Give me creative recommendations for new tank

Those are some great recommendations.

I think the grouper idea would outgrow the tank too quickly for me to keep up, but cool looking for sure.

I know where I can get a "juvenile/teen" Volitan Lion for under $30, which also would be cool, but dangerous to other fish. I'll look into a dwarf lion though, it should stay small enough to last till I can get a bigger setup.

I have the "marine compatibility chart". I guess more than anything was looking for ideas on a theme with specific fish/corals, etc.

BTW, what do people do for a cleanup crew in a tank with a fish that eats most snails/crabs/shrimp?

 

What first matters...What kind of tank environment are you looking for?

Carnivore Only

Agressive

Busy

Calm/Mellow

Soft/Hard Corals

Lots of inverts...

Come up with answers to above, and many here will be glad to point you in right direction and give you "LOTS" of advice...


Good luck.

Keep us posted! 8)

 

Things that are set in stone:
Atlantic puffer
Yellow stripe maroon clown (1)
Anemone (type undecided, but has to be clown-friendly)

answers:
Carnivore Only: no, will probably want a smallish tang of some sort, or other algae eater (need something to keep algae/cleanup under control and from what I understand, puffer will eat snails/clams/crabs/shrimp)

Agressive: mixed, I assume (see above)

Busy: yes but given it's a 45g for the next 14-16 months.

Calm/Mellow: not necessarily

Soft/Hard Corals: would like plenty of color, ie. ricordea, xenia, possibly soft corals (I hear puffers like to trim their teeth on hard corals)

Lots of inverts: Would like to have, but would have to be puffer-proof.

I also have my own RO/DI system, so frequent water changes are not out of the question when it comes to bio-load.

 

Scott, for what it's worth, I really like the way your 125 looks. Activity going on, and plenty of variety.

 

Nobody is jumping to offer any more suggestions after I responded to your questionaire. Might I ask if you would volunteer to act on behalf of the "many"?

 

Too bad puffer will not do well with inverts,,,well it would, they would'nt....:-/

Sounds like anything but "meek" fish and hard corals would be what you want.

Always get soft coral frags...no sense in spending big buck for mature specimens when most qrow quite quickly...and if you are in this for the long run, which I expect you are...it is fun to watch them grow up, spread and mature...

Sorry, don't know anything about compatibility issues with puffers and other fish...

My personal choice of fish for any tank...

Wrasses
Gobies
clowns
others...

Lots to choose from out there...Have fun!

 

Man, if you could have clown trigger in there that would be cool. I love these triggers. However, you are delving into the aggressive tank.

 

What about a marine betta, I saw one at my LFS today and they are so pretty!

 

I'll try anything that makes sense at this point! I have a maroon clown and a sailfin blenny, will that work?

Looking up marine betta at this time, more to follow.....