Another new guy... sort of

[hilltopperpete]

Hello all!

I've been haunting the forums and learning from reading/watching for a short while but have decided to get a little more involved.

I'm a freshwater guy mainly (since Sept. 2007) but set up my first saltwater tank about a month ago. It's a fish only tank and includes a clown trigger, a dwarf lionfish, a striped dogface puffer, a maroon clownfish, a flame angel, a yellow tang, and a snowflake eel. We are hoping to find an emperor angel soon to complete the tank.

My wife and I share the responsibility and the fascination with fish. It's fair to consider us experts at freshwater and novices at saltwater. We're big into research, though, so we do know some things. For instance, we know that the clown trigger will get insanely large and that at some point it will no longer be able to live with things the size of the flame angel. We know that the current residents will outgrow their 75 gallon home, so we are planning on buying something closer to 300 gallons in a year when we move into a house. At that point the bigger predatory fish will be moved there and the flame angel can stay in his 75 gallon with some other smaller residents.

We know basically nothing about corals, but we are excited to learn because my wife is very interested in doing a smaller reef tank at some point in the future.

I'm glad to be a part of this community to see how much more I can learn!

[Pennies2Cents]

Welcome to Maast.

[MRSBIGBIRD123]

Welcome to MAAST, Hilltopperpete!

[dipan]

Welcome from another newbie to salt! Check out Gabe's (handle Neptune on here) ... last I saw he had a small healthy Imperator in his shop if you're still looking. Shoot him a PM ...

[ErikH]

Pete, welcome! Ok, I just want to tell you that those fish probably wont last a year in that tank, not because of size, but because of bioload. If your tank is just set up and you have that many fish, you need to take them back if you can, or sell them here. This is a hobby of subtlety, rushing will only equal a loss in money, fish, and interest. Please don't take offense, I am here to help

[aggman]

+1 to ^^^

the one thing i will add is that it is not a definite that they will not make it, just a very strong probability. as is customary...there are exceptions to every rule. but these exceptions are rare. if you choose to keep this high load be prepared to watch that tank like a hawk because stress will undeniably become your primary obstacle.

then again, this could be your chance to go ahead and spring for that larger system...

~alex

[ballardjr2000]

+2^^^ that is a huge load on a 75g i am running a 90g with 2 clarkii's/diamond goby/fire goby(used to be to eel got him)/snowflake eel/coral beauty/hippo tang that is SMALL. With some corals. all i can say is if you can't get the big tank right away and don't want to sell or take them back. watch that tank like a HAWK. i learned the hard way when i set up my first 65g fish only tank about bio-load. it can kick your butt faster than anything. this is my first coral/fish tank and so far so good i ask questions found some hardy corals and for a newb at coral i am doing well. corals doing great and all. and WELCOME to MAAST you will love the site i have left fishgeeks for here what can i say i am hooked.