# predatory salt water tank



## ct22 (Feb 5, 2012)

hey im new to salt i like having predatory fw fish just wondering if i should even look at this for salty as i only have a 50 gallon some tips on this and what kind of species there is would be great tanks


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## whatcaneyedo (Oct 31, 2012)

There are some dwarf varieties of moray eel, scorpion fish and puffers that you could certainly keep in a 50gal. But I'd stay away from groupers, triggers, sharks and rays. Keep in mind though that most scorpion fish can be quite difficult to ween over to frozen food and some puffers might nip at the fins of scorpions. You'll also want a good brand of protein skimmer that can handle a system over 100gal as predatory fish do generate a lot of waste. Crabs and shrimp are also out of the question unless you want to see them eaten.


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## ct22 (Feb 5, 2012)

cool thanks


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Scorpion fish (like the Volitan lionfish) also have highly poisonous dorsal spines that you have to be extremely careful around. If they prick you, it will hurt enough to make you want to cut off that arm.


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

yes iv been stung to lol any way you could do a snow flake eel some dwarf lions the( fu man chu )or fuzzy drawf lion .i would stay away from puffers the big ones need a big tank and the tobie puffers are to delicate for a pred tank you might have sucksess housing a white spot grouper they dont get huge but will need a 75 gallon at the lest as they get big or mabie an arkeye halkfish dwarf andgels look good in pred tanks to do damsels just make sure there biger then the loins groupers and eels mouths take the size you think there mouth is then duble it good luck happy ceeping o ya mabie try a hog fish


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## albert_dao (May 28, 2012)

If you want a super cool fish, look for a slingjaw wrasse. 

Also, the various species of maori wrasses (do your research and look for the ones that say <8") are quite cool.

Finally, don't overlook the squirrel and soldierfish. The Haiwaiian Squirrelfish is especially attractive.


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## ct22 (Feb 5, 2012)

cool thanks for the tips guys


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

albert are you kiding a slingjaw in a 50 gal ? honislty


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

some squirrel and soldierfish can get a foot long even the dwarf squirrel and soldierfish i wound not think of putting in my 125 its just two small and they need a dark tank there deep water fish 

can we not sugest random crap that will get huge ? 

he wants a pred tank thats as i said dwarf angels halks dwarf lions most eels mabie i white spot grouper if you plan on up grading to a 75 gal ya and some domino damsels thats wats guna work

not foot long fish 

happy ceeping and hapy new years


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## albert_dao (May 28, 2012)

They grow slow as molasses and I've never seen seen one bigger than 6" in store. Personally, I had one for four years and in that time, it went from 3" to 7"...

Anyway, pretty hard to be objective when we're talking about fish that roam the ocean under normal circumstances, lol.


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## albert_dao (May 28, 2012)

scott tang said:


> can we not sugest random crap that will get huge ?


Oh, my bad.

I totally forgot that there _wasn't_ variation within the numerous species that form these groups of fish.

No... wait...


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

ya but some people like to ceep fish for there hole lives and i have 1st hand ex with tering down a tank to get a fish out 


for squral fish in the (a pocket experts guid marine fishes) it says squral fish with 3 diffident examples minimum tank requirement is 75 gallons and the solderer fish at a 60 gallon tank so yes its not suitable for a 50 gal


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

you know in my mind a 6 inch fish should not be in a 50 gal thats 2.5 inch wide its just crule


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## ct22 (Feb 5, 2012)

tanks again happy new year


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## albert_dao (May 28, 2012)

scott tang said:


> you know in my mind a 6 inch fish should not be in a 50 gal thats 2.5 inch wide its just crule


Right, but that's an opinion. The recommendation in your book is also just that. There's no hidden tag inside a fish that says "Hey humans! Me go in 75 gallon plus fish tank only!"

Listen, you may protest the thought of having a Naso tang in anything less than a 2000 gallon tank. Doesn't change the fact that there are thousands of 10+" nasos happily swimming around in 6' tanks all over the place. 6" squirrelfish/wrasse/etc in a 50 gallon tank? Completely normal. Especially considering how little and how slowly squirrels/slingjaws/the smaller maori wrasses actually move about when comfortable. They're not dashers and speed marathon swimmers by any stretch.


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

ya in my opinion naso is fine in a 6 foot my concern was how skinny a 50 gal is  we have boath made our points and i think its time to let it be. we have bath given some great suggestions and i hope his tank turns out great watever he may choose to go in it.  

happy keeping


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

albert_dao said:


> There's no hidden tag inside a fish that says "Hey humans! Me go in 75 gallon plus fish tank only!"


lol too bad thats true..... there would be alot more happy aquarium fish and alot less dead ones, if there was a hidden tag , or people just did the proper research before getting them , like the OP is dong


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## albert_dao (May 28, 2012)

Eh? I was thinking a breeder 50. 50 Longs aren't so great, you're right. Bad surface area for proper aquascaping, IMO.


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