Predator stocking opinions for new 125gal

[SaltyDog67]

Harlequin tusk is a passive fish IME

The Tusk is on my I really really want one reserve list, lol. I think he would be ok to replace one of the fish I have planned, Ive just heard they are hard to get a good specimen and dont ship well. He would take the place of one of the other wrasses if I could convince myself he would be hearty enough to warrant the price tag. What fish do/did you keep with yours?

 

[svogun]

The Tusk is on my I really really want one reserve list, lol. I think he would be ok to replace one of the fish I have planned, Ive just heard they are hard to get a good specimen and dont ship well. He would take the place of one of the other wrasses if I could convince myself he would be hearty enough to warrant the price tag. What fish do/did you keep with yours?

I had a beautiful one that was killed by a pair of Clarkii clownfish.

 

[GeoSquid]

No worries on the Lionfish as I dont think his fins would fare well with the Picaso, so he's out. The Picaso is non-negotiable and it will be his forever home once he splashes. I am reconsidering the Niger in place of a Marine Beta though due to potential size and bio load once everyone reaches maturity.

My niger is such an awesome fish. I would be sad not to have it in my tank, but my tank is a bit bigger. It grew from about 1.5" - 2" to 5" in about a year, but has seemed to slow down the growth just a bit. I don't know how long they take to get to maturity but I think it would be quite some time. I've never had a beta but they supposedly stay much smaller than a niger. I guess I just really like triggers. Although, my picasso will bite me if I'm not paying attention and draw blood. The Niger has never bitten me...;Happy

 

[William Norman]

What other fish do you have in with him, and how big is he and what size tank? I may end up cancelling the Niger but still undecided.

It is a 120 Long. He is about the size of a hand if you dont include his trailing tail.

Blunthead Wrasse (Thalassoma)
Harlequin Tusk
Formosa Wrasse
Red Coris Wrasse
Snowflake eel
Zebra eel
Jeweled eel
Red Tail Triggerfish (Sargassum)
Tomato Clown
Indigo Hamlet (Hypoplectrus indigo)
Sea Serpent

He doesnt seem to bother the eels and the red tail raises her spike when he comes close.

He is a beautiful fish, I am upset that I need to rehome him.

 

[SaltyDog67]

Panther grouper is another of my favorite fish that would go great in that tank. While they can eat an infinate amount of food if given the opportunity, they don't really require much and will grow extremely slow if you are responsible about limiting the feedings. You could easily get 5-10 years out of it in a 125.

Mine was an inch when I got him and took about a year before he was big enough to eat a couple fire fish. Took another couple years after that before he ate the anthia. When he was about 4-5 inches long he started sizing up my large royal gramma so I decided to sell. Was at least 3 great years though. Will definitely get another if the opportunity for a very small one arises.

I have had both tank bred and wild caught. I have only had one of each but in my case I found the wild caught was much more active. I returned the tank bred after a month as he mostly laid around until I came to the tank and he expected food.

Panther Grouper was on my list for a while, but I reconsidered due to how big they get and I wasnt sure how fast they grew...that and the fact I was afraid the clown would end up being a snack.

 

[SaltyDog67]

My niger is such an awesome fish. I would be sad not to have it in my tank, but my tank is a bit bigger. It grew from about 1.5" - 2" to 5" in about a year, but has seemed to slow down the growth just a bit. I don't know how long they take to get to maturity but I think it would be quite some time. I've never had a beta but they supposedly stay much smaller than a niger. I guess I just really like triggers. Although, my picasso will bite me if I'm not paying attention and draw blood. The Niger has never bitten me...;Happy

Your Picasso is jealous of the Niger and demands your attention through blood sacrifice, lol. Same here though, I love Triggers and one of my first list had multiple Triggers...Huma, Niger, Clown, Pink Tail...but I decided against so I could enjoy some variety while still trying to be somewhat responsible with my stocking and not have to do too much rehoming down the road...especially with the Clown Trigger and he would be a definite rehome due to size. My current list is already overstocked when they all reach full growth, so I may go with the Beta over the Niger to cut down some more on crowding and bio load since the Beta maxes out at 8". I havent even got fish yet and my tank is already too small, lol. The other problem is making a want list is easy, but getting the fish on your list at the time and size that you need them is not so easy.

 

[SaltyDog67]

It is a 120 Long. He is about the size of a hand if you dont include his trailing tail.

