Please read, need advice on fish selection

[dochow]

Ok, time to add a fish or two, need serious advice.

All opinions welcome. I want some old reefers to comment here, need the advice.

I think adding fish is the most stressful part and I have gone to great lengths to make sure my DT is completely disease free (to best of my ability). My 4 fish have been QT'd, treated with copper and prazi and have been living happily over a year.

Here are the specs:

75 gallon DT, 15 months old, mixed reef, Kessil lights, 25 gallon sump with lively refugium full of caulerpa. Lots of amphiods, copepods and worms.

Running filter socks, and also floss and carbon which I remove weekly from one of the chambers.

I basically only feed frozen/refrigerated or live food (black worms). My Kole Tang gets several different types of algae on clip.

Vertex 150 skimmer.

Current fish: 4 total all have been QT'd and treated
Kole Tang
2 Stubby Ocelarris Clowns (hosted by 1 anemone)
1 Royal Gramma

Parameters stable: 1.026 salinity, 8.23 pH, 8.8 alk dKH, 0 ammonia, about 0 nitrate. Phosphate fluctuates a little based on coral feeding.

Fish room separate from DT.
2, 5.5 gallon tanks set up for tank transfer method.
1, 20 gallon long set up for QT and observation following TTM (previously coral QT and has a ton of amphipods/copepods crawling over glass and PVC. Has not had a fish for over 6 months in it. No new corals in there for over 90 days.)

Here is what I'm interested in, please comment on what you think I can host in my DT and what can go through TTM together. If you think there are better additions for my set up, let me know:

1 Sunburst "fat head" Anthia
1 Mandarin Goby
Blue chromis school (3-4)
Copperband Butterfly Fish (or related)
Anthia school (1 male 3 females)
Shrimp goby
Flame Angelfish
Coral Beauty Angelfish
Potters Angelfish

All opinions are welcome, let me know how many fish you think I can add and what combination.

I have an LFS that runs copper and prazi in all their fish tanks. My plan is to buy from them, although with TTM I can probably get from anyone, even the dreaded Petco, which near me has some pretty awesome fish here and there.

Please comment!!!

Here are some pics of set up for TTM, QT and DT.

 

[eatbreakfast]

You don't have te space to qt the angels together, and 75g dt is not enough space for them to be added one at a time, so choose only one angel. And whichever you choose, add it last.

What species were you thinking of for the group? I recommend dispar or randalls. Both species are fairly hardy and are quite peaceful.

 

[Downbeach]

You might reconsider the dwarf angels altogether, they are one of my favorite fish, but I never had one that didn't develop a taste for something in my mixed reef, the last one, a Flame Angel found my Maxima Clams mantle to its liking. Have you considered a Fairy/Flasher Wrasse? I've always been partial to Red Velvet's, but there are many colorful possibilities for your system. Here's some examples:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/...fm?c=15+1378&s=ts&count=24&start=1&page_num=1

I would avoid the Six Line.

 

[dochow]

Yeah I think the flame angel would be a perfect addition, but I am nervous about the potential for coral nipping. I have looked at the Wrasses but they never drew my attention. Can you get a male/female pair?

From my list in first post, how may fish do you all think I can add to the 4 I have given the set up I described?

I want to do this right and all the advice possible would be helpful

 

[dochow]

Anyone, anyone??

 

[eatbreakfast]

You should be able to do most of your list besides the ones advised against.

Wrasses are better not kept as a male/female pr.

 

[roberthu526]

See I would get a wrasse for sure if it was my tank. I just feel every tank should have at least one wrasse. A carpenter wrasse would be nice.

 

[dochow]

Pulling the trigger, drove 1hr 30mins to get fish. At the store now......

 

[4FordFamily]

You don't have te space to qt the angels together, and 75g dt is not enough space for them to be added one at a time, so choose only one angel. And whichever you choose, add it last.

What species were you thinking of for the group? I recommend dispar or randalls. Both species are fairly hardy and are quite peaceful.

This is my biggest takeaway as well. Coral beauty are far easier to keep as well.

 

[Fish4udog]

Had a flame in my reef tank for 8 years before he passed never had a problem but each fish has its own personality just like people keep sps,lps &zoas in yhe tank he was in

 

[dochow]

I pulled trigger on the following:

Diamond Watchman Goby
Sunburst "fathead" anthia
Carpenter Wrasse
Spotted Mandarin

All started TTM tonight. Have some pods on hand for spotted mandarin.

Wish me luck, will show some pics in AM

 

[dochow]

So, I covered the tank but left about a 1/2 inch slot at the back of the tank for air circulation. (Air stone in there too)

The diamond Goby somehow found that slot and jumped out.

Unbelievable.

Completely covered now.

Somewhat devastated. 1 for the fish dying a slow death by suffocation and 2 because I did everything right and he somehow jumped out a 1/2 inch slot.

Terrible

 

[dochow]

Well an update on TTM after my depressing last post...

Mandarin Goby eating everything I give him including live black worms.

Sunburst anthia and Carpenter wrasse are pigs.

Done with first transfer of TTM successfully.

All is well after first loss which was obviously my fault, although I'm not sure how he found the only spot on tank to get out. Never again will there be any opening for air exchange on top of tank during TTM.

 

[Downbeach]

How handy are you? Have you considered making your own screens as lids? You can get everything you need at one of the big box stores, i.e. screen, frames, spline and corner connectors, etc.

 

[dochow]

Not handy enough, would rather pay someone to customize screen lids on my DT

 

[dochow]

Just an update, currently at day 8 of TTM. Two transfers left.

Everyone doing well, psychedelic Madarin and Sunburst anthia eating well.

I dosed Prazi on last transfer.

Carpenter wrasse didn't seem to do as well with the prazi. Before dosing prazi he was the most active. After prazi, he has been sitting on the bottom for the most part. Only will grab food if it hits him in the face. No rapid or slow breathing. Looking around. Colors looks good. No outward signs of illness other than behavior.

I did the prazi on the last 24 hours before transferring, so he is in a new tank without any prazi now.

Hoping he just had some appetite suppression from it.

Will have to dose prazi one more time on last transfer before going into QT for a couple weeks. Hopefully he does better with it....