120g Fish Plan questions - how many fish to add?

[GuppyHJD]

Hello,
I have a tank that is getting to the point I want to plan the fish to add and the order to add them. The tank currently has 12 corals that are starting to grow. The tank has six fish:
a) Two clown fish
b) one Coral Beauty angelfish
c) Two Bangi Cardinal fish
d) One Starry Blenny
e) One Yellow Headed Sleeper Goby (Do not see him much)

The list I have together of "wish" fish, is noticeably missing additional angel fish and butterfly fish. I want to add more "swimming fish - mid-water". I am thinking wrasse and anthiases.
This is the fish I am thinking in the "priority order".

a) Carpenter Wrasse (1 male, 2 female)
b) Powder Blue Tang (to be added last)
c) McCosker Wrasse (add 2 ?)
d) Helfrichi Fire Fish (one or two)
e) Excuisite Fairy Wrasse - African) ( 2 fish)
f) Purple Dottyback
g) Flame Hawkfish
h) Lyretail Anthias (three fish)
i) Cleaner Shrimp (two or three)
j) Blue Star Leopard Wrasse (one)
k)Yellow Candy Hogfish (alternative fish)
l) Orange Spot File Fish
m) Evansi Anthias (alternative to Lyretail Anthias)
n) Red-Lined Wrasse (1 male, 1 female) Alternative to two wrasse above)
o) Lineatus Wrasse (one) - Alternative to a wrasse above)
p) Banded Serpent Starfish (maybe)

So - what do I add, what not ?

 

[i cant think]

Hello,
I have a tank that is getting to the point I want to plan the fish to add and the order to add them. The tank currently has 12 corals that are starting to grow. The tank has six fish:
a) Two clown fish
b) one Coral Beauty angelfish
c) Two Bangi Cardinal fish
d) One Starry Blenny
e) One Yellow Headed Sleeper Goby (Do not see him much)

The list I have together of "wish" fish, is noticeably missing additional angel fish and butterfly fish. I want to add more "swimming fish - mid-water". I am thinking wrasse and anthiases.
This is the fish I am thinking in the "priority order".

a) Carpenter Wrasse (1 male, 2 female)
b) Powder Blue Tang (to be added last)
c) McCosker Wrasse (add 2 ?)
d) Helfrichi Fire Fish (one or two)
e) Excuisite Fairy Wrasse - African) ( 2 fish)
f) Purple Dottyback
g) Flame Hawkfish
h) Lyretail Anthias (three fish)
i) Cleaner Shrimp (two or three)
j) Blue Star Leopard Wrasse (one)
k)Yellow Candy Hogfish (alternative fish)
l) Orange Spot File Fish
m) Evansi Anthias (alternative to Lyretail Anthias)
n) Red-Lined Wrasse (1 male, 1 female) Alternative to two wrasse above)
o) Lineatus Wrasse (one) - Alternative to a wrasse above)
p) Banded Serpent Starfish (maybe)

So - what do I add, what not ?

With the wrasse I recommend:

- 1 Carpenter’s flasher,
- 1 McCocker’s flasher
- 1 Exquisite fairy,
- Blue Star Leopard,
- 1 Red lined.

(Never keep only two of the same species together, always have 1 male to two-five females)

Inverts you can have all the ones you would like (Avoid the green Brittle stars)

Then I think the PB tang would max out the tank

The only fish to avoid are:

- Orange spot filefish,
- Hognoses,
- Lineatus fairy wrasse (They can be aggressive with other fairy wrasse)

and fish that need extra care are:

- All Anthias (They need Atleast feedings a day)
- Hawkfish (This isn’t extra care but they can take to eating small inverts like shrimp)

the ‘nano’ fish in that list (Firefish, Dottybacks) will be fine, that ranks more than enough room for them

 

[blaxsun]

Solid list - looks great.

 

[GuppyHJD]

With the wrasse I recommend:

- 1 Carpenter’s flasher,
- 1 McCocker’s flasher
- 1 Exquisite fairy,
- Blue Star Leopard,
- 1 Red lined.

(Never keep only two of the same species together, always have 1 male to two-five females)

Inverts you can have all the ones you would like (Avoid the green Brittle stars)

Then I think the PB tang would max out the tank

The only fish to avoid are:

- Orange spot filefish,
- Hognoses,
- Lineatus fairy wrasse (They can be aggressive with other fairy wrasse)

and fish that need extra care are:

- All Anthias (They need Atleast feedings a day)
- Hawkfish (This isn’t extra care but they can take to eating small inverts like shrimp)

the ‘nano’ fish in that list (Firefish, Dottybacks) will be fine, that ranks more than enough room for them

Thank you very much.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I'd skip the purple dottyback and go with a captive-bred orchid dottyback pair. They've never been a problem in my tanks and are gorgeous.