Blunthead Wrasse (Thalassoma)
Harlequin Tusk
Formosa Wrasse
Red Coris Wrasse
Snowflake eel
Zebra eel
Jeweled eel
Red Tail Triggerfish (Sargassum)
Tomato Clown
Indigo Hamlet (Hypoplectrus indigo)
Sea Serpent

He doesnt seem to bother the eels and the red tail raises her spike when he comes close.

He is a beautiful fish, I am upset that I need to rehome him.

Good looking fish! I'm reconsidering the Niger in place of a Marine Beta so I dont have to rehome him when he gets bigger and to also cut down on overcrowding and bio load early on. Thats an impressive fish list by the way! How does your Tusk do in the mix? Also Im new to wrasses other than the devious little six line I had in my reef tank that went on a killing spree and I had to trade in. I plan on getting a Red Coris and possibly a Dragon. How fast does the Red Coris grow and how's their temperament?

 

[ApoIsland]

Panther Grouper was on my list for a while, but I reconsidered due to how big they get and I wasnt sure how fast they grew...that and the fact I was afraid the clown would end up being a snack.

Get a big tomato clown or fatten him up real good for a few months before you get the grouper. If that clown is 2-3 inches top to bottom then that grouper won't be able to fit it in his mouth for many years.

 

[lion king]

A marine betta and a harlequin tusk would be a show piece for the 120g. That tank will be too small to make any trigger its forever home, with the exception of a bluejaw. The niger grows super fast and big, the aggression will be too much for that tank when he matures. Although the picasso grows much slower, at 5" you'll have to get that guy in a larger tank. The tenneni tang grows fast, and are usually already too big at the common purchase size. Overstocked aggressive tangs dont do well very long, and if you plan to get fish that will outgrow, get your rehome plan before you get the fish.

 

[SaltyDog67]

A marine betta and a harlequin tusk would be a show piece for the 120g. That tank will be too small to make any trigger its forever home, with the exception of a bluejaw. The niger grows super fast and big, the aggression will be too much for that tank when he matures. Although the picasso grows much slower, at 5" you'll have to get that guy in a larger tank. The tenneni tang grows fast, and are usually already too big at the common purchase size. Overstocked aggressive tangs dont do well very long, and if you plan to get fish that will outgrow, get your rehome plan before you get the fish.

Thanks for the response. Lots of good info to help me avoid frustration in the future! I was already leaning on replacing the Niger with something else on my list but I've read they dont get that big in captivity, however if he's a fast grower I'll probably go with the Marine Beta instead. I have had a Humu Picasso in the past and figured a 5 foot tank should be sufficient since he maxes out at 10 inches and with the Blue Throat maxing out at 9 inches I wouldnt think it would be a substantial difference between the two. I've never kept Tangs before and its good to know the Tennentii is a fast grower. I was on the fence with tangs in general but figured one would be good to help graze any algae since a CUC is out of the question, but that may be cancelled from the list as well unless I can find a smaller tang that would fit the bill for a 125 without over crowding. Im thinking of dropping the Red Coris wrasse and replace it with the Australian Harlequin Tusk instead just due to the potential size of the Red Coris. Both are extremely beautiful fish, but the Tusk is high on my want list and will probably be a better fit with the final list...just not my pocketbook lol.

 

[William Norman]

Good looking fish! I'm reconsidering the Niger in place of a Marine Beta so I dont have to rehome him when he gets bigger and to also cut down on overcrowding and bio load early on. Thats an impressive fish list by the way! How does your Tusk do in the mix? Also Im new to wrasses other than the devious little six line I had in my reef tank that went on a killing spree and I had to trade in. I plan on getting a Red Coris and possibly a Dragon. How fast does the Red Coris grow and how's their temperament?

My Tusk is very wimpy, but it could change when I rehome the Niger. He likes to steal crabs from my eels. I really like the other wrasses. The Red Coris is very nice fish he is about 7-8 inches now. He has grown consistently about 2 inches per year. Check out my signature for some pics. In my 120 I will be adding some flashers wrasses once they start shipping again. I actually like wrasses over tangs for color and less bio load.

 

[lion king]

Thanks for the response. Lots of good info to help me avoid frustration in the future! I was already leaning on replacing the Niger with something else on my list but I've read they dont get that big in captivity, however if he's a fast grower I'll probably go with the Marine Beta instead. I have had a Humu Picasso in the past and figured a 5 foot tank should be sufficient since he maxes out at 10 inches and with the Blue Throat maxing out at 9 inches I wouldnt think it would be a substantial difference between the two. I've never kept Tangs before and its good to know the Tennentii is a fast grower. I was on the fence with tangs in general but figured one would be good to help graze any algae since a CUC is out of the question, but that may be cancelled from the list as well unless I can find a smaller tang that would fit the bill for a 125 without over crowding. Im thinking of dropping the Red Coris wrasse and replace it with the Australian Harlequin Tusk instead just due to the potential size of the Red Coris. Both are extremely beautiful fish, but the Tusk is high on my want list and will probably be a better fit with the final list...just not my pocketbook lol.

