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

MarSch

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Hi,

Interested in advice on whether or not the fish on my wishlist would be ok with my current inhabitants.

Fish tank:
150cm x 60cm x 60cm = 540 litres (~140 gallons)

Current inhabitants:
  • 2 x Percula clowns
  • 1 x Bicolor blenny
  • 1 x Melanurus wrasse
  • 1 x Green mandarin
  • 1 x Foxface rabbitfish
  • 1 x Diamond Watchman Goby
  • 1 x Kleins butterflyfish

Want to get:
  • 1 x Pearlscale butterflyfish
  • 1 x Lemonpeel Angel
  • 1 x Coral Beauty Angel
  • 1 x Bristletooth tang
  • 1 x Purple tang

Any issues with that?

And if no issues, what about if I added a 3rd butterfly: Threadfin
 

Cthulukelele

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Hi,

Interested in advice on whether or not the fish on my wishlist would be ok with my current inhabitants.

Fish tank:
150cm x 60cm x 60cm = 540 litres (~140 gallons)

Current inhabitants:
  • 2 x Percula clowns
  • 1 x Bicolor blenny
  • 1 x Melanurus wrasse
  • 1 x Green mandarin
  • 1 x Foxface rabbitfish
  • 1 x Diamond Watchman Goby
  • 1 x Kleins butterflyfish

Want to get:
  • 1 x Pearlscale butterflyfish
  • 1 x Lemonpeel Angel
  • 1 x Coral Beauty Angel
  • 1 x Bristletooth tang
  • 1 x Purple tang

Any issues with that?

And if no issues, what about if I added a 3rd butterfly: Threadfin
Multiple butterflyfish can break bad especially with one established. Hit or miss with multiple dwarf angels even added at same time. Purple tangs are often not very nice especially to other tangs or similarly shaped fish, but adding at same time might negate. Could all work, but definitely some risks
 

MarSch

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Multiple butterflyfish can break bad especially with one established. Hit or miss with multiple dwarf angels even added at same time. Purple tangs are often not very nice especially to other tangs or similarly shaped fish, but adding at same time might negate. Could all work, but definitely some risks
Thanks. The butterfly I already have is still in QT, so I could get a 2nd butterfly, and it to the same QT and change the rockwork a bit, and then introduce them both to the DT at the same time. Might help negate any issues.

Would it be better to have 2 x Butterflys and 2 x angels, or 3 x Butterflys and 1 x angel?
 

Cthulukelele

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Thanks. The butterfly I already have is still in QT, so I could get a 2nd butterfly, and it to the same QT and change the rockwork a bit, and then introduce them both to the DT at the same time. Might help negate any issues.

Would it be better to have 2 x Butterflys and 2 x angels, or 3 x Butterflys and 1 x angel?
I've never kept either ratio, but anecdotally there is more online evidence of success with multiple dwarf angels than multiple butterflies, but people have made both work
 

L0L_Z

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Really wonky tank
Im looking to fit fish in a 6'x 14 inch x 18 inch Fowlr. Has an aio and will have a skimmer

Stocking eishlist
Scopas tang
powder blue or white scheek tang
atlantic blue tang
trio of sunset anthias
bellus or swallowtail or regal angel
foxface
exquisite wrasse
midas blenny
mandarin
coral croucher trio
 

Neptune 555

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What can I add to my 180 reef?

Current tank inhabitants:
* Blue Tang 2015
* Yellow Tang 2015
* Vrolick Wrasse - Hali family 2016
* Flameback dwarf angel 2016
* starry blenny 2018
* 2 percula clowns 2019
* Flame dwarf angel 2010
* Watchman goby 2019
* 4 blue chromis 2020
* 2 purple firefish Dec 2022 (adding BBS)
* Yasha white goby (alive but hides ) Dec 2022
* Green Mandarin male Dec 2022 (harvesting pods)
* Spotted mandarin female Dec 2022
* 2 cleaner shrimp 2018
* 1 fire shrimp 2018
* Sand sifting sea star 2021
* Red linkia sea star Jan 2023
* Multiple BTAs (removed many want to keep 3 or4)
* 2 leather corals large
* mushrooms
* GSP - want more!
* Kenya trees
* Will add Xenia

FISH I WANT TO ADD:
* Ruby Red male dragonet
* Swap the spotted female mandarin for a green female dragonet (so they spawn)
* Magnificent Foxface OR a bicolor foxface
* Aiptasia eating file fish
* Royal Gramma
* Banggai Cardinalfish (willing to swap him for something else?)

Anything else I should consider?

I want to put a few fish in with the foxface b/c I think it will spread out the aggression from the existing tankmates. I will add in more live rock when I add the fish. I will also place them in an acclimation box for a few days.

