75% rule

[Jholli90]

Would one of these work in place of the tang? They are both rated 70 gal (I'm only 5 off) and from what I understand they may nip at hard stony corals but not generally interested in soft. Has anyone had one?

 

[norfolkgarden]

Would one of these work in place of the tang? They are both rated 70 gal (I'm only 5 off) and from what I understand they may nip at hard stony corals but not generally interested in soft. Has anyone had one?

I don't know those butterflies in particular but all of them except for copper bands and pyramids are supposed to be bad about eating coral.

You were probably much better off with the flame angel fish.

You can purchase RODS reef food through the mail now.
It is supposed to be all that and the kitchen sink.
We just started using it this week. Fish are slightly fatter?
Seems to be a great thing.

Only problem for me is most of our fish are *tiny*. About 15% of the food that's just too big for all except 4 fish. Those 4 were not missing any meals already.
[emoji6]

Feeding Rods may help with the flame Angele fish being perfectly well fed.

 

[norfolkgarden]

With most of your fish it sounds like you are heading towards a perfect aggressive community tank.

They will all be similarly grumpy and capable of holding their own with each other.
Lol, just don't try to add a firefish to this group.
[emoji4]

 

[Jholli90]

With most of your fish it sounds like you are heading towards a perfect aggressive community tank.

They will all be similarly grumpy and capable of holding their own with each other.
Lol, just don't try to add a firefish to this group.
[emoji4]

I was aiming for semi-aggresive lol. I don't want constant fighting, and stressing each other out. Just able to back themselves up if need be. Since the tang is probably a no-go, I wanted something of similar body style and personality.

 

[norfolkgarden]

"My stock list is.
1. Yellow watchman ( already have)
2. Chalk bass (already have)
3. Black combtooth blenny
4. Royal Gramma
5. Melanarus wrasse
6. Flame angel
7. Tomini tang
8. Azure damsel OR blue reef chromis"

Never had a watchman. Think they are reasonably tough?

Man, I can't believe I'm thinking this, let alone saying it....
I hate pistol shrimp with a whote hot passion.
BUT if you can be certain you are getting a Randalls pistol that stays tiny they could make a neat pair.
Lol, DON'T get a 'red' pistol shrimp. You will hate me for even bringing up the idea.
[emoji849]

Chalk bass. Same family as the Royal gramma. Could work fine but can't say. They will probably each end up at opposite ends of the 4' tank.
Use a good bit of rock so everyone has homes.

No experience with the blennies. Heard good things. Pretty tough.

Royal gramma - love them. Doing a harem of 8 right now. Only 2 months experience. So far ok.

Mel, flame angel, azure
Lol, toss up on who is more annoying. Tiny azure damsels are probably the nicest. Tiny flame angel fish are also pretty nice. For a while.

Lol, you 'need' to explore Liveaquaria reef safe wrasse and see if anything strikes you before adding Mel.
A yellow 'coris' wrasse is a must have bullet proof fish and as pretty as a yellow tang. Definitely before Mel.

Had one of each for years and they were both great.

Fairy and flasher wrasse before Mel.
Lol, don't forget to leave room for Mel, just add a large one last.

Other options
Flame hawkfish OR
Longnose hawkfish, not both in that small a tank.

Anthias rentals
Read a lot first!

Any of the smaller hawk fish if that's what strikes you more than the flame or the longnose. All are pretty cool.

Not a 6 line wrasse. Mel and the yellow 'coris' should cover pest patrol.

Live aquaria has a setting for under 70 gallons in their search options.
Spend a couple hours wandering through that and see what strikes you.
[emoji4]

 

[norfolkgarden]

Lol, tang "personality" is an oxymoron for all of the smaller ones.

A........

Jerk

Etc.

You haven't missed anything personality wise.

I had to drop down to a 1.5" yellow tang to attempt one that wasn't a jerk to our 2.25" copperband.

It came in emaciated. Now that it is recovering it is starting to be a jerk already.
Might not last a year if it gets more annoying.

Copperband butterfly is "1st fish" of the tank. Even if I have to prop it up to keep it that way.
[emoji6]

 

[mta_morrow]

Our hermit crabs are fine and you would want to get a large fire shrimp or a large cleaner shrimp and a small flame hawk and that still wouldn't be completely guaranteed.
But ours have been fine.

