Need help deciding on whether or not a fish is right for your tank? Post here and we'll help!

[Lissa1987]

Ok, so I am going to be down to 3 fish in my 90 gallon FOWLR tank. I need some suggestions. I have 100+ lbs of live rock so a ton a little caves and hiding spots. I have a sump and protein skimmer. We used to have a Dog faced puffer, blonde nano tang and picasso trigger but have found good homes for them that are better sized. The fish I have left are a male bluethroat trigger, a flame angel and a harlequin tusk. I am looking to go with more colorful fish and a larger quantity. I also want ones that are not going to eat me clean up crew faster than I can replace them. (The tusk will get some but if he is well fed he generally leaves them alone) Personality is definitely a plus!

No one has any ideas?

 

[Fudsey]

@Lissa1987 Depends on what you want. There are some tangs you could put in there, 2 Spot, Kole, Tomini. You don't say whether you have sand or not but Wrasse would be colorful. Butterfly fish is also another idea. Hawks or Blennies have tons of personality. Being a fish only you have tons of choices, just be careful with choosing another dwarf Angel seeing as you have a flame.

 

[Lissa1987]

@Lissa1987 Depends on what you want. There are some tangs you could put in there, 2 Spot, Kole, Tomini. You don't say whether you have sand or not but Wrasse would be colorful. Butterfly fish is also another idea. Hawks or Blennies have tons of personality. Being a fish only you have tons of choices, just be careful with choosing another dwarf Angel seeing as you have a flame.

That's my problem, lol. I am not sure what I want. Ive been looking at flame hawkfish, rabbit fish, and small tang, maybe a pair of clowns. I don't know much about butterfly fish. Wrasses are also on my list, there are just so many to choose from. I also was considering fish I could keep in pairs or threes that would add activity and color, but I know almost nothing about smaller fish. Here is a fairly recent pick of my tank.

 

[Gage Sullivan]

Hey so my tank(45gal with 10gal sump) is up and running well. I've been testing every morning and have no ammonia, nitrates, or nitrites. There are two fish, a fire shrimp, and an emerald crab in the sump. I also got a daisy soft coral, green star, and orange zoa. Everything in the tank looks extremely healthy( I freshwater dipped the fish). And the corals are in full bloom. The thing is saltwaterfish.com is having a Black Friday sale, and if you buy $150 worth of livestock then shipping is free and you get a free fish of your choice that costs about $50. (Blue tang, chocolate tang, foxface rabbitfish) If i were to order fish from here I would have 5 new fish next Wednesday. Will this be too much of a bio load to early? They are all very small. I also would be getting a zoa colony rock, a feather duster, an urchin, and mangrove. I just ordered a protein skimmer and the latest it will come would be 6 days after the fish arrive. Would this be too long of a wait?

 

[Gareth elliott]

Hey so my tank(45gal with 10gal sump) is up and running well. I've been testing every morning and have no ammonia, nitrates, or nitrites. There are two fish, a fire shrimp, and an emerald crab in the sump. I also got a daisy soft coral, green star, and orange zoa. Everything in the tank looks extremely healthy( I freshwater dipped the fish). And the corals are in full bloom. The thing is saltwaterfish.com is having a Black Friday sale, and if you buy $150 worth of livestock then shipping is free and you get a free fish of your choice that costs about $50. (Blue tang, chocolate tang, foxface rabbitfish) If i were to order fish from here I would have 5 new fish next Wednesday. Will this be too much of a bio load to early? They are all very small. I also would be getting a zoa colony rock, a feather duster, an urchin, and mangrove. I just ordered a protein skimmer and the latest it will come would be 6 days after the fish arrive. Would this be too long of a wait?

Those 3 fish are all too large and active for a 45 gallon. What are the 2 fish you currently have? We can help pick out some that compliment your current stock that wont eat corals

 

[jp_75]

tangs in 45 gallons? good luck! how old system? what fish right now in?

 

[Gage Sullivan]

Purple pseudos are pretty mean fish and can make it difficult to add fish later. If your set on one, add it last but the royal gramma can be just as pretty purple color, little more cryptic than the pseudo though.

I have one and to be honest, yes she is mean, but she dug a burrow in the corner of the tank and won’t bully anyone unless they go right around her den. They sure are purdy

 

[eatbreakfast]

Ok, so I am going to be down to 3 fish in my 90 gallon FOWLR tank. I need some suggestions. I have 100+ lbs of live rock so a ton a little caves and hiding spots. I have a sump and protein skimmer. We used to have a Dog faced puffer, blonde nano tang and picasso trigger but have found good homes for them that are better sized. The fish I have left are a male bluethroat trigger, a flame angel and a harlequin tusk. I am looking to go with more colorful fish and a larger quantity. I also want ones that are not going to eat me clean up crew faster than I can replace them. (The tusk will get some but if he is well fed he generally leaves them alone) Personality is definitely a plus!