The only filefish that I'd even remotely suggest would be a catpive-bred pygmy white spotted. While coral nipping is always a risk, I never noticed any in my tank, and they are wonderful to watch.

 

[GuppyHJD]

With the wrasse I recommend:

- 1 Carpenter’s flasher,
- 1 McCocker’s flasher
- 1 Exquisite fairy,
- Blue Star Leopard,
- 1 Red lined.

(Never keep only two of the same species together, always have 1 male to two-five females)

Inverts you can have all the ones you would like (Avoid the green Brittle stars)

Then I think the PB tang would max out the tank

The only fish to avoid are:

- Orange spot filefish,
- Hognoses,
- Lineatus fairy wrasse (They can be aggressive with other fairy wrasse)

and fish that need extra care are:

- All Anthias (They need Atleast feedings a day)
- Hawkfish (This isn’t extra care but they can take to eating small inverts like shrimp)

the ‘nano’ fish in that list (Firefish, Dottybacks) will be fine, that ranks more than enough room for them

I was thinking the three Carpenter's Wrasse would give me a M, F, F group.
I can see one of the each of the other.

 

[i cant think]

I was thinking the three Carpenter's Wrasse would give me a M, F, F group.
I can see one of the each of the other.

Yeah, multiple females with 1 male will work out (Just try add them at the same time otherwise it may not work out completely fine)

 

[Zionas]

I’d be very tempted to get 2 smaller Coral Beauties and form a harem.

Evansi might be more peaceful than Lyretails and shoal better but I’m not a big fan of the shoaling Anthias (more into the solitary / bigger species) so I can’t say for sure.

Flasher Wrasse trio might be worth a try. I’d get three small ones to make sure they’re still female.

Hawkfish sounds nice. Firefish generally don’t do well unless they’re a confirmed pair and we don’t know if they’re hermaphrodites.

By “Purple Dottyback” make sure you get an Orchid or Fridmani Dottyback. Magenta and Bicolor Dottybacks are very aggressive.

The rest sounds okay, Hogfish I’m not sure how it’ll do with other wrasses. The Filefish can be tough to get eating, the Leopard Wrasse should ideally have a pod population and I’d highly recommend buying it in person and seeing it feed.


I’d get only one species of Flasher Wrasse if you’re trying to form a trio. Not sure how 2 fairies of the same species get along but many people mix fairy wrasses successfully.

If you want a butterflyfish and you’re willing to risk corals, I would personally wait for a Captive Bred Milletseed from Biota. If you are willing to pay for more expensive fish, a Roaps butterfly (Burgess, Tinker’s, Declivis, Mitratus) would make a good addition. Prognathodes is yet another option, namely Prognathodes Aculeatus. The rest are either rare or require cooler water, that’s what I’ve heard.

 

[i cant think]

I’d be very tempted to get 2 smaller Coral Beauties and form a harem.

Evansi might be more peaceful than Lyretails and shoal better but I’m not a big fan of the shoaling Anthias (more into the solitary / bigger species) so I can’t say for sure.

Flasher Wrasse trio might be worth a try. I’d get three small ones to make sure they’re still female.

Hawkfish sounds nice. Firefish generally don’t do well unless they’re a confirmed pair and we don’t know if they’re hermaphrodites.

By “Purple Dottyback” make sure you get an Orchid or Fridmani Dottyback. Magenta and Bicolor Dottybacks are very aggressive.

The rest sounds okay, Hogfish I’m not sure how it’ll do with other wrasses. The Filefish can be tough to get eating, the Leopard Wrasse should ideally have a pod population and I’d highly recommend buying it in person and seeing it feed.


I’d get only one species of Flasher Wrasse if you’re trying to form a trio. Not sure how 2 fairies of the same species get along but many people mix fairy wrasses successfully.

If you want a butterflyfish and you’re willing to risk corals, I would personally wait for a Captive Bred Milletseed from Biota. If you are willing to pay for more expensive fish, a Roaps butterfly (Burgess, Tinker’s, Declivis, Mitratus) would make a good addition. Prognathodes is yet another option, namely Prognathodes Aculeatus. The rest are either rare or require cooler water, that’s what I’ve heard.

