Fish compatibility - stocking questions

[Slyler]

Hi Everyone,

I am a long time forum creeper, rare poster, but every time I do post I get great help and great advice. so I have some questions.

Here is what I currently have, a 120G mixed reef tank, my corals are some sps, torches, Lobo's, acans, trumpets, a flower pot, bubble tip anemone, and a 8 inch tridacna maxima clam. For fish I have a Blue(5"), Yellow(4"), Tomini(4") and Achilles(6") tang, a Royal Gramma, 2 saddle back clowns, a yasha goby and pistol shrimp pair, a cleaner shrimp, and 4 peppermint shrimp. The Achilles was the last addition 2 months ago, and before that everything was together for at least 8 months, maybe closer to a year.

I would like to add a couple of wrasse's, Macropharyngodon geoffroyi and Macropharyngodon bipartitus. I had a Halichoeres chrysotaenia and loved watching it swim, and go to sleep in the sand, I didn't like it eating all my snails. I would also like to add a copperband butterfly fish. I know having 4 tangs is definitely pushing it, but I have researched a lot on how to keep them all happy, and have options if they ever do start to bicker to much. I do feed the tank quite a bit to keep the tangs happy and would hope that would help the CBB eat frozen and nori instead of my clam and acans.

Here are my questions.

Am I putting to many fish in the tank in general?
Would the CBB be ok in the tank with that many "active" fish?
Will the CBB eat my clam, or is it big enough that it won't touch it? Acans seem hit and miss with the CBB.
Am I just crazy? Should I stop adding fish and just stick to what I already have? If it's water changes, or anything else needed to keep more fish, besides a bigger tank, I am happy and willing to do that. I like seeing a lot of movement in the tank with fish swimming around. Corals are the colorful background they swim against.
Any problems that you can see for me in the future? I would like to be ahead of the game and see the risks and assess if they are worth it or not.

Thank you all for the time you took to read this and answer any questions and any input.

 

[Reef2zach]

Your blue and achillies are going to get bigger remember that. Maybe add some smaller footprint fish like gobies or something. Engineer gobies paired with pistol shrimp are awesome imo

 

[Reef2zach]

I totally didn't see that you had gobies and pistol shrimp lol. Blennies are also cool

 

[Slyler]

Thank you Zach, I do like my gobies! they are entertaining for sure. The one thing about Blennies is that they are also on the smaller side and seem to hide in the rocks, I am hoping to get fish that will stay out in the open water of the tank. The goby is cool, but I only get to see him perched outside the rock they live in, not swimming around.

 

[Best Fish-Jake]

The Achilles may become aggressive in that size tank with 3 other tangs... you already have a lot of strong swimmers, so I would avoid anything that would take up more swimming space like the CBB.. Getting 1 wrasse shouldn't cause any problems. Preferably you'd re-home the Achilles as holding 4 tangs in that size tank may end poorly

 

[Tft12]

To me, your proposed additions are good...Leopard wrasses are really cool. I think if you have any issues with your stocking, it will be the tangs getting too big. Also,you might have trouble getting food to your CBB with those tangs zooming around hogging all the food. It will just take some extra effort to make sure the CBB is getting as much food as it needs (careful spot feeding, making a feeding device, etc.). Once the wrasses are comfortable they'll probably be fine in there competing on their own.

 

[Best Fish-Jake]

Thank you Zach, I do like my gobies! they are entertaining for sure. The one thing about Blennies is that they are also on the smaller side and seem to hide in the rocks, I am hoping to get fish that will stay out in the open water of the tank. The goby is cool, but I only get to see him perched outside the rock they live in, not swimming around.

Blennies have great personalities and if you get a decent size one, you'll see them out and about more often than not. Some on the larger size include: starry, lawnmower, ember, Midas, molly miller, harp tail. (These are just some off the top of my head)

My starry blenny is definetly one of my favorites!

 

[Reef2zach]

I have a 220 and my lawnmower is always easily visible. One of the most fun to watch during feeding too.

 

[eatbreakfast]

The Achilles will want more swimming space soon.

A CBB will likely not do well being added to a tank with those well established tangs. Tangs often behave aggressively toward other laterally compressed fish, and copperbands can already be delicate without aggression.

The wrasses should be fine, though I have had Ctenochaetus species of tangs go after wrasses.

 

[Slyler]

I have a 220 and my lawnmower is always easily visible. One of the most fun to watch during feeding too.

I will have to check out some Blenny's then. Thank you for the information!

The Achilles will want more swimming space soon.

A CBB will likely not do well being added to a tank with those well established tangs. Tangs often behave aggressively toward other laterally compressed fish, and copperbands can already be delicate without aggression.

The wrasses should be fine, though I have had Ctenochaetus species of tangs go after wrasses.

Thanks, that is what I was worried about. sounds like I should try and avoid the CBB. I hope the wrasse are ok with the Tomini. will use a social box to let them get used to each other. I do have a lot of swimming room in the tank set up just for the Achilles.

 

[Reef2zach]

I also have a tomini, and that little fish is the most shy and timid thing I've ever seen. I can't even imagine them being aggressive. My yellow tang on the other hand is like a schoolyard bully. He picks fights with everyone

 

[Slyler]

I also have a tomini, and that little fish is the most shy and timid thing I've ever seen. I can't even imagine them being aggressive. My yellow tang on the other hand is like a schoolyard bully. He picks fights with everyone

My tomini is pretty timid as well. Last year though I put a mirror in the tank trying to catch a flame angel picking on my corals, and I had to remove it because my Tomini wouldn't leave the mirror alone, only one that cared about his reflection. My Yellow seems to be a bit of a bully as well, the Achilles seemed to put him in place after a few days, and they have been good ever since.

 

[Kmsutows]

I have a 150gal with a yellow and blue and a few chromis... I added a CBB a month or two ago and he still has a hard time competing for food. Also, my yellow HATED him for about a week. I would highly advise against one with all those tangs

 

[Slyler]

Thanks for the help everyone. I think I will stay away from adding a CBB and let the tangs enjoy life together.