Some suggestions include: flame or longnose hawkfish, a group of Chrysiptera damsels, such as yellowtail, azure, talbots or rollands, chalk or tobacco basslet, royal gramma, bimac anthias trio, melanurus wrasse, yellow coris wrasse.

Hey so my tank(45gal with 10gal sump) is up and running well. I've been testing every morning and have no ammonia, nitrates, or nitrites. There are two fish, a fire shrimp, and an emerald crab in the sump. I also got a daisy soft coral, green star, and orange zoa. Everything in the tank looks extremely healthy( I freshwater dipped the fish). And the corals are in full bloom. The thing is saltwaterfish.com is having a Black Friday sale, and if you buy $150 worth of livestock then shipping is free and you get a free fish of your choice that costs about $50. (Blue tang, chocolate tang, foxface rabbitfish) If i were to order fish from here I would have 5 new fish next Wednesday. Will this be too much of a bio load to early? They are all very small. I also would be getting a zoa colony rock, a feather duster, an urchin, and mangrove. I just ordered a protein skimmer and the latest it will come would be 6 days after the fish arrive. Would this be too long of a wait?

45g is wholly inappropriate for a tang.

 

[rhance]

Hi,
I have had a saltwater tank 5 gal for about 6 months now and I currently have a pajama cardinal as well as a gorgonian. Wondering if a Blastomussa Wellsi and Pagoda Cup would be a good fit??

 

[eatbreakfast]

Hi,
I have had a saltwater tank 5 gal for about 6 months now and I currently have a pajama cardinal as well as a gorgonian. Wondering if a Blastomussa Wellsi and Pagoda Cup would be a good fit??

As long as water quality is maintained and you have space, they should be fine.

 

[sbash]

Hi Everybody!

I have two clown gobies and a pink basslet (purple, strawberry, not sure what the actual name is) ready to come out of QT.

The one clown goby is going into a tank with just a couple maroons, must be a 40 gallon tank...

The other clown goby I was thinking of dropping in the small tank that has nothing in it but a pistol shrimp of some sort (red banded perhaps...) I had it with a suntail goby, but it jumped out... Any concerns here? I might add a zoa or mushroom, but I took the lights apart, so it just gets room lighting now...

Otherwise, the pink basslet... I would like to put it into my 35 gallon (36x12" footprint), which currently has a bowtie damsel, a small watchman goby and two sabae clowns... Is it too risky? Should I put it in the other tank with the maroons? (I do have other tanks, but these are preferable, one step at a time... lol)

Thanks!!!

 

[Wannabemediocre]

Hi all!
I have been directed here as I am checking out a potential stock list for compatibility long before even purchasing the tank (thanks NY_Caveman!).
Tank will be 84” x 36”x 30” (approx 320 imperial gallons) with an approx 100 gal sump.

This is the list I would appreciate opinions upon:

Spiny box puffer (if I can find one accepting food)
Fuzzy dwarf lion fish (two if opinions support)
Group of 4-6 pearlscale butterflies
Harlequin tang
Flame dwarf angel
Coral beauty dwarf angel
Sea goblin

Now, I am fully aware of conflicting reports regarding the above list and I want to make sure any purchases are as compatible as possible (obviously all fish are individuals however...). So - would be puffer be a threat to the lionfish/goblin? Are pearlscales compatible in groups in a tank this size? Is the tank big enough for two or more dwarf angels? Would there be room for anything else? If so, what would be a good addition to the mix?

Any responses/opinions appreciated!

 

[Wannabemediocre]

Hi all!
I have been directed here as I am checking out a potential stock list for compatibility long before even purchasing the tank (thanks NY_Caveman!).
Tank will be 84” x 36”x 30” (approx 320 imperial gallons) with an approx 100 gal sump.

This is the list I would appreciate opinions upon:

Spiny box puffer (if I can find one accepting food)
Fuzzy dwarf lion fish (two if opinions support)
Group of 4-6 pearlscale butterflies
Harlequin tang
Flame dwarf angel
Coral beauty dwarf angel
Sea goblin

Now, I am fully aware of conflicting reports regarding the above list and I want to make sure any purchases are as compatible as possible (obviously all fish are individuals however...). So - would be puffer be a threat to the lionfish/goblin? Are pearlscales compatible in groups in a tank this size? Is the tank big enough for two or more dwarf angels? Would there be room for anything else? If so, what would be a good addition to the mix?

