300 Gallon Stock list

[PhantomHalo]

Hello, been on here creepin for a while and just picked up a 300 gallon tank to build. I’ve had reef tanks in the past and currently have a small biocube that is set up as a softies/LPS tank. Anyway, I’m setting up this 300 gallon (6’x3’deepx28”tall) as a tank that can house things I can’t put in a normal reef tank such as puffers, large angels, lions, etc. I’m not planning on putting any eels in there but would like to keep the tank with a reef touch by adding cheaper softies that I don’t care about getting eaten or nipped at. My tentative stock list is below. Questions are, can you have puffers and lions together? Lions and triggers? Puffers and triggers? Are puffers (thinking golden antheron or Stars and Stripes) okay with smaller reef fish like wrasses and clowns? Sorry for the million questions. Just trying to make the wife and kids happy with the stock list and keep some reef features too. Lol

Stock list:
Puffer and/or lion
Emperor or Queen Angel
Flame angel
3 tangs: clown, powder brown, yellow
Harlequin tusk
Maroon clowns
Dragon wrasse
Triggers: blue jaw, pink tail or crosshatch

Thanks all!

 

[Han]

Hello, been on here creepin for a while and just picked up a 300 gallon tank to build. I’ve had reef tanks in the past and currently have a small biocube that is set up as a softies/LPS tank. Anyway, I’m setting up this 300 gallon (6’x3’deepx28”tall) as a tank that can house things I can’t put in a normal reef tank such as puffers, large angels, lions, etc. I’m not planning on putting any eels in there but would like to keep the tank with a reef touch by adding cheaper softies that I don’t care about getting eaten or nipped at. My tentative stock list is below. Questions are, can you have puffers and lions together? Lions and triggers? Puffers and triggers? Are puffers (thinking golden antheron or Stars and Stripes) okay with smaller reef fish like wrasses and clowns? Sorry for the million questions. Just trying to make the wife and kids happy with the stock list and keep some reef features too. Lol

Stock list:
Puffer and/or lion
Emperor or Queen Angel
Flame angel
3 tangs: clown, powder brown, yellow
Harlequin tusk
Maroon clowns
Dragon wrasse
Triggers: blue jaw, pink tail or crosshatch

Thanks all!

I’m by no means experienced, but I’ve had issues keeping puffers and lions together. I know many people do it but my valentini puffer often annoys my radiata lionfish to the point where the lion will charge the puffer. The puffer hasn’t been stung yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get stung eventually, which is one of the reasons I’m moving the lion. From what I hear triggers can bother lions too, but I don’t have any firsthand experience with triggers.

 

[lion king]

1st glance all of those will work with an asterisk by the angels. Those are likely 2 of the most aggressive angels and much care and consideration must be taken. The queen can get down right dangerous and personally I like to see them end up in something closer to a 500g. Some of your choices may end up a notch on her belt. The emporer is a hit or miss and will likely end up the king of the tank, getting one in transition is a safer bet than a larger adult. Raising a juvi can be fun but frustrating for me, it may take forever, like years to fully transition. But a tank raised emporer many times ends up a great tank mate.

The triggers you've chosen are some of the most laid back, in a 300g you should have no trouble that can't be handled, sometimes the males may get into it. Seems like the male bluejaw is always in the middle. It usually doesn't end that badly, they usually work it out.

I've had both of those puffers with my lions and triggers much more aggressive than the ones you have chosen. I'm sure you are talking volitan lion, which is the lion I would recommend for your mix. No body messes with my big boy volitan and I currently have a yellow belly dogface.

Proper sizing is very important to thwart aggression and the lion will eat what ever it can get down. I would suggest against the queen angel and would add the emporer last. Your tangs might be best going in together and I would likely add the bluejaw(I;m sure you are thinking male) and the pinktail together.

Don't plan on keeping much of a cuc, this never bothers me. I add some after bedtime and restocking is inexpensive.

 

[PhantomHalo]

Thanks all for the replies! With regards to the lions, I was thinking of a fu Manchu or fuzzy dwarf. Hoping their smaller size would help dissuade them from going after any maroon clowns I may try to put in there. As far as triggers, do you think I have room for all 3? I was thinking two but not sure if they’d just be chasing each other all the time. Hoping 3 would help curb that behavior. CUC isn’t an issue. I don’t mind dropping $60 a month throwing snails and crabs in there so they have some natural food too. Is there anything else you’d add into the tank? Not sure what else I can throw in with these guys. More tangs? I’ll more than likely go with the Emperor. The Queen is out due to the aggressiveness. I was reading more on them and I don’t think it’ll work out. They’re beautiful, but not worth the headache. Would that be the only large angel you’d put in there? Any other dwarfs? Thanks again!

 

[lion king]

Due to the challenges in feeding I wouldn't recommend a dwarf lion, especially a fu manchu. If you are very dedicated you may get away with a fuzzy, although most don't have long term success in an aggressive feeding tank. Either way all lions need to be target fed but the volitan is the best suited for your tank, so do a little research on feeding lions. I don't have alot experience with the crosshatch, but they are a deep water fish and do have challenges, and they almost always come in pretty large. The crosshatch and the bluejaw do come from the same genus, which sometimes does present problems with male aggression. Maybe a pair of bluejaws, just make sure the female is well over 4" as not to end up with 2 males. Maybe check out the Rhinecanthus genus triggers, they usually play well. The majestic angel is a great fish that somehow fits in with other angels, they have adult coloring at a small size, grow rather slowly, and mostly play well with others. I would go with a majestic rather than another dwarf. Tangs aren't my specialty but the clown tang can be quite aggressive toward other tangs.

Another point, the tusk many times doesn't play well with other wrasses; and they are definitely a fav.

 

[PhantomHalo]

Thanks for the advice! I will check out the volitans. I’m a big fan of the humu humu/Picasso triggers. Just didn’t know how they’d do with those thank mates. I’ll look into the Majestic angel too. So just one dwarf angel I that tank then or bag that idea all together? What about butterfly fish? Like a Pakistani butterfly?

 

[lion king]

With the exception of the racoon butterfly, most butterfly don't do well with an aggressive feeding tank. You have alot of options with the 300g and you are on track for a really nice line up. You should post in the Fish Discussion to get more exposure and alot more feedback, this discussion gets overlooked many times.

 

[PhantomHalo]

Will do! Thank you very much for your time and help!