Best centerpiece fish for custom 125g tank?

[Zionas]

Thanks! However from your experience how many of these larger angels reach their “advertised” sizes when fully grown?

Like would you expect a 10” fish to get to 9-10” or top out more at 7-8”?

 

[OrionN]

Regal angel does not grow very fast. My pair are about 2.5 inches after 4 years. Slightly larger than my maximum size male Flame angel. They started out at 1 inch. The Flame Angels grew quickly. Only recently the Regal surpass the Flame angel size. I am sure the Regal will continue to grow but from experiences, they take a long, long time to grow to 4-5 inches.

 

[CMMorgan]

Swimmers, hardy, tons of personality. Currently I have 5 beautiful triggers in my reef tank.

HD - mind blown!! What size tank is that? You are challenging my conception of reef compatibility and size. Do you have a stock list of your inhabitants? I always thought Triggers needed the monster 300 gallon reefs. Wouldn't 125 be too small?

 

[Scdell]

Pretty much what you're happy with. Everyone has their own opinion. Mine is a pair of Lamarks. Male and female.

 

[Zionas]

So what do you think is maximum expected size of Regal Angel? Do you think will eventually outgrow my tank?

And you think maximum size of Foxface in our tanks is about 7.5-8”? Thanks.

 

[HB AL]

HD - mind blown!! What size tank is that? You are challenging my conception of reef compatibility and size. Do you have a stock list of your inhabitants? I always thought Triggers needed the monster 300 gallon reefs. Wouldn't 125 be too small?

92g Cadlights. I have a ton of rocks so they have lots of caves and caverns to retreat to. Some of the fish have stopped growing so its tim to start the new tank planning. Do to space constraints the biggest i can go is 187g, 60/30/24" or more likely a 60/30/30 which takes it to 233g.
My current and maxed out stock list is
Clown Trigger
Assasi trigger
Blueline trigger
Niger trigger
Pinktail trigger
Gold stripe maroon clown
Tomato clown
Yellow tang
Purple tang
Hippo tang
Ugly brown damsel
Bicolor Blenny
Harlequin Tusk

 

[OrionN]

Outerbank’s Regal have been in his tank for quite a few years and only about 4-5 inches or so when I saw it a few months ago.

 

[Cramsey]

I would suggest a pair of Crosshatch triggers. Amazing personality and just overall fun to watch. I have a pair of Blue Jaws in my mixed reef. I was skeptical at first but super glad I took the plunge. Start as small as you can get them tho.... like 1” to 1 1/2”

 

[Zionas]

Ahhh okay how long have you had yours and how big are they? Is starting small more because of how big they can get or something else?

 

[Zionas]

Yeah I think he’s had it for 11 years. Not sure how big his tank is. His Ocellaris pair is 28 I think. Really awesome seeing the ages of some of his fish. I will ask him more about his Regal.



Just to clarify you said for most of the smaller Acanthurus and Foxface 7.5-8” is about as big as they grow?

 

[Cramsey]

Ahhh okay how long have you had yours and how big are they? Is starting small more because of how big they can get or something else?

I’ve had mine for about 6 months. Start them small because that it greatly reduces the slight risk of them nipping corals and inverts. I also like watching them grow and gain their personality’s. I have a full cleanup crew from stars to a nudibranch and now issues. Actually my Tomini tang is the boss of the tank lol for now

 

[Cramsey]

Ahhh okay how long have you had yours and how big are they? Is starting small more because of how big they can get or something else?

They are about 2 1/2 inches

 

[OrionN]

Yeah I think he’s had it for 11 years. Not sure how big his tank is. His Ocellaris pair is 28 I think. Really awesome seeing the ages of some of his fish. I will ask him more about his Regal.



Just to clarify you said for most of the smaller Acanthurus and Foxface 7.5-8” is about as big as they grow?

