Fish compatibility - Ideas needed please

[Chilli Powder]

Hi Guys,
Well..made the move to marine finally and have decided to have a FOWLR tank. My tank is a 6x2x2 and i'm still fine tuning things in terms of sumps. Will be running Reef Octopus Beckett 250 and a denitrification unit.

Anyway, have been reading a fair bit of info and talking to people about my setup. Actual initial setup with running tank and LR is still about 3 weeks away.

Wanted to get your input with regards to a list of fish. I have searched the forums for a compatible list and stocking levels but didn't find that much info. My main question is whether you can keep several of the same variety? ie can I have say 2 or 3 yellow tangs and 2 or 3 flame angels in the same tank if added at the same time? There are varying opinions and 90% of the shops I have spoken to say YES to the tangs and 'maybe' to the angels. Everything I have read on the forums say NO. So I'm a bit confused.

Also this is pretty much a list of fish I would like to keep and which fish would you recommend adding first, and then periodically?? (ie after it has been running with LR for about 6 weeks)

2 x Yellow Tang??
1 or 2 flame angels??
1 x Purple Tang
3 x high finned banners
a pair of clowns??
1 x Desjardini Tang
some chromis/banner cardinals/anthias??
1 x emperor angel juvenile
1 x coral beauty

Nice to have items after 3-4 months of tank being setup are:

Potters Angel
Powder brown (added last)
Powder blue (added last)


Please let me know your thoughts on this list and any other fish you think might be a nice addition to the tank. Looking to your feedback!

With regards to a quarantine tank, would you say a 2x2x18"(high) is too small?

[mg426]

Look here www.liveaquaria.com they have a compatability chart in the fish section

[01saleen]

looks good, maybe too many tangs for just a fish only, your going to need to feed those grazers pretty heavily.

[bertoni]

I wouldn't put two yellow tangs together: they're likely to fight. I'd probably limit the tank to two tangs. Two flame angels likely will fight, as well.

That's a lot of fish for that size tank, when the fish reach full size.

This book might be useful:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...625951-1333608

The author has a number of good books.

[BangkokMatt]

Too many fish IMO. As Bertoni said the yellow tangs may fight and a yellow and purple may fight. The flames probably won't get along and they won't like the Coral Beauty much either. I think your list needs some serious revision before you have a tranquil tank. Good luck.

[Chilli Powder]

thanks for the heads up guys. That's the kind of feedback I was wanting. I will start cutting the list down to my most preferred!

Thanks again!

[BangkokMatt]

[welcome]

[JoeMomma]

Just my 0.02

From what I've heard you can have 1 yellow tang or a large school of them. A couple would cause problems. The purple tang won't do good with the yellows as they are too similar in body shape. Maybe try a blue hippo tang. Those are nice.

Multiple angels won't do too well together either, and the emperor will get pretty huge.

Have you thought about getting a trigger? Some of those look very cool, especially in fish only tanks.

I'd add in this order:
a pair of clowns
some chromis/banner cardinals/anthias
1 angel
high finned banners
1 yellow tang and 1 or two more - different body shape though...

[bangaii man]

I have a 180G with 4 yellow tangs, 1 purple tang and a blue hippo tang. I started with 5 yellow tangs, but one didn't make it, that was before I started feeding them three strips (1/2 sheet) of nori (sushi wrap)sea weed at lunch time. since I have been feeding that for the past 6 months there is rarely even a nick on any of their fins.

[Chilli Powder]

Thanks for the feeback guys!

How many fish would you recommend for a 6x2x2 tank? I was under the impressions that I could have a fair amount given that it is a fish only tank with limited live rock? I was thinking of getting around 80-100Kg?

Cheers

[bertoni]

Well, how many fish can be kept depends on a lot of factors, including how much work you want to do and how much money you want to spend.

I'd keep the crowding down, though, because fish need some space, no matter how good the filtration is. 80-100 kg is about the normal live rock load for that size system.

[acrouse]

First of all, I want to say congratulations for starting out the right way. You are making a list and asking great questions BEFORE you just buy fish and find out the consequences later. You will be much more successful this way and will have happier fish!

Robert Fenner's book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" , would be another terrific place to start. He goes over every group of fish and lists : behaviors,habitats,size, selection criteria,feeding, and lists special requirements for fish. He also talks about fish to avoid and good fish for beginners. (Since some of the fish offered at LFS will not make it in captivity even though they sell them.) They fail to offer this info. I cant emphasis what a help this book was when I started saltwater and I still reference it 2 years later!

As far as your list goes you have picked some excellent choices. I will mention some good rules of thumb to go by: and yes it does get confusing when you read about some peoples success stories that go against these-but keep in mind that they are not the majority-just the lucky ones!!
- IMO way too many fish for your tank.
-tangs are not to be mixed if same body style(yellow&purple)
-yellow tangs are aggressive-(not more than one recommended)
-flames are aggressive and territorial (not more than one recommended including mixing with other dwarf angels)-if you choose the flame-add it last!!! the potters angel and coral beauty would be dwarf angels also
-most adult angels are too large to be in your tank-make sure to look at the adult size. most require 300 gallon tank. yes you can get a small one-only to fall in love with it then get rid of it because of size???
-adult size of desjardini tang is pretty large also for 125 gallon.
-all tangs are eating machines and defacating machines=large bioload for your tank

Go through your list and pick out the one or two fish your really, really want. Start there. If they get large as adults, you may end up with only 4-5 fish total. If they are smaller, you may get 8-10. All depends on your choice. #1 rule-your fish have to have room to move around-set up territories and not be bothered to be happy and live and grow to full potential.

Suggestion for your tank:
1-yellow or purple tang
1-blue or brown tang
1-flame or 1 coral beauty or 1 potters angel
2 perculas(1 pair
3-4 anthias depending on type
1-some type of gobie
1-smaller wrasse
---look at the foxface lo instead of the yellow tang. I have one and it is a beautiful, peaceful fish. 7" long for adult size and I have the same size tank as you and its very happy.

As for your QT size: Remember that to properly qt fish, they need to be done on an individual basis -unless purchased as a pair(perculas) or group(anthias). A 10 gallon would be large enough for the list mentioned above if done seperately.

Hope this helps
jolene

[Chilli Powder]

Thanks Jolene.
I will definitely look at the fox face. I have seen them before and like their spiked hairstyle at the front! hahahaha

To be honest, I have been around aquariums for a long time and know many with marine aquariums. I have seen some of their pain in maintenance and turned away from marines to cater for my african cichlids. But always loved the activity, color and challenge of replicating a reef type environment. Now I have sold all of my breeding stock and want to convert my display tank into marine and close another fish chapter I guess!

I will look at getting that book on Amazon as they seem to stock it.

Will the high finned banners be ok?

Thanks again and please keep those suggestions coming!

[acrouse]

Honestly that is a fish that I have never seen offered around here and know nothing about. Not sure if the high finned banners are the same thing talked about in Fenner's Book(Long-fin Bannerfish)?
If you have been around others aquariums, then you know how rewarding saltwater can be. I think you made the right move.

The most important suggestion I can give you - is to take QT serious and stick to it for every new inhabitant. It is so hard to keep the fish in another tank and not put it directly into your main display-but a disease free tank is worth everyday in QT! Every fish I have was in QT for 6weeks before going in the display. I have read many, many threads on people who did not QT or did not QT long enough-now they spend months trying to get rid of ich. Some have to completely disassemble the whole tank and start over.(yikes) IMO-go slow and its worth the wait.
good luck
jolene

[Chilli Powder]

Don't you just hate trade names!!!

Thanks for your help.

Cheers
Arj