# 150 Gallon FOWLR tank



## Guest (Jun 27, 2007)

Currently, I have a very nice 150 gallon glass tank with a black painted stand in my basement. Right now it houses a variety of mostly Amazon fish, but all that is about to change soon.

I'm converting to a saltwater Fish Only With Liverock setup in this tank.

The main centerpiece fish of the tank will be a coral catshark. The tank will also house a sixline soapfish grouper, and fish that I collect this summer. I am expecting to get at least a small group of juvenile Lookdowns, which will make a nice top-schooling fish for the tank. Before stocking too heavily on store-bought fish, I will wait to see what species I collect this summer that will be able to inhabit the tank.


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## Guest (Jun 27, 2007)

Supplies I have gathered/orderd thus far:

~100 lbs of liverock
4x96w Dual Strip Compact Flourescent lighting w/ 2 12000k Daylight bulbs and 2 True Blue Actinic Bulbs + 5 Bluemoon LEDs
Coralife 220 Needlewheel HOB Protein Skimmer
2 Eheim Proffessional II 2028 Canister Filters
150 Gallon Glass tank
Black painted Stand
3 Glass Versa-Tops (one to be replaced)
Supplies that will be ordered soon:

Two 250w Visi-Therm Stealth Heaters
150 lbs Sugar Grain Live Sand


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## Guest (Jun 27, 2007)

I also plan on building a canopy to cover the lighting and match the stand.

I have drawn the basic idea of it up and will scan it soon. It opens from the front and vents from an open back. Two computer fans will also be put in for additional heat-ventilation.


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## SBDTHUR (Jun 15, 2007)

Nice idea.. Don't forget to take pictures as you set it up. ;-)


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## Guest (Jun 27, 2007)

I've also decided that since my lighting should be adequete enough, I'm going to try and incorporate a variety of different kinds and colors of mushroom corals as well. I was thinking about doing different types of soft corals, but I have decided that it would make a nice display to have a variety of shrooms. 
Also works out since they are fairly inexpensive and my one favorite corals (not to mention easy to keep).


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## Guest (Jun 28, 2007)

Here's a basic list of some mushroom corals I'd like to incorporate in the tank:

Green Striped Mushroom
Blue/Green Ricordia Mushroom
Red Mushroom
Bullseye Mushroom
Green Flourescent Mushroom
Any feedback on my choices or other kinds I should include are welcome.


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## Guest (Jun 28, 2007)

I've been running canisters on my 46 and 55 for quite some time with no problems...

but thanks for the helpful feedback....


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## SBDTHUR (Jun 15, 2007)

I thought most people ran canisters on there sw tanks.


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## Bear (Jun 8, 2006)

I would def. go without the canister.

Aside from that I would add some more light and add some zoos to that list


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## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

If your going with larger, predatory sw fish, i'd recommend canisters. But, they need to be cleaned regularily of course. I have one on my 30 gallon seahorse tank. Eats exclusively frozen and live foods, eats 4 times a day, all levels are at zero . I'm pretty happy with it.


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## Guest (Jun 28, 2007)

I've been successful in numerous tanks over quite a few years and my mother has over 20 years experience as well.

I understand that canisters can create more nitrates, but I haven't had problems when they are well maintained.

This was NOT a posting asking for help with my setup and I merely asked about the mushroom corals on my list. This is my "blog" posting about my tank, I'm not asking for advice on how to setup my tank.


Now back to our regular scheduled program....:roll:

I am considering changing my ideas on the shark. I may consider possibly getting a marbled catshark over a coral catshark, but I'm 100% yet. Reason I might change is 1) I've heard some aggression issues with corals during feeding, which I had not heard before and 2) the marbled catshark seems to be easier to get.
We'll just have to see what makes it on my LFS's saltwater list....


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## Guest (Jun 29, 2007)

Well I got email confirmation that my skimmer and lights are in the mail, so they should be here in a few days....

As soon as i find homes for the freshwater fish in the tank now, progress can begin, so that is my biggest delaying issue as of right now....


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## Guest (Jun 29, 2007)

At least you replied with a good explanation as to why, Mike. 

The reason I am using a canister filter though is to suck up as much leftover food as possible due to the fact that predators tend to be messy eaters and leave a lot left over. I am going to be cleaning them twice a week so I shouldn't have too many problems with nitrates. In the event that I do, I may take them off.


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## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

All this coming from people who keep the standard "sw collection".

Canisters have their use, IF you maintain them, and IF you need them. If you have simple little fish like clownfish, tangs, etc. then you may not need something like a canister. If you keep something else like a lionfish, grouper, etc. than it's an entirely different story. In my case, it's highly helpful in cleaning the tank, and it's more cost effective. Some of us don't have the money to go for the "best" of everything . And in some cases, the simple rule of what filter to use, etc. doesn't apply. A predator tank is different than , say, a 75 gallon reef filled with mainly inverts... which have a low metabolism, and eat a lot less.

