centerpiece fish for a 4ft tank

[krayzie]

HI guys

i am upgrading from a cube to a 4ft (1200x700x610mm) 135Gal tank and i'm starting to think of what centre piece fish(s) i could stock in it. i would like to have 1 or 2 confident fish that are active swimmers and have been considering:

foxface - unsure if the new tank is big enough
Bristletooth Tang - pushing the limit?
Scopas Tang - pushing the limit?
Lipstick Tang - i think the tank is too small for this?


Tankmates i will be bringing over are
pair clowns
lawn mower blenny
damsel
possum wrasse

lots of snails of all kinds
peppermint shrimps
cleaner shrimp

Corals
Predominantly acros with a goni and torch garden so probably rules out angels etc

please give me any suggestions on if the tangs/foxface are ok or should i look for something else!

thanks!

 

[littlefoxx]

HI guys

i am upgrading from a cube to a 4ft (1200x700x610mm) 135Gal tank and i'm starting to think of what centre piece fish(s) i could stock in it. i would like to have 1 or 2 confident fish that are active swimmers and have been considering:

foxface - unsure if the new tank is big enough
Bristletooth Tang - pushing the limit?
Scopas Tang - pushing the limit?
Lipstick Tang - i think the tank is too small for this?


Tankmates i will be bringing over are
pair clowns
lawn mower blenny
damsel
possum wrasse

lots of snails of all kinds
peppermint shrimps
cleaner shrimp

Corals
Predominantly acros with a goni and torch garden so probably rules out angels etc

please give me any suggestions on if the tangs/foxface are ok or should i look for something else!

thanks!

In a 4 foot tank I would look for something else. All those tangs get too big and need a lot of swimming room which your tank wouldnt have in the dimensions. Foxfaces also get very large very fast. It would outgrow your tank in a few months.

Cubes are hard because it puts a lot of active swimmers out due to the cramped space.

Have you looked into the dwarf angels at all? Those are smaller and would fit a lot better.

Or a small harm of anthias (2-3 females and one male)

 

[krayzie]

In a 4 foot tank I would look for something else. All those tangs get too big and need a lot of swimming room which your tank wouldnt have in the dimensions. Foxfaces also get very large very fast. It would outgrow your tank in a few months.

Cubes are hard because it puts a lot of active swimmers out due to the cramped space.

Have you looked into the dwarf angels at all? Those are smaller and would fit a lot better.

Or a small harm of anthias (2-3 females and one male)

Hi i am going from a cube 20G to a 4ft (1200x700x610mm). so no intention on putting anything in a 20g

do the dwarf angels like the taste for polyps?

 

[bradreef]

A one spot fox face would work.
Ide even say a yellow tang .
Ide look into a nice group of wrasses.mystery, leopard, flasher, fairy, ect.

 

[littlefoxx]

Hi i am going from a cube 20G to a 4ft (1200x700x610mm). so no intention on putting anything in a 20g

do the dwarf angels like the taste for polyps?

Yeah I know, Im saying as far as swim space for tangs its just not good. Maybe you could get a tomini or a biota yellow tang in the 4 foot, but they do best in 6 feet or longer because they like to swim in lines not loops. My two current tangs love the 8 foot room for them to swim and are out and about all the time

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

In a 4 foot tank I would look for something else. All those tangs get too big and need a lot of swimming room which your tank wouldnt have in the dimensions. Foxfaces also get very large very fast. It would outgrow your tank in a few months.

Cubes are hard because it puts a lot of active swimmers out due to the cramped space.

Have you looked into the dwarf angels at all? Those are smaller and would fit a lot better.

Or a small harm of anthias (2-3 females and one male)

These are the fish that I have in my 4ft tank. My Foxface is very large now, but is going to be near impossible to catch due to all of the SPS and me not wanting to break them. Everybody gets along great and makes for a very lively reef.

1 - Foxface Lo (Siganus Vulpinus)
1 - Tomini Tang (Ctenochaetus tominiensis)
1 - Six Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
1 - Lawnmower Blenny (Salarias fasciatus)
1 - Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus)
1 - Tail Spot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura)
1 - Purple Firefish (Nemateleotris decora)
1 - Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas)
1 - Maroon Lightning Clownfish (Amphiprion biaculeatus sp.)
1 - Coral Beauty Angelfish (Centropyge bispinosa)
1 - Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loricula)
1 - Blue Spotted Jawfish (Opistognathus rosenblatti) ADDED 8/16/25
4 - Blue/Green Chromis (Chromis viridis) ADDED 4/3/25

 

[krayzie]

hi mate!

a foxface and a tang for me is something i would like if its possible

 

[krayzie]

Yeah I know, Im saying as far as swim space for tangs its just not good. Maybe you could get a tomini or a biota yellow tang in the 4 foot, but they do best in 6 feet or longer because they like to swim in lines not loops. My two current tangs love the 8 foot room for them to swim and are out and about all the time

thats understandable. i dont want to add something then have to take it out or worse make its life a misery

 

[Should I]

i would skip the foxface but you could 100% do a tang just not the lipstick :)

i think scopas get pretty big tho if you could swap that out for a yellow (which is nicer imo)

i have a 4x2 tank i am planning on adding a black tang just they are not available atm where i live

 

[krayzie]

foxface gets too big?

with the tang doing some research, im not sure but maybe a two spot bristletooth tang

 

[Should I]

foxface gets too big?

with the tang doing some research, im not sure but maybe a two spot bristletooth tang

i have seen foxfaces in 4 ft tanks in peoples builds on here the foxface looks like its wearing the tank i mean its up to u but i would skip

and yea bristletooth is a good choice for a 4ft im not a fan of them myself i just pref zebrasoma

 

[krayzie]

foxface gets too big?

with the tang doing some research, im not sure but maybe a two spot bristletooth tang

i have seen foxfaces in 4 ft tanks in peoples builds on here the foxface looks like its wearing the tank i mean its up to u but i would skip

and yea bristletooth is a good choice for a 4ft im not a fan of them myself i just pref zebrasoma

Thanks for the input. I’m not 100% on anything yet.

