Cliff's 120 gallon FOWLR(ish) tank

[Cliff]

As we had planned to move everything out of the 120 reef tank into our 180 gallon tank, the wife and I have been talking about what to set-up the tank as next. We looked into discus, but I felt that would not be a good fit for us. We spent a lot of time looking into FW cichlids, but the ones that we really liked would either need a tank longer than 4 feet or would not allow for many tank mate options. My wife doesn’t like having to deal with fish aggression so we started to look at options we never thought of before.

We decided a FOWLR tank with a least one center pc lionfish. We are getting one of the smaller large bodied lionfish, either a russels or a volitan lionfish. Based on what we have read, they have great personalitys similar to an Oscar. Our SW LFS has both and We are still trying to decide which one. Other additions will include some Halloween hermit crabs, some emerald crabs, snails and maybe one of the smaller butterfly fish. We are still working on the rest of the stocking list

This past weekend, we removed all the rock (to catch the fish). I took this as an opportunity to change the substrate in the tank. I then restacked the rock so it would be a better fit to providing natural cave like structures and places for the lionfish to hang on to when they sleep. So far the ammonia spike after all that messing around only got 1ppm and was gone within 12 hours. The nitrates are a little high for my liking at just around 5ppm As I still have all the macro algae in the sump, they should take care of that in the next few days

If the parameters remain stable for the next 4 days to a week, I will start stocking this tank.

[Lady10Godiva]

So does this mean that the 90 gallon tank is going to get that oscar everyone wants you to get? :)

On a side note my husband really wants a lionfish someday, but we have not even made it to saltwater yet.

[Cliff]

We are still talking about what to do with the 90 gallon. Have not made up our minds yet

[Crispy]

nice job Cliff. I always told myself that I would own a lionfish someday. very cool!

[ScottishFish]

Looking good so far cliff!! Canny wait to see this lionfish

[Old Marine]

Lionfish will look Great in that Tank

[Cliff]

Thanks Guys

As the parameters have been a stable 0-0-5 for the past three days now, I thought I would start to add some more of the CUC. I got two Halloween Hermit Crabs. They have just been acclimated and have already started cleaning the rocks. I’ve also got 6 snails in there that I missed when taking the rocks out on the weekend. The rock still looks pretty bad as I had pulled it all apart and peeled corals off it this past weekend. Once the coralline gets a chance to grow again, things will start looking “normal” again.

[Cliff]

A few surviving coral fragments have also been perking up today. I did try my best to get all of them off, but that can be difficult at best when your rock has deep holes in it where they can plant themselves deep inside the rocks

[Cliff]

The parameters remain rock solid in this tank. I believe the macro algae in the sump played a big part of that.

I've just picked up two inhabitants for this tank. A Russell's Lionfish (Pterois russelli), and a Mertensii Butterflyfish (Chaetodon mertensii). They are both in QT right now just to make sure everything is OK and to make sure they will continue to eat frozen and prepared foods. The Mertensii buttery is known to mostly eat clams and LPS corals so I am thinking the remaining corals in this tank have a pretty good chance. Time will tell I guess

Hopefully (if all goes well) they both will be in the display tank in 3 or 4 weeks.

[~firefly~]

Fascinating. I know very little about marine set-ups but find your posts very informative. Can I ask a, what might be obvious, question? What's all the pink stuff that grows all over the back and sides of marine tanks?