sup guys (a lil bit of help on fish choice)

[predator]

hey guys its prolly been a year since ive been on here... used to have a pair of gmynothorax tile...

but here it is i may get a roommate so that means i get out of my current apt... i still have my 55 gallon and im looking to maybe set it back up... i really dont want to spend more than $500, so upgrading my tank really isnt logical (want to replace filter with canister)... and prolly going with salt water isnt economic either... ill prolly have the tank set up for 2 years before it has to be broken down...

i would love to have a salt water predator tank with a couple of eels... maybe a small ray... couple of lionfish... toad fish... something... (just naming fish not saying i want to stick them all together... im familiar with the fact that some fish dont mix well), but money is my main issue since im sure to really do it i would need like a 125 gallon tank... and for that size ill jsut wait till i build a house and do a really large tank...

so what should i do... i was thinking maybe exodons... i like the odd (pirhana are illegal in AR) but if i can feed them flakes most of the time it would really cut down the hassle of hand feeding i had with the eels...

-me

p.s. oh yeah very few of you porlly remeber me, but im gonna try to come back here and get my knowledge back up b4 i set up th tank...

[fish_doc]

Welcome back, I remember you predator. Glad to see you remembered uswhen you wanted to get familiar with things before starting back up. Let us know what we can do and we will get you up to speed in no time.

[predator]

im about 100% sure im going with exodons (bucktoothed tetras)... would love to do SW, but currently time and cash flow are hindering me so im gonna lay off of that for a while...

i have a 55 and from everything i can find (info is scarce) that is sufficient im guessing for 10-12 since that is what all sites recommend you keep together...

i want a sand bottom, with a few large rock, and some fake plants... (i have terrible luck with plants...)... i want to run a canister (what brand? and gph?) and would like to have an inline filter (ideas?)to clean up the tank a bit...

also i would like to set up a night lighting system (ideas?)

all i got right now... im still up to date on the ammonia/nitrate cycle...

-me

[fish_doc]

You typically want a filter that can cycle water 4 times a hour. So if you have a 55 gallon tank you are looking for a filter with about a 220 GPH rating.

As far as night lighting there are products called lunar lights
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

Hope this helps get you started on looking.

[predator]

ok cool and those lights are nice, but how do you make them come on when you turn off your lights and jeez $15 for 2 led's?

there has to be a better way with out gettting too diy...

oh and what kinda of "care taking" occupants would you keep with an agressive fish such as this? i need something to clean up the poo... i mean ill prolly keep ghost shrimp in as just pure fun for them to chase and eat and also as cleanes, but what fish could i use? crustations are always fun too...

-me

[fish_doc]

Just get two timers set one opposit the other and plug the light in one and moonlight in the other.

As far as a diy. LEDs would run .30 to $1 a piece. A couple resistors .30 a peice. A power supply is where you would spend money. Could run up to $10. Then the work to wire it all up. Just to save a couple bucks. This however would be cheaper if you have a larger tank and your plan would use several banks of the led lights.

If you have a ray you are limited as to what types of bottom fish you could have. They are real sensitive to other creatures in their floor space. And there are no fish that "eat poo" for that you need filtration. Typically the bottom feeders or cleaners eat algae and clean uneaten foods.