Stocking List. Realistic?

[sacremon]

I'm in the process of setting up a 125g tank, and would like some feedback on whether or not my stocking list makes sense from a long-term perspective - one where I won't necessarily have to upgrade the tank, at least not for several years.

First the equipment:

125g AGA Megaflow tank
DIY 30g sump with refugium
MRC MR-1 skimmer powered by GEN-X 30
2x Mag 7 for return pumps
2x Koralia 2
2" DSB in DT, 5" in refugium

I have 80# of base rock I will be using to cycle the tank and will be adding another 40# or so LR when appropriate. LFS has cured LR.

What I would like is to have a Pterois volitans, a Pterois antennata and a Siganus magnificus. I have some concern that the volitans will get too large for the tank, and perhaps large enough to threaten the rabbitfish. I could go with an antennata and a radiata, though the volitans is more likely to swim out in the open than the others and will take to prepared foods easier.

Thoughts?

[thepudge]

You'll be absolutely fine with the volitan in a 125. More than fine, and unless you get a really large volitan and a small foxface, there will be minimal danger of the foxface being lunch. Volitans generally just hang out unless they're hungry or see you walking by the tank - they're not like a tang.

This is actually a rare thing to say on this board, but you could probably fit a couple more fish in there.

As a reference for the volitan, and I certainly wouldnt do this now and I'm not proud of it, when I was 10 years old I got a volitan for a thirty gallon tank. The volitan lived in that 30 gallon (alone) until I was 27, and it certainly seemed happy and healthy for most of its life.

*edit -- those koralia 2s are going to be a little weak for your 125, I would probably upgrade to 3s.

[sacremon]

My thought with water flow is to direct the returns so that they are moving water in the corners of the tank, where the overflows and aquascaping might lead to dead spaces. The koralias will be positioned so as to move water in the central area of the tank, perhaps mounted on the back glass on the inner side of the overflows.

I'll give the 3s some thought.

[46bfinGA]

I have 2 of the Koralia 4's in my 125 and a MJ 600 mod.The flow is ok for fish only.My return from the sump is a Mag 9.5 .I would not use anything smaller IMO.

[sacremon]

I will be using a Mag 7 each on the two returns, probably about 450 gph after head pressure is taken into account on each. I would guess that a single Mag 9 is pushing about 600 gph, so I will have more flow from the returns than a Mag 9 alone.

[sacremon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10601118#post10601118 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thepudge
You'll be absolutely fine with the volitan in a 125. More than fine, and unless you get a really large volitan and a small foxface, there will be minimal danger of the foxface being lunch. Volitans generally just hang out unless they're hungry or see you walking by the tank - they're not like a tang.

This is actually a rare thing to say on this board, but you could probably fit a couple more fish in there.


*edit -- those koralia 2s are going to be a little weak for your 125, I would probably upgrade to 3s.

I've contact my LFS about changing out the koralia 2s for 3s.

I sent a question about the viability of this tank to wetwebmedia.com, and got an answer from Bob Fenner himself. He thought that those three fish would be the limit psychologically and physiologically for that size tank. I might be able to include a larger conch, but no further fish.

[JStorey]

I have 4 Koralia #4's in my 135 along with a Quiet One 5000 return. I wouldn't even consider anything less than a #4 in that size tank.

[sacremon]

That much flow in a tank with lionfish? Is that really advisable? This isn't a reef tank, and lions really don't like high flow.