Tank upgrade means more fish!

[zbrusko]

I have a 40 breeder-sized AIO, upgrading to a 48” 100 gallon tank, possibly a waterbox infinia reef 150.4. Plan is mixed reef. I currently have:

2 clowns
Flameback angel
YWG
Lawnmower blenny
Pictus blenny <— love this little guy
Pajama cardinal
Scissortail dartfish

Hoping to add the fillowing:

Bristletooth tang
Midas blenny
6-line wrasse
Royal gramma

Any other ideas? Perhaps some more scissortail dartfish? I have read they school. Also perhaps 5-7 chromis? Is a foxface too big for this tank?

Thanks.

 

[DrkNMighty]

6-line wrasse

I would 100% skip the sixline. They tend to become a menace. I would select multiple fairy/flasher wrasses over this one.

Is a foxface too big for this tank

Depends on your aquascaping. I think the one spot foxfaces are a little smaller than the others.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Congrats!!! A word of caution. Chromi’s are great when they’re small and schooling. But a year from now they won’t be so great. Territorial, usually to their own. Good luck. Happy for you.

 

[zbrusko]

Congrats!!! A word of caution. Chromi’s are great when they’re small and schooling. But a year from now they won’t be so great. Territorial, usually to their own. Good luck. Happy for you.

Thanks for the advice, already glad I asked!

 

[zbrusko]

I would 100% skip the sixline. They tend to become a menace. I would select multiple fairy/flasher wrasses over this one.


Depends on your aquascaping. I think the one spot foxfaces are a little smaller than the others.

Good to know on both counts

 

[i cant think]

I have a 40 breeder-sized AIO, upgrading to a 48” 100 gallon tank, possibly a waterbox infinia reef 150.4. Plan is mixed reef. I currently have:

2 clowns
Flameback angel
YWG
Lawnmower blenny
Pictus blenny <— love this little guy
Pajama cardinal
Scissortail dartfish

Hoping to add the fillowing:

Bristletooth tang
Midas blenny
6-line wrasse
Royal gramma

Any other ideas? Perhaps some more scissortail dartfish? I have read they school. Also perhaps 5-7 chromis? Is a foxface too big for this tank?

Thanks.

1. Drop the Sixline - they are downright evil. If you want a pest hunter, look at any of these genera of wrasse;
Halichoeres
Macropharyngodon
Anampses
Pseudojuloides
Wetmorella
PseudocheilinOPS

And if you want colour look at the above species as well as;
Cirrhilabrus
Paracheilinus

Make a list of the species you love (expensive and non-expensive) - something like this.
This is an example list with 3-5 from each genus (some are my personal favourites);
- C. johnsoni*
- C. lineatus
- C. lubbocki
- C. laboutei
- C. nahackyi*
- Pa. attenuatus
- Pa. rubricaudalis
- Pa. angulatus
- Pa. piscilineatus*
- Pa. cyaneus
- P’juloides. splendens
- P’juloides. kaleidos
- P’juloides. labrynthus*/
- P’juloides. atavai*/
- P’juloides. severnsi/edwardi
- M. negrosensis
- M. choati*
- M. vivienae
- H. iridis
- H. leucoxanthus
- H. chloropterus{}
- A. negrosensis/
- A. femininus*/
- A. melanurus

As you can see, I’ve also added random symbols at the end of each name, that symbol represents various different things;
* = Expensive or just entirely outside of the price range
/ = Difficult or needs someone with slightly more experience with wrasses (this can be you once you’ve gotten a better understanding of behaviours)
{} = likely to just not get along with other wrasses altogether


2. In a 5’x2.5’x2’ tank I have had 3 Rabbitfish at one point (I unfortunately lost 2 of them - one was to age and the other was down to fluke).
I have also had a 4’x18”x18” tank with 2 rabbits, so honestly no, Foxface/Rabbitfish aren’t going to outgrow your tank as long as you design it around them. I’d also drop the tang - they’re useless and just cause more issues than they’re worth, especially the bristletooths IMHO.

This was my 4’x18”x18” that had a Tongan Black and Magnificent Foxface in.

And this is my 5 foot that used to have 3 (Magnificent, Uspi/Bicolour, and a Virgate);
It’s changed a lot since these photos - this is from May last year.

Oh and, foxfaces/rabbitfish are not just yellow ;)
Here’s the 4 species (5 specimens) I’ve had over the past year - starting from the newest to the oldest;

Virgate Rabbitfish - Siganus virgatus;

Bicolour Foxface - Siganus upsi;

Magnificent Foxface - Siganus magnificus;

Tongan Black Foxface - Siganus niger;

Magnificent Foxface - Siganus magnificus;

 

[zbrusko]

Foxface/Rabbitfish aren’t going to outgrow your tank as long as you design it around them.

