Need help deciding on whether or not a fish is right for your tank? Post here and we'll help!

[nathanielt]

Classic. Tough but sometimes aggressive

Good

Good if you have a lid.

I'd strike this one because they are pretty boring and surprisingly aggressive

Same as the clowns. May want to pic just one or the other.

I'd also strike this because it is the most aggressive on the list.

All true

I'd strike cardinal, damsel, and maybe basslet

2 or 3

Thank you! What about a captive bred mandarin in lieu of basslet, damsel, and cardinal. So sequence would be:

1. YWG
2. Firefish and tail spot blenny
3. Mandarin
4. 2x Ocellaris clowns

 

[Slocke]

Thank you! What about a captive bred mandarin in lieu of basslet, damsel, and cardinal. So sequence would be:

1. YWG
2. Firefish and tail spot blenny
3. Mandarin
4. 2x Ocellaris clowns

That would work great!
If you’re going biota the court jester is also a seriously underrated fish.

 

[DaneGer21]

Looking to add a blotchy anthias…

Here’s some info…

60”x36”x24” tank
160lbs’ish live rock in display
1.5”-2” of sand
4 - mp40s 100% reefcrest(2 antisync)
40b main sump, runs half full
34gal sump tank w/ 50lbs of live rock
55gal tank, holds ATS, water level 6”

Purple tang
Lavender tang
Yellow tank
2 yellow tails damsels
2 clowns
Yellow watchman
Melanurus wrasse
Royal gramma
Pajama Cardinal
Lyretail anthias
Pistol shrimp
Brittle star
Long spine urchin(in ATS tank)
Just a few random snails/crabs


Im really only worried about my lyretail. I’ve had it now for 2.5years so obviously it’s “established”. All other fish have been in my possession for anywhere between 3 to 15yrs old.

Would adding another anthias, in particular a Blotchy, cause any foreseeable issues?

I obviously don’t want an expensive fish beaten up/killed, but I have always wanted one.

Thoughts? Experience?

Thanks!

 

[Slocke]

Looking to add a blotchy anthias…

Here’s some info…

60”x36”x24” tank
160lbs’ish live rock in display
1.5”-2” of sand
4 - mp40s 100% reefcrest(2 antisync)
40b main sump, runs half full
34gal sump tank w/ 50lbs of live rock
55gal tank, holds ATS, water level 6”

Purple tang
Lavender tang
Yellow tank
2 yellow tails damsels
2 clowns
Yellow watchman
Melanurus wrasse
Royal gramma
Pajama Cardinal
Lyretail anthias
Pistol shrimp
Brittle star
Long spine urchin(in ATS tank)
Just a few random snails/crabs


Im really only worried about my lyretail. I’ve had it now for 2.5years so obviously it’s “established”. All other fish have been in my possession for anywhere between 3 to 15yrs old.

Would adding another anthias, in particular a Blotchy, cause any foreseeable issues?

I obviously don’t want an expensive fish beaten up/killed, but I have always wanted one.

Thoughts? Experience?

Thanks!

It’s hard to say for sure but if you are careful it will probably work. I would suggest using an acclimation box if you can and I would try and get a small female. Assuming your current is a male. That should reduce the risk of aggression significantly.

 

[getreefed]

so i now have a IM 60g aio sitting in my house. (was talked into the bigger one by my wife when buying the 50g)

previous stock list got adjusted quite a bit and have some questions.

stock plan:
-1x maroon OR tomato clown?
-1x carpenter wrasse? flame/longnose hawkfish?
-1x melanurus wrasse
-1x blue sapphire damsel
-1x green clown coby
-1x midas blenny
-1x royal gramma
-1x banggai cardinalfish
-1x black-axil chromis
-1x wheeler's shrimp goby
-1x randall's pistol shrimp

cuc:
-1x scarlet skunk shrim
-5x nassarius snail
-5x spiny star astraea snail
-5x trochus snail
-5x assorted hermits

1. will a maroon or tomato clown work somehow in this set up?
2. that carpenter wrasse is going to be scared out of its mind in this tank isn't it? would a flame or longnose hawkfish work instead?
3. any suggestion on fish to add to this tank or to replace the current stock plan with?

thanks again as always.

 

[Slocke]

so i now have a IM 60g aio sitting in my house. (was talked into the bigger one by my wife when buying the 50g)

previous stock list got adjusted quite a bit and have some questions.

stock plan:
-1x maroon OR tomato clown?

