How many fish in a 4x2x2 120 gallon

[Reefacist]

What you guys think on number of fish in a 120. Are all fish counted equally? Like if it a goby vs a wrasse vs a tang. I would think it should depend on the type of fish.

I have in my tank:
1. Goby
2. Two cleaner shrimps
3. Pair of clowns
4. Yellow eye kole tang
5. Dwarf flame Angel

not looking to add anymore goby/blenny

looking to add:

1. Purple tang
2. 4-5 wrasse
3. Royal gramma
4. Some others

 

[dedragon]

too many answers for that question, some fish are bigger like tangs or high energy like anthias and wrasses and consume more food which means more waste in the tank. I think the above list is most likely doable. If you want a good pest control/ fish that will just dart about all the day to give some extra life in the tank, springeri damselfish are great additions and they are blue which looks like the only fish color you are missing

 

[flashsmith]

I have a RS 625 it's 5ft 135 or so display 170 total volume and have 8 fish. Blue eye kole, Tomini, Chocolate mimic, and a baby naso I'm growing up. and 4 anthias. To me I'm full not counting various cuc and Corals. They all have plenty of room and hiding spots and no food aggression or squabbling. I would say 6 to 8 Max. Most people have bigger systems for bigger fish that can't be kept in nano systems. I don't see a point in having a large system and putting nano fish in it. Kinda defeats the purpose of spending that kind of money on a setup.

 

[i cant think]

What you guys think on number of fish in a 120. Are all fish counted equally? Like if it a goby vs a wrasse vs a tang. I would think it should depend on the type of fish.

I have in my tank:
1. Goby
2. Two cleaner shrimps
3. Pair of clowns
4. Yellow eye kole tang
5. Dwarf flame Angel

not looking to add anymore goby/blenny

looking to add:

1. Purple tang
2. 4-5 wrasse
3. Royal gramma
4. Some others

Screw the second tang, these are b******* when established and often grow too big for even just 6’ tanks. It depends on the type of fish, you could get a Foxface in that tank since they’re not active but a larger tang would fail since they’re active.

 

[G Santana]

I have a 130 gallon with 5 fish
Purple tang 4"+
Yellow tang 3.5"+
Flame angel 2.5"
Mandarin
Algae blenny 2.5"

I am waiting on the end of the Hawaiian ban so I can get a Potters angel and am contemplating a Flame hawk and that would probably be it for me.
So a total of 7 fish at the most all on the 3" plus side.

 

[i cant think]

I have a RS 625 it's 5ft 135 or so display 170 total volume and have 8 fish. Blue eye kole, Tomini, Chocolate mimic, and a baby naso I'm growing up. and 4 anthias. To me I'm full not counting various cuc and Corals. They all have plenty of room and hiding spots and no food aggression or squabbling. I would say 6 to 8 Max. Most people have bigger systems for bigger fish that can't be kept in nano systems. I don't see a point in having a large system and putting nano fish in it. Kinda defeats the purpose of spending that kind of money on a setup.

Oh.. guess I spent more than I need on “nano fish”. 3’ tanks aren’t nanos over here, 4’ tanks are nanos in America, trust me nano fish in a large tank makes it look cleaner by a lot. You never see 5-6 large fish in a 6’ width of eachother, you do see 2-3 in a 4’ width of wachother but the rest are smaller fish. You’d maybe see 4 in a 6’ width in the wild but too many big fish looks crowded. If you don’t have the nano fish or smaller fish then you don’t have a natural tank and it looks like crap in many peoples eyes. If it’s a Fowler sure you can maybe get more large fish but a reef tank it just looks bad and crowded.

 

[flashsmith]

Oh.. guess I spent more than I need on “nano fish”. 3’ tanks aren’t nanos over here, 4’ tanks are nanos in America, trust me nano fish in a large tank makes it look cleaner by a lot. You never see 5-6 large fish in a 6’ width of eachother, you do see 2-3 in a 4’ width of wachother but the rest are smaller fish. You’d maybe see 4 in a 6’ width in the wild but too many big fish looks crowded. If you don’t have the nano fish or smaller fish then you don’t have a natural tank and it looks like crap in many peoples eyes. If it’s a Fowler sure you can maybe get more large fish but a reef tank it just looks bad and crowded.

Well then I guess we can agree to disagree then huh? Waste money on a big tank only to put $10 and $20 fish in it that you could put in a 20 gallon. If that's what you like then good for you...

 

[i cant think]

Well then I guess we can agree to disagree then huh? Waste money on a big tank only to put $10 and $20 fish in it that you could put in a 20 gallon. If that's what you like then good for you...

Yeah, although I don’t put £20 fish in mine. I have 6 wrasse (All six costed between £30 and £45), black photon clownfish (one female and no males), twin spot bristletooth tang, Foxface, CBB and a genicanthus angelfish. So tenichally not nano fish but if a 3’ tank is a nano then sure I have nano fish. I find it stupid to throw like 10 or so 9” active fish in a 4’ tank like angels. Sure two or three would do with the rest being small-medium sized fish. I mean, who ever said they have to be common fish hm? I mean I can name two nano fish that aren’t £20 and can go for £220+. Such as the Blue Spot Jawfish and the deep water candy baslet.

 

[unchaotic]

@Reefacist this thread won you a freaking aquarium, go claim it!

 

[i cant think]

@Reefacist this thread won you a freaking aquarium, go claim it!

Yeah!! Go get one!

 

[Reefacist]

@Reefacist this thread won you a freaking aquarium, go claim it!

Woke up to your comment. Was a good feeling. Thanks for the ping

 

[Reefacist]

After winning the aquarium now I gotta figure out fish that are ok in a 4x2x2 and also ok for the Red Sea xl 525

 

[unchaotic]

Woke up to your comment. Was a good feeling. Thanks for the ping

The vultures were already beginning to circle. I figured I better poke the "corpse" one more time, lol.

 

[90's reefer]

I have 15 in my 120.
Convict tang
Tomini tang
Pajama cardinal
Pixi hawk
Filefish
2 clowns
2 anthias
6 blue green chromis

The convict has outgrown the tank. It will be rehomed to a 500 once I catch it.
The Tomini is about right size and temperment for a 120, imo.
The remainder 14 will stay.

 

[paradizecityz]

I have too many but love all the movement in the tank

 

[polyppal]

Yeah a poll with general numbers isn't the way to approach stocking, its hugely dependent on the type of fish, the territories in the tank, the growth rate, feeding needs etc...


That being said, looking at your stocking list you shouldn't have a prob with another tang (as long as its not tolmini/kole/bristletooth family), a few wrasse and a RG. More thought will have to be given to larger fish in the 'other' category.