It's an absolutely beautiful fish but it's a completely different color than the orange of the angelfish.
They are very complimentary of each other.
The flame hawk was not one of the fish the angelfish was capable of bullying.

The 3 azure damsels should also do ok with the flame angelfish.

As a personal preference I would never get another chromos or blue chromis in my life.

Just curious as why you wouldn’t get another blue chromis. I have always had 1 and haven’t had a problem. I think their color and movement add a lot to a tank.

Again...... just curious?

 

[norfolkgarden]

Just curious as why you wouldn’t get another blue chromis. I have always had 1 and haven’t had a problem. I think their color and movement add a lot to a tank.

Again...... just curious?

Tried the blue chromis several times and none of them ever thrived. Absolutely love the blue and black markings. Always tried 3 or 4 at a time. But even the last one died.
Maybe I should have stuck with just 1 to begin with?
[emoji848]

Blue green chromis like to play "7 becomes 1" way too much.
I got tired of that too.

Lol, just like anthias.
The most absolutely gorgeous fish I have ever seen on the planet.
Love the purple and yellow ones.
But there is no need for me to kill any more of them.
[emoji53]
Never could get the diet right.

When I finally have a 300 gallon tank I want to finally have a happy healthy hippo tang.
[emoji17]

Lots of other fish are pretty sturdy. I need to stick with those for my tanks in the future.

 

[mta_morrow]

Tried the blue chromis several times and none of them ever thrived. Absolutely love the blue and black markings. Always tried 3 or 4 at a time. But even the last one died.
Maybe I should have stuck with just 1 to begin with?
[emoji848]

Blue green chromis like to play "7 becomes 1" way too much.
I got tired of that too.

Lol, just like anthias.
The most absolutely gorgeous fish I have ever seen on the planet.
Love the purple and yellow ones.
But there is no need for me to kill any more of them.
[emoji53]
Never could get the diet right.

When I finally have a 300 gallon tank I want to finally have a happy healthy hippo tang.
[emoji17]

Lots of other fish are pretty sturdy. I need to stick with those for my tanks in the future.

Thanks!

I’m following your gramma harem closely.

I’m really hoping it works out for you

 

[norfolkgarden]

Me too. [emoji4] So far so good.
6 on the right and 2 on the left.

Big Poppa makes the trip over to the left at least once a day to remind everyone whose boss.
[emoji848]

Otherwise doing good.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Many years ago - an old freshwater recommendation. We have to account for rock/scape, potential/max fish growth and length and width when stocking certain species such as groupers, etc.

If that were a rule, I'd be in trouble:

 

[Jholli90]

"My stock list is.
1. Yellow watchman ( already have)
2. Chalk bass (already have)
3. Black combtooth blenny
4. Royal Gramma
5. Melanarus wrasse
6. Flame angel
7. Tomini tang
8. Azure damsel OR blue reef chromis"

Never had a watchman. Think they are reasonably tough?

Man, I can't believe I'm thinking this, let alone saying it....
I hate pistol shrimp with a whote hot passion.
BUT if you can be certain you are getting a Randalls pistol that stays tiny they could make a neat pair.
Lol, DON'T get a 'red' pistol shrimp. You will hate me for even bringing up the idea.
[emoji849]

Chalk bass. Same family as the Royal gramma. Could work fine but can't say. They will probably each end up at opposite ends of the 4' tank.
Use a good bit of rock so everyone has homes.

No experience with the blennies. Heard good things. Pretty tough.

Royal gramma - love them. Doing a harem of 8 right now. Only 2 months experience. So far ok.

Mel, flame angel, azure
Lol, toss up on who is more annoying. Tiny azure damsels are probably the nicest. Tiny flame angel fish are also pretty nice. For a while.

Lol, you 'need' to explore Liveaquaria reef safe wrasse and see if anything strikes you before adding Mel.
A yellow 'coris' wrasse is a must have bullet proof fish and as pretty as a yellow tang. Definitely before Mel.

Had one of each for years and they were both great.

Fairy and flasher wrasse before Mel.
Lol, don't forget to leave room for Mel, just add a large one last.

Other options
Flame hawkfish OR
Longnose hawkfish, not both in that small a tank.

Anthias rentals
Read a lot first!

Any of the smaller hawk fish if that's what strikes you more than the flame or the longnose. All are pretty cool.