My PBT is about 7.5-8 inches (4-5 years). I tape a 3X5 card in the front of the tank and use this to estimate the size of my fish today so this number is accurate. Regal 3 inches after 3 years. My previous Regal angel about 4 inches after 7 years. One spot Foxface was about 8 inches after 7 years

 

[CMMorgan]

92g Cadlights. I have a ton of rocks so they have lots of caves and caverns to retreat to. Some of the fish have stopped growing so its tim to start the new tank planning. Do to space constraints the biggest i can go is 187g, 60/30/24" or more likely a 60/30/30 which takes it to 233g.
My current and maxed out stock list is
Clown Trigger
Assasi trigger
Blueline trigger
Niger trigger
Pinktail trigger
Gold stripe maroon clown
Tomato clown
Yellow tang
Purple tang
Hippo tang
Ugly brown damsel
Bicolor Blenny
Harlequin Tusk

Wow - you have opened a door for consideration that I had not dared go through.... mind blown

 

[Zionas]

Then I guess it is reasonable that the PBT and Foxface have more or less reached their maximum size.

 

[HB AL]

Wow - you have opened a door for consideration that I had not dared go through.... mind blown

Obviously I have a trigger addiction. If you have any questions on keeping triggers in a reef tank, how to have them coexist, etc.... feel free to pm me. See ya AL

 

[User1]

92g Cadlights. I have a ton of rocks so they have lots of caves and caverns to retreat to. Some of the fish have stopped growing so its tim to start the new tank planning. Do to space constraints the biggest i can go is 187g, 60/30/24" or more likely a 60/30/30 which takes it to 233g.
My current and maxed out stock list is
Clown Trigger
Assasi trigger
Blueline trigger
Niger trigger
Pinktail trigger
Gold stripe maroon clown
Tomato clown
Yellow tang
Purple tang
Hippo tang
Ugly brown damsel
Bicolor Blenny
Harlequin Tusk

I have to say out of your tank choices I am biased towards the 60/30/30 since I'm 54/30/30 The 30" of height and depth is going to allow a lot of creative rock work and coral placement. Only thing I would recommend and I am sure already have is consider the stand height and your overall health today and tomorrow.

Only reason why I mention health is because when I designed my system I didn't factor in a hip replacement Young age but it happened and now ladder work isn't recommended and it has been a challenge ever since to add, rearrange, etc. Of course now I could probably extend the stand and add a sump higher along side but again I didn't factor that nugget in there

Nice selection of fish by the way.

 

[CMMorgan]

Obviously I have a trigger addiction. If you have any questions on keeping triggers in a reef tank, how to have them coexist, etc.... feel free to pm me. See ya AL

Many thanks! I will take you up on that. I'm not so sure if my tank has enough aggressive mates to go that route yet but I need to evaluate. The only aggressive fish in my tank is an Occellaris female named Glub. She is about 3" and she bullies my Yellow Tang, Hippo Tang and well everything else. My other clowns are chill. Maybe if I got the smallest trigger my LFS could find, I'd have a fighting chance.

 

[HB AL]

I have to say out of your tank choices I am biased towards the 60/30/30 since I'm 54/30/30 The 30" of height and depth is going to allow a lot of creative rock work and coral placement. Only thing I would recommend and I am sure already have is consider the stand height and your overall health today and tomorrow.

Only reason why I mention health is because when I designed my system I didn't factor in a hip replacement Young age but it happened and now ladder work isn't recommended and it has been a challenge ever since to add, rearrange, etc. Of course now I could probably extend the stand and add a sump higher along side but again I didn't factor that nugget in there

Nice selection of fish by the way.

Ya was already thinking of having the stand atleast 6 inches lower.

 

[HB AL]

Many thanks! I will take you up on that. I'm not so sure if my tank has enough aggressive mates to go that route yet but I need to evaluate. The only aggressive fish in my tank is an Occellaris female named Glub. She is about 3" and she bullies my Yellow Tang, Hippo Tang and well everything else. My other clowns are chill. Maybe if I got the smallest trigger my LFS could find, I'd have a fighting chance.

I dont see an issue adding a trigger to your current livestock. There's only one rule i have when keeping triggers, never ever put a QUEEN trigger in a tank that has other fish unless you want them all dead.