Flasher wrasse rarely come in female and if they do they will always change to male (if kept solitary) so chances of getting all 3 female flashers is low
Two fairys of the same species never works unless their two different variants
(I have two C. lubbocki but they work out because they’re from separate places and different colours, females of fairys will turn male no matter if there’s already a male in the tank)
In big enough tanks you can house multiple flashers of different species (Go to the wrasse lovers thread and you’ll see a ton of flashers with other flasher trios)

 

[Zionas]

To be honest I’m not that keen on Flasher Wrasses due to this reason plus their short lifespans and being overly skittish. What about Halichoeres, any better chances forming a pair or harem of them?

Are your two Lubbocki a male and female pair? Any spawning behavior?

 

[i cant think]

To be honest I’m not that keen on Flasher Wrasses due to this reason plus their short lifespans and being overly skittish. What about Halichoeres, any better chances forming a pair or harem of them?

Are your two Lubbocki a male and female pair? Any spawning behavior?

My two Lubbock’s are male but in the 100g (4’ thank) they’re fine, Halichoeres wrasses can form harems but it’s hard (Some of them are very bad shippers no matter what gender such as radiants)
All the common wrasse genuses have short lifespans (Fairies & flashers with 5-7 years)
The more boisterous fairies are aggressive b****** (Such as Scott’s)

 

[Zionas]

I see. Even Halichoeres don’t live that long? I know some can have a hard time during shopping but I’m mainly talking about the smaller, relatively peaceful species like the Yellow Coris (Canary) and the Red Lined. Do these have it any better when it comes to harem formation and shipping / care?

 

[GuppyHJD]

I’d be very tempted to get 2 smaller Coral Beauties and form a harem.

Evansi might be more peaceful than Lyretails and shoal better but I’m not a big fan of the shoaling Anthias (more into the solitary / bigger species) so I can’t say for sure.

Flasher Wrasse trio might be worth a try. I’d get three small ones to make sure they’re still female.

Hawkfish sounds nice. Firefish generally don’t do well unless they’re a confirmed pair and we don’t know if they’re hermaphrodites.

By “Purple Dottyback” make sure you get an Orchid or Fridmani Dottyback. Magenta and Bicolor Dottybacks are very aggressive.

The rest sounds okay, Hogfish I’m not sure how it’ll do with other wrasses. The Filefish can be tough to get eating, the Leopard Wrasse should ideally have a pod population and I’d highly recommend buying it in person and seeing it feed.


I’d get only one species of Flasher Wrasse if you’re trying to form a trio. Not sure how 2 fairies of the same species get along but many people mix fairy wrasses successfully.

If you want a butterflyfish and you’re willing to risk corals, I would personally wait for a Captive Bred Milletseed from Biota. If you are willing to pay for more expensive fish, a Roaps butterfly (Burgess, Tinker’s, Declivis, Mitratus) would make a good addition. Prognathodes is yet another option, namely Prognathodes Aculeatus. The rest are either rare or require cooler water, that’s what I’ve heard.

Thank you very much. This is very helpful

 

[GuppyHJD]

@evolved any input?
@eatbreakfast any input?

 

[vtecintegra]

Don't put a powder blue in a 120.

 

[GuppyHJD]

Don't put a powder blue in a 120.

Is there a tang you would recommend for a 120g tank?

 

[Zionas]

At most I’d do a small Zebrasoma (Purples can get a bit more aggressive) or a Bristletooth Tang (Tomini, Squaretail, Kole, White Tail, Two Spot).

And you’re welcome.

 

[i cant think]

Is there a tang you would recommend for a 120g tank?

If the tank is 5’ and has a 6’ diagonal then a PBT should be alright - just aggressive.
Alternative tangs are:
- Temporary home for a vampire/Orange shoulder (Will need atleast a 8’ by the end of it)
- Convict tangs (these are the most peaceful in the family and they don’t actually have the scalpel other tangs have)
- Any bristletooth tangs,
- Smaller Zebrasoma (As said above)

 

[i cant think]

If the tank is 5’ and has a 6’ diagonal then a PBT should be alright - just aggressive.
Alternative tangs are:
- Temporary home for a vampire/Orange shoulder (Will need atleast a 8’ by the end of it)
- Convict tangs (these are the most peaceful in the family and they don’t actually have the scalpel other tangs have)
- Any bristletooth tangs,
- Smaller Zebrasoma (As said above)

Also, with convict tangs you can keep multiple of them in the same tank if it’s big enough - These are probably the only tangs that allow the same spp in the same tank from the genus Acanthurus
Also, I know it says it’s missing butterfly fish and Angelfish, the angelfish I have is constantly swimming at the surface (Genecanthus melanospilos) because the Genicanthus angels are mostly reef safe, some of the more common ones aren’t always reef safe though