Just upgraded tank size - what new fish to add???

[Dkmoo]

Just upgraded my 30G mixed reef to jbj 65 aio. Current list that had lived in harmony in the 30 is listed below. What would you add to this in the new tank?

1 pair of clowns, 8+ years old couple.
1 firefish
1 orange spot goby
1 yellow wrasse
1 coral beauty
A mix of various cucs (tux, conch, various hermits, emerald, pep shrimps, various snails)

Minus the aio compartments there's probably 50G of actual DT volume.

I personally have a slight lean towards more smaller/colorful/livelier fishes (so, no basslets that just hides all day). But also open to bigger fishes. I've always had nanno tanks so very clueless to some of the bigger fishes and would appreciate your inputs!

 

[KrisReef]

I don’t know what you should add?
I would expect that the fish you have are much happier with the extra room after 8 years in a tiny tide pool. Maybe leave well enough alone since clownfish, Angelfish, wrasse aren’t always happy to welcome new comers?

Watch for new tank mates and get one if something should show up at the lfs that’s worthy of possibly upsetting the ones that you already have.

 

[Dkmoo]

I don’t know what you should add?
I would expect that the fish you have are much happier with the extra room after 8 years in a tiny tide pool. Maybe leave well enough alone since clownfish, Angelfish, wrasse aren’t always happy to welcome new comers?

Watch for new tank mates and get one if something should show up at the lfs that’s worthy of possibly upsetting the ones that you already have.

Thanks, your points are def valid and did cross my mind. I was reading a number ofbother posts for 50-60g stocking lists and most had more fish than me so I thought I could add 1 or 2 more. I know the wrasse, clown and coral beauty all territorial and could be aggressive thats why I wanted to get something soon before they reestablish their turf in the new tank and rockscape.

Maybe blennies, cardinalfish, or a chromie of some kind

 

[KrisReef]

Thanks, your points are def valid and did cross my mind. I was reading a number ofbother posts for 50-60g stocking lists and most had more fish than me so I thought I could add 1 or 2 more. I know the wrasse, clown and coral beauty all territorial and could be aggressive thats why I wanted to get something soon before they reestablish their turf in the new tank and rockscape.

Maybe blennies, cardinalfish, or a chromie of some kind

We’re almost on the same page
As those fish grow they will be happier with fewer competitors to swim with but the items that they will dispute over are space, food, and their rank in the community pecking order. Adding new fish to an established core group may be more difficult after the group has moved and found that they have more space. They just moved out of a crowded apartment into a mansion and they may be less eager to allow a perceived move back into crowded conditions?

Also, they will generally be healthier (and “happier”?) with more room to swim about without bumping into another fish.

So let them settle in. You should have added the new fish first and then the old crew. That time is passed. Keep feeding them well and let them settle in and if you must*, troll the lfs’s for a new fish and carefully add them when you find something else you like. I like a Harlequin Tusk myself.

*Unpublished data from lfs observations indicate that Reefer’s add new fish to the perceived maximum carrying capacity of their tank. Caution must be given to folks to consider new additions in light of the data. Over crowded tanks maybe more likely to suffer from poor water quality and disease, over time.

Let us know what you get

 

[Dkmoo]

We’re almost on the same page
As those fish grow they will be happier with fewer competitors to swim with but the items that they will dispute over are space, food, and their rank in the community pecking order. Adding new fish to an established core group may be more difficult after the group has moved and found that they have more space. They just moved out of a crowded apartment into a mansion and they may be less eager to allow a perceived move back into crowded conditions?

Also, they will generally be healthier (and “happier”?) with more room to swim about without bumping into another fish.

So let them settle in. You should have added the new fish first and then the old crew. That time is passed. Keep feeding them well and let them settle in and if you must*, troll the lfs’s for a new fish and carefully add them when you find something else you like. I like a Harlequin Tusk myself.

*Unpublished data from lfs observations indicate that Reefer’s add new fish to the perceived maximum carrying capacity of their tank. Caution must be given to folks to consider new additions in light of the data. Over crowded tanks maybe more likely to suffer from poor water quality and disease, over time.

Let us know what you get

Makes sense, thanks for the detailed response.

Adding new fish before hand was also mybfirst choice but the moving schedule didn't allow for that =/

My current fish are all adult size so I don't think they'll get much bigger. Its been a few days and for the most part they all just stay in half of the tank which gives me more hope that there's room for 1 more.

I'll def weight all the risks you mentioned and check out the LFS, if I don't find anything that I really like before my current fish start to claim the rest of the tank, then I won't add anything new.

 

[Dkmoo]

Let us know what you get

So I ended up getting a neon dottyback. I know they can be real jerks but the color really caught my eye so I took the risk.

It's been a whole week and so far so good, the coral beauty and yellow wrasse are leaving him alone and he settled nicely in a cave under my chalice shelf in the other end of the tank. He comes out more and more now and even swims next to the bigger fish without showing aggression.

I think a few factors helped increase the success chance if anyone else want to give them a try

1) I added him last
2) tank was newly upsized with unclaimed territories
3) he's 1/2 the size of the rest of tank mates
4) in the LFS DT he was in the same tank as a dwarf angel, a wrasse, a few damselfish, and clowns, so figure probably he's used to them already.

Or I might have just gotten lucky. I did pray to the fish gods and sacrificed a few aiptasias on the altar.