2,600 to 3,800 gallon display, how would you stock it? (Or what single fish do you have to have in your DT?)

[McPuff]

I would have a LOT of fish in there. Large tangs for sure and many of them. Lots of angelfish. Several triggers (mostly Rhinecanthus but also niger, pinktail, and a couple crosshatch if I could find them for under $500 of course). I'd add 2-3 Arothron puffers, probably guinea fowl and golden. Dozens of wrasses of all shapes and sizes, though I'd stick with "reef safe" varieties. Mostly fairies. Lots of gobies and blennies. Several hawkfish! I think a small group of semilarvatus butterflies would complete the stocking list.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Alright nice and simple heres how I would stock it:
1-2 epaulette sharks
A black tip reef shark, small which I would switch out if it got too big
A big school of tangs, probably just yellow or powder blue, unless i was able to get a whole bunch of achilles.
Then I would do a clown family with a huge anemone as not too be bothered.
Some cleaner wrasses for the sharks.
Oh and a panther grouper. Or a bumblebee grouper. Something big.
Also I have to be able to scuba or snorkel in the tank. id probably add more fish eventually these are the only ones I could think of.

 

[Bepis]

Alright nice and simple heres how I would stock it:
1-2 epaulette sharks
A black tip reef shark, small which I would switch out if it got too big
A big school of tangs, probably just yellow or powder blue, unless i was able to get a whole bunch of achilles.
Then I would do a clown family with a huge anemone as not too be bothered.
Some cleaner wrasses for the sharks.
Oh and a panther grouper. Or a bumblebee grouper. Something big.
Also I have to be able to scuba or snorkel in the tank. id probably add more fish eventually these are the only ones I could think of.

Black tips need a much larger system. In 10000-30000g range. I would never put one in a tank this size. Nearly torture

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Black tips need a much larger system. In 10000-30000g range. I would never put one in a tank this size. Nearly torture

understood

 

[Crustaceon]

According to this forum, you might have just enough room for a mandarin, but you’ll still have to seed your tank every week with pods.

 

[Bepis]

According to this forum, you might have just enough room for a mandarin, but you’ll still have to seed your tank every week with pods.

 

[reefdoink]

In a 2500+ gallon tank some show stoppers that get big would a must.

1. Clown Trigger

2. Emperor Angel

3. Sweet lips pair

4. Queen Anthias 6 or more

5. Labout's Fairy Wrasse Terminal Phase Male (Probably the most expensive $500+ normally)

6. Desjardin's Sailfin Tang

I love inverts, so probably anemone crabs, tuxedo urchins, horseshoe crabs, maybe a sea cucumber or two.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

According to this forum, you might have just enough room for a mandarin, but you’ll still have to seed your tank every week with pods.

To be honest a mandarin species specific, 3,000g tank would be super cool. Imagine just live rock with a LOT of mandarins of all colors XD

 

[tautog83]

I got my labouts fully quarantined for 200.. but to answer the post . . 20 to 30 of whatever anthias you wanted .
2 pairs of blue jaw triggers , 2 pairs of sargassum trigger. 1 pair of cross hatch triggers, 3, Achilles tangs , 3 purple tangs , 3 or 4 golden butterfly , 3 of whatever other butterfly you want . Emperor , majestic , regal , pair of swallowtail Angel's, pair of masked swallow tails, pair of bellus . Some random hawk fish and blennies and done

 

[Crustaceon]

To be honest a mandarin species specific, 3,000g tank would be super cool. Imagine just live rock with a LOT of mandarins of all colors XD

I would imagine they would have enough room to set up individual territories. Also, they can get MUCH bigger in a larger tank. They had one at scripps that had to be 6” long. It was one fat mandarin.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

I would imagine they would have enough room to set up individual territories. Also, they can get MUCH bigger in a larger tank. They had one at scripps that had to be 6” long. It was one fat mandarin.

I saw one at my LFS one time, probably a large male, at least 4 inches. AT LEAST

 

[Jpconer]

My current tank, an eight foot 450 is the largest I can reasonably keep in my current house. I have mused about a much larger tank once I retire. Still a few years off, and who knows what the future will bring, but I’ve thought about something in the range of 16’x5’x3’ ..... nominally 1,800 gallons.

I’d aquascape it in such a way that there would be a lot of open sand and a lot of swimming room. I have always wanted to have a group of Naso tangs across a few of the available species. Vlamingi and unicornis certainly.

I have a 450 fowlr as well....honestly , the max I'd go to would be a 10'L x 3'W x 3.5'H - approx 750g cuz I know my limitations of what I could actually service myself

 

[Dark_Knightt]

I have a 450 fowlr as well....honestly , the max I'd go to would be a 10'L x 3'W x 3.5'H - approx 750g cuz I know my limitations of what I could actually service myself

well thought out. at some point we would all get tired of cleaning something THAT big. Unless I had a scuba suit. Then i would gladly do it XD. Or we could get automatic glass cleaners. Has that been invented yet? *dang it someones gonna steal this idea XD*