Decisions, Decisions

[Jesterrace]

I am still about 6 weeks out before I will be ready to really add more fish to the tank, but I do have some possibilities here and I will list the Pros and Cons as I know them.

First of all my setup with what I currently have

90 gallon tank with corner overflow, I currently have 40lbs of live rock, 60 lbs of live sand (and another 50lbs that is finishing cycling in a garbage can)

Here is my current stock in my tank:

Young Melanurus Wrasse
Diamond Watchman Goby
Cleaner Shrimp
A handful of snails and hermit crabs
1 Frogspawn Coral Frag
1 Hammer Coral Frag
I also have a soft leather mushroom that I got for free, but it isn't doing too well, so I don't care much what happens to it at this point

Here are what I am considering:

Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel

Pros: Great Colors, Will definitely fit comfortably in my tank even when fully grown, Cheap to Buy, Can help keep algae under control, Tends to be one of the least Aggressive Dwarf Angels

Cons: Can be aggressive and Can become a Coral Eater

Half Black Dwarf Angel

Pros: Tends to be better than most Dwarf Angels for Coral Nipping and Aggression, Cheap to Buy, Can Help keep Algae under control

Cons: Coloration is about as boring as it gets for a Dwarf Angel, and I could get that random one that is an aggressive butthead that eats corals

Pyramid Butterflyfish

Pros: Considered the Holy Grail of Reef Safe Butterflyfishes since they are planktivores, Would definitely stand out in the tank, Generally Peaceful in temperament, Generally hearty for a Butterflyfish

Cons: Fish might become cramped as an adult in my 90 gallon, A little more pricey than other alternatives, They aren't my favorite butterflyfish for looks

Long Nose Yellow Butterflyfish

Pros: Generally Peaceful, Less likely to nip at corals than most butterflyfish, unique look

Cons: Same as the Pyramid although I like the look better and they will have a problem if they don't have a bunch of worms to snack on

Swallowtail Angelfish

Pros: Great Looking fish that would stand out in the aquarium, one of the few Angels considered Reef Safe and Peaceful,

Cons: 90 would likely be cramped for it as an adult, more expensive than other options

Exquisite Fairy Wrasse

Pros: Generally Reef Safe and Peaceful, One of the more colorful varieties of Fairy Wrasses, Will comfortably fit in my tank, Is different enough from the Melanurus that it shouldn't be an issue to have them both in the same tank

Cons: A little bit pricey, Something about the affordable Fairy Wrasses just leave me with the "meh feeling" in terms of coloration and patterns, but then again the affordable fairy wrasses just don't quite appeal to me as much as the H varieties

Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse

Pros: Affordable, Generally Reef Safe and Peaceful, Decent Colors, Will fit comfortably in my tank

Cons: See above about my feelings on the fairy wrasse, colors on the head are a bit close to the Coral Beauty so it might create problems

Bartlett's Anthias

Pros: Beautiful Colors, Will fit comfortably in my tank, very active, won't bother corals or inverts

Cons: A bit pricey, Some have had some bad aggression issues with them


Any other input from the folks that own or have owned these fish in comparable sized tanks. I would also welcome alternative suggestions, but I am on a fairly tight budget per fish ($60 per fish would be the absolute high end of what I would pay at this point).

 

[eatbreakfast]

I am still about 6 weeks out before I will be ready to really add more fish to the tank, but I do have some possibilities here and I will list the Pros and Cons as I know them.

First of all my setup with what I currently have

90 gallon tank with corner overflow, I currently have 40lbs of live rock, 60 lbs of live sand (and another 50lbs that is finishing cycling in a garbage can)

Here is my current stock in my tank:

Young Melanurus Wrasse
Diamond Watchman Goby
Cleaner Shrimp
A handful of snails and hermit crabs
1 Frogspawn Coral Frag
1 Hammer Coral Frag
I also have a soft leather mushroom that I got for free, but it isn't doing too well, so I don't care much what happens to it at this point

Here are what I am considering:

Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel

Pros: Great Colors, Will definitely fit comfortably in my tank even when fully grown, Cheap to Buy, Can help keep algae under control, Tends to be one of the least Aggressive Dwarf Angels

Cons: Can be aggressive and Can become a Coral Eater

Half Black Dwarf Angel

Pros: Tends to be better than most Dwarf Angels for Coral Nipping and Aggression, Cheap to Buy, Can Help keep Algae under control

Cons: Coloration is about as boring as it gets for a Dwarf Angel, and I could get that random one that is an aggressive butthead that eats corals

Pyramid Butterflyfish

Pros: Considered the Holy Grail of Reef Safe Butterflyfishes since they are planktivores, Would definitely stand out in the tank, Generally Peaceful in temperament, Generally hearty for a Butterflyfish

Cons: Fish might become cramped as an adult in my 90 gallon, A little more pricey than other alternatives, They aren't my favorite butterflyfish for looks

Long Nose Yellow Butterflyfish

Pros: Generally Peaceful, Less likely to nip at corals than most butterflyfish, unique look

