Who else should I put in my tank?

[BrettE]

I have a tank that's about 4 months old. I'm trying to finish up a plan for who else should live in this tank.

I don't really want to have a tank chock full of fish. I want just enough to be interesting. Maybe I already have enough and don't need anymore?

I have also experienced some 0.0 ppm nitrate times, so I think I need some fish to add some ammonia to eventually get converted to nitrate. At 0.0 ppm nitrate I had a lot of cyano. I've dosed some Neonitro, and that has seemed to help. I'm back up to a few ppm nitrate now, and shooting for the 5-20 ppm range. Maybe instead of more fish, I should just keep dosing nitrate.

The tank is about 150 gallons, and currently it has:

• 2 clowns
• 1 firefish
• 1 royal gramma
• 1 fox face
• 1 cleaner shrimp
• ~10 snails

Fish I like and have thought about:

• Yellow Tang--I love yellow, and they look cool, would love a group of them
• Mandarin--beautiful fish, waiting until I have enough pods in there to feed it
• Diamond Watchman Goby--when my sand can feed it. I've tried two times so far, and both have died in less than 40 hours.
• Scooter Blenny--I just think the way the move is neat, needs pods too
• Leopard Wrasse--I love the colors, and I like that they'll eat some pests

From what I've read, a group of yellow tangs in a tank this size might be a bad idea, so maybe I should stick with just 1.

Thoughts?

Thanks!!
Brett

 

[TX_REEF]

yellow tangs are awesome. Got mine from biota and he's growing like a weed. if you go that route, use code REEFSTACHE for 10% off.

 

[Peair]

I have a tank that's about 4 months old. I'm trying to finish up a plan for who else should live in this tank.

I don't really want to have a tank chock full of fish. I want just enough to be interesting. Maybe I already have enough and don't need anymore?

I have also experienced some 0.0 ppm nitrate times, so I think I need some fish to add some ammonia to eventually get converted to nitrate. At 0.0 ppm nitrate I had a lot of cyano. I've dosed some Neonitro, and that has seemed to help. I'm back up to a few ppm nitrate now, and shooting for the 5-20 ppm range. Maybe instead of more fish, I should just keep dosing nitrate.

The tank is about 150 gallons, and currently it has:

• 2 clowns
• 1 firefish
• 1 royal gramma
• 1 fox face
• 1 cleaner shrimp
• ~10 snails

Fish I like and have thought about:

• Yellow Tang--I love yellow, and they look cool, would love a group of them
• Mandarin--beautiful fish, waiting until I have enough pods in there to feed it
• Diamond Watchman Goby--when my sand can feed it. I've tried two times so far, and both have died in less than 40 hours.
• Scooter Blenny--I just think the way the move is neat, needs pods too
• Leopard Wrasse--I love the colors, and I like that they'll eat some pests

From what I've read, a group of yellow tangs in a tank this size might be a bad idea, so maybe I should stick with just 1.

Thoughts?

Thanks!!
Brett

I would put one Yellow Tang, for they are a nice hardy fish, and they don't cost a lot.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I have a tank that's about 4 months old. I'm trying to finish up a plan for who else should live in this tank.

I don't really want to have a tank chock full of fish. I want just enough to be interesting. Maybe I already have enough and don't need anymore?

I have also experienced some 0.0 ppm nitrate times, so I think I need some fish to add some ammonia to eventually get converted to nitrate. At 0.0 ppm nitrate I had a lot of cyano. I've dosed some Neonitro, and that has seemed to help. I'm back up to a few ppm nitrate now, and shooting for the 5-20 ppm range. Maybe instead of more fish, I should just keep dosing nitrate.

The tank is about 150 gallons, and currently it has:

• 2 clowns
• 1 firefish
• 1 royal gramma
• 1 fox face
• 1 cleaner shrimp
• ~10 snails

Fish I like and have thought about:

• Yellow Tang--I love yellow, and they look cool, would love a group of them
• Mandarin--beautiful fish, waiting until I have enough pods in there to feed it
• Diamond Watchman Goby--when my sand can feed it. I've tried two times so far, and both have died in less than 40 hours.
• Scooter Blenny--I just think the way the move is neat, needs pods too
• Leopard Wrasse--I love the colors, and I like that they'll eat some pests

From what I've read, a group of yellow tangs in a tank this size might be a bad idea, so maybe I should stick with just 1.

Thoughts?

Thanks!!
Brett

You definitely need a wrasse of some kind! Do you have any copepods? I ask because my 90 gallon is also only 4 months old and I have a diamond goby for a little over a month now and he is thriving. Also he is my favorite to watch as he is non stop busy. But, I add copepods to my tank once a month.

 

[Asm481]

If you do the mandarin you don't want any other odd eaters. I would probably do a couple different tangs and or a magnificent fox face.

 

[BrettE]

yellow tangs are awesome. Got mine from biota and he's growing like a weed. if you go that route, use code REEFSTACHE for 10% off.

Looking good, and thanks for the code!

 

[BrettE]

If you do the mandarin you don't want any other odd eaters. I would probably do a couple different tangs and or a magnificent fox face.

That's a pretty fish. I hadn't thought about another rabbit fish/fox face. Do they get along together?

 

[BrettE]

You definitely need a wrasse of some kind! Do you have any copepods? I ask because my 90 gallon is also only 4 months old and I have a diamond goby for a little over a month now and he is thriving. Also he is my favorite to watch as he is non stop busy. But, I add copepods to my tank once a month.

I don't know, so probably not. Unless they've found their way in on chaeto, snails, or coral. I should probably start dosing pods.

What exactly do you dose?

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I don't know, so probably not. Unless they've found their way in on chaeto, snails, or coral. I should probably start dosing pods.

What exactly do you dose?

I set up auto delivery with Algae Barn. I get 3 jars of the Galaxy pods once a month. You get a discount with auto delivery. If you thinking Antarctica mandarin dragonet you will DEFINITELY needs lots of copepods as that is all they really eat.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I set up auto delivery with Algae Barn. I get 3 jars of the Galaxy pods once a month. You get a discount with auto delivery. If you thinking Antarctica mandarin dragonet you will DEFINITELY needs lots of copepods as that is all they really eat.

There are good and bad methods of how to add them. I turn off my skimmer, UV sterilizer, then use a piece of PVC tube so I can pour them thru the tube directly onto the rocks and sand bed. They stand o much better chance that way. It is also a good idea to add them with lights out. The idea is, once you have a strong population of them, they can reproduce faster than they get eaten.

 

[Asm481]

That's a pretty fish. I hadn't thought about another rabbit fish/fox face. Do they get along together?

So sorry I missed you had a fox face. No I think they would become gladiators and make your tank a coliseum.

 

[jtf74]

I've had bad luck with yellow tang aggression even in a huge tank. My go to for a peaceful yellow fish is now a yellow longnose butterfly. Iffy for reef safe but mine has been good so far.