what should i put in my tank?

[freeNINETY9]

this would be my very first marine tank after tons of freshwater success. the tank measures 36"L x 17"H x 18"D so that comes out to about 47 gallons if i calculated correctly. i run an rena filstar xp3 canister filter with all sorts of fun media from bio-chem zorb, media balls, foam pads, polishing pads, etc, etc and im contemplating running a hang on the back filter as well...possibly the magnum h.o.t. so ill have plenty of filtration.

i am thinking maybe a fumanchu lionfish for a few months and then adding a picasso trigger. what else would i be able to throw in there? i dont need a jam packed tank, just a few medium sized fish.

i dunno, what would you guys do?

 

[water_baby83]

Welcome to the salty side! Ok, one thing to keep in mind though is that with SW there is more chemistry involved, and some of the mechanical aspects of it can get overwhelming if you do not take the time out to verse yourself decently before throwing yourself into it. How long have you had your SW tank set up so far? Are you planning on a RO, FO, R&F, LR&F, or what? that would be a good place to start, then decide what to add afterwards. I don't want to belittle you at all, but to spare you of any confusion, let me clarify RO- Reef Only, FO- Fish Only, R&F - Reef & Fish, LR&F - Live Rock & Fish, etc. etc. We just get lazy and abrieviate basically everything, LOL. Also, do you have any pictures you have of your tank to post? We all tend to be picture-whores, LOL and it is always easier to see what you're working with. But anyways, once you decide where you want to go with your tank, then we can get into the chemistry, stocking, and so forth. So fill us in and we'll go from there.

--Emi

 

[Mattcomptonassvanhorn]

A fumanchu would do very well in a 47 gallon tank, they can be hard to keep sometimes though.

 

[freeNINETY9]

this would be fish and live rock. no reef or anything like that to start off with. im thinking of using aragonite for a substrate since most books say that helps hold a stready pH better than crushed coral etc (but im open to other ideas). the tank is technically freshwater right now with my old substrate and water sitting in it with no fish or anything. so while i havent actually transitioned it yet, i dont have the cash for fish either so im just thinking out loud.

i work at a pet store so i understand the nitrogen cycle. i do get the chemistry that goes into this kind of thing and ive read three or four books on salt water over the past year. being patient wont be a problem. i think the tank would actually be physically set up for a couple months before i even botherd to add fish.