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NightSpirit

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Oct 24, 2003
Messages
196
Location
Arizona, Tempe
I finally figured out what I really want is an aggressive psuedo-reef. I really don't have strong enough lights for most corals and I will likely just get some shrooms and low-light LPSs. (lighting is 65x4 w 10k & actinic for a 110g).

This is more of a "in what order should I place these fish" type of thread. Please note that in no way would I put all of these fish in the tank. However, let's assume that I have a huge tank and can house all of these, as I am unsure which ones I want exactly yet, so the order is still important. Some of the more harder species I would wait until the tank is more mature. It's been running for about 6 months now (started with live sand in january/feb, but it has only had live rock for about 3 months now. I do have a good amount of pods and algae).

Also please tell me if these fish are incompatible or any reason I might want to consider a different purchase. Here is what I am guessing what the order would be:


1. Premnas biaculeatus - Yellowstripe Maroon Clownfish - no choice, already in the tank
2. Rhinecanthus aculeatus - Humu Triggerfish
3. Diodon holacanthus - Porcupine Puffer
4. Heniochus acuminatus - Heniochus Black and White Butterflyfish (I know they school, but I seriously doubt 3 of them will fit in a 110).
5. Acanthurus leucosternon - Powder Blue Tang

I've had a good deal of experience with #2 & #3 when I was younger, and at least in my case they were quite hardy and lived a very long time (the only reason they died is because my friend didn't feed them like he said he would when I went on vacation :cry: ) I likely wont even bother with the puffer since just that fish alone would almost take care of my load, which is sad becaue they always look so happy.

Most of these fish are not reef safe. By that do they mean that they just eat snails, or will they nip at the crabs and coral too?

TIA
 
I need to know how big is this fish since it can get harassed by the puffer and triggers as for Heniochus acuminatus you can add 3 it would not be a problem. But the Powder Blue Tang, try to have a UV sterilizor in your tank since it can help in ICH prevention,
 
I've read that the triggers can be very aggressive and will eat smaller fish. You may want to make sure this is the last and smallest to go in the tank.
 
Clownfish right now are quite small, only about an inch. It'll be at least 3-6 months before I get either the trigger or porcupine, and if I do get one it will be a really small one.

I just put a Heniochus in the QT, as the LFS had a really good deal (about $18, 1/3 off what they normally are there).

as for Heniochus acuminatus you can add 3 it would not be a problem

liveaquaria.com states they get up to 10", so 3 of them would max out my bio load. Although extremely tempted, I'd rather have a variety of fish than a school.

I think next I'm going to put in a powder blue tang. Although I'm second guessing this since the fish I have seen always look sick. I'm tempted to get an UV, but I'm going to QT the fish, so hopefully I'll never have an ich problem.

After that I'm going to decide on either the puffer or trigger. Or I might get babies of both and put the puffer and trigger in their own 55 when they get bigger.

Hopefully none of them will bother my snails. I put a few of them in with the Heniochus in the QT and he doesn't seem to be bothering them, at least for now.

Or I might get a Green Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus) since I have such a huge pod problem.

So many choices 8O :!: :D
 
If you decide not to put in the puffer and trigger together at the same time get the trigger last. I owned a Huma Huma Trigger before, and even after changing decoration and some rearranging and even taking him out for a while the trigger wound up killing the Yellow Tang I added. My tank is small for a marine tank but the tang was a bit bigger than the trigger. You should have fun with a Huma Trigger. He was a great fish.

About the snails getting attacked, I would count on it. My trigger was always harrassing my hermits. I would always come and find them flipped over by him. I'm not sure if you have to worry about him actually eating the snails, though.
 
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