I’m most likely going to transfer my existing tank mates for now

What did y you like about the bristle tooth?

 

[Should I]

Thanks for the input. I’m not 100% on anything yet.

I’m most likely going to transfer my existing tank mates for now

What did y you like about the bristle tooth?

i'm just not a huge fan of the way they look

my fav tang is the black tang i like its big long face lol

 

[krayzie]

Thanks for the input. I’m not 100% on anything yet.

I’m most likely going to transfer my existing tank mates for now

What did y you like about the bristle tooth?

i'm just not a huge fan of the way they look

my fav tang is the black tang i like its big long face lol

Ah ok! But no personally issues?

 

[Should I]

Ah ok! But no personally issues?

never had 1 think there alright for a tang still a tang tho

 

[Boehmtown]

I'm in the same boat. I've narrowed it to either a tomini tang. Or something purely ornamental. Puffer, file fish, something interesting or interesting or interactive, still looking around.

 

[kboogie]

This is an unnecessarily controversial topic. IMHO the thing that makes this such a controversial topic is the lack of nuance in the comments. The “Tang Police” will look at the world in the most idealistic way, which is not wrong, but it is not looking at the reality of what happens in home aquariums such as growth rate, mortality, refining potential, etc.

Many people successfully keep a singular large tang in an aquarium that size. It is not ideal for the fish but it can work. It is like keeping a horse in a one bedroom apartment. You can do it but it will not be great for the animal.

The Tang with the biggest issue, no pun intended, is the Lipstick/ Naso Tang. A full grown Naso will be over 18” and will not be able to comfortably turn in an aquarium that size. It will be more likely to be stressed leading to disease. I have seen large tangs in cramped spaces develop spinal kinks which is sad. When the fish gets to around 10” is when the first of the problems will start to occur for most fish. It will take three to five years for a Naso tang to out grow that aquarium to the point it causes real problems (14”). I bet the medium length of time for most fish in aquariums is less than two years (this is an estimate from my time in the industry). We tend to remember our limited successes and forget the numerous failures. If you are lucky enough to have a fish that long you have truly succeeded.

The thing to look out for at any size fish is how territorial they see and your ability to give them enough territory to be a good citizen. If you avoid the genus Naso, acanthus, paracanthus, and most zebramosa tangs you will be fine for the most part. There are always exceptions but this is the rule of thumb. One exception is the chocolate tang.

If you have a rehoming strategy and do not plan on keeping any other large fish, then I would go ahead and get any of the fish on your list. It is not immoral to rehome a fish. You should enjoy your slice of the ocean and just be responsible.

 

[littlefoxx]

Ah ok! But no personally issues?

Bristletooths can be mean, they like their rocks and are usually in the rockwork eating algae

 

[|Frank|]

Hi i am going from a cube 20G to a 4ft (1200x700x610mm). so no intention on putting anything in a 20g

do the dwarf angels like the taste for polyps?

Yeah I know, Im saying as far as swim space for tangs its just not good. Maybe you could get a tomini or a biota yellow tang in the 4 foot, but they do best in 6 feet or longer because they like to swim in lines not loops. My two current tangs love the 8 foot room for them to swim and are out and about all the time

I love Tominis! Whenever I get a big tank it’s the first fish I’m going for.

 

[Should I]

This is an unnecessarily controversial topic. IMHO the thing that makes this such a controversial topic is the lack of nuance in the comments. The “Tang Police” will look at the world in the most idealistic way, which is not wrong, but it is not looking at the reality of what happens in home aquariums such as growth rate, mortality, refining potential, etc.

Many people successfully keep a singular large tang in an aquarium that size. It is not ideal for the fish but it can work. It is like keeping a horse in a one bedroom apartment. You can do it but it will not be great for the animal.

The Tang with the biggest issue, no pun intended, is the Lipstick/ Naso Tang. A full grown Naso will be over 18” and will not be able to comfortably turn in an aquarium that size. It will be more likely to be stressed leading to disease. I have seen large tangs in cramped spaces develop spinal kinks which is sad. When the fish gets to around 10” is when the first of the problems will start to occur for most fish. It will take three to five years for a Naso tang to out grow that aquarium to the point it causes real problems (14”). I bet the medium length of time for most fish in aquariums is less than two years (this is an estimate from my time in the industry). We tend to remember our limited successes and forget the numerous failures. If you are lucky enough to have a fish that long you have truly succeeded.

The thing to look out for at any size fish is how territorial they see and your ability to give them enough territory to be a good citizen. If you avoid the genus Naso, acanthus, paracanthus, and most zebramosa tangs you will be fine for the most part. There are always exceptions but this is the rule of thumb. One exception is the chocolate tang.

If you have a rehoming strategy and do not plan on keeping any other large fish, then I would go ahead and get any of the fish on your list. It is not immoral to rehome a fish. You should enjoy your slice of the ocean and just be responsible.

Very good response

do you have any advice on the growth rate of blue face angels?