180 coming...what would you add?
 

We're picking up our 180 next weekend. We will be combining the two tanks we currently have (30 & 46).

Here's what will be in there (in addition to SPS, LPS, softies):

hippo tang 1.5"
kole tang 3"
2 x true percs/rbta
coral beauty
midas blenny
dragon goby
yellow clown goby
2 x neon gobies
4 x cleaner shrimp
2 x fireshrimp
3 x clams
CUC

We would like to add another tang to the mix, any suggestions? (Must play nice with others.)

I would also like a small school of anthias (don't know which yet).

I've seen some beautiful wrasses, but I'll have to research them to make sure my inverts are safe.

But I want to be prepared as far as who I would have to introduce when. So I'm trying to plan a little.

Would love a sohal tang, but a) they can be bullies (although I know reefers who have gentle ones) and b) I know it would eventually get too big for a 180. And I don't see us getting a bigger tank.


Just looking for ideas - thanks!


FYI - the tank is starphire, RR, drilled for closed loop w/ocean motion, 3 x 250mh geismann, and a 300g sump in the basement and ASM G4 skimmer. Adding a reactor is next...

In my 180g, i have:

1 Blue hippo tang
1 orange shoulder tang
1 tennenti tang
2 false percs
5(well 4 as of yesterday)lyretail anthias
1 mandarin goby

All get along great and havent had any problems at all with the tangs fighting but i did lose a lyretail over the weekend. Not sure what happened to him:confused:

I just read your post about yout anthias. WOW - I didn't realize the female would change so fast either!

I forgot to mention that long term we want to have a mandarin. Once the pod population can support one (or two? :rolleyes: )

I don't want to over stock the tank...but I do love the fishies!

Depending on your skimmer, i'd say you are fine so far and should be able to add a few more fish without a problem. I have a asm g3 and have been at zero nitrates since i added the fish even though i feed pretty heavy.

If you have enough live rock and pods, the mandarin shouldnt be a problem. Not sure if you can have 2 in a 180g but i belive you could without them fighting if you have enough pods.

I'm the opposite as you,lol. If it wasn't for the wifey, i would be fine not even having any fish in the tank. I'm only interested in the corals for the most part, she only cares about the fish. She pretty much thinks corals are just expensive rocks:lol:

I hae always loved the way a bristletooth tang looks.
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scatty25, too funny...yet another one of my fav's! My LFS has a couple of resident tomini tangs. They are awfully nice!

I'm just not yet clear on what tangs will get along with each other. The kole is a bristletooth tang...will one get along with a tomini?

i love my mimic tang, he is one of my favorites but i would make sure he is as big if not bigger than your kole. I had a kole in my tank already and added a mimic and the kole has been extremley agressive to him. i am hoping it will get better soon. they are both about the same size so if you go a little bigger might not have a problem.

i have 6 tang 5 chromis and a pair of clowns in my 180

With a hippo tang / kole tang your options are pretty open, in my view.... these two tend to be ok aggression (at least compared to the "bad boy" tangs). I would steer clear of sohal / naso tangs, or others that get huge. Suggestions: Yellow tang / purple tang / powder blue (if you are confident in your fish keeping abilities).

Other suggestions - well I wouldn't have a tank, pesonally, without and angel - and the most obvious choice for me would be a navarchus - but you mention you have LPS, so it depends on what types you have and how valuable they are to you..... so maybe its not the best recomemndation :)

Pink tail trigger might be nice..... but again, shrimps etc are at risk.... maybe a blue jaw / blue chin, or even a pair? Again, maybe not the best recommendation :)

Anthias - great fish! Personally, I would go for the lyretail, and I would go for 8 females. I bought 6 a few months back, 1 male / 5 females. 1 female didn't make it through q-tine so 5 went into the display........ I was quite curious though, because 1 female was a bit bigger than the male, and I thought it was the strongest fish that would assume dominance and be "the male".... about a month ago, teh biggest female turned into a male! The only reason I can think this happened is that the female adapted to captive life a bit better than the male, she ate more food, and grew bigger....... hence my recomendation to anyone getting lyretails is to get all females and let the strongest fish change and assume dominance.

Other recomendations - the mimic tang was suggested - I would be cautious adding a red stripe mimic for fear the coral beauty mistakes him for a red stripe (Eilbs) angel..... but there are other mimics...... however I had a mustard tang (mimic) in a 180 with a regal (hippo) tang and they did not get along very well I'm afraid..... but you run that risk mixing any tangs anyway.....

How about hawkfish?

There are lots of fish to choose from really.......... did you have anything in particular in mind?

yellow wrasse is a can't miss.

i would definetly steer away from yellow and purple tangs. they are quite agressive especially if you ever want to add more fish in the future for any reason. there are many horror stories on these gusy killing other fish. I honestly dont have any suggestions for you as most tangs do get huge. We have a naso in our 180 and he hasnt grown in years. bigger but not huge. Naso tangs are quite peaceful, but if you go with one make sure you get about a 4 inch minimum smaller ones dont tend to make it

yellow tangs are not that aggressive

we have had one kill a naso, and a hippo. we have also had members of our local reef club have fish killed by them. they are not nice by any means.

If you have a few inches of sand, get a couple jawfish, great fish to watch burrow and hover above their burrow. they can chase some of the timid gobies like the firefish, but only occassionally.

Thanks for the ideas folks! Definitely lots to ponder (and research).