Help: Fish Stocking List Suggestions

[shawnriv]

Hello All,

I am looking for suggestions for my upcoming 120G SPS reef. Here is my current list and I'm open to suggestions. The tangs will be added last to avoid aggressions.

- 2 clownfish
- 1 royal gramma
- 1 leopard wrasse
- 1 sunburst anthias
- 1 flame hawkfish
- 1 swallowtail angel OR lamarck angel (still on the fence about one of these because of their size - open to other suggestions)
- 1 purple tang
- 1 powder brown tang

Thanks so much for the help!

 

[JC1977]

I like your stocking list but I think you should only do one of those tangs not both or even better go with a bristletooth tang? They don’t get as big as the two you have listed and would be a better fit in a 4 foot tank. Just my two cents though it’s your tank. Best of luck!

 

[shawnriv]

I like your stocking list but I think you should only do one of those tangs not both or even better go with a bristletooth tang? They don’t get as big as the two you have listed and would be a better fit in a 4 foot tank. Just my two cents though it’s your tank. Best of luck!

Thanks! I actually already have a Purple Tang in a holding tank at my house and a Powder Brown on order. Lol. I am thinking of removing the angelfish so I have two larger fish instead of the three. I also one lyertail anthias in my current setup. I thought about purchasing one male and an additional female so I have a trio. So to redo the list, remove the angel and add two lyertail anthias'.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Thanks! I actually already have a Purple Tang in a holding tank at my house and a Powder Brown on order. Lol. I am thinking of removing the angelfish so I have two larger fish instead of the three. I also one lyertail anthias in my current setup. I thought about purchasing one male and an additional female so I have a trio. So to redo the list, remove the angel and add two lyertail anthias'.

This could work in the medium term, but purples tend to become territorial jerks as they mature, and acanthurus tangs (PBT) really don't belong in 4 foot tanks as adults.

 

[i cant think]

Hello All,

I am looking for suggestions for my upcoming 120G SPS reef. Here is my current list and I'm open to suggestions. The tangs will be added last to avoid aggressions.

- 2 clownfish
- 1 royal gramma
- 1 leopard wrasse
- 1 sunburst anthias
- 1 flame hawkfish
- 1 swallowtail angel OR lamarck angel (still on the fence about one of these because of their size - open to other suggestions)
- 1 purple tang
- 1 powder brown tang

Thanks so much for the help!

It’s not about size with tangs and you’ll likely find both of those will stress out in a 4’ tank.
As said above, Zebrasoma species are known for being territorial in 4’ tanks and can become proper bullies. Whilst Acanthurus tangs can and will become even worse and also due to them being pelagic tangs, they will likely become too ‘spastic’ for a 4’ tank and stress out due to so little room to truly swim.
Your best bet is selling the purple and ignoring the powder brown and going for a nicer, Ctenochaetus. It’s a tang you won’t see 24/7 and will be throughout the rocks hunting more than being out and showy. But that’s where Angels and butterflies come in for showy.

4’ tanks look big and fancy, and then you see an adult tang like a powder brown and all of a sudden, that large tank looks tiny!
Here’s my 4’ tank for instance, I have 1 fish I know gets huge rather fast (Foxface) and 2 others that can get large but take a while to grow large and generally maxes out around half o their max size because of that slow growth.

 

[shawnriv]

It’s not about size with tangs and you’ll likely find both of those will stress out in a 4’ tank.
As said above, Zebrasoma species are known for being territorial in 4’ tanks and can become proper bullies. Whilst Acanthurus tangs can and will become even worse and also due to them being pelagic tangs, they will likely become too ‘spastic’ for a 4’ tank and stress out due to so little room to truly swim.
Your best bet is selling the purple and ignoring the powder brown and going for a nicer, Ctenochaetus. It’s a tang you won’t see 24/7 and will be throughout the rocks hunting more than being out and showy. But that’s where Angels and butterflies come in for showy.

4’ tanks look big and fancy, and then you see an adult tang like a powder brown and all of a sudden, that large tank looks tiny!
Here’s my 4’ tank for instance, I have 1 fish I know gets huge rather fast (Foxface) and 2 others that can get large but take a while to grow large and generally maxes out around half o their max size because of that slow growth.

Makes a lot of sense. The Brown Tang has been removed off the list! Although I am going forward with the Swallowtail Angel.

 

[i cant think]

Makes a lot of sense. The Brown Tang has been removed off the list! Although I am going forward with the Swallowtail Angel.

I would also remove the purple and get him a new home, these guys will very much become aggressive and may not even allow for an angel. I know my Ctenochaetus didn’t 100% like my angels when I added them but it was only a bit of fin displaying, I dread to think how a purple would react considering they are more aggressive than Ctenochaetus species.

 

[shawnriv]

I would also remove the purple and get him a new home, these guys will very much become aggressive and may not even allow for an angel. I know my Ctenochaetus didn’t 100% like my angels when I added them but it was only a bit of fin displaying, I dread to think how a purple would react considering they are more aggressive than Ctenochaetus species.

Interesting. I may take my chance with purple tang. He's been in a 40G holding tank of mine for a few months as I set up the new tank. I'm going to be adding all the new fish (including the Swallowtail) and adding the Purple last to avoid aggression. I've always wanted to house a Purple Tang. Hopefully by adding it may work.