150 stock list... agressive?

[Agnate80700]

Im just beginning to consider a stock list for my 150 gallon tank.

I seem to be drawn more to the aggressive type fish, they just seem to be prettier in most cases (maybe its what I would think someone who never saw a saltwater tank before would see and go 'oh wow!')

Considering this will be a reef tank, heres some fish Im thinking about:

Sohol Tang
Naso Tang
Sargassum Trigger
Volitan Lionfish
Hutchii Anthias
Blackribbon Eel

Along with my current stock:
Emp. Angel
Blue-dot Toby
Maroon Clown
Purple Firefish
Clown Fairy Wrasse


Thats 10 fish. Thats more than I can have. If I could have everything I want, this would be the list (maybe some true perc clowns) But this list needs to be weeded down.

Heres what Im thinking:

Mr. Toby will most likely need to be sold back to the store. He will have no place in my reef tank. Bummer too, he was my 1st purchase. Maybe I can put him in something else...

The Emp. Angel will probably be ok for a while, but well see what happens when he changes from juvi to adult, as I understand they are ok with reefs while juvi.

Clown Fairy Wrasse will probably have to go back. True, hes a great reef candidate, but hes tried to jump tank SO many times in his current home... theres no way he'd survive in an open tank. The front and sides of my tank will be protected, but the back will not be.

My clown and firefish should be ok.

Two tangs... even with the color and body shape being different, are they still prone to fight? I know keeping two tangs of the same species is bad juju but I've never housed tangs so I dont know how they will fair with two separate types.

The lionfish... I think this fish is amazing, and I would love to house it but I understand it maybe too restricting on other fish... my firefish will probably end up a snack a few years down the road once the lion grows large enough to swallow the firefish. Are lions big crustation(sp) eaters?

The eel and the anthias should be ok, yes?

Lemmie know what you guys think

 

[Hara]

The eel you have chosen has a pretty dismal survival rate in the home aquarium. The lion will quickly make short work of the clown and the firefish. Not years down the road but probably within 6 months. Lions grow very fast. The sohal and naso are the same body shape. You would be better off picking one of those then choosing from zebrasoma family.

 

[Agnate80700]

Yeah after I posted this I looked at the photos again and realized, no agnate ya dummy they are the same shape lol.

Good point on the eel, forgot to check that one.

As far as the lion goes... I dunno. I'd rather have a couple clowns with anemonies than a lion I think. Such a shame though, perhaps a dwarf lionfish would be better suited to coexist with the smaller species? Or would even a dwarf chow down on clowns?

-Naso Tang
+Sailfin tang. I almost got one before. neat fish.

im thinking either zebra moray, or maybe jsut scrap the eel idea altogether since they all seem to be crustecean chompers.

So...

Sohol Tang
Sailfin Tang
Sargassum Trigger
Dwarf Zebra Lionfish (maybe)
Hutchii Anthias
Zebra Moray Eel (maybe none)
Juvenile Emp. Angel
Maroon Clown
True Perc. Clown (hopefully)
Purple Firefish

 

[Nikkiheartsfish]

Hello , well, here's my take on this:

Wouldn't bother with trigger to be honest, eel probably not, lion probably not, emperor (ehhh, I'd send him back to the store IMO, you'll be sorry once/if it decides to take a liking to your corals down the road, if not immediately because you will be, I assume, adding the corals after him, and IME most fish look at anything entering the tank as a probable piece of food, and once coral is in there he's nearly impossible to get out IMO), wouldn't mix two species of clown, although if you are dead set on doing so add larger perc or multiples IMO. Anthias need to be fed multiple times a day in small amounts (planktonivores mainly, small group of three minimum one male two females). So far in your list I'd look at:

Purple Firefish (Maybe multiples, the red firefish are a bit sweeter IME, and look cute in groups of 3-5)
Sohol/Sailfin combo or Sohol/anyothergenus combo, added at the same time.
Anthias (if you're up to putting in the effort)
Maroon/significantly larger perc and/or multiple percs to disperse aggression.

The only reason I'd look away from the angels, triggers, eels, are that they really make keeping a reef tank a pain in the neck in general.

Triggers often make snack of mobile invertebrates, eels do the same and as they get bigger knock things over, lionfish will attempt to eat anything that will fit in their mouths (shrimp being a favorite morsel).

If you want a reef that does not include shrimps etc, you could go that aggressive-reef route, just try to include larger fish that the lionfish won't look at as a snack item. Larger wrasses such as coris etc do not eat coral, but are not considered "Reef" safe due to their shrimp/crab/snail eating habits. Maybe select larger tangs(ones that won't fit in the lionfish's mouth, double the size of his mouth if you've ever seen it open just to be safe!), you could probably even get away with three of them if you did something like a kole tang first, then add a sohal and a zebrasomas type at the same time. And I'd try to cover up your tank as best as possible-- having open sides really limits your selection of fish, many wrasses will jump, and fish that don't seem likely jumpers will do it at times.

So bottom line:

If you want shrimps, don't pick large wrasses, triggers, eels, lionfish.

If you don't care about shrimps, do larger tangs, larger fish, triggers, eels, whatever it was you wanted in an aggressive tank, just double check coral safeness.

HTH and good luck!

 

[Agnate80700]

Trigger is a definite must. Sargassum's are Xanthicthys which are known reef safe, and with their mouthes pointed up they, from what i've heard/read, have a hard time (therefore generally ignore) critters on the floor, crabs and whatnot. Shrimp I will sacrifice, no biggie there.

The zebra eel I only worry about due to eating my crabs. Not a huge loss if it cant happen.

The lion, i decided to go dwarf hoping he wont get big enough to eat other critters. Ive never had/seen a full size dwarf lion though so maybe someone can chime in on that. It might get too big anyway. Definetly full size lion is out though.

The angel... you may be right. I sure as hell dont want to try to catch him once in the tank full of corals. Bummer, they are such beautiful fish.

 

[Nikkiheartsfish]

Ah, wasn't privy to that specific species Didn't exactly google it up. That's good to hear!

And yeah, as far as the angel, sorry to say, but that just seems like the best thing to do-- don't want to gamble with ifs when corals are so expensive.

As far as a full sized dwarf lion, they get somewhere around ~6", and could possibly eat a small firefish, so add with caution.

Good luck with all of your additions!

 

[roka64]

You could try a Lamarck's Angelfish http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=413&N=0, they are said to be reef safe.

 

[melosu58]

I agree with the angel. Mine were in my tank for 4 yrs before they decided to start munching. Had to tear the tank up to get them. It will save you some time sooner or later if your were to go without the angel. As far as the anthias IME I feed them every other day with a variety of foods and on the off days they nip on the seaweed selects that out there for the tangs. They get plenty to eat on once a day. Had mine for several months and they are doing good.

 

[Agnate80700]

I agree with the angel. Mine were in my tank for 4 yrs before they decided to start munching.

Dangit! Durn fish and their whims. How strange they wait like that...

Yeah roka, I'd heard good things about Genicanthus angels, but they just arnt striking =( (to me anyway) maybe I'd change my tune if I saw one in the LFS but from the online photos it just seems like theres better choices.

 

[roka64]

I agree with the angel. Mine were in my tank for 4 yrs before they decided to start munching.

Dangit! Durn fish and their whims. How strange they wait like that...

Yeah roka, I'd heard good things about Genicanthus angels, but they just arnt striking =( (to me anyway) maybe I'd change my tune if I saw one in the LFS but from the online photos it just seems like theres better choices.

I agree the pics onliine aren't all that impressive, but when you see one in person you might like them.