Cottonwood 125 Reef tank build

Its mainly been me with a lot of STUPID questions! haha! only a few pictures because I'm working my stupid water clarity...my sand had a ton of super fine crap that I'm fighting with, it looks like watered down milk in my tank.
 
Yeah i flipped thru quickly ,and noticed people telling you to use HOB filter pads,thats how i did it too....mine didn't clear up for a week.....aren't you worried about the door opening too far:lol:,or does it swing out?
 
oh I am worried about it! Very Worried! I'm actually putting a chain on it to keep it from opening too far this weekend. The front door is RARELY used at our house so I haven't done it yet, but that will be done this weekend.
 
So I'm ordering my CUC...pods...and a couple pep shrimp to eat my aptasia I couldn't get with my aptasia x or that I just didnt see. I want some small fish that will school together and have read the green chromis will do that. I'd like to get like 3 of them but would 4 or 5 be better?

I was also wondering about goby's, blenny's and wrasses...There are a few of each that I like, can I mix and match different ones or do I need to decide which goby I like best which blenny etc...
 
I also was offered a 14 inch snowflake eel for free from a guy I am getting some LR from. He said I can have a 15gal hex if I'd like as well. Would that be ok for the eel, or how big a risk would it be to have the eel in my 125 reef? I have always really wanted an eel, but don't want to be super limited on my reef...and dont know if the hex tank would be enough to have him? I know they like to hide in the rocks, but maybe they need a bunch of swimming room too...?
 
Cottonwood said:
So I'm ordering my CUC...pods...and a couple pep shrimp to eat my aptasia I couldn't get with my aptasia x or that I just didnt see. I want some small fish that will school together and have read the green chromis will do that. I'd like to get like 3 of them but would 4 or 5 be better?

I was also wondering about goby's, blenny's and wrasses...There are a few of each that I like, can I mix and match different ones or do I need to decide which goby I like best which blenny etc...
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Chromis will shoal, or you should check out Anthias too. Three to five are fine, just make sure there's only one male. Wrasse's I believe you can have a few of but, generally goby's and blennies will fight if they're not a mated pair (unless they look very dissimilar).

Cottonwood said:
I also was offered a 14 inch snowflake eel for free from a guy I am getting some LR from. He said I can have a 15gal hex if I'd like as well. Would that be ok for the eel, or how big a risk would it be to have the eel in my 125 reef? I have always really wanted an eel, but don't want to be super limited on my reef...and dont know if the hex tank would be enough to have him? I know they like to hide in the rocks, but maybe they need a bunch of swimming room too...?
Click to expand...
That snowflake eel is already too big for a 15g hex tank. You could keep the eel in a reef tank, it has been done by members on this site without losing any inverts but, there's no guarantee you wouldn't lose fish or inverts
 
I'm not sure how I want to go. Like I said I've always wanted an eel...and I like the snowflake eels a lot. But I want to have some of the smaller fish that dart around the rock etc...Soooooooooo.....what would YOU do??
 
Turn it into a predator tank:mrgreen:...couple triggers ,the eel, puffer,maybe a jerk angel....boom ....tank:Cheers:
 
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But I want to have corals eventually and some clowns and stuff...I don't want to have to get rid of things once I start getting to that point....though I have thought about that.
 
So I put together a list of the fish I want. I was going to order some but shipping is too much, so in the AM tomorrow I'm going to Phx to get my CUC, 2 pep shrimp, and maybe a fish or 2... Think I will start with the green Chromis tomorrow if they have some on hand.

Please let me know if some of my selections wont work together and anything you may suggest as well!

Tail spot Blenny
Dusky Blenny

Green Chromis - 3 or 4

Saddle Clownfish Black - pair
or
Maroom Clownfish, Gold Stripe - pair

Goby's....My fav and I like a bunch here are the one's I like...if any will work together that would be awesome to have a few of them.

Green Coral Goby
Twin spot Goby
Tiger Wardi/Watchman Goby
Mandarin Goby
Yellow Watchman Goby
& a Pistol Shrimp to pair with a goby

Six Line Wrasse

I really like the Long Horn Cowfish, but am not sure about it....

Zebra Bared Dartfish - 3

I also want a Decorator crab

I picked out mostly small fish...are there any larger fish that would be fine with these guys that I could add?
 
You are missing tangs! Where are the tangs on your list?!?!

The mandarins aren't actually gobies. They are dragonettes.

Gobies don't usually fight with each other. I think you might be okay with a lot of them in your tank. Pass on the cowfish. They are toxic, sensitive, don't get along with other fish, and are picky eaters.
 
Ah the Mandarins were under the goby section on the site I was using for pictures of the dif fish.

I was looking at Tangs but I just couldn't decide...and I wasn't sure how compatable they would be with the smaller fish I want.

I like the Lieutenant Tang,
yellow tang, sailfin tang, clown tang and kole tang, my fav might be the powder blue tang...and I remember seeing pictures of a tang that went through a really cool color change from juvi to adult...but dont remember what it was...I think it was a tang anyway...
Can I keep mulitple tangs or just choose one?
 
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you can keep more than one in your 125. The Caribbean blue tang is probably the one you were thinking about, they start as a very bright yellow and as the get older they change into their blue coloring.
 
I'll give a recommendation for a yellow tang...I didn't like them because they're very common and it seems like everyone has one, but I bought one and I really like him. He doesn't seem to be an ich magnet like other tangs and he's so bright that the color really pops in the tank. I've got 2 tangs. Yellow, Sailfin, Orange Shoulder...The yellow is my favorite.

I WOULD NOT recommend getting an Orange Shoulder. Mine is an asshole and is about to get pulled out of the tank.
 
Thanks BL1, I think it was the Caribbean blue tang now that I saw the name.

I thought the same way PRC...I didnt want a yellow at first...but after looking at them some more, I like how bright they are and I think it would look good with some of the other colors in the tank.
 
You can keep multiple tangs. They will get along fine with other fish. When you pick tangs, choose ones that belong to a different genus than each other. The more closely related and similar looking two tangs are, the more likely they will fight.
 
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