180 gallon stocking ideas. Will ghost ribbion eel fit in?

[joeman829]

Unless you're buying full grown tangs, then yes. Any small fish is fair game if the grouper has any size to it.

Jesus. Def avoiding groupers then

 

[i cant think]

This right here. You would have to have full grown tangs.

Now I know this is not the same kind of grouper you would keep in a tank, but it makes a good example.

This baby goliath grouper was caught using a 3.5" pinfish as bait. The grouper is only 10". Now I know this fish is able to reach 6-8' in size, but the same applies to all groupers. They can fit quite a bit in their mouth.

the deck boards are 3.5" wide for reference.

Well… you say not the same kind of grouper you’d own in a tank, there are some people that take “Bumblebees” (Goliath Groupers) and own them.

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Jesus. Def avoiding groupers then

Seems like you're somewhat new to predator fish haha. Basically, ambush hunters don't know when the next meal is coming, so they take every chance they get. This includes lionfishes, scorpions, and anglers/frogfishes. Even if it won't fit, they might still try.

Triggers and puffers are better for communities because they can eat similarly sized foods to larger tangs and angels. That being said, you have to account for trigger aggression, which is based on the species as well as the individual.

If you're new to puffers, they need hard shelled foods as the majority of their diet. Puffer teeth grow continuously throughout their life, so if they don't have foods that make them grind them down, then they overgrow which can lead to the puffer not being able to eat anymore. Puffer dentistry is possible, but generally it's not fun for either party and can be deadly to the fish if you don't know what you're doing.

 

[i cant think]

As for the OP, I assume you’re into the predatory fish?
One issue is trying to avoid the fast swimming or active species, such as sharks/rays (This isn’t the only reason to avoid them as mentioned above), certain triggers and puffers, and larger predators.

 

[joeman829]

I’m starting to plan my 180 predator tank and am looking for some cohabitation advice. My list right now is:
- 2 sapphire damsels
- blue tang
- purple tang
- chocolate tang
- 2 line monocle bream
- banana spine check
- snowflake eel
- banded moray
- ghost ribbion eel
- any kind or stingray that will fit
- epullete shark
- bamboo shark
- horn shark
I’m looking for advice on what to eliminate off the list immediately and I need to know how a ghost eel will do in this environment if it doesn’t fit in no worries and I am prepared to switch out the sharks every year or two if/ when they get too big.

This is my revised stocking plan for the tank. Not final, just revised.
- 2 sapphire damsels (maybe)
- chocolate tang
- Purple tang
- Blue tang
- Banana spinecheeck
- 2 line monocle bream
- snowflake eel
- banded moray
- ghost ribbion eel
- Niger trigger/ clown trigger
- Porcupine puffer
- Achilles tang
- Chevron tang
- two spot bristletooth tang
Just spitting ideas out there

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Well… you say not the same kind of grouper you’d own in a tank, there are some people that take “Bumblebees” (Goliath Groupers) and own them.

I know and they do not want to meet me lol. I will say what I would do for people doing that lol.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

This is my revised stocking plan for the tank. Not final, just revised.
- 2 sapphire damsels (maybe)
- chocolate tang
- Purple tang
- Blue tang
- Banana spinecheeck
- 2 line monocle bream
- snowflake eel
- banded moray
- ghost ribbion eel
- Niger trigger/ clown trigger
- Porcupine puffer
- Achilles tang
- Chevron tang
- two spot bristletooth tang
Just spitting ideas out there

I can tell you now. With that stock list, you stand to have some serious tang aggression. Not to mention, you will need some serious flow to keep the achilles happy. You will also need a sump as big as the tank in order to house the nutrient reduction items you will need.

 

[joeman829]

Seems like you're somewhat new to predator fish haha. Basically, ambush hunters don't know when the next meal is coming, so they take every chance they get. This includes lionfishes, scorpions, and anglers/frogfishes. Even if it won't fit, they might still try.

Triggers and puffers are better for communities because they can eat similarly sized foods to larger tangs and angels. That being said, you have to account for trigger aggression, which is based on the species as well as the individual.

If you're new to puffers, they need hard shelled foods as the majority of their diet. Puffer teeth grow continuously throughout their life, so if they don't have foods that make them grind them down, then they overgrow which can lead to the puffer not being able to eat anymore. Puffer dentistry is possible, but generally it's not fun for either party and can be deadly to the fish if you don't know what you're doing.

Ok the teeth thing isn’t a problem but I’m new to predatory fish besides eels

 

[joeman829]

I can tell you now. With that stock list, you stand to have some serious tang aggression. Not to mention, you will need some serious flow to keep the achilles happy. You will also need a sump as big as the tank in order to house the nutrient reduction items you will need.

