Converted to REEF - pics inside

[GlobaLPimP]

My fish only tank has been set up (besides moving it) for about 5 years. I started to convert it to reef about a week ago. Pics are kind of blury due to an old camera. Please tell me what you think and maybe answer a couple of questions.

Today I introduced 10 blue hermits and 10 snails. My wrasse and my Niger Trigger (both pictured) is trying to eat the crabs. Is this normal? Should I get rid of the two fish? Don't I need the crabs as part of my clean up crew?

This is my set up so far:
75gl. Oceanic glass
3 in. live sand bed
wet/dry filter for a 125 gl tank with 1,084 gph Gen-X 4100 pump, bio balls (removing slowly), media filter, and overflow box with pre-filter
Coralife Aqua Lunar light – pc 4x 65wts - 2 10,000K & 2 actinic 03, plus 4 moon light LED’s http://esuweb.com/cardfile.asp?Item...elationship=283
Coralife skimmer with a 366/gph Gen-X 2400 (pump added to my dry box sump)
2 maxi-jet 1200 power heads (front of both sides of glass facing back towards to rocks)
60 lb of live rock with a fair population of coralline and other life
rearranged 20 lbs of dead coral (was already in the tank)
RO/DI kit

2 ocellaris clowns
Yello tail wrasse (3.5 in.)
Niger trigger (4 in.)
3 blue/green chromis (1.5 in.)
neon striped gobey (3.5 in.)

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/ronjon6977/DSC01140.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/ronjon6977/2.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/ronjon6977/DSC01139.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/ronjon6977/DSC01146.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/ronjon6977/DSC01141.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/ronjon6977/DSC01144.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/ronjon6977/DSC01142.jpg

[2639]

Nice setup!

[GlobaLPimP]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7828680#post7828680 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 2639
Nice setup!

Thanks - it's a start... I can't wait to see it 6 months from now - I HATE waiting:sad1:

[smcnally]

It's normal for the wrasse and trigger to go after the crabs. Crabs aren't neccessarily needid for clean-up. Snails seem to work very well for me. Many people have luck with the Niger Trigger, but the wrasse (depending on type) might not be very reef friendly. I would recommend replacing the coral skeletons with some live rock chunks. It just looks sad to have old coral skeletons in a reef tank :D

[GlobaLPimP]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7829176#post7829176 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by smcnally
It's normal for the wrasse and trigger to go after the crabs. Crabs aren't neccessarily needid for clean-up. Snails seem to work very well for me. Many people have luck with the Niger Trigger, but the wrasse (depending on type) might not be very reef friendly. I would recommend replacing the coral skeletons with some live rock chunks. It just looks sad to have old coral skeletons in a reef tank :D

I gesss I'll give the wrasse to one of my friends without a reef set up then. Just suck because my wife and son really love that fish. Hell, even "I" love that fish. He's been a good fish. ENOUGH - now I just need to catch that sucker when the wife and kid aren't around and say...hmmm, I haven't seen the wrasse in a while. I hope he's ok...heh, heh, heh.

I hear ya about the dead coral. However, I have looked at a lot of the pics here and thought this would be a little different. When someone has a hard coral die, do they normally remove it from their tank or do they let other life forms make a home of it? What's the "norm" for Reefer's?

[robthorn]

ron looks good to me. I don't think the dead coral looks bad at all the way you have it set up. the best thing about your tank is you can do whatever you want not what everyone else wants. there are alot of reef safe wrasses out there. cirhilibrus genus has alot of friendly reef safe wrasses. I may have mispelled that but the index of a book will straighten it out. my ornate wrasse is a pretty good addition so far.
only thing I would say to change is the back glass. blue or black your choice but it really makes a tank look better to me. I almost wish I would have done a dark blue on mine.
I hear the old camera deal I am about to buy a new nikon but I am having trouble justifying $1000 to take pictures of fish.

[robthorn]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=824560

ron this is the thread I was talking about with the guy that might be able to help you build a hood. obviously his name is mike and he's a good guy we hang out from time to time.

[GlobaLPimP]

ahh...my mentor has spoken! Thanks for all of your help so far.

This is one hell of a friend & REALLY knows REEF! He has owned a couple of the most IMPRESSIVE reef tanks I have ever seen!

Thanks Rob!