But, hrmm.. let us know how it goes along . I definitely want to see pics lol.


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

User Journals is a personal "blog" area, not a bash out. This continues and I'll have to close the thread.


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## cpm6372 (Sep 11, 2006)

Goodluck. I have a 55 Gallon fish only with live rock. It's really fun. I have a Clown Trigger, Volitan Lion, and a Zebra Moray Eel. All the fish get along well and are very hardly/messy eaters. I have a 30 Gallon sump and would not go with anything else due to the amount of waist these guys create.


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## Bear (Jun 8, 2006)

How is it doing katie?


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2007)

Well its been slow going, due to being pretty busy this summer and not being able to focus on it so much, as well as relocating the freshwater fish that were in it.

The final inhabitant has left the tank and I can finally begin cleaning the tank up. Not sure how much time I will have with school beginning, but with my teachers on strike I'll begin this week. 

A little update on my planning since its been a while.

Well, I was pretty excited about the shark and still believe it would make an awesome tank inhabitant. However, due to the fact that having a shark immensley limits the other inhabitants I can have in the tank, I discussed this with my mom and we decided it might not be the best idea. Maybe in the future. 

My stocklist now includes the sixline soapfish who has been in my 55 with all my liverock, a herlequin tusk, a bluegirdled angelfish, and possibly a zebra moray.

It's been taking SO LONG! At least now I can get started.


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## SBDTHUR (Jun 15, 2007)

-Crys- :sad:


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2007)

Well, its finally completed. Well, as completed as a new tank can be....it will never really be completed. :razz:

Anyway, here is the finished product:
FTS:









Right side angle:









Left side angle w/ harlequin and soapfish:









Sixline Soapfish









Harlequin Tusk









Purple mushroom rock









Green striped mushroom rock









The mushrooms are a little closed in this picture because they moved just before taking pics.

And finally, a blurry pic of the new algae blenny:









The tank is not that blue, by the way....it just looks it in the pics.


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## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

Omg, I love the tank!
It's coming along very nicely .


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2007)

Thanks Dylan. 

Specs as of right now:
150 gallon tank 
6 foot 384 watt CF lighting, daylights and actinics, plus 6 blue moon LEDs
~70-100 pounds of LR
120 pounds of Caribbean livesand
1 Harlequin Tusk
1 Sixline Soapfish
1 Algae Blenny
Purple mushroom rock w/ 20+ shrooms
Green Striped Mushroom w/ ~10 shrooms
10 Scarlet Hermits
10 Turbo Snails


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2007)

Looks awesome, Katie!  The fish are gorgeous, and the layout of the rocks is nice.


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## Guest (Oct 18, 2007)

Very cool tank Katie! I love it! The fish are sooooo cool.


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## HTML.Coder (Aug 6, 2008)

I like other ppl's tanks, mine is only a 20 gallon with about 10-12 fish.... (see sig for decsription)


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## Guest (Aug 8, 2008)

Get out of my thread. >_<

You were warned, had your post count reset, and with a good explanation and yet you continue to spam and make pointless posts? What is your problem, kid? :chair:


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## karazy (Nov 2, 2007)

lol

any updates KT


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2008)

Well, I decided to go full reef with this tank, so I've got some low-light corals in there now, but very soon I'm getting a 3x250 watt 10,000k MH and 4x39 watt T-5 actinics with blue and white night time LEDs. I'm wanting to keep mainly LPS and some softies (zoas, rics, leathers, etc). Probably some SPS like monti cap, monti digi, some encrusting montis, and maybe acro. It won't be SPS dominated though. Also gonna finally be adding a sump now that I have enough funds, so that will be going in soon as well. it will include a fuge.

As for current stock, I've still got the sixline soapfish who I think I may be forced to move soon and a fu manchu lionfish who is doing wonderfully. Current corals include frogspawn, GSP, the original mushrooms I had, and a few varieties of zoas.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

You've got some serious disposable income for a 17 year old, you know that?


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## MaelStrom (Jun 24, 2007)

Zoas and Ricordea!
http://coralmorphologic.com/index.html


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2008)

TheOldSalt said:


> You've got some serious disposable income for a 17 year old, you know that?


 
I pay for most of _my _tanks myself, but not all of the tanks in my household are strictly my own. My mom is just as much of a fish nerd as me. :razz: Not even just my mom, my whole family really. Sometimes I think my dad only tolerates it, but he can get into some of the fishy stuff as well. 

FYI, pretty much all of the money I have is going into this tank.  This tank is one of the tanks that is actually mine. Not that I need to justify myself.


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## Guest (Aug 9, 2008)

TheOldSalt said:


> You've got some serious disposable income for a 17 year old, you know that?


Not really anyones business how much money someone has, where it comes from, or how they spend it. Kind of rude actually....


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

I'd like to know just so that I can do the same! haha


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