This is extremely helpful, thank you. What does this mean, exactly?

 

[littlefoxx]

This is extremely helpful, thank you. What does this mean, exactly?

They are very large fish, they need room to swim and have good caves and hiding places, foxfaces are literally the most skittish fish ever! Anything spooks them they act like the sky is falling!

 

[i cant think]

This is extremely helpful, thank you. What does this mean, exactly?

They want larger cave systems - large enough for them to behave like this;

As said above, they are incredibly skittish, they love to hide and camouflage into their surroundings. My ones have always had larger caves (even if it doesn’t look like a cave, the likelihood is my rockwork is hollow underneath) which they dart into when scared and I’ve caught a few times when I’ve had rabbits/foxes of different species huddled together at night.

But, along with these larger caves they want a good amount of room to swim - I aim for a circuit like rockwork whilst still holding many caves. In a 4 foot tank this was ideal, in my current 5 foot, its large enough to not need the rock to be in the middle with an infinity swimming formation.
Now, they aren’t rapid movers normally and tend to just glide through the water, much like the large angels do so they won’t use the room in the same way as tangs do but they definitely use every inch of it in about 30 minutes.

 

[zbrusko]

This was my 4’x18”x18” that had a Tongan Black and Magnificent Foxface in.

I see the copperband there. They are beautiful. I have a lot of freshwater experience, but not sure if that is too “advanced” to a relative beginner reefer. Thoughts?

 

[Maize & Blue]

Thanks for the advice, already glad I asked!

Plus, chromis have to be fed 3-4 times a day

 

[i cant think]

I see the copperband there. They are beautiful. I have a lot of freshwater experience, but not sure if that is too “advanced” to a relative beginner reefer. Thoughts?

If you can get to an LFS, they’re pretty straight forward fish.
My main points would be to make sure they’re feeding, they go in with no aggression issues, and they have as many hunting opportunities in your tank (and I mean overhangs, caves, loads of rock, and a tank filled with aiptasia, copepods, amphipods, bristleworms, and even flatworms).

 

[zbrusko]

Ok, so here is where I am. Will be a 4' 100 gallon tank.

Currently have:
2 clowns
lawnmower blenny
pajama cardinal
scissortail firefish
yellow watchman goby
flameback angel
pictus goby

Looking to add:
magnificent foxface
copperband butterflyfish
yellow & white banded possum wrasse
midas blenny
royal gramma
diamondtail flasher wrasse
exquisite flasher wrasse

Should I drop anything from this list? Would it be too heavily stocked (my 40 breeder handles the 8 I have with no issue and minimal water changes - nitrates <1 and phosphates 0.03 - 0.05)? Any should be added last?

Thanks!

 

[Anna K]

Tagging @Slocke for wrasse knowledge

 

[Slocke]

Ok, so here is where I am. Will be a 4' 100 gallon tank.

Currently have:
2 clowns
lawnmower blenny
pajama cardinal
scissortail firefish
yellow watchman goby
flameback angel
pictus goby

Looking to add:
magnificent foxface
copperband butterflyfish
yellow & white banded possum wrasse
midas blenny
royal gramma
diamondtail flasher wrasse
exquisite flasher wrasse

Should I drop anything from this list? Would it be too heavily stocked (my 40 breeder handles the 8 I have with no issue and minimal water changes - nitrates <1 and phosphates 0.03 - 0.05)? Any should be added last?

Thanks!

Looks pretty good but some claim that the magnificent fox are the one aggressive fox. Mine never was though

 

[zbrusko]

Looks pretty good but some claim that the magnificent fox are the one aggressive fox. Mine never was though

So maybe I add that one last? Thought I might start with the copperband to make sure it is eating before filling up the tank.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

good stocking list. Can i suggest a fairy wrasse instead of the sixline?

 

[Maize & Blue]

If you’re a beginning reefer, be a responsible one and don’t get a copper band. Not that you will not have good intentions, but they are very hard to manage and very hard to feed.

 

[zbrusko]

If you’re a beginning reefer, be a responsible one and don’t get a copper band. Not that you will not have good intentions, but they are very hard to manage and very hard to feed.

I’m not sure if I’m a beginner or not! I’ve been keeping freshwater fish for over 20 years and been working on my reef for over two. I can keep fish alive, though I worry about feeding a picky copperband. I have the time & resources to figure it out. Just doing my due diligence at the moment before I decide to pull the trigger.

 

[zbrusko]

good stocking list. Can i suggest a fairy wrasse instead of the sixline?

The sixline is out. I’m thinking

yellow & white banded possum
Diamondtail flasher
Exquisite flasher