Maroons are nasty. Really really aggressive. Tomato is much better but a nice pair of ocellaris is my suggestion

-1x carpenter wrasse?

If added early could work. Or a small flasher wrasse?

flame/longnose hawkfish?

Longnose is less likely to bully but they all can be aggressive

-1x melanurus wrasse

Good

-1x blue sapphire damsel

Potentially aggressive

-1x green clown coby

Good

-1x midas blenny

Good

-1x royal gramma

Good

-1x banggai cardinalfish

I find them very boring but if you want

-1x black-axil chromis

Not worth it IMO and often carry disease

-1x wheeler's shrimp goby

Good

-1x randall's pistol shrimp

Good

cuc:
-1x scarlet skunk shrim
-5x nassarius snail
-5x spiny star astraea snail
-5x trochus snail
-5x assorted hermits

All good

1. will a maroon or tomato clown work somehow in this set up?

Definitely not the maroon

2. that carpenter wrasse is going to be scared out of its mind in this tank isn't it?

Not necessarily. It occupies a niche you have no competition in.

would a flame or longnose hawkfish work instead?

Hawkfish can be great or nasty. Some just like to kill

3. any suggestion on fish to add to this tank or to replace the current stock plan with?

A captive bred mandarin?

thanks again as always.

 

[predatorFishie]

1st did these fish just show up dead one day without any warning; no loss of appetite, flashing, swimming at the surface, cloudy eyes, breathing, etc? Where there any physical signs; abrasions, puncture wounds, signs of stress in any way? What size tank are we talking, have you tested for ammonia? Do you qt, if so what is your protocol? Did you get them from the same source? I hope you are not asking about getting a new fish before you figure this out, losing 3 fish in 2 weeks is not normal. You do not have any serial killers and overall should be a pretty agreeable bunch providing they are in a properly sized tank.

Sorry for the delayed response.
There were no signs from the Fox Face or Puffer, they were fine as far as i could tell. nothing out of the ordinary until they came up dead, no puncture wounds and eating fine (the other fish and snails eat them as soon as they die, so there were puncture wounds after that) as for the Wrasse, he was hiding in the rocks and when he did come out we noticed he had a huge chunk out of his side, which leads me to believe that he was attacked. I believe our tank is a good size. I am not 100% on the actual size. We have someone that comes and checks all the "numbers", as well as cleans the tank and he said the water is not the issue.
Side Note: this is my bosses tank and hes wanting to fully stock. I am just providing as much insight as i can to him in hopes he is not just doing whatever or getting bad advice.
I think maybe adding some coral would give him the effect hes looking for in terms of color and nice to look at.

 

[getreefed]

Maroons are nasty. Really really aggressive. Tomato is much better but a nice pair of ocellaris is my suggestion

If added early could work. Or a small flasher wrasse?

Longnose is less likely to bully but they all can be aggressive

Good

Potentially aggressive

Good

Good

Good

I find them very boring but if you want

Not worth it IMO and often carry disease

Good

Good

All good

Definitely not the maroon

Not necessarily. It occupies a niche you have no competition in.

Hawkfish can be great or nasty. Some just like to kill

A captive bred mandarin?

You know you're the MVP right?

On to the clowns, I've fawned over the tomato clown and from your response it did not sound completely out of the question. Anything I should keep an eye out for with adding a tomato, probably add him or the damselfish last as they are likely going to be the most aggressive?

Also, i don't plan on doing this but was wondering, will tomato's and oscellaris if kept in the same tank eventually kill eachother? i've read about keeping multiple clown species being a bad idea because of this and wondered if it also applied to the tomato and oscellaris.

 

[Slocke]

You know you're the MVP right?

On to the clowns, I've fawned over the tomato clown and from your response it did not sound completely out of the question. Anything I should keep an eye out for with adding a tomato, probably add him or the damselfish last as they are likely going to be the most aggressive?

I haven’t had a tomato but my maroon sits in a corner and likes to sometimes bite fish randomly in its corner. Not bad bites though. So I’d watch for that. They don’t chase down fish. They’re just aggressively defensive. But as I said a maroon is worse than a tomato.

Also, i don't plan on doing this but was wondering, will tomato's and oscellaris if kept in the same tank eventually kill eachother? i've read about keeping multiple clown species being a bad idea because of this and wondered if it also applied to the tomato and oscellaris.

