i was thinking along the lines of a snowflake eel, lionfish, puffer, frogfish but I want to limit myself and make sure there's plenty of room for what I want so maybe 3 fish max to lessen the bioload.
 
@fperkins wrote:
( clowns are semi-aggresvie). said:
If you don't believe this just come by my house and put your hand in my tank. She doesn't bother the other fish but a hand in her tank and "semi-agressive" is putting it mildly. [smilie=lol.gif]
 
@Grant wrote:
[I]@fperkins wrote:[/I][quote="( clowns are semi-aggresvie). said:
If you don't believe this just come by my house and put your hand in my tank. She doesn't bother the other fish but a hand in her tank and "semi-agressive" is putting it mildly. [smilie=lol.gif]"]

Oh ok gotcha [smilie=wink.gif] You know i did see this type of behavior just briefly with a percula i use to have that went ballistic on my small mandarin that invaded its territory but she just nipped its fin thats all but sad to say that i dont have any of those fish now but yea i'll think twice about putting my hand in there [smilie=smile.gif]
 
You know someone suggested that i not do a 55G predator tank unless i only put in 1 lionfish by itself in there but not 2 or 3 different preds
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t_vfbYPoJY

and others ... some of the predators ( and other fish) will get huge and need way more tank than you are considering.

Others that sit around and wait for food to wander by can live in little more than a 10G without issue ( assuming you work to keep the water quality correct ).
 
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