Not a 6 line wrasse. Mel and the yellow 'coris' should cover pest patrol.

Live aquaria has a setting for under 70 gallons in their search options.
Spend a couple hours wandering through that and see what strikes you.
[emoji4]

You have been supper helpful. Thank you for putting up with all my questions lol I like the hawkfish, but I really like my crustaceans and shrimp. I have a pretty honest LFS, so I might be able to get a real pistol shrimp if I wanted one. Why don't you like them?

I've been doing more research. (it seems never ending lol). I'm posting my new lineup here, bc I never got an answer on the other thread. Please bear with me :)

1. Yellow watchman
2. Chalk bass
3. Black combtooth blenny
4. Lemon butterfly (traded the tang)
5. Royal gramma
6. Red velvet fairy wrasse (traded the mel.)
7. Blue reef chromis (just 1)
8. Flameback angel (traded the flame)

The only semi aggressive fish are the chalk bass and the flame back. The rest are peaceful.

 

[Jholli90]

Many years ago - an old freshwater recommendation. We have to account for rock/scape, potential/max fish growth and length and width when stocking certain species such as groupers, etc.

If that were a rule, I'd be in trouble:

I thought it sounded crazy, that's why I posted it. I think we would all be in trouble if it were true lol

 

[norfolkgarden]

Many years ago - an old freshwater recommendation. We have to account for rock/scape, potential/max fish growth and length and width when stocking certain species such as groupers, etc.

If that were a rule, I'd be in trouble:

Beautiful tank!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Beautiful tank!

Thank you- a few additions here

 

[Jholli90]

That u

Thank you- a few additions here

That is a gorgeous tank

 

[norfolkgarden]

You have been supper helpful. Thank you for putting up with all my questions lol I like the hawkfish, but I really like my crustaceans and shrimp. I have a pretty honest LFS, so I might be able to get a real pistol shrimp if I wanted one. Why don't you like them?

I've been doing more research. (it seems never ending lol). I'm posting my new lineup here, bc I never got an answer on the other thread. Please bear with me :)

1. Yellow watchman
2. Chalk bass
3. Black combtooth blenny
4. Lemon butterfly (traded the tang)
5. Royal gramma
6. Red velvet fairy wrasse (traded the mel.)
7. Blue reef chromis (just 1)
8. Flameback angel (traded the flame)

The only semi aggressive fish are the chalk bass and the flame back. The rest are peaceful.

Lol, yup, the research is never ending. After 6 years I still learn more in a year than I knew before.
Love R2R!

The "red" pistol shrimp made it to 2".

More research finally discovered this.



Lost the coolest inverts to the 'red' pistol shrimp. Possibly a few small fish.
[emoji53]

 

[Jholli90]

Lol, yup, the research is never ending. After 6 years I still learn more in a year than I knew before.
Love R2R!

The "red" pistol shrimp made it to 2".

More research finally discovered this.



Lost the coolest inverts to the 'red' pistol shrimp. Possibly a few small fish.
[emoji53]

That is pretty awesome but I do not want one. Goby can make it on his own lol

 

[Kelso]

Regarding what others have said.... I don't believe there is a hard fast rule. Everything depends on your filtration, water flow and nutrient export. Would only make minor additions and then let the tank acclimate accordingly. Remember if you are adding fish there is also an increased bio load due to feeding.
With that said I have, in the past tried to rush the additions due to impulse buys only to have various unwanted outbreaks.
Recommend going slowly and utilizing a quarantine whenever possible. The ecosystem you are striving for does not happen overnight and stability goes a long way towards headache and maintenance prevention.
Just my $0.02 though.

One last comment...
I utilize snails in all my tanks.... maybe one or two.... or maybe 15, depends on the setup. I strive for diversity since no single life form in my tanks draws specific attention... except the seahorses, that that's another topic entirely.

 

[Holly B]

Ya I did the ugly stuff. It went away. No drama

Really struggling with the camera stuff.

How did you get rid of the bubble algae....I have a problem...I stupidly bought a yellow wrasse based on my lfs advice that I have used and trusted for years now but never investigated the fish myself....well come to find out it ate ALL of my snails...crabs... and peppermint shrimp....sooo I now have no cuc to help battle the bubble algae and aiptasia...now thinking I may have to take fish back if I can't find an alternative to getting rid of these 2 pests...I have tried aiptasia x to no avail...any suggestions?