If you were building a 90g FOWL tank today how would you stock it.

[Newb73]

Sometimes it is frustrating with my 225g reef looking at interesting specimens which are not reef safe.

So, I am going to set up my 90g dedicated to this experience and want the best bang for buck.

Having said that, Eeels and lionfish don't really interest me.

Triggers do interest me but I am not sure what tank mates would even work.

Water quality won't be a concern....the 90g will get 3 to 4 gallons per day of pristine perfectly balanced water from my 225g reef courtesy of the DOS and automatic water changes (instead of going out as waste water my reef water will first go to 90g FOWLR before being flushed). So that's pretty much a 100% water change per month on a slow drip. My nitrates and phos stay undetectable on the 225 and i maintain ca at 450, alk at 8 to 8.5 and mag at around 1350 to 1400. It actually almost seems like a waste to throw the water out which gave me this idea.

I had previously considered doing a clown/anemone habitat like BRS and that's still on the table but would like to hear your ideas.

Image of my 90...those are fake coral inserts and it's cloudy because I was just working in it and stirred the sand bed a bit.

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[Maritimer]

Maybe a blue-jaw trigger, a toby puffer, filefish or a boxfish ('cause plectognaths are cool) ... hawkfish that I can't keep with shrimp, butterflies that would give corals and clams a hard time ... some of the feistier wrasses . . .

A few random thoughts spinning off my brain.

~Bruce

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

No fish longer than your finger
Clown's
Bleenys fantail type or Golden Midas it will probably exceed the first rule a little bit.

 

[TikiBird]

Tagging along here bc I'm curious about the responses!

 

[eatbreakfast]

A peaceful, coral eater/nipper tank. A few species of filefish, Hawaiian fantail file, orangetail file orange body file. Some Canthigaster puffers, a couple of butterflies(epphjppium is one of my favorites) a regal and flagfin angel.

The other thing I like is a blue, a red, and a green carpet anemone with a colony of clowns or Dascyllus damsels.

 

[flsalty]

I would probably keep fish I caught myself here in Florida. One of my favorite tanks I ever had was a 65g FOWLR stocked only with fish and inverts I caught myself. Everything in that tank I collected myself including the sand and rocks. When something got too big I would release it back where I got it. I had gobies, sergeant majors, puffers, filefish, various species of grunts, etc. I would love to do that with a 90.

 

[andrewkw]

My 90 gallon fowlr contains one Lionfish and one Snowflake Eel because they are "the best bang for your buck". Both fish were cheap and easy to take care of. I know I know they don't interest you but perhaps some other outside of the box ideas might.

Garden Eels. They aren't like regular eels and are very entertaining. I kept them in the 90 for several years but had to give them away before I moved. They aren't expensive and are relatively hardy if the tank is build around them. You'd need a lot more sand and once they are comfortable you could add any small fish you'd like.

Octopus - this would be a 1 year project as they have very short lifespans but another unique creature that's not too expensive and very interesting. I would suggest cuttlefish as well but they are more expensive to keep due to their need for live food when young.

Less outside the box would be dwarf angels, the 90 isn't big enough for the big guys but you could keep a few dwarfs in there without issue. Maybe a butterfly or 2 as well. If you did the clown harem I'd suggest giant carpet anemones but that's not going to be cheap unless they are green.

 

[Bluecbs]

Definitely the facultative corallivore butterflies. My fav are pakistan, pearlscale, latticed, golden semilavartus, auriga, racoon. Avoid the obligate corallivores
Toby puffers like valentini and leopard

 

[Heliarc19]

Puffers, whatever kind you like the most. Just my favorite fish in general. And a clown trigger

 

[Newb73]

Definitely the facultative corallivore butterflies. My fav are pakistan, pearlscale, latticed, golden semilavartus, auriga, racoon. Avoid the obligate corallivores
Toby puffers like valentini and leopard

A few butterflies might just be my second choice after a clown habitat.

I also considered making a dedicated tank for a single trigger.....thoughts?

The eel plus lion fish may have to come into play.

I also like the coral nipper idea with combining dwarf angles, certain non reef safe wrasse etc...i suppose I could add a butter fly in there and feature more inverts such as a larger than normal shrimp and crab population.

Last but least could also be to Abandon the no reef idea and get a nice 4ft light and do SPS only with very few fish......im told that's actually easier to do than a heavily stocked mix reef like what in attempting to grow out w my 225.

 

[tj w]

I really like a few of the non safe wrasses that don’t get really large,butterflies, and maybe one or two angels would be neat.

