FOWLR 120g Questions

[Puffalicious]

Hey guys/gals,

I will be getting my 120g tank(4x2x2) w/ 30gal sump soon and I'm currently thinking of my stocking options.

It's going to be a FOWLR tank and I'm going to get a Porcupine Puffer for sure.

My question is, what other fishes can I put in the 120g? I'm open to anything, I just need an idea of how many fishes I can put in the 120.


Also, how many inch or pounds of sand/rocks do you recommend me putting?

[reefman8471]

You could put groupers, triggers, tangs, and angelfish. Maybe even the more durable butterfly fish. An example would be the following:

Porcupine fish
Black Durgeon
Desjardini Sailfin Tang
King Angelfish
Threadfin Butterflyfish

James

[RayAllen]

It may be a 120g but its only 4'. That puts limits on your stock options. I would stay away from larger angels and tangs, which prefer longer aquariums. Yellow/sailfin/scopas would be good choises for tangs. As for angels dwarf species would love the 4x2 room. Dwarf Lions would be great in there as well. If you like triggers a Picasso would do well.

[nataz]

Just a heads up -- Porcupine puffers are ich prone and produce alot of waste so beef up your filtration.

[Puffalicious]

Originally posted by nataz
Just a heads up -- Porcupine puffers are ich prone and produce alot of waste so beef up your filtration.

yeah I know.... mostly all puffers are messy animal

[Puffalicious]

Originally posted by RayAllen
It may be a 120g but its only 4'. That puts limits on your stock options. I would stay away from larger angels and tangs, which prefer longer aquariums. Yellow/sailfin/scopas would be good choises for tangs. As for angels dwarf species would love the 4x2 room. Dwarf Lions would be great in there as well. If you like triggers a Picasso would do well.

Yeah I know it's not a long 120g because I barely have enough space for this tank... hehe

So will this work:

Porcupine
Picasso Trigger
Sailfin Tang
Blue Tang (Dori )
Foxface

What else can I add to that or would that be maximum bioload already? I really like to add another trigger to that list...

Oh yeah I also have an Arc Eye Hawkfish that I have to put in there because it's big and I have no space on my 40g.

[Jerry W]

Originally posted by Puffalicious
Yeah I know it's not a long 120g because I barely have enough space for this tank... hehe

So will this work:

Porcupine
Picasso Trigger
Sailfin Tang
Blue Tang (Dori )
Foxface

What else can I add to that or would that be maximum bioload already? I really like to add another trigger to that list...

Oh yeah I also have an Arc Eye Hawkfish that I have to put in there because it's big and I have no space on my 40g.

IMO, both tangs will need more space. Again, think lateral swimming room as opposed to the volume of the tank. A 4 foot tank is a 4 foot tank is a...you get the drift. The foxface would work, as would the trigger. An adult porc is really a big fish so it might be cramped down the road. Triggers often don't mix well with puffs too so bear this in mind. FWIW, in my 60 inch 120, I have a majestic angel, blackback butterfly, pair of clowns, pair of damsels, a sixline wrasse and a sankey's dottyback. I don't plan to add anythng else and as the angel and butterfly grow, you start to see how much room they use. The smaller fish round it out a bit. Stock sensibly with a mix of fish, making one your centerpiece and the rest as compatable smaller specimens to give the tank interest. Pack it with too many large pushy fish and you'll have nothing but problems.

[baldomero]

i have 1hogfish,3bluechromis,1yellowbellydamsel,1harlequinbass,1porcupine,3wildcaught wrasses,1anenome,and a mess of featherdusters,in my 90 gallon tank

[tank o tang]

The puffer may be messy but the trigger is quick enough to clean up leftovers and the tang will take care of the poo. What about a purple or blue tang?

[reefergeorge]

Originally posted by reefman8471

Porcupine fish
Black Durgeon
Desjardini Sailfin Tang
King Angelfish
Threadfin Butterflyfish

James

Are people really recommending a sailfin, blue tang, or a king angel for a four foot tank? Each of those fish grow to well over a foot. Added on top of the bio load of the puffer there will be problems.
I would do the puffer, yellow tang or foxface, and a dwarf angel.

