120 gal Stocklist Ideas

[ghartman1234]

So I recently purchased a 120 gallon tank and I am still planning what I’m gonna put into it when i get it up and running. I also want this tank to be a reef tank. Here is my plan so far:

-clownfish pair ?
-1 lawnmower blenny?
-1 flame or flameback or potters angel?
-1 coral beauty angel
-1 longnose hawkfish
-1 foxface
-1 red headed solon wrasse
-1 melanurus wrasse
-1 blue hippo tang
-1 naso tang or whitecheek tang
-1 sailfin tang
-1 tomini tang?
-2 snowflake eels

I am going to epoxy and glue my rocks down and maybe make a small PVC tunneling system for the eels. Also I am iffy on getting smaller fish such as clowns, blennies, or gobies because of the eels but if anyone has experience otherwise I’d like to have them if possible. I need help figuring out a order of adding these fish too so I can reduce aggression.
Any advise or alternate suggestions would be much appreciated
Thanks

 

[Aardvark1134]

Unless the tank is over 400 gallons I would not put all of these in the same tank
-1 blue hippo tang - 1ft
-1 naso tang -1.5ft
-1 sailfin tang - 1.25 ft
-1 tomini tang
-2 snowflake eels - 2 ft each (in wild 3.25ft)

 

[ghartman1234]

Thanks, do you have any reef safe alternative fish ideas? I’d like 2-3 tangs, some wrasse and some dwarf angels. I can do 1 snowflake if it makes it easier too. Just trying to plan out the best route.

 

[X-37B]

I agree with the above.
It really depends on what corals you want.
Most angels will eventually nip at corals.
In my 120 I have 6 blue green chromis, 1 clown, 1 lawnmower blenny, 1 pajama cardinal, 1 convict tang and 1 yellow wrasse. Once they all grow to full size I believe the tank will be maxed out on fish.
Had a cherub pygmy angel and had to take it out as much as I liked it.
I have 50+ corals.
Tanks only 7+ months old.

 

[sp1187]

scape could be a factor also. how much open swim area?

 

[ghartman1234]

Thanks so much for the input. I made some cuts to the list. Here’s what I got:
1 flame or flameback angel (or any pretty, reef safe dwarf angel), 1 coral beauty angel, 1 foxface, 1 red headed solon wrasse, 1 melanurus wrasse,1 naso tang, 1 sailfin tang, 1 tomini tang, 1 snowflake eel

(The few fish that I don’t want to alter are the snowflake, the sailfin, and foxface)

 

[X-37B]

Sounds good. Dwarf angels are hit and miss.
I really wanted a cherub.
It was fine for 4 months then started nipping.
Just be prepaired to use a fish trap to remove.
I feed my tank 4+ times a day and it still liked to pick at sps.

 

[X-37B]

Thanks so much for the input. I made some cuts to the list. Here’s what I got:
1 flame or flameback angel (or any pretty, reef safe dwarf angel), 1 coral beauty angel, 1 foxface, 1 red headed solon wrasse, 1 melanurus wrasse,1 naso tang, 1 sailfin tang, 1 tomini tang, 1 snowflake eel

(The few fish that I don’t want to alter are the snowflake, the sailfin, and foxface)

One more note: I wanted a sailfin but went with a convict after seeing a sailfin in a tank. They get big real fast and need a 6' tank minimum. My 120 was just to small imo.

 

[sp1187]

snowflakes like to explore outside the tank. get a good cover.

 

[jomatty]

Naso get huge! I had one in a 6’ tank once and it was not good within a year or so.

 

[ghartman1234]

Thanks, all of this information is incredibly helpful.

 

[Peach02]

-clownfish pair ?
-1 lawnmower blenny?
-1 flame or flameback or potters angel?
-1 coral beauty angel
-1 longnose hawkfish
-1 foxface
-1 red headed solon wrasse
-1 melanurus wrasse
-1 blue hippo tang
-1 naso tang or whitecheek tang
-1 sailfin tang
-1 tomini tang?
-2 snowflake eels

Most of this is good here is what I’d change though
- clownfish pair
- lawnmower blenny
- 1 flame flame back or potters angel Or coral beauty or 3 of the above
- longnose hawk
- foxface
- red headed wrasse
- melanarus wrasse
- lineatus wrasse
- bristletooth tang of some sort eg tommini
- one zebrasoma tang other than Sailfin because they get huge
- powder blue tang to get blue aswell instead of the blue tang because they get huge and you’ll have a swimmer like the Naso
- 1 snowflake eel if going fowlr or no inverts

 

[ghartman1234]

Ya i’m gonna go no inverts. No expensive dinners for the snowflake lol. I’ve heard of powder blues being really aggressive. Also if not a sailfin then a purple tang? Some aggression there too.

 

[X-37B]

Ya i’m gonna go no inverts. No expensive dinners for the snowflake lol. I’ve heard of powder blues being really aggressive. Also if not a sailfin then a purple tang? Some aggression there too.

I almost got a purple but the convict is so different looking and never stops swimming around the tank. Peaceful too.

 

[ghartman1234]

Could I trade the naso for a whitecheek tang?

 

[OrionN]

-clownfish pair ?
-1 lawnmower blenny?
-1 flame or flameback or potters angel?
-1 coral beauty angel
-1 longnose hawkfish
-1 foxface
-1 red headed solon wrasse
-1 melanurus wrasse
-1 blue hippo tang
-1 naso tang or whitecheek tang
-1 sailfin tang
-1 tomini tang?
-2 snowflake eels

I would avoid Hippo, Naso and Sailfin tang. The will get too large for a 120. I would get maybe three tangs. Which ever you want. Once you decided, we can come up with the order of adding. Keep them very well fed will decrease their aggression a lot. I would also avoid the eels. Too messy for a reef tank.
Which ever angels you select, I would add a harem of 2-3 instead of different species. Much more interesting to see spawn behaviors, plus this will confirm that you are taken good care of them.

 

[ghartman1234]

So I recently purchased a 120 gallon tank and I am still planning what I’m gonna put into it when i get it up and running. I also want this tank to be a reef tank. Here is my plan so far:

-clownfish pair ?
-1 lawnmower blenny?
-1 flame or flameback or potters angel?
-1 coral beauty angel
-1 longnose hawkfish
-1 foxface
-1 red headed solon wrasse
-1 melanurus wrasse
-1 blue hippo tang
-1 naso tang or whitecheek tang
-1 sailfin tang
-1 tomini tang?
-2 snowflake eels

I am going to epoxy and glue my rocks down and maybe make a small PVC tunneling system for the eels. Also I am iffy on getting smaller fish such as clowns, blennies, or gobies because of the eels but if anyone has experience otherwise I’d like to have them if possible. I need help figuring out a order of adding these fish too so I can reduce aggression.
Any advise or alternate suggestions would be much appreciated
Thanks

I think I figured it out guys
As much as I probably shouldn’t get the sailfin, it’s beautiful and I work at a LFS and we sometimes get some really small ones. If the sailfin gets too big I can always donate it back to my LFS or give it to someone with a larger tank. Here’s what I got:
-1 flame angel
-1 coral beauty angel
-1 foxface
-1 red headed solon fairy wrasse
-1 melanurus wrasse
-1 sailfin tang
-1 blue eye tomini tang
-1 snowflake eel

 

[Peach02]

Ya i’m gonna go no inverts. No expensive dinners for the snowflake lol. I’ve heard of powder blues being really aggressive. Also if not a sailfin then a purple tang? Some aggression there too.

My understanding is that powder blues are only agressive ones established towards new additions so I'd put it in last or the same time as the other tangs
And yes a purple would be good in a 120