Carey's Final Reef Upgrade- 180g

[carey]

Just took a new video of the tanks! It's a little longer than usual but it shows all the saltwater tanks pretty much. lol AND if you watch it make sure you wait til the end, cause i thought I turned off the camera but didnt for a few seconds. LOL I LOL'ed when I heard it played back. lol

Enjoy! And yes, I do need to clean the algae off the bottom edges of the tank! LOL

180g 90g - YouTube

 

[mr_X]

LOL...great narration!

 

[Keithhjs]

Great video. Did you add the Tomini after the others or before? How do they get along? I was considering adding my Tomini in with a Chevron but I think I may be asking for trouble.

 

[carey]

The yellow was first and then within a few weeks i added both the blue hippo and tomini. I really do like the tomini though, always the first one to come out and look for food, very personable. The yellow and blue are still quite shy even after a couple years but the tomini doesnt seem to care who is near the tank. lol
I've been tryin without success to add a naso over the last few months with no luck. I will say the tomini was always out and checking out the new fish, not attacking it or anything but he defintiely wasnt afraid.

 

[Keithhjs]

Yeah I may just stick with the original plan of keeping the Tomini in the frag tank and trying a Purple Tang with my Chevron. I'm leery that the two Bristletooth Tangs are just too similar & the Chevron will get picked on.

 

[redsea]

I loved the extra long video! You should set up a webcam on Ustream so we can watch the tank 24/7! LOL

Isn't funny how fish change? I remember the Tomini being shy when he was first introduced, but not anymore!

 

[carey]

Just updating this tanks progress. So far everything in it is doing just fine. Parameters are all stable, nitrates are lingering around 20-30 though, I had hoped the biopellet reactor would have had some effect on it but not really, so far anyways.
I moved all the corals out so no more coral munching from my filefish. lol
I now have the lights at 50%-50% and the leathers i have in are doing well again.

BUT, there is always a BUT with me it seems.......

My good friend for several years who keeps a large fowlr is thinking of switching the tank to freshwater so she is looking possibly to re-home the few fish she has. The snowy eel is staying with her but she has a med size desjardini salifin tang and a med brisltetooth tang which she will have no room for.

What do you guys think of me trying to add them to this tank? I know one tang should be fine, but having second thoughts about the second one. Granted the bristletooth doesnt require a super large tank, but I worry about the bioload in total. Think it's doable? I'm really leaning towards taking them both but would like some opinions.

let me know what y'all think!

Thanks everybody!

 

[TheTodd]

What do you currently have in there now? Sorry, I lost track.

 

[carey]

LOL, I lose track too sometimes

blue tang
yellow tang
tomini tang
pair of filefish
5 lil green chromis
lawnmower blenny
combtooth blenny
pink spotted goby
citron goby
pair of b&w clowns
falco hawkfish
arc eye hawk
Midas blenny
melanurus wrasse

I think thats everyone. it seems like sooo many fish when I write it out, but in reality there arent many that actually swim about, most are kinda small and you actually have to search for some. lol Just counted them out, it appears to be 20! geez! lol

Anyways, plenty of room still, it's more the bioload I am worried about

 

[huma-huma]

id be more worried with the Desjar and yellow fighting. it can get really ugly. if the desjar is noticeably bigger than the yellow, should be ok. other than that, id say you are ok. in reality you would have 5 decent sized fish (can we rename this Carey's Tang Tank?)

 

[mr_X]

I wouldn't keep 5 tangs in a 180.

 

[carey]

Yeah, I kinda know......:-(

But I can do the four right?

 

[TheTodd]

I think adding the smaller would be okay, but the Desjardini might be pushing it. They do get big. Hopefully the new addition won't stir things up with the pecking order.

 

[Grizz]

I might be time to build that under sea bio-dome

 

[carey]

Its crazy how fast the tank filled up. lol I kinda didnt expect to have any overstocking issues ever but I guess I may have hit that mark, or am close.

I still planned on adding a couple lyretail anthias's and a couple more green chromis. hehe

I was thinking the smaller bristletooth but I have a tomini already which is very similar to the one I could get. I was thinking the sailfin since when he is opened up he is quite different from the rest, but I don't know. LOL

The tank is table and I have zero algae so I thought it might work. And this is with doing 40-50% water changes once a month. If I upped the frequency would that help or is it just too small for the two additional tangs? This is all depending on if the tangs will become available, it's still in the thinking stages on my friends part so it may never happen but I would hate for her to sell them or give them away to someone who may have an even smaller tank or less stable one.
I appreciate all your opinions and comments though.

There is one other option but I doubt it will be good, and that is to add the bristletooth to my 90g fowlr but there is already a tang in there. Not a good option is it?

 

[mr_X]

short term I think it would be ok. The same goes for the 180, but eventually, you are going to be like a hamster on a wheel trying to keep the water quality right, and/or you might see some aggression issues or possibly stress from the overcrowding.

 

[carey]

Hmm yeah, kinda what I thought X. I appreciate your input, its really on the ball with no punches pulled. lol
So in a nutshell I probably shouldnt do it I guess. The water parameters i can keep a handle on thers no doubt about that but the possibility of aggression is an angle I havent really thought about. My tangs are quite nasty already so it would be likely to happen.

if I could add one of the tangs which would you chose X?

 

[mr_X]

Ugh! I dunno. I don't want to say the wrong thing and screw you up. I like the red sea sailfin's looks better than the bristletooth variety, but that's just my personal preference. Which bristletooth are we talking about?

 

[TheTodd]

If I were going to put one in based on appearance, the Desjardini wins. They are magnificent. They do get big, especially when they flare their fins out. I would also guess that the waste would eventually be twice what a fully grown bristletooth would put out.

This was mine that just died...

 

[carey]

Wow what a gorgeous fish todd! Too bad she passed.... :-(

i actually forget which bristletooth it is, I was there too when she bought him. lol
I remember it being very light colored with no markings or anything special like the blue eyes my one in the 90g has, or like the tomini with its flame fins.

I can't honestly with any certainty say i am going to upgrade any further at this point as far as tank size. I mean, of course I would love to, but I can't say I will actually get it done in time for these two tangs to need it.
I hopefully will concentrate on the 60g rimless rebuild and the 40b build.