Any responses/opinions appreciated!

Whoops! Should have pointed out it will be a FOWLR!

 

[eatbreakfast]

Hi Everybody!

I have two clown gobies and a pink basslet (purple, strawberry, not sure what the actual name is) ready to come out of QT.

The one clown goby is going into a tank with just a couple maroons, must be a 40 gallon tank...

The other clown goby I was thinking of dropping in the small tank that has nothing in it but a pistol shrimp of some sort (red banded perhaps...) I had it with a suntail goby, but it jumped out... Any concerns here? I might add a zoa or mushroom, but I took the lights apart, so it just gets room lighting now...

Otherwise, the pink basslet... I would like to put it into my 35 gallon (36x12" footprint), which currently has a bowtie damsel, a small watchman goby and two sabae clowns... Is it too risky? Should I put it in the other tank with the maroons? (I do have other tanks, but these are preferable, one step at a time... lol)

Thanks!!!

Strawberry dottybacks are pretty aggressive, so can be problematic in smaller tanks. Problems can be exacerbated when other aggressive or semi-aggressive species are involved.

The tank with the sebaes may have issues, as they get pretty big for clowns.

Hi all!
I have been directed here as I am checking out a potential stock list for compatibility long before even purchasing the tank (thanks NY_Caveman!).
Tank will be 84” x 36”x 30” (approx 320 imperial gallons) with an approx 100 gal sump.

This is the list I would appreciate opinions upon:

Spiny box puffer (if I can find one accepting food)
Fuzzy dwarf lion fish (two if opinions support)
Group of 4-6 pearlscale butterflies
Harlequin tang
Flame dwarf angel
Coral beauty dwarf angel
Sea goblin

Now, I am fully aware of conflicting reports regarding the above list and I want to make sure any purchases are as compatible as possible (obviously all fish are individuals however...). So - would be puffer be a threat to the lionfish/goblin? Are pearlscales compatible in groups in a tank this size? Is the tank big enough for two or more dwarf angels? Would there be room for anything else? If so, what would be a good addition to the mix?

Any responses/opinions appreciated!

Spiny box puffers aren't as "nippy" as other puffers, so should be ok with the lions and goblin, but keep an eye on interactions as they are individuals.

I would stick with just a pr of pearlscales. If you want more butterflies add other species of butterflies.

The tank should be big enough for 2 dwarf angels, but it is still a good idea to add them simultaneously.

 

[Wannabemediocre]

Strawberry dottybacks are pretty aggressive, so can be problematic in smaller tanks. Problems can be exacerbated when other aggressive or semi-aggressive species are involved.

The tank with the sebaes may have issues, as they get pretty big for clowns.

Spiny box puffers aren't as "nippy" as other puffers, so should be ok with the lions and goblin, but keep an eye on interactions as they are individuals.

I would stick with just a pr of pearlscales. If you want more butterflies add other species of butterflies.

The tank should be big enough for 2 dwarf angels, but it is still a good idea to add them simultaneously.

Thank you for your response! So a pair of pearlscales would work then? Just not a fan of multiples of different fish, hoped for a group of something similar... even less of a fan of unhappy fish though, so if that’s the case, so be it!

 

[eatbreakfast]

Thank you for your response! So a pair of pearlscales would work then? Just not a fan of multiples of different fish, hoped for a group of something similar... even less of a fan of unhappy fish though, so if that’s the case, so be it!

If you want more specimens of the same species of butterfly consider Heniochus, pyramid, or zoster instead.

 

[Wannabemediocre]

If you want more specimens of the same species of butterfly consider Heniochus, pyramid, or zoster instead.

Ok, great. Some food for thought there! Now, would a small group of any of those work with a pair of pearlscales too? Or too close to be ‘safe’?
Thanks.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Ok, great. Some food for thought there! Now, would a small group of any of those work with a pair of pearlscales too? Or too close to be ‘safe’?
Thanks.

A group of those species and a pr of pearlscales would work.

 

[Wannabemediocre]

A group of those species and a pr of pearlscales would work.

And wouldn’t be overstocking along with the other suggestions?

 

[eatbreakfast]

And wouldn’t be overstocking along with the other suggestions?

Each tank is different, but it should be fine. Just test parameters frequently.