Thanks looking forward to your feedback!
Any feedback??
 

EliMelly

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I have the Red Sea 350 and would like to put the following in but I’m not sure about the blue tang… any thoughts?

Royal Gramma
3 Fire Fish 2 regular and one purple
Wantanabe Angel
Blue tang
Yellow Tang
white tail tang
Pink spotted watchman goby or another goby that has a great personality and messes with the sand that won’t be eel food
2 clown fish , one of them black and white (will they pair if different color?)
Earmuff Wrasse
Banded snake eel

Wants
Midas Blenny and a long nose hawk fish
 

Cthulukelele

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Any feedback??
How's your pod pop currently? That's a lot of pod demand for another dragonet. If still lots of pods could work. Filefish can really be nippy fish so just keep that in mind if you're very attached to your coral. Also if they get a taste for something adult aiptasia eating filefish can eat most of it In a couple days.
 

Neptune 555

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How's your pod pop currently? That's a lot of pod demand for another dragonet. If still lots of pods could work. Filefish can really be nippy fish so just keep that in mind if you're very attached to your coral. Also if they get a taste for something adult aiptasia eating filefish can eat most of it In a couple days.
I am cultivating pods... I have a 10 gallon tank 1/2 full with Tiger pods.. and I have tisbe pods on the way. I will put 75% in the tank and keep 2 cultures going of tisbe pods. I am also hatching BBS... Do you think that is enough? I will dump in a batch every week of pods?

What do you think of adding a magnificent foxface to this 180 tank? My blue tang and yellow tang are adults...? thoughts?
 

Cthulukelele

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I am cultivating pods... I have a 10 gallon tank 1/2 full with Tiger pods.. and I have tisbe pods on the way. I will put 75% in the tank and keep 2 cultures going of tisbe pods. I am also hatching BBS... Do you think that is enough? I will dump in a batch every week of pods?

What do you think of adding a magnificent foxface to this 180 tank? My blue tang and yellow tang are adults...? thoughts?
That could probably work. It comes down to the individual dragonets and what they decide to eat. I think foxface ok
 

L0L_Z

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Really wonky tank
Im looking to fit fish in a 6'x 14 inch x 18 inch Fowlr. Has an aio and will have a skimmer

Stocking eishlist
Scopas tang
powder blue or white scheek tang
atlantic blue tang
trio of sunset anthias
bellus or swallowtail or regal angel
foxface
exquisite wrasse
midas blenny
mandarin
coral croucher trio
anyone?
 

Slocke

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Really wonky tank
Im looking to fit fish in a 6'x 14 inch x 18 inch Fowlr. Has an aio and will have a skimmer

Stocking eishlist
Scopas tang
powder blue or white scheek tang
atlantic blue tang
trio of sunset anthias
bellus or swallowtail or regal angel
foxface
exquisite wrasse
midas blenny
mandarin
coral croucher trio
Sorry my real job is killing me right now. I’m going to change your order to show when you should add them approximately :

Coral croucher:
My thought is they will disappear in a 6’ tank.

Midas blenny:
Good but may struggle with the tangs

Exquisite wrasse:
Same as blenny

Foxface:
Why not get a magnificent? Otherwise all good.

Sunset anthias:
Know that they need many feedings a day and you also may want to spend some time researching the proper diet of an anthia.

Angelfish:
All are great. They do need a diet that includes sponge and algae. The regal may be difficult to get feeding.

Scopas tang:
Good

Acantharus tangs:
I'd go with two different genera if it were me. They are more sensitive tangs.

Mandarin: I don't know if you can get captive bred down there. Otherwise you will need an aged tank and I'd add copepods early and add more periodically.


Overall: My issue with this is you have smaller peaceful fish with larger more aggressive fish in the form of tangs and an angel. Also I noticed you have mostly coral safe fish in a FOWLR. Are you wanting to try corals later? Mostly though it is a good and very interesting stocking.
 

L0L_Z

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Sorry my real job is killing me right now. I’m going to change your order to show when you should add them approximately :

Coral croucher:
My thought is they will disappear in a 6’ tank.

Midas blenny:
Good but may struggle with the tangs

Exquisite wrasse:
Same as blenny

Foxface:
Why not get a magnificent? Otherwise all good.

Sunset anthias:
Know that they need many feedings a day and you also may want to spend some time researching the proper diet of an anthia.

Angelfish:
All are great. They do need a diet that includes sponge and algae. The regal may be difficult to get feeding.

Scopas tang:
Good

Acantharus tangs:
I'd go with two different genera if it were me. They are more sensitive tangs.

