90 Gallon Tank: Fish Stocking Ideas for Hawaii

[Liz HI]

In my 90 gallon saltwater tank I have a 20 gallon sump with a protein skimmer and refugium, 50 pounds of live rock and a marine pure block. Tank is fully cycled and the inverts have been through a fallow period.

I have some inverts including a purple cushion star, 3 Hawaiian feather dusters, a small/medium cleaner shrimp and hermit crabs.

Regarding the fish stocking I have a medium sized royal gramma, 2 ocellaris clownfish, 2 green chromis, 1 medium yellow tang, 1 medium diamond goby, 1.5 inch three-striped damsel, and a medium sized firefish in quarantine. They will be going into my display tank in a couple of weeks and have been through cp treatment and finishing the 2nd round of prazipro.

I'm just trying to get ideas for my fish stock list for my next group of fish in my quarantine system. I'm planning on adding a medium sized coral beauty angel, medium sized long nose hawkfish, and a banggai cardinal.

Looking for one or two more fish to add to my tank. Im leaning towards medium sized fish. I don't want a wrasse or a regal/hippo tang and I'm not looking for small fish under 2 inches. The fish need to be safe with the feather worms, starfish and a small cleaner shrimp. Not looking for aggressive fish and I don't want an eel. I would like to get a teardrop butterfly fish but I'm unsure about compatibility with the inverts.

Im pretty new to keeping a saltwater tank and I live in Hawaii so no corals allowed in my tank and a limited selection for fish. Any opinions on butterflyfish would be helpful. Any fish suggestions for my stocking list would be helpful. Thanks

 

[saltyhog]

I would think most butterfly fish would be a threat to feather dusters and most of them I know would not be appropriate in a 90 gallon. Pyramid butterfly fish are ok with inverts IME but they require a little bigger tank than yours.

The only medium size fish (excluding wrasses/hogfish) I can think of would be a small group of anthias?

I would also urge you to reconsider the 3 stripe damsel. They can get big and horribly mean/aggressive (much more often than not).

 

[Liz HI]

I did a little more research and got advice from other people and decided not to get any butterfly fish.

I’ve been watching the damsel in my quarantine system and I will most likely rehome the fish. I’m also worried that they will jump out of the tank.

Anthias need to be fed multiple times a day and I don’t think I can keep up with the feeding schedule.

 

[Pbh-reef]

Why don’t you want any wrasses? Their are many cool wrasses and fairy and flasher wrasses won’t bother your worms

 

[Liz HI]

Why don’t you want any wrasses? Their are many cool wrasses and fairy and flasher wrasses won’t bother your worms

I am using a cp treatment for quarantine. I’ve read that cp can’t be used on wrasse and hippo/regal tangs.

 

[saltyhog]

I've used CP successfully on several fairy wrasses. Copper Power with a Hanna checker is actually easier to do that CP. I've never had any problems with fish handling it.

 

[sp1187]

I have 4 lyretail anthias. I feed 3x over a 4 hour period nightly.
have had them over a year. they are healthy and happy. invert safe.

 

[Liz HI]

I've used CP successfully on several fairy wrasses. Copper Power with a Hanna checker is actually easier to do that CP. I've never had any problems with fish handling it.

Does the cp affect certain wrasses badly? I’m not sure of which wrasse can’t handle cp. I was tempted to try a potters wrasse in quarantine but I know they can be hard to feed and keep in an aquarium.

 

[Liz HI]

I have 4 lyretail anthias. I feed 3x over a 4 hour period nightly.
have had them over a year. they are healthy and happy. invert safe.

I might consider a single anthias in my tank. What do you feed your anthias? And how much do you feed the group of 4?

 

[sp1187]

I might consider a single anthias in my tank. What do you feed your anthias? And how much do you feed the group of 4?

I have around 2 dozen fish total in my tank.
I feed 3 cubes frozen, 1/2 tsp of pellets, & 1 teaspoon of fish eggs nightly.
cool thing with the anthias, all 4 were females when I purchased them. the dominate morphed to male.

 

[Liz HI]

I have around 2 dozen fish total in my tank.
I feed 3 cubes frozen, 1/2 tsp of pellets, & 1 teaspoon of fish eggs nightly.
cool thing with the anthias, all 4 were females when I purchased them. the dominate morphed to male.

Have you noticed the anthias getting picked on? And do you recommend them as a single, pair, trio, etc? The only anthias I see at my local fish stores are the Bartlett anthias. Any thoughts on those anthias in my tank?

 

[Jesterrace]

Bartlett's tend to be jerks so I would avoid them. Lyretail are a good choice, Dispair, Ignatus would also be good choices. Anthias prefer to be kept in at least small groups but I personally keep a female lyretail anthias by herself in my 90 gallon and she seems to do well. I have a coworker who has several female Lyretails and then has a Male Lyretail and the Male wants nothing to do with the females and prefers to be by itself. So who knows.

 

[Liz HI]

Bartlett's tend to be jerks so I would avoid them. Lyretail are a good choice, Dispair, Ignatus would also be good choices. Anthias prefer to be kept in at least small groups but I personally keep a female lyretail anthias by herself in my 90 gallon and she seems to do well. I have a coworker who has several female Lyretails and then has a Male Lyretail and the Male wants nothing to do with the females and prefers to be by itself. So who knows.

Ok. Thanks for the advice on the anthias. I will have to see if my local fish store can special order different types of anthias. Would a group of 3 or 4 be fine in my 90 gallon?