New Tank?

[rhysiboy]

Hi people I am just sort of pondering about a new tank at the moment and was wondering how does this sound -

Tank - Juwel Rio 180, like the price, look, the lights that come with it annd the size increase.

The equiptment I have - seio 620, 55w pc 50/50, TMC v2 400 skimmer.

I'd like to add the Hagen glo light T5 39w x 2 to the mix.

What I would like to stock in my tank :

Copperband butterflyfish
2 x occ clownfish
2 x pteragon kaudernii
2 x green mandarin
and the possibility of a kole tang ....

I would also like to do this as an SPS system.

So basically what i would like to know is what other epuiptment would you suggest, how much live rock, what sort of clean up crew annnd do the fish stocking sound approriate ( regarding mandarins and copperband, i have a readily available source of frozen annnd FLAKE eating specimens )
__________________

 

[nanocubeking]

How many gallons is the Jewel 180?

 

[Colin_T]

I wouldn't bother keeping any butterflies and SPS corals together.
Not sure what pumps you have there but you need a bit of variable water movement for corals.

 

[nanocubeking]

Your stock list sounds to be a bit over stocked or 50 gallons. The clowns and the cardinals would be definitly fine.The mandarins would need at least 30 kilos of live rock. Kole tang eh..... i dont think so. If the lfs sells 1-1 1/2 inch kole tangs it wouldnt be a problem but there hard to find taht size. A convict tang would be more suited. Then copper band butterfly would push it. I dont think it wouldnt work.
A normal clean up crew will work. Just ajust it to the algae taht you get. For live rock 50-75 lbs will work.(22-34 kilos). I think you should get some metal halides for sps too.

 

[SkiFletch]

Gettin a little ambitious here Rhys? Unfortunately, I too see more challenges than successes with this planned list. I'd rather see you succeed than fail so I'll offer my oppinions.

Copperband Butterflies are very dificult fish to keep. They naturally prey on sponges and small anemones in the wild, two organisms in short supply in a small tank . As such, they're often very difficult to get to ween on to frozen foods. If you can find one that accepts frozen in the shop (they feed it and you see it eat) then I would not see this as a problem. But if it is not eating in the store, don't take it home, cause it prolly won't last in your care either.

Mandarins, well, I'm pretty sure you know the same holds true for mandarins. Also remember, if you get two males or two females, they will fight to the death in a tank that small. Best to try and find one that eats in the shop and not bother with two.

I'll agree with the above comments on the Tangs.

Lastly, SPS... You'll need some serious lighting and seriuos flowrate if you wish to keep SPS in any tank. Think more than 30 times turnover per hour. Also you'll need some serious lighting. Far more than one PC and two T5 tubes. Bare minimum of 4 T5 tubes with individual reflectors (6 would be better) or a couple 150watt halides if you ask me. Sure you could keep them "alive" under the lights you propose but their growth rate would be terrible and they'd likely brown out and of course look ugly.

Hope that didn't completely discourage you, but more work will of course be needed than what you propose

 

[rhysiboy]

Hey hasnt at all dicouraged me, i mean really its gonna be atleast 3 months before i could even afford the tank. And as you know im a researcher and I check things out first. With the mandarins my LFS reguarly has pairs of green mandarins that are feeding off of frozen food so i dunno about that. Regarding the tangs, understood and with the copperband fish dam thats a shame i abosloutely love um, well maybe one day. Also I have plans for the lihting regarding sps. How does 6 x T5 HO with individual refelctors sound for them....

Anyways you know me always trying summit just a bit 'against the rules'

 

[SkiFletch]

That's some serious light, nice

 

[Colin_T]

you may as well use a metal halide if your going to buy 6 x HO T5s. It will use less power.
If you want that many globes you can put them under one or two reflectors. They don't have to be under individual units. In fact many companies do quad bank T5 light units. They are sleak and hold 4 globes in a nice housing. You could get a quad and a double or a couple of triple light units.

If your LFS has pairs of mandarins that are feeding then they will be fine after the tank has been set up for a few months.

 

[rhysiboy]

Hmmm.... Metal halides are still too much really, also because my dad deals with them hes said NO because they are too costly, too dangerous and impractical for the use and hes a lighting design engineer so I dont have a leg to stand on with it y'no Also T5's will be cheaper

 

[SkiFletch]

I'm sure your father means well, but I'll have to respectfully disagree with him from a costly standpoint (I assume he means electrical cost). Newer electronic ballasted halides are actually exceptionally efficient, creating very little waste heat and are easily on-par with T5's as far as both PAR and electrical energy used.

Your father is right that magnetic ballasted halides are comparatively inefficient and my observation from an ocean away is that unfortunately they are the norm in the UK and I'm sure what your father is most familiar with. The big old magnetic ballasts really give halides a bad name, and that's a shame.

 

[rhysiboy]

i disagree with him too lol but his house, his rules

 

[Musho3210]

unless.....
http/wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_lega...tion_of_a_minor

jk

have you tried convincing him? telling him of new technologies or something?

 

[rhysiboy]

hahah oiiiii , nah i think im also more comfortable with T5's so ill stick with what i know and all that. Good news though my parents have said that if i can raise the money i can buy the tank and they will take care of the extra live rock :O lol

 

[SkiFletch]

Sweet deal