For now I’m putting ideas out here and seeing what people think about certain fish on the list and taking them out of the list if they aren’t compatible, so I’ll take the Achilles tang off my list.

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Ok the teeth thing isn’t a problem but I’m new to predatory fish besides eels

And that's fine. The hardest thing about mixed predator tanks is making sure everyone gets the right foods and managing waste levels. Big puffers and triggers poop like small dogs. Large protein skimmer and the ability to do large water changes are a must. A large refugium with fast growing macroalgae (like caulerpa or bubble caulerpa) is also a huge plus.

 

[joeman829]

And that's fine. The hardest thing about mixed predator tanks is making sure everyone gets the right foods and managing waste levels. Big puffers and triggers poop like small dogs. Large protein skimmer and the ability to do large water changes are a must. A large refugium with fast growing macroalgae (like caulerpa or bubble caulerpa) is also a huge plus.

Ok I’ll keep that in mind. I’ve never run a sump before though lol. How difficult is it? I’ve never been a fan of the whole drilling a hole in the tank thing lol

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Ok I’ll keep that in mind. I’ve never run a sump before though lol. How difficult is it? I’ve never been a fan of the whole drilling a hole in the tank thing lol

You can get a 180 pre-drilled. If you already have the tank, you can get an overflow box. Only issue with that is if the box loses siphon, the tank floods. Not fun. Some overflow boxes (like the one on my reef) run with an aqualifter pump, so the box never loses siphon while it's running, but they're another piece of equipment that can fail.

Sumps shouldn't be intimidating: water drains from the tank, moves through chambers, and gets pumped back up. Tanks with an overflow have a consistent water level due to the overflow being where the water fills up to, but that means you have to watch the pump chamber to watch for evaporation rates and top off accordingly.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Ok I’ll keep that in mind. I’ve never run a sump before though lol. How difficult is it? I’ve never been a fan of the whole drilling a hole in the tank thing lol

With a pre-drilled tank, not hard at all. Water down overflow, water through sump chambers and then back up to the tank. Just have to make sure the sump has enough room for any back flow from the DT if the power goes out or the return pump fails.

One thing to think of in terms of nutrient control is using macro algae in the DT to aid in nutrient reduction. If you do not pln to have corals, this is a good way to fill the scap eand a good way to reduce nutrients. It does come with some maintnece like trimming the macro from time to time or dosing some trace elements (cheatogro for example) to keep the macro healthy. It also provides a place for pods and other microcauna to live. They do eat poop also lol.

I use this method in my Sargassum angler tank. I grow caulerpa prolifera in it and it gives the anger a place to hide, keeps nutrients in check and actually produces some food for the angler, as he like to eat big gammarid amphipods from time to time lol.

 

[joeman829]

With a pre-drilled tank, not hard at all. Water down overflow, water through sump chambers and then back up to the tank. Just have to make sure the sump has enough room for any back flow from the DT if the power goes out or the return pump fails.

One thing to think of in terms of nutrient control is using macro algae in the DT to aid in nutrient reduction. If you do not pln to have corals, this is a good way to fill the scap eand a good way to reduce nutrients. It does come with some maintnece like trimming the macro from time to time or dosing some trace elements (cheatogro for example) to keep the macro healthy. It also provides a place for pods and other microcauna to live. They do eat poop also lol.

I use this method in my Sargassum angler tank. I grow caulerpa prolifera in it and it gives the anger a place to hide, keeps nutrients in check and actually produces some food for the angler, as he like to eat big gammarid amphipods from time to time lol.

Ok cool that makes it a lot less intimidating to think about. Are the predrilled ones the expensive Red Sea or acrillic kits? Price is a factor too and I don’t think there’s any way I’ll be able to afford on of those Seystems

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Ok cool that makes it a lot less intimidating to think about. Are the predrilled ones the expensive Red Sea or acrillic kits? Price is a factor too and I don’t think there’s any way I’ll be able to afford on of those Seystems

Marineland and Aqueon all make pre-drilled 180s. As long as they are set on a decent stand and you do not have a actual wavebox in them, they last a good while. Just be careful when cleaning the glass, as you do not want to dig into the silicone.

These will be the cheapest option for a tank that is pre drilled. The downside to them compared to redsea or similar is that the aqueon and marineland have a frame, they have cross braces and they do not use low iron glass. While this is not a bad thing, you will notice a difference in clarity when looking at 2 tanks side by side that one is low iron and one is not. The braces can get in the way, but they are not that bad. I have a 180 up and going that is just a plain jane marineland corner overflow and they do not bother me one bit, nor does the black trim around the top.

