One of everything - can't add fish

[BradB]

It seems like every tank that isn't absolutely gigantic gets to a point where they can't add fish because of the fish they already have, and the collection is somewhat of a mish mash of different fish. Currently in a 270 I have:

2 Yellow Tangs - another tang would kill them or be killed, they'd kill a foxface
2 Fairy wrasses - another wrasse would kill them or be killed
2 Pyramid Butterflyfish - another pyramid would kill them or be killed
2 Ocellaris - another clown would kill them or be killed
1 Emperor Angel - another angel would kill it or be killed
1 Blue devil damsel - another damsel would kill it or be killed
1 Lawnmower Blenny - another blenny would kill it or be killed
1 Toby Puffer - destructive enough I'd rather not add another

So I have a dozen fish, and maybe that' s enough. If I lost both wrasses or both tangs, I can add a group at the same time and probably be ok. I can also replace the damsel with a group of less aggressive damsels when he goes. Otherwise I can't have more than 12 fish.

In a larger tank, I could keep bigger Tangs, and maybe more Butterflies if I added them at the same time, but I'd mostly have the same issue.
In a smaller tank, I'd be in the same situation, just couldn't keep the Emperor or maybe the Tangs, Butterflies or wrasses and bioload becomes a problem as it got smaller.

Does every successful reef tank eventually end up like this? Maybe I should be more excited about different corals, but with fragswaps cancelled from the pandemic, choices are very expensive and very limited.

 

[SPR1968]

In both my systems, this is a problem, but what I do is use a fish trap as an acclimatisation box so everyone can get used to each other in safety for a few hours or however long it takes

It protects the new arrivals, and the existing fish get used to them and everyone is safe

 

[William Morris]

I have given up adding fish because of what you characterize in your post - kill or be killed.
I put a Six Line in my tank (based on the LFS advice - they know what other fish are in the tank - and the Six Line lasted 1/2 hr - the Dottyback destroyed him before I could rescue him.

 

[ca1ore]

Hmmn, not sure I agree. Ok, two clowns only is probably wise, but I’ve added additional tangs, angels, damsels and yellow pyramids to established individuals with pretty consistent success. 270 is a good amount of space. My tank is about double that and I have over 100 fish. Figure you’ve space for 32 more lol.

There certainly are fish with hyper aggressive reputations that are a problem but with the possible exception of the blue devil, you don’t have any of them. Hyper aggressive like dottybacks, sohal, dascyllus damsels would be some examples.

 

[BradB]

I actually started with 4 pyramids. 1 may have died due to shipping but they hated each other. It doesn't matter the tank is so big they rarely even see each other, they try to kill each other when they do. I am sticking with 1 if I lose 1.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Mine is a smaller system at 90 gallon but I do have a successful pair (thus far ) of a Coral Beauty and an Eibli Angel. I was nervous combining them though!

 

[mort]

I agree with ca1ore that it's not necessarily limiting. Your wrasse for instance might not be an issue depending on what they are, the tangs might not worry to much about a foxface (they have always got on fine for me after a little introduction).
This comes down to needing to be more careful with the size of fish you add, for instance they should be big enough to either fight back or small enough that they aren't seen as a threat. You can also acclimate them in a box like mentioned above and use various other methods.

 

[BradB]

The problem with matching size and aggression is time. Any new fish close to the same size and aggression as my current fish is going to get destroyed before it adjusts to life in the tank. Obviously this is solvable by adding someone much larger or more aggressive, but then they will kill my current fish after adjusting.

8 years ago, when I bought the tangs, I also bought a foxface - this was an LA order. It arrived alive but died right after acclimation. I noticed no aggression, but LA was upset at me saying I should have known better than to try keeping tangs and foxface together in a 270, although they did credit me for the fox face. Now that the tangs are established, any problem will be much worse.

One wrasse is a rubriventralis, very small but very aggressive. Cool fish, but I sort of regret adding it. It will terrorize any new wrasse. The other wrasse is a larger rhomboid wrasse who is bullied. A third wrasse that survives the initial rubriventralis attack is likely big and mean enough that it will eventually kill my rhomboid. I might try to remove the rubriventralis (permanently or temporarily) and add several more wrasses.

I have had other angels, and they coexisted but were bullied, and the Emperor is bigger now. Another Pomocanthus, an Apolemichthys, Pygoplites or Holacanthus is too much for a tank this size with coral as the main focus. Any Centropyge or Paracentropyge is going to be killed. A larger Chaetodontoplus or Genicanthus potentially works, but they are rare and expensive and I am not sure I want that risk even if I had the oppertunity.