planing for fish in 40 gal tank
 

yo ppl i have currently a 40 gal set up and upgrading to a 80 gal and i want to turn my 40 into a fish only tank and i want to put some triggers and some eel's and lion fish and stuff like that any clue on good fish to put in??? help too many fish give me some help???

Re: planing for fish in 40 gal tank
 

How a about doing a FOWLR tank? The rock'll help handle the bioload. Make sure the rock is fully cured before adding the fish, which you probably already know.

Also, if you do get a lionfish (which are so cool looking) make sure it's eating at the lfs and that you can feed it what the lfs is feeding it. They are notorious for starving to death in home tanks.

Though I have had no experience with them, but won't triggers get pretty large, and perhaps aggressive, for a 40 gal?

If I was going to do a small FOWLR, I'd probably go for the dwarf angelfish, like coral beauties, flame angels, etc., and maybe a butterfly (always wanted a copperband, but they're not reefsafe).

I'll bet there are folks out there with small FOWLR tanks who can give better suggestions.

40 gallons is too small for triggers and lion fish. IMO. Maybe the lion on its own but triggers grow. Big and make a BIG mess.

Beverly has an awesome looking fish only tank, just look through her previous posts and she has some links to pictures. I think the post was about her Koran Angel, honest she has an awesome looking fish only tank.

Sorry, but that's not my FO tank you're talking about. Don't have a tank that could hold a Koran Angel. Maybe you're thinking about EmilyB, or someone else?

Re: planing for fish in 40 gal tank
 

way too small for anything like that. i don't know anything about them, but i'd be thinking about a boxfish if i had a spare 40 gal. i think emilyb has one, you could ask her what she thinks. i'm not sure how big they get.

bev i know of a few people who keep copperbands in reefs :smile: i think stephane in montreal knows a fair bit about that. of course some people are willing to try anything, there's people out there with moorish idols and triggers in SPS and clam tanks :eek:

Sorry Beverly, wonder who I was thinking of.... Yes lots of people keep CBB in a reef tank, I've been told they are not reef safe, they nip at Xenia etc.. I've also been told they aren't actually nipping at the polyps but something close to the polyp... I've been hesitant to try, but the LFS has some lovely smaller ones in now..... hmmmm

Hey Quinn, Boxfish get very large as well.

I have two (small) triggers in a 120g right now with some other fish. They do a fair enough job of polluting that one, even with a Euro-reef skimmer..... :eek:

Quinn might be thinking of my valentini puffer, which would be a good choice for a 40g. This fish is not compatible with triggers or other hugely aggressive fish. There are small wrasses that may be a good choice, I don't know. My valentini currently resides with a yellow tail damsel, and a coral banded shrimp of all things... :rolleyes:

The death of a box fish in a small tank can unfortunately mean the demise of all your occupants in short order.

Re the CBB: I believe the copperband to be "largely" reef safe. I have one in my 155g for a while now, the only thing it has bothered was the open brain. I eradicated all the xenia from that tank, so I can't comment on that, however my Black Back butterfly thinks it's spaghetti. The CBB are a lively fish filled with personality.

I've got a 27 gallon reef set up and I may try the CBB in there, I have a small Xenia and a leather so if there is an issue I can catch the CBB easy enough..... food for thought...