validity of live rock in a FISH tank...

[bradreef]

I was thinking about setting up my 65 gallon tank with about 40 lbs of live rock, a fluidized bed filter, and thats about it. I have power compact lighting.. will add to fish color. Do you think this is a better way to go than a wet dry? I am trying to go sumpless and feel that the live rock will give a real natural enviornment for the fish. I plan to inhabit the tank with sniails, shrimp, maybe a star. I will get only peaceful and fragile small fish to add variety. I have always set up my tanks before with agressive and territorial fish. This creates a hostile, citilike enviornment. I think this would be a nice change for me. Any comments?

 

[bradreef]

btw...i also plan to include tome macro algae that i will harvest as necessary as well as food. I would also be able to keep a single mandarin...something i have never done in a FISH tank.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't see a need to have a fluidized filter. The live rock, sand, and macroalgae should be more than adequate to filter your water. I would invest the money instead on a nice skimmer, like a dual BakPak or an AquaC HOT Remora.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[HClH2OFish]

I agree with Matt...I'd ditch the FBF and put the money to other items you may want.

I would also have 2nd thoughts about the mandarin unless you have some way to provide it with a lot of microfauna to munch.

I've thought about owning one, but the vast majority of those with experience say to have a large tank and to wait until the system becomes stable and mature to prevent them from wasting away.

There are those who have been lucky to get one to eat flake/frozen, but why take chances?

Just my .02, your mileage may vary

 

[rayjay]

I would suggest that keeping a mandarin in a 65g tank with only 40 lbs of live rock, would end in futility unless you have a source of it's live food that you can continually add to the tank.
In my 90g tank with approx. 150 lbs of live rock, the pod population my mandarin feeds on is insufficient to keep him alive and over about a year, he continually appeared to starve so that the belly became very sunken. I had to start buying amphipods to add to the tank at night, as well as add mysids that I grow in a separate container. I also change out rocks with other tanks, so some other types of pod life are transfered to the 90g tank as well.
My mandarin, like most, will not allow itself to be converted to eating live brine shrimp.
I had a mandarin in another tank that DID eat brine shrimp, but it died after about 1 1/2 yrs, cause of death unknown to me.

 

[Anonymous]

I have to agree with rayjay (but you don't havesta call him Johnson )...I think there's a good chance your manadrin experience will just end in heartache.