 

[Scott.h]

These days I just can't imagine a tank without coral. To me it would feel so much like a quarantine tank. I do have multiple tanks that I've had to cater the corals to the fish, but even my clown trigger, puffer, and snowflake eel are in a mixed reef. My biggest pain with corals getting picked on has always been my foxface. I think I'd prefer a cowlr then a fowlr. But good luck on deciding. I think I'd have to do a trigger tank.

 

[Newb73]

These days I just can't imagine a tank without coral. To me it would feel so much like a quarantine tank. I do have multiple tanks that I've had to cater the corals to the fish, but even my clown trigger, puffer, and snowflake eel are in a mixed reef. My biggest pain with corals getting picked on has always been my foxface. I think I'd prefer a cowlr then a fowlr. But good luck on deciding. I think I'd have to do a trigger tank.

Clown triggers often wind up in tanks by themselves any way right??? [emoji12]

 

[eatbreakfast]

...but full grown triggers are too big for a 90g, even if kept by themselves.

 

[Newb73]

These days I just can't imagine a tank without coral. To me it would feel so much like a quarantine tank. I do have multiple tanks that I've had to cater the corals to the fish, but even my clown trigger, puffer, and snowflake eel are in a mixed reef. My biggest pain with corals getting picked on has always been my foxface. I think I'd prefer a cowlr then a fowlr. But good luck on deciding. I think I'd have to do a trigger tank.

I am going to do a tank around the Huma/Picasso trigger. They grow very slow and don't get as big as many of the other triggers. And yes I know, if and when he goes much above 5 inches he will need a bigger tank.

Now on to the tankmates.

Here is where I am:
The mated pair of very mean clowns are staying. I have selected a Picasso which is about the same size as the larger female clown and they have no problems keeping the trigger at bay (they even attack me). Finding fish that fit in this tank and can stand up to a Picasso trigger is a challenge. Therefore I am selecting a fish that can potentially be moved to my 225g and can stand up to the Picasso. A niger trigger. Of course this will be a few years down the road and my 3 shrimp living in the 225 wont last long with a niger so I wont be adding any more shrimp to the reef and will let these live out their lives.

Groupers are out, tank too small.

Some people say a few yellow tail damsels as they are cheap and too fast for a Picasso to catch.

I am told a snowflake eel would be okay with a Picasso trigger but I am not sure that would work with damsels.

I am told a nice full grown dwarf angle would probably be okay, the Niger wont bother it but the Picasso might so I am not sure.

Welcome any suggestions.

I had also considered skipping the damsels and putting a comet/marine beta in there with them but I can't find anything on compatibility....a comet (to me) fits the bill as small grouper though so I was thinking I could add a comet and a snowflake eel.

Or I could add a few damsels and try a dwarf angel and maybe an aggressive butterfly if I can find a healthy one.

Thoughts?

 

[saltyhog]

Bicolor angel and racoon butterfly would be at the top of my list.

 

[Newb73]

Bicolor angel and racoon butterfly would be at the top of my list.

I had a bicolor Angel for 5 plus years in with those two mean clowns. It was they only fish the accepted. They even killed a large powder blue that I put in there as a quarantine.

So far the Picasso wonders into the clowns territory like a clueless lost puppy and completly ignores the clowns mean posturing and strikes.....he literally just sits there and looks at them. The Niger Is in hiding.

Since i know the clowns will accept a bicolor, it definitely might be worth getting another.

Will the Picasso accept a bicolor?

 

[QuixoticReefer]

well you could do a pair of bluethroat triggers in your other tank they are pretty reef safe so I wouldn't do triggers. I always liked the Harlequin Tusk although it would need to go to a bigger tank later and a porcupine puffer is a great fish too

 

[Newb73]

well you could do a pair of bluethroat triggers in your other tank they are pretty reef safe so I wouldn't do triggers. I always liked the Harlequin Tusk although it would need to go to a bigger tank later and a porcupine puffer is a great fish too

Agreed but my last blue throat in my reef went rogue after about a year....took the eyes out of a Kole and killed it, killed a few anthias and eventually went carpet surfing to a suicide which I didn't get too upset about some time during the night of last thanksgiving day.....

Unusual I know, but makes me leery about triggers in my reef...ill watch the Odonous niger for a LOONG time before making that decision.....

That's why Im looking at maroon clowns, damsels and snowflakes at tank mates for the 90.

Messy eating isn't an issue with 22 gallon per week water changes goin on.

 

[Maritimer]

Snowflakes, from what I understand, are a pebble-toothed eel, more interested in crustaceans than fish. He'd take out your shrimp (if the niger didn't...), but likely leave damsels alone.

~Bruce, who reads a lot, but has never kept a moray