Fish Suggestions Please

[sdellin]

I have lost all my fish. The tang I put in my tank was healthy and all my fish were healthy. My water conditions were good. The tang, I got from a friend. He had it for a couple of years and has had no problems in his tank. I kept it in quarantine for awhile. But once it went into my tank, the ich started. I can only guess that my tank had ich, and has had it for some time. My fish were obviously healthy enough to keep the ich from getting out of hand. I ended up taking all the fish out of my tank and treating them in two QTs, but they got a fungal secondary infection and one-by-one, they passed on. The only one I had left was the powder blue tang, but eventually that one passed as well.

So...I'm leaving my reef tank empty of fish for a couple of months to make sure all the ich dies off. Then I plan to start a new community. My tank is 125G with some LPS and an LTA that is huge. The water perameters are always good, so I think the tank is healthy.

Anyway, any suggestions on fish would be appreciated. I thought of doing like maybe 4 tangs. Or one or two tangs and maybe a maroon clownfish. I wouldn't mind something schooling, but don't have room for a lot of fish. Maybe six at most??? I have good flow and a 20 gallon sump for helping with the bio load, but I don't want to overload it. I'm planning to get two fish at a time, QT them for a couple weeks, then repeat once or twice depending on what fish I decide on.

If you have some experience with fish species/size versus my tank size and you'd like to chime in, please feel free. I definately want some interesting fish that will be fun to watch, since i'll have them for a long time.

 

[kee]

I dont have any suggestions.. Just wanted to say sorry for your losses!

kee

 

[mr_X]

i would stay away from the maroon clowns. they get big and they tend to unknowingly abuse their anemone host. also, they can be quite aggressive. there is one in a 150 gallon tank i maintain, and he doesn't allow me to place any corals on the right side of the tank. if i do, he picks them up, no matter how large they are and throws them on the other side of the tank.
i would suggest a pair of oscellaris or perculas. you might even get a chance to see them breed.

as far as tangs go, i like purple tangs, hippo/regals, and possibly a maculiceps.
3 would be my limit for a 6' tank that's 18" front to back.
maybe check out the fairy wrasses. there are many that are reef safe and awesome looking.

do you have any shrimp or crabs? maybe some of the larger wrasses might work for you too.. some of the larger wrasses are very attractive and interesting, like the red coris or radiant wrasse.

 

[cmor1701d]

I have a Sailfin, Blue and Yellow tang in my 125 to go with a pair of A. percula (true clown fish). I also have a pair of pajama cardinals (though I would prefer Kaudern's) that are low bioload, two bicolor blennies (thought it died so I got another) that have great personality. I also have a coral beauty (until it starts nipping coral) and a bicolor dottyback

If you have a lot of LR you should be abel to sustain a mandarin too.

You have a lot of fish to choose from with a 125. The schooling part may be a bit harder to come up with. Maybe some Blue Green Reef Chromis?

 

[mr_X]

Maybe some Blue Green Reef Chromis?

i like the blue ones better-
Blue Reef Chromis

 

[sdellin]

Kee, thanks for the sentiment. It was hard. I had my oscellerous for like 7 years and losing him was tough. I also had two black clowns that were tank bred. They were mated and I loved them. I had a pajama, a green chromis (I like the blue better also, but could not find) and talbots damselfish. That is along with the powder blue and kole tangs I had.

For inverts, I have a couple if peppermint shrimp, an emerald crab and some little red crab, but I hardly ever see those. I have hermits also. I think my snails have all died off. I only had three, so as not to starve them by having too many, but the hermits are hard on them when they want a new shell! Oh, and I have a serpent star, who is very cool.

I think I've decided on a regal/hippo tang and a yellow. Will add those last, together. Not sure about the rest yet...which is what's holding me up!

Interestingly, I had three chromis and one by one they disapeared. I used to have two bangaiis and two pajamas, but one of each died, leaving me with one of each. I just can't seem to keep pairs. I've heard that chromis don't live long. I probably will forgoe the schooling fish and just get some hardly fish to watch. Maybe add some more corals.