captive bred stocking for a 180

kstripp · Feb 27, 2021

Hi Everyone,

It is long overdue, but I'm finally looking to add more fish to my tank. I feel like I'm a bit unusual here in that I do not have a 'dream fish' that I want to keep, or even much of a specific list in mind. Mainly I just want a vibrant reef community. There are a couple constraints though - specifically in the form of a maroon clown and a purple tang, both of which came with the tank. From what I've heard, both can be aggressive. They both *mostly* leave the "aiptasia eating" file fish (surprise - he doesn't do that) alone, though the clown does make a dash at him every now and then.

So with that in mind, any suggestions for what I should add next? Ideally I'd like them to be fairly hardy (I am still pretty inexperienced here). If they can help contribute to the overall health of the tank (think algae eaters, sand sifters/detritus eaters, pest eaters, etc), that would be even better. I also only want to get captive bred fish, as sustainability is very important to us.

Right now I am looking at getting 2 - 3 Pavo Damsels - I've heard damsels in general can be aggressive but that supposedly the Pavo is peaceful? Will they probably be OK with the clown and tang?

Any other suggestions?

Any advice is welcome

P-Dub · Feb 27, 2021

kstripp said:
Hi Everyone,

It is long overdue, but I'm finally looking to add more fish to my tank. I feel like I'm a bit unusual here in that I do not have a 'dream fish' that I want to keep, or even much of a specific list in mind. Mainly I just want a vibrant reef community. There are a couple constraints though - specifically in the form of a maroon clown and a purple tang, both of which came with the tank. From what I've heard, both can be aggressive. They both *mostly* leave the "aiptasia eating" file fish (surprise - he doesn't do that) alone, though the clown does make a dash at him every now and then.

So with that in mind, any suggestions for what I should add next? Ideally I'd like them to be fairly hardy (I am still pretty inexperienced here). If they can help contribute to the overall health of the tank (think algae eaters, sand sifters/detritus eaters, pest eaters, etc), that would be even better. I also only want to get captive bred fish, as sustainability is very important to us.

Right now I am looking at getting 2 - 3 Pavo Damsels - I've heard damsels in general can be aggressive but that supposedly the Pavo is peaceful? Will they probably be OK with the clown and tang?

Any other suggestions?

Any advice is welcome

Damsels are pretty aggressive, so that is an option. Some angels can be pretty tough as well. Other tangs such as a convict should do ok as well. It's always a gamble adding new fish to an established community, particularly when there are bullies.