 

[joeman829]

Marineland and Aqueon all make pre-drilled 180s. As long as they are set on a decent stand and you do not have a actual wavebox in them, they last a good while. Just be careful when cleaning the glass, as you do not want to dig into the silicone.

These will be the cheapest option for a tank that is pre drilled. The downside to them compared to redsea or similar is that the aqueon and marineland have a frame, they have cross braces and they do not use low iron glass. While this is not a bad thing, you will notice a difference in clarity when looking at 2 tanks side by side that one is low iron and one is not. The braces can get in the way, but they are not that bad. I have a 180 up and going that is just a plain jane marineland corner overflow and they do not bother me one bit, nor does the black trim around the top.

Ok cool that’s probably what I’ll go with then

 

[dantimdad]

sharks are big no no in a 180. I would also steer you away from rays. Once you get rock in there, account for rapid growth, they will not have the swimming room needed. @dantimdad can shed some more light on this, as he has owned numerous sharks/rays.

Another thing to think of is bioload vs amount of water. With eels and tangs, you will need to export very heavily or the water will be crap. Literally. All you have listed are massive poopers.

If you had two halleri then you could do a 180 with no rock in it unless it was a deep dimension like a 187 then a small rubble pile in the middle.

Halleri are the only ray that stay that small commonly available.

and @Eagle_Steve is correct way too much waste for a 187.

 

[gregdepot]

I have a 180 and id agree its not an ideal longer term home for even 1 shark, you said you could swap them out. Do you know some one with a 1000g tank or something that is wanting them? I wouldn't assume anyone will take them in a year unless you are planning on eating them or something? I think many Rays will try to eat fish, Some Sharks can be safer, there are predators that still look cool but more compatible like a Snowflake Eel on (on your list) or Dwarf Lion (Maybe not Damsel safe). I'm not sure if Ghost Ribbon Eels have the same feeding issues as other Ribbon Eels.

Since I'm assuming no Inverts Triggers and Puffers or even Butterflys could be cool options.

- blue tang
- purple tang
- chocolate tang
- snowflake eel
- Dwarf Lionfish
- Trigger Fish
- Puffer Fish
- Maybe Butterfly fish since not keeping inverts

A Grooper would likely out grow the tangs and eat them unless its very large tangs and a small grooper.

Feeding multiple times a day can help curb predators but if you miss a feeding you maybe missing other fish.

 

[gregdepot]

I have a 180 and id agree its not an ideal longer term home for even 1 shark, you said you could swap them out. Do you know some one with a 1000g tank or something that is wanting them? I wouldn't assume anyone will take them in a year unless you are planning on eating them or something? I think many Rays will try to eat fish, Some Sharks can be safer, there are predators that still look cool but more compatible like a Snowflake Eel on (on your list) or Dwarf Lion (Maybe not Damsel safe). I'm not sure if Ghost Ribbon Eels have the same feeding issues as other Ribbon Eels.


Since I'm assuming no Inverts Triggers and Puffers or even Butterflys or Angels could be cool options.

- blue tang
- purple tang
- chocolate tang
- snowflake eel
- Dwarf Lionfish
- Trigger Fish
- Puffer Fish
- Maybe Butterfly fish since not keeping inverts
- Maybe a Larger Angel fish since not keeping inverts


A Grouper would likely out grow the tangs and eat them unless its very large tangs and a small Grouper.

Feeding multiple times a day can help curb predators but if you miss a feeding you maybe missing other fish.

 

[joeman829]

I have a 180 and id agree its not an ideal longer term home for even 1 shark, you said you could swap them out. Do you know some one with a 1000g tank or something that is wanting them? I wouldn't assume anyone will take them in a year unless you are planning on eating them or something? I think many Rays will try to eat fish, Some Sharks can be safer, there are predators that still look cool but more compatible like a Snowflake Eel on (on your list) or Dwarf Lion (Maybe not Damsel safe). I'm not sure if Ghost Ribbon Eels have the same feeding issues as other Ribbon Eels.

Since I'm assuming no Inverts Triggers and Puffers or even Butterflys could be cool options.

- blue tang
- purple tang
- chocolate tang
- snowflake eel
- Dwarf Lionfish
- Trigger Fish
- Puffer Fish
- Maybe Butterfly fish since not keeping inverts

A Grooper would likely out grow the tangs and eat them unless its very large tangs and a small grooper.

Feeding multiple times a day can help curb predators but if you miss a feeding you maybe missing other fish.

The only way I would switch them out would be bringing them back to my lfs with ch he said I can do. When he gets sharks in he didn’t get much and they sell quick so if I bring it back I’m sure there would be a buyer soon after. In my experience the ghost eels eat like any other eel as mine eats silversides and krill.