Probably not going to work. Get two tomatoes but mixing most similar species is a bad idea. Clowns being one of the worst

 

[litsoh]

Looking to add a few more fish to my tank and I wanted to see if they would fit in well with the current inhabitants.

So far I have
2 Clowns
1 Exquisite Firefish
1 Royal Gramma
1 Flame Angel
1 Threadfin Butterfly
1 Yellow Longnose Butterfly

I'm looking to add
1 Exquisite Wrasse
1 McCosker's Wrasse
2-4 Banggai Cardinals
A small group of Anthias, not too sure which species would be best

A bit later down the line I'd like to add a Mandarin as well.

Does it look like everything will get along well?

 

[Slocke]

Looking to add a few more fish to my tank and I wanted to see if they would fit in well with the current inhabitants.

So far I have
2 Clowns
1 Exquisite Firefish
1 Royal Gramma
1 Flame Angel
1 Threadfin Butterfly
1 Yellow Longnose Butterfly

I'm looking to add
1 Exquisite Wrasse
1 McCosker's Wrasse
2-4 Banggai Cardinals
A small group of Anthias, not too sure which species would be best

A bit later down the line I'd like to add a Mandarin as well.

Does it look like everything will get along well?

Tank size?

Wrasse are a good choice though I’d add the McCoskers before the exquisite.

The cardinals will bully each other. Get 1-2. Also being nocturnal they are not very interesting fish.

Anthias are a fish I think only work singly or in big groups. Like more then 5. I would get one and then add more wrasse. A blue flasher, lubbocks fairy, ruby longfin etc

 

[litsoh]

Tank size?

Wrasse are a good choice though I’d add the McCoskers before the exquisite.

The cardinals will bully each other. Get 1-2. Also being nocturnal they are not very interesting fish.

Anthias are a fish I think only work singly or in big groups. Like more then 5. I would get one and then add more wrasse. A blue flasher, lubbocks fairy, ruby longfin etc

It's a 125 gallon fowlr tank, so even with the current stock I'd say there's a little more space.

For Anthias I was thinking a trio.

I would be okay to add in more wrasse?

 

[Slocke]

It's a 125 gallon fowlr tank, so even with the current stock I'd say there's a little more space.

For Anthias I was thinking a trio.

5-10 or just one. Otherwise they will bully each other to death. You need to spread that aggression out. Also need very regular feedings.

I would be okay to add in more wrasse?

Yeah. In a 125 you could easily have 10. Just don’t mix species. Fairies, flashers, Halichoeres, and leopards all mix well.

 

[ErikVR]

I'm wondering if my system could house a purple tang.
It's a red sea reefer 625xxl. I have 3 large fish (or with the potential to become large). A foxface, blue tang and a white tail bristletooth tang. Will the purple tang grow too large for my tank?

 

[litsoh]

Yeah. In a 125 you could easily have 10. Just don’t mix species. Fairies, flashers, Halichoeres, and leopards all mix well.

As in only get one kind of flasher for example or were you talking conspecifics?

 

[Slocke]

As in only get one kind of flasher for example or were you talking conspecifics?

You can get multiple of any genera just not multiple of the same species. For example you could get a carpenter’s flasher and a blue flasher but I’d advise against two carpenters.

 

[Slocke]

I'm wondering if my system could house a purple tang.
It's a red sea reefer 625xxl. I have 3 large fish (or with the potential to become large). A foxface, blue tang and a white tail bristletooth tang. Will the purple tang grow too large for my tank?

Sorry not a tang person

 

[litsoh]

You can get multiple of any genera just not multiple of the same species. For example you could get a carpenter’s flasher and a blue flasher but I’d advise against two carpenters.

Oh I see, would an acclimation box be recommended if I add new wrasse in with already established ones or do they all generally play nice

 

[Slocke]

Oh I see, would an acclimation box be recommended if I add new wrasse in with already established ones or do they all generally play nice

Yes. An acclimation box always helps a lot.

 

[Fishy Guy]

I'm working on the stocking list for an IM 25 lagoon I'm setting up.

Pair of clowns (Ocellaris or Percula)
Tailspot Blenny
Yellow Watchman Goby w/ Pistol Shrimp
Pink Streaked Wrasse
Court Jester Goby

Not sure if that would be overstocked. Some alternatives we've looked at are Royal Gramma and Yellowtail or Pavu Damsel.

I'm new to saltwater tanks so would appreciate advice on CUC too - types and numbers to start.