Mandarin: I don't know if you can get captive bred down there. Otherwise you will need an aged tank and I'd add copepods early and add more periodically.


Overall: My issue with this is you have smaller peaceful fish with larger more aggressive fish in the form of tangs and an angel. Also I noticed you have mostly coral safe fish in a FOWLR. Are you wanting to try corals later? Mostly though it is a good and very interesting stocking.
No corals. My issue is lights and coral stuff is expensive. I only want the crouchers so that i can have a fish that i could hunt for. Also curiious about a species about butterflyfish. There is a thread i made where you can give me a really in depth list as there is more fish in the wishlist there
 

Neptune 555

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How's your pod pop currently? That's a lot of pod demand for another dragonet. If still lots of pods could work. Filefish can really be nippy fish so just keep that in mind if you're very attached to your coral. Also if they get a taste for something adult aiptasia eating filefish can eat most of it In a couple days.
OK no file fish! and no red ruby mandarin... I am making pods but until I see them all over my glass in the display tank I will hold.

BUT what about 3 zebra barred dartfish? I have 2 purple firefish and I LOVE them. I have had them for over a month and they come out most of the day always at feeding and I love the way they dart in and out of the rock. It is like you are in the ocean. Can different types of dartfish co-exist? I know for the purple firefish I started with three and these two I think bullied the third to death. they paired off. Will they kill these new dartfish... the new fish could dfn find a new rock to hide in? thoughts?
 

Cthulukelele

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OK no file fish! and no red ruby mandarin... I am making pods but until I see them all over my glass in the display tank I will hold.

BUT what about 3 zebra barred dartfish? I have 2 purple firefish and I LOVE them. I have had them for over a month and they come out most of the day always at feeding and I love the way they dart in and out of the rock. It is like you are in the ocean. Can different types of dartfish co-exist? I know for the purple firefish I started with three and these two I think bullied the third to death. they paired off. Will they kill these new dartfish... the new fish could dfn find a new rock to hide in? thoughts?
Your firefish may not like them, same with some established tangs, and they're pretty timid. Could work, but risky in what seems like a semi aggressive tank
 

Neptune 555

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Your firefish may not like them, same with some established tangs, and they're pretty timid. Could work, but risky in what seems like a semi aggressive tank
are the purple firefish not as timid? The purple ones were timid the first 2 weeks but every day they seem to spend more time outside the rock but always dart back in when the blue tang swims to near : )
 

Cthulukelele

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are the purple firefish not as timid? The purple ones were timid the first 2 weeks but every day they seem to spend more time outside the rock but always dart back in when the blue tang swims to near : )
They're similarly timid (maybe even a little less so) but everything else is already established. It could work, but it's a risk
 

L0L_Z

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Sorry my real job is killing me right now. I’m going to change your order to show when you should add them approximately :

Coral croucher:
My thought is they will disappear in a 6’ tank.

Midas blenny:
Good but may struggle with the tangs

Exquisite wrasse:
Same as blenny

Foxface:
Why not get a magnificent? Otherwise all good.

Sunset anthias:
Know that they need many feedings a day and you also may want to spend some time researching the proper diet of an anthia.

Angelfish:
All are great. They do need a diet that includes sponge and algae. The regal may be difficult to get feeding.

Scopas tang:
Good

Acantharus tangs:
I'd go with two different genera if it were me. They are more sensitive tangs.

Mandarin: I don't know if you can get captive bred down there. Otherwise you will need an aged tank and I'd add copepods early and add more periodically.


Overall: My issue with this is you have smaller peaceful fish with larger more aggressive fish in the form of tangs and an angel. Also I noticed you have mostly coral safe fish in a FOWLR. Are you wanting to try corals later? Mostly though it is a good and very interesting stocking.
Just updating the stocking slightly.

powder blue tang
scopas tang
goldrim tang or atlantic blue tang (PBT and goldrim will be added at exact same time)
regal angel
cubicus boxfish or honeycomb grouper
5 pyramid butterflyfish

All of these are larger fish
 
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L0L_Z

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Just updating the stocking slightly.

powder blue tang
scopas tang
goldrim tang or atlantic blue tang (PBT and goldrim will be added at exact same time)
regal angel
cubicus boxfish or honeycomb grouper
5 pyramid butterflyfish

All of these are larger fish
realised that this stovking was going to be expensive so

Powder blue tang
scopas tang
goldrim tang
regal or flagfin angelfish
honeycomp grouper or cubicus boxfish
yellowhead butterflyfish
trio of anthias
tomini tang
harlequin tusk or a similarly sized wrasse

Edit : considering an eibli angelfish too
 
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