Cons: Same as the Pyramid although I like the look better and they will have a problem if they don't have a bunch of worms to snack on

Swallowtail Angelfish

Pros: Great Looking fish that would stand out in the aquarium, one of the few Angels considered Reef Safe and Peaceful,

Cons: 90 would likely be cramped for it as an adult, more expensive than other options

Exquisite Fairy Wrasse

Pros: Generally Reef Safe and Peaceful, One of the more colorful varieties of Fairy Wrasses, Will comfortably fit in my tank, Is different enough from the Melanurus that it shouldn't be an issue to have them both in the same tank

Cons: A little bit pricey, Something about the affordable Fairy Wrasses just leave me with the "meh feeling" in terms of coloration and patterns, but then again the affordable fairy wrasses just don't quite appeal to me as much as the H varieties

Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse

Pros: Affordable, Generally Reef Safe and Peaceful, Decent Colors, Will fit comfortably in my tank

Cons: See above about my feelings on the fairy wrasse, colors on the head are a bit close to the Coral Beauty so it might create problems

Bartlett's Anthias

Pros: Beautiful Colors, Will fit comfortably in my tank, very active, won't bother corals or inverts

Cons: A bit pricey, Some have had some bad aggression issues with them


Any other input from the folks that own or have owned these fish in comparable sized tanks. I would also welcome alternative suggestions, but I am on a fairly tight budget per fish ($60 per fish would be the absolute high end of what I would pay at this point).

IME coral beauty angels are a safer choice than half blacks. Also, zoanthids and fleshy LPS are more of a risk for picking. That being said, the corals you listed are rarely picked on by dwarf angels.

There are enough kinds of fish that if you feel "meh" about it, then don't get it.

The pyramid butterfly and swallowtail angel are borderline too big for that tank.

There won't be an issue between the ruby head fairy and coral beauty.

A few other options include; flame or longnose hawkfish, yellow coris wrasse, solorensis fairy wrasse, orangespot blenny, royal gramma.

 

[falconut]

I added a Half Black angel into my reef years ago and all he did was nip at everything. He was nipping so much that everything looked like crap, so from the 1 I tried, it was a no go. I've had Flame angels over the years in my reef and generally they were better. One only nipped at pocillopora and xenia. Another liked some zoas. The Coral Beauty I had was before my reef. All were very nice fish, but love the bright colors of the Flame the most.

I had a Pyramid for a short time in my reef (died), but in the few months it was in there, it didn't bother anything. Never had a Longnose, but did have a Copperband and it didn't bother any coral that I saw. Bad thign was I had to hand feed him live blackworms every day. He ate other foods, just not fast enough and if I missed his blackworm feeding, his stomah would be thin next day. After a year I sold him.

I tried a female Swallowtail angel, Watanabei angels and female Lamark angels over the years. The swallowtail was about 2-3" and she didn't bother anything that I saw, but only had for a few years. The Watanabei's didn't bother anythign I saw, but only lived about 6 months and would just stop eating and die. The Lamark liked to tear up acans, so depending on the corals, you may want to be careful.

I only had a single Bartlett anthias and he did good, but just found him dead one day after about a year. I've had better luck with Lyretail anthias. I've had 3 at a time (1M-2F) and single (1M). I only fed 1 time a day, with the occasional double day weekend feeding.

Agree with above, I was mostly on a tight budget too, but don't get a fish that you just so-so like. It's worth waiting for a fish you really want. My tank was a 90 gallon reef also, lots of nice colorful fish that fit the bill in addition to above: Longnose hawkfish, flame hawkfish, midas blennies, royal gramma, banggai cardinals, etc.

 

[pcon]

Should only do one dwarf angel or a true mated pair, in a tank that size. Personally dont trust half blacks not to eat coral, same with the ebli and lemonpeel; that whole complex is untrustworthy IME. But in general most dwarf angels would be good in this tank.

Having just recently worked with pyramid butterflies, I would say an absolute no to one in a tank that size. Even the smaller pyramids are way too big for a 90g. Long nose butterfly would be a better choice but almost all nip, whereas copper bands often don't.

Swallow tail again way to big, Limit yourself to centropyge angels, genicanthus and the other genus's get too big, and Pygoplites and Paracentropyge are quite difficult to keep alive and expensive.

I would be worried about adding a fairy or wrasse to an established Melanurus. And I thought mixing multiple Halichoeres was a no no. but @eatbreakfast, knows more than me on this.

Bartletts anthias are a fantastic choice, never had any aggression issues with them in my experience.

 

[Idoc]

Check out this tang...It's one I'm leaning towards for my tank to help with algae control. It's supposed to work fine in a 70g+ tank. I'm not sure how it does with corals, though...maybe a little more research is in order. But, it is a beautiful fish.

Two Spot Bristletooth Tang

 

[saltyhog]

Two spots are great tangs.

 

[Eva Rose]

I would definitely avoid Bartletts. The male tends to dominant the females too aggressively for my taste. My male Bartlett is a jerk and has started randomly pestering other fish like my hawkfish so into the fish trap he will go. I like the more peaceful dispars much better and they are attractive.

