Predator Tank - Fish Ideas??

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Hi folks,

I recently picked up a 6ft 135g aquarium, which will eventually be a predator tank. I am in the preliminary stages of researching fish (behavior, tank requirements etc.). From a looks perspective solely, there are some that I love. They may not be feasible for my system - I'll know more as I research them, but in the meantime, I'm wondering if anyone has any experience, good or bad, with any the following fish?

Harlequin tusk
niger trigger
miniatus grouper
porcupine puffer
snowflake eel
blue ribbon eel
goldflake angel
regal angel
sohal tang
red coris wrasse
garibaldi damsel
banana wrasse
hardwicke wrasse
bluehead wrasse

No, I would never put all of these fish in a tank this size - these are just ones I'm intrigued by. Ultimately, they will be housed with soft corals - mostly leathers, mushrooms and zoas... and I would like to put my magnificent foxface in this tank, so bonus points for any fish that would not be overly aggressive towards him. I love fish that are interactive, so if they have cool personalities, even better :)

Just looking for thoughts, ideas and first-hand knowledge sharing :)
 

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Hi folks,

I recently picked up a 6ft 135g aquarium, which will eventually be a predator tank. I am in the preliminary stages of researching fish (behavior, tank requirements etc.). From a looks perspective solely, there are some that I love. They may not be feasible for my system - I'll know more as I research them, but in the meantime, I'm wondering if anyone has any experience, good or bad, with any the following fish?

Harlequin tusk
niger trigger
miniatus grouper
porcupine puffer
snowflake eel
blue ribbon eel
goldflake angel
regal angel
sohal tang
red coris wrasse
garibaldi damsel
banana wrasse
hardwicke wrasse
bluehead wrasse

No, I would never put all of these fish in a tank this size - these are just ones I'm intrigued by. Ultimately, they will be housed with soft corals - mostly leathers, mushrooms and zoas... and I would like to put my magnificent foxface in this tank, so bonus points for any fish that would not be overly aggressive towards him. I love fish that are interactive, so if they have cool personalities, even better :)

Just looking for thoughts, ideas and first-hand knowledge sharing :)
Well if you want a sohal you would need at least a 250 gallon tank so that rules that out.
 
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puffers are smart and interactive I have never kept one, but I used to feed one at a local aquarium I volunteered at. Most interactive fish I have ever seen.

My husband likes the spiny box puffer, and I lean towards the porcupine puffer... what type of puffer did you feed?
 
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Sorry didn't know that. Well that would definitely work. I have a niger triggerfish in my mixed reef and he is very friendly and not very aggresive at all. I reccomend one of them.

You make a good point about the grouper - he is definitely not reef friendly, so if he would outgrow a 6ft tank, he will be off the list :)

I love the niger triggers. How old is yours? Do you find them to be very interactive?
 

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You make a good point about the grouper - he is definitely not reef friendly, so if he would outgrow a 6ft tank, he will be off the list :)

I love the niger triggers. How old is yours? Do you find them to be very interactive?
Im not sure how old mine is but he is very interactive and friendly
 
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Have you considered a Marine Betta (Comet)? They look awesome :) Don't know how it would do with your other inhabitants just something to check out .
I love them too... If I don't have any fin-nippers, I think they would also do well in this type of system :) I'll add that to the list of possibles :D
 

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The regal angel wouldn’t be a good takemake for an aggressive predator tank. They’re pretty docile and sensitive to stress from aggressive tankmates.
 

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Of the fish I'm experience with, these are the ones on your list I would put in a 135. The goldflake and regal angels, harlequin tusk, and a blue ribbon eel. Things to consider, I'm not experienced with the other wrasses on your list, but the harlequin tusk has been know not to play nice with other wrasses in a tank that size.

The sohal, niger, grouper, porcy puffer all need a larger tank; and I've never met a porcy that wasn't a nipper especially in a smaller tank. I also wouldn't consider the niger or the porcy reef safe, I've seen both chew up and spit out leathers and such just for something to do.

The snowflake and damsel would be fine, but I would choose a blue ribbon over a snowflake. But be forewarned, blue ribbons are very difficult to feed. Another note, regals are difficult as well. You could do both eels if you choose.

I would consider your list more of a semi=aggressive tank rather than a predator or aggressive tank. So maybe instead of a niger in that size tank, consider a male blue throat or sargassum trigger
 
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Of the fish I'm experience with, these are the ones on your list I would put in a 135. The goldflake and regal angels, harlequin tusk, and a blue ribbon eel. Things to consider, I'm not experienced with the other wrasses on your list, but the harlequin tusk has been know not to play nice with other wrasses in a tank that size.

The sohal, niger, grouper, porcy puffer all need a larger tank; and I've never met a porcy that wasn't a nipper especially in a smaller tank. I also wouldn't consider the niger or the porcy reef safe, I've seen both chew up and spit out leathers and such just for something to do.

The snowflake and damsel would be fine, but I would choose a blue ribbon over a snowflake. But be forewarned, blue ribbons are very difficult to feed. Another note, regals are difficult as well. You could do both eels if you choose.

I would consider your list more of a semi=aggressive tank rather than a predator or aggressive tank. So maybe instead of a niger in that size tank, consider a male blue throat or sargassum trigger
The other option for me would be to flip tanks, so my aggressive tank is the 300g and my reef tank becomes my 135g. I'd have to decide whether or not it would make the 135g overstocked, plus it would mean that whatever I put in the 300g would need to be coral-friendly. I wouldn't want to tear apart my rockwork, but could remove my inverts.

I have a foxface, hippo, naso, desjardini, yellow tang, powder brown, 2 fairy wrasse, 2 dwarf angels, 3 reef chromis, orchid dottyback, leopard, black china and yellow wrasse. If I don't get a sohal, I could put the naso in the larger of the two tanks...

Hmmm....
 

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I just missed the tank size. I agree a 180 minimum for the fish @lionking mentions, and probably a 240 minimum for the Sohal tang.

If you can move them to a larger tank that’s alright but I think you’ll have aggression/stress issues in the 135, personally.

I do think a puffer could be alright in that tank until it grows to about 7 inches, they don't swim much relative to the others.
 

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Sohal=Devil fish.
I've know more than one local that wished they never put one in. One guy was actually trying to spear one when I showed up.
They're pretty though. :)
I personally find their aggression exaggerated. Don’t get me wrong they’re a very aggressive tang but I don’t find them as satanic as many others. Mine have been mostly fine, certainly not as aggressive as the nasty powder blue tangs I’ve had. An 8” powder blue tang is a very real evil!

I’ve not had a Sohal larger than 6.5 inches, and I’ve always kept them with a tang that was considerably larger as “tank boss”. A giant naso tang works well for this, and that’s the plan I have for my new 500G.
 
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