[LisaD]

Or maybe:

-puffer

-kole tang or mimic tang (I like these better than yellow tangs)

-picasso trigger or Indian trigger (I think a 4' 120 should be okay for either)

-Australian harlequin tuskfish - great fish, will add color to the tank and get along with everyone

[cyclops23]

don't the picasso's flip out when they get older? i thought they got really mean.

[Puffalicious]

Originally posted by LisaD
Or maybe:

-puffer

-kole tang or mimic tang (I like these better than yellow tangs)

-picasso trigger or Indian trigger (I think a 4' 120 should be okay for either)

-Australian harlequin tuskfish - great fish, will add color to the tank and get along with everyone

Ok if I get these fishes:
Porcupine
Picasso Trigger
Mimic Tang
Foxface

Which fish should I add onto the tank first?

[LisaD]

don't the picasso's flip out when they get older? i thought they got really mean.

I think there is a chance of that, but less than with other species like blue line, undulated, clown. Picassos can be relatively mellow if they have sufficient room and are kept with fish that can stand up for themselves.

If the picasso is on the smallish side, I don't think it matters that much which you add first. The porcupine puffer, mimic tang and foxface all tend to be pretty mellow but assertive. I'd try to add a picasso that is not larger than the smallest of the three other fish.

BTW, if having fish of different colors is important to you, both the foxface and the mimic tang have a lot of yellow. Adult mimic tang changes to cool brown/yellow with nice colored fin and body colors. Other good tangs are scopas and kole. Personally, I like the foxface and mimic tang a lot and wouldn't hesitate to get them.

If you want a NOT YELLOW foxface that is less common and rather expensive, you could get a magnificent foxface. However, they really aren't as striking as the relatively inexpensive, plain old yellow foxface lo.

BTW, did anyone ever answer your question?

Also, how many inch or pounds of sand/rocks do you recommend me putting?

I'd have at least 1-2 lbs live rock per gallon. If you don't have sand burrowing fish, you can go anywhere from bare bottom to deep sand bed (5+ inches). I like shallow sand beds of 1-2 inches. I have had some problems with older DSB and nuisance algae, even in a very lightly stocked tank.

[vanmo92]

i would get some triggers, maby some angelfish.

[Puffalicious]

Originally posted by vanmo92
i would get some triggers, maby some angelfish.

triggers aren't compatible with each other right? or am i mistaken it with tangs...?

[RayAllen]

Triggers can be placed together, all depends on the species. I currently have a Niger with a Picasso and they are doing great. Stick with the more mild mannerd aka Niger, Pink tail, Blue Jaw, Picasso, Black, cross hatch are all pretty easy going.

[ejrabekoff]

What about this

Panther grouper
Angel
Harlequin tusk fish
Kole tang.

If there is room, then you could also add a humu trigger.

[julianp]

Originally posted by Puffalicious
Ok if I get these fishes:
Porcupine
Picasso Trigger
Mimic Tang
Foxface

Which fish should I add onto the tank first?

Triggers are great with porcupine puffers because they have a similar diet, but eat smaller bites. This allows the trigger to basically follow the puffer around while it eats and pick up the smaller "crumbs" that the puffer inevitably makes with each bite. The downside I found with this, though is that sometimes they both got so focused on the food in front of them that the trigger would wander directly in front of the puffer's mouth as it was lunging for a piece of food and, in turn, get bitten. This happened to my bursa trigger (bursa was 2.5", puffer was 5") and actually led to the trigger's death. 8(

Because of that, I'd recommend getting a trigger that is as big as the puffer, if not bigger. This will make the puffer less likely to mistake the trigger's nose for food in the chaos of feeding.

A really cool trigger I ended up getting that is not aggressive at all, but still "beefy" in size and inexpensive is a pinktail trigger (melichthys vidua). They are one of the few that get nicer and more personable with age rather than meaner. Plus, they have absolutely beautiful coloration.


As far as the order you add them, tangs are the only thing I'd really worry about. Always add them last if you can help it.


(disclaimer: I'm still sort of a newbie at this, so this is just my personal experience over the last 7 months...)