The difference in the bluejaw and picasso is aggression, not size. A picasso will rarely get over 7" in captivity. But their real aggression starts at about 5", I cant count the number of 5" picassos being rehomed. All lfs dont take back all fish, manyvwill even lie upfront to sell the fish, then when the time comes to rehome, they say no. A niger will get to a true 12" in captivity, they are one that does hold true to size even in captivity.

A scopas tang is my favorite smaller tang and pics dont do them justice

 

[William Norman]

One thing to consider for algea control is a foxface. I am planning on adding one to the tank once I rehome the niger. I am told they would hold their own better than a tang in the aggressive tank.

 

[SaltyDog67]

The difference in the bluejaw and picasso is aggression, not size. A picasso will rarely get over 7" in captivity. But their real aggression starts at about 5", I cant count the number of 5" picassos being rehomed. All lfs dont take back all fish, manyvwill even lie upfront to sell the fish, then when the time comes to rehome, they say no. A niger will get to a true 12" in captivity, they are one that does hold true to size even in captivity.

A scopas tang is my favorite smaller tang and pics dont do them justice

Thanks! I'll definitely keep an eye on the Picasso when he gets to the 5" range. I know they are slow growers, but whats your best guess on their yearly growth rate? I was looking at the Scopas Tang when I was researching for my stock list, but I didnt pursue it as everything I found says it gets up to 12 inches. It's a good looking fish and I would definitely consider it, but I was concerned with the size. How fast do they grow and do they get that large in captivity?

 

[SaltyDog67]

My Tusk is very wimpy, but it could change when I rehome the Niger. He likes to steal crabs from my eels. I really like the other wrasses. The Red Coris is very nice fish he is about 7-8 inches now. He has grown consistently about 2 inches per year. Check out my signature for some pics. In my 120 I will be adding some flashers wrasses once they start shipping again. I actually like wrasses over tangs for color and less bio load.

Good looking tank...do the other fish keep your Tusk hiding in the rocks like you have in the picture, or does he come out and swim around on display much? Im thinking about nixing the Red Coris and going with a Tusk and let the Dragon Wrasse have the sand bed to himself.

 

[William Norman]

The Tusk is very active. He flys around the tank and goes through all the rock work. He is very rarely sitting still for a picture.

 

[lion king]

Thanks! I'll definitely keep an eye on the Picasso when he gets to the 5" range. I know they are slow growers, but whats your best guess on their yearly growth rate? I was looking at the Scopas Tang when I was researching for my stock list, but I didnt pursue it as everything I found says it gets up to 12 inches. It's a good looking fish and I would definitely consider it, but I was concerned with the size. How fast do they grow and do they get that large in captivity?

Some say a picasso grows painfully slow, and finding small ones, which I find more fun is easy. About this time of year(c-19 withstanding) you would sez alit of little ones, start with a 2" one and if you are still in the hobby when he gets too big or aggressive, youll likely be going bigger. I would say no more than a 1/2" a year at best.

I didn't know a scopas got that big, if they do, not in captivity, barely 7" after 10plus years. Another painfully slow growers, mine's been 5" for 2 years it seems like. A foxface is another great fish for that tank size, I especially like the one spot.

 

[GeoSquid]

Some say a picasso grows painfully slow, and finding small ones, which I find more fun is easy. About this time of year(c-19 withstanding) you would sez alit of little ones, start with a 2" one and if you are still in the hobby when he gets too big or aggressive, youll likely be going bigger. I would say no more than a 1/2" a year at best.

I didn't know a scopas got that big, if they do, not in captivity, barely 7" after 10plus years. Another painfully slow growers, mine's been 5" for 2 years it seems like. A foxface is another great fish for that tank size, I especially like the one spot.

I got my Picasso at 2" and it grew to about 4" in a year. Again, they might grow faster when they are younger. I only have 7 fish in my 180 gallon and I feed "what might be" a ridiculous amount of food. Maybe if you feed less they will grow slower. I feel a happily fed trigger is a much better trigger. Both my Picasso and Niger LOVE Nori. My hippo tang went from the size of a nickel to 5"-6" in 1.5 years.

 

[GeoSquid]

My Niger is purple and green under daylight. Love Triggers!