I really like the suggestions above of the flame hawk, long nose hawk (both great personality) & the orange spotted blenny (also very entertaining). I have these fish and with them you have both beauty and personality. Flame hawks are especially hilarious with their droll little faces and bug eyes.

 

[Jesterrace]

Check out this tang...It's one I'm leaning towards for my tank to help with algae control. It's supposed to work fine in a 70g+ tank. I'm not sure how it does with corals, though...maybe a little more research is in order. But, it is a beautiful fish.

Two Spot Bristletooth Tang

The two spot was originally on my list until I had a wrasse die with ich about 7 weeks ago. Needless to say I am very wary about adding a Tang of any kind in light of that. As for corals, virtually all Tangs are Reef Safe so that shouldn't be a factor. Originally I was going to do a two spot and a coral beauty, but I am not sure how well a dwarf angel and a small tang would do together since they have a similar body type and are both somewhat aggressive. Also thanks for the input on the Anthias. I was on the fence with one and given the price I think there are better options for the money. As for the Flame Angel, I already had one in my old tank and it was a butthead to my other fish and nipped at my hammer. I agree that color wise it is stunning, but I have just seen too many of them with aggression issues.

 

[Jesterrace]

Oh and with a Goby and a Cleaner Shrimp I am wary of the hawkfish varieties.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Oh and with a Goby and a Cleaner Shrimp I am wary of the hawkfish varieties.

The diamond watchman is far too big for a flame hawk to eat, and unless the cleaner shrimp is tiny, so is the cleaner shrimp.

 

[norfolkgarden]

Our hawkfish are fine around the cleaner shrimp and the blood red fire shrimp. But both shrimp stay hidden now far more than they did before the hawks were added.

 

[Jesterrace]

I will keep it in mind. I am considering a Leopard Wrasse as well, my LFS periodically orders them in bulk and the owner offered to feed a little frozen food so we could see which ones would eat it. It should be different enough from the Melanurus to keep the issues to a minimum.

Thus far I am leaning towards the following config with current and new (obviously added intermittently over time):

Diamond Watchman Goby
Melanurus Wrasse
Leopard Wrasse
Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel
Two Spot Tang

 

[ccbobafett]

I too like my blue eye kole tang is also in a 90. Great fish and very easy to take care of was eating everything the first day IME.

 

[Jesterrace]

What about a Klein's Butterflyfish? I get that there is a coral nipping problem, although the issues reported are for soft leathers and other softies (and to my knowledge my frogspawn and hammer frags don't qualify as those). I actually prefer the color to any of the tangs that would work in my tank and having a generally Peaceful fish is a plus.

 

[eatbreakfast]

What about a Klein's Butterflyfish? I get that there is a coral nipping problem, although the issues reported are for soft leathers and other softies (and to my knowledge my frogspawn and hammer frags don't qualify as those). I actually prefer the color to any of the tangs that would work in my tank and having a generally Peaceful fish is a plus.

They will nip at zoas, fleshy LPS, such as acans, wellsos, scolys, etc., but Euphyllia is usually safe.

 

[ca1ore]

Pyramids definitely need space. I have 5, but in a 450. Likewise, for bartletts. They do all tend to turn male and need lots of space to coexist. Also seem highly susceptible to uronema and bacterial infections, so QT is a must.

 

[Jesterrace]

They will nip at zoas, fleshy LPS, such as acans, wellsos, scolys, etc., but Euphyllia is usually safe.

So one would probably do okay in my tank? I recognize there are no absolutes in saltwater as fish are individuals, I just want to make sure I am not putting a known Frogspawn or hammer eater in my tank. As mentioned I like the fact that they are hearty, peaceful (something that can be hit or miss with tangs) and have more color than any of the Tangs that my tank could handle. I agree that the Pyramid is out due to the fact that they prefer to school and need at least 6 feet of length on a tank. The only real other concern I have is whether or not it would have problems with a Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel, which is something only time will tell.

 

[eatbreakfast]

So one would probably do okay in my tank? I recognize there are no absolutes in saltwater as fish are individuals, I just want to make sure I am not putting a known Frogspawn or hammer eater in my tank. As mentioned I like the fact that they are hearty, peaceful (something that can be hit or miss with tangs) and have more color than any of the Tangs that my tank could handle. I agree that the Pyramid is out due to the fact that they prefer to school and need at least 6 feet of length on a tank. The only real other concern I have is whether or not it would have problems with a Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel, which is something only time will tell.

It's a relatively safe combo.

 

[Jesterrace]

It's a relatively safe combo.

Okay. As mentioned I do prefer the looks of the Klein's butterfly to the bristletooth tangs and like the fact that aggression will almost certainly not be a factor with it. I also get the relative part. Even fish generally considered reef safe can nip at corals. My Melanurus Wrasse did test nips at my hammer coral for about a week a few months back and then just quit doing it on it's own (I guess it learned it didn't like the taste).

 

[Jesterrace]

Out of curiosity, would a Yellow Tang work?