The bug has biten again, and the first tank isn't even done

[Ram_Puppy]

OK.. I am slowly trudging along with the 30 hex, and the bug to get a frog/anglerfish has bitten... specifically, a Red Painted frog fish, which I understand gets to be about 4 to 6 inches in total length, enjoys fitting anything it can into it's overly large mouth, and is pretty much incompatible with 99% of what is available for us to keep. Cool.

Righ tnow I don't have a place for a new setup, I am working on that. Next to my computer on a desk made of 4x4's (building that too) (Put together like butchers block, planed till level.)

I wanted to run the setup by you.

Tank will be FOWLR.

30 Gallon Long

Filtration: 1 Mag 350 Canister, running carbon and standard marineland floss (the blue coarse stuff, not the polishing stuff.)

I have a Bio-Wheel return that is suitable for this guy, and figure I will add it to to mix. (why not?)

4 inch sand bed, bottom layer will be oolitic aragonite, top layer, Black Tahitian Moon Sand Since it will be several months before I am even ready to put this tank up, I figure I can seed it with some live sand from my other tank, which hopefully will hav ea nice population of bristle worms, mini-stars, and other such beneficial creatures. (from what i have read, frogfish ignore the little stuff, they want the big meal.) copepods in the sand of course as well.

(if you think 4 inches to little, to much, I am open to learning and change.)

probably around 20 or 30 pounds of live rock, probably fiji, I try to keep everything comeing from the same 'general location' i.e. if it's a pacific fish, the entire tank will be pacific.

Lighting will be a power compact retrofit kit of suitable size from hello lights, (or anywhere I can get a good deal.) Since the most I plan on growin in there is coraline, macro algae, anything that comes off the rock, and MAYBE some xenia as chemical filtration (if it can handle it.).

Of course heater of appropriate size, I may add a skimmer later, but not sure.

Essentially, I would just like your thoughts guys, since I am not even planning on starting this for several months, I would like to get my ideas solidified and budgeted in my head before moving on. Do it right the first time ya know?

BTW, any thoughts, would a fu manchu and a frog fish get along? (i.e. would the fu-manchu's colors and spines keep the frog fish from considering him as a snack?)

Thanks as always.

[dan]

probably bye bye fu manchu. that frog fish will find a way to make it a meal. if the fu manchu is to big the frog fish will wait for another day.

[Ram_Puppy]

I pretty much thought as much... never hurts to ask though.

OK, so everything else look ok?

[Ram_Puppy]

well, more reading shows the painted frogfish, Commersons, gets to 13 inches, to big for a 30 gallon... So I looked around a little more, and figure a Antennarius maculatus (clown frogfish, or warty skin) which should stay signifgantly smaller...

though, I have to admit, the thought of driving down to corpus and piking one up like rallard, has an appeal. (especially seing how exepnsive the clown frogfish are. (152 at live aquaria. )

[Ram_Puppy]

ummm... any more thoughts? other than dan saying no fu manchu, haven't heard any opinions???