Stocking question

[acolotto]

I have a 55 gallon mixed reef with bh1000 skimmer, gfo reactor, and hob filter for carbon. I was wondering if if be able to add a lawnmower blenny and either a fathead sunburst anthias or a ora Randall's assessor?

My current stock is
1 clarkii clown
1 two spot bristletooth tang (please no comments on tang I know it's requirements)
2 yellow watchman gobies
1 six line wrasse

 

[carey]

I'd go with the lawnmower and skip the anthias. That particular anthias is a harder than normal one to keep, most anthias arent that easy.

If you know the requirements for the tang why have it? lol

 

[acolotto]

Because extra 5" of width for a 75 isn't that big of a difference and plenty of people including I believe melosu have kept them in a 55...as I said in the post please do not comment about the tang I have my aquarium and you have yours I'm looking for advice not criticism

 

[carey]

I didnt criticize, only comment. i can tell you arent looking for advice, just someone who wants to hear what they want to hear.

Good luck anyways.

 

[acolotto]

Not true I asked a question about adding fish and also posted to not comment about the tang...you didn't do either you said add lawnmower and say avoid a fish because it's hard instead of saying if it would either make my tank overstocked or not...as well to commenting about the tang...I've been in the saltwater side of the hobby for 3 years I know what I am doing and just trying to gauge to see if it would make my tank overstocked or not and if you do not like to give advice or answer the op questions why even comment

Now if I get majority of posts saying it'll give me a heavy bioload I'd skip adding additional live stock but you did not do that you just went straight make a criticism about the tang...please do not post if you do not have any help or advice on the topic

 

[Sniperhank]

Actually, putting a large fish into a smaller tank than recommended does have a big strain in terms of bio load. Eats more, poops more. So, all in all, that tang is a big strain on the tank. I wouldn't want to add any other fish rated for a large tank. You could get away with a law mower, maybe, but keep in mind that with a heavy load continuing to add could push it over the edge and, at worst, crash the system. If the tang starts doing poorly keep an eye on it. A corpse of a tang would wreck havoc on your parameters. Hope that answers your question.

 

[Stinky Pete]

Honestly any advise given on your question without mentioning the tang would be bad advise. Your stance on not wanting to hear about it puts you in the proverbial no win situation.

 

[acolotto]

Actually, putting a large fish into a smaller tank than recommended does have a big strain in terms of bio load. Eats more, poops more. So, all in all, that tang is a big strain on the tank. I wouldn't want to add any other fish rated for a large tank. You could get away with a law mower, maybe, but keep in mind that with a heavy load continuing to add could push it over the edge and, at worst, crash the system. If the tang starts doing poorly keep an eye on it. A corpse of a tang would wreck havoc on your parameters. Hope that answers your question.

Thank you for the response...yea I keep him well fed with rotating green red purple nori every couple days plus the 3x week feeding of rods food, and that was my concern with already one larger fish, the tang is only about a inch and half but still larger fish for the tank, was that my stocking may already be maxed or close to it.

What if I skipped the lawnmower and anthias idea and just wanted to add the Randall's accessor? Would that be better? Or should I just stick with my current stocking

 

[Sniperhank]

Personally, I wouldn't add anything. I have my 55 mixed reef at 8 fish at appropriate size for the tank. This is the max for my system. You are at yours as well, in comparison.

 

[acolotto]

Honestly any advise given on your question without mentioning the tang would be bad advise. Your stance on not wanting to hear about it puts you in the proverbial no win situation.

I don't mind like what sniper hank said he brought it into factoring of why adding fish may not be a good idea to give reasoning behind his answer...but he did not critique my choice of having one or ask why I have one. He gave a detailed answer for the question I asked

 

[acolotto]

Personally, I wouldn't add anything. I have my 55 mixed reef at 8 fish at appropriate size for the tank. This is the max for my system. You are at yours as well, in comparison.

That's what I was thinking but you know that voice in the back of your head trying to convince you need more coral or something new lol and wanted to see what people thought...I guess it's back to looking for new corals instead of new fish ?

Thank you for your advice

 

[Iceman72]

I find it funny that someone asks for what they can put in their tank even though they claim to be a 3 yr veteran of the hobby. If you know what to do with a large fish that's to big for a 55 then why ask about others? Obviously you know it all. Lol just my humble opinion. It's a free forum so if you don't want people to comment on your post find out the answer to your question by just reading. I have a 55g and I have learned that some fish just need lots of swimming space and a 55g just is doing a disservice to those fish. Lucky for me my local Petco has a 30 day return policy. I just took back a Redtail butterfly. After two days I just could not allow him in my tank. It was causing too much stress and he obviously needed more space. But if you want to do something most will say no too, then you gotta trial and error on your own.

 

[acolotto]

I find it funny that someone asks for what they can put in their tank even though they claim to be a 3 yr veteran of the hobby. If you know what to do with a large fish that's to big for a 55 then why ask about others? Obviously you know it all. Lol just my humble opinion. It's a free forum so if you don't want people to comment on your post find out the answer to your question by just reading. I have a 55g and I have learned that some fish just need lots of swimming space and a 55g just is doing a disservice to those fish. Lucky for me my local Petco has a 30 day return policy. I just took back a Redtail butterfly. After two days I just could not allow him in my tank. It was causing too much stress and he obviously needed more space. But if you want to do something most will say no too, then you gotta trial and error on your own.

It doesn't matter how many yrs you are in the hobby advice is always a plus...you sir are comparing two different types of fish (the butterfly needs 125 and the two spot tang min is 70) and it's a bigger disservice to buy a fish and just return it, do research on and get advice on anything your thinking of putting in your tank is the #1 key to this hobby IMO, this is why no matter how many years I have been in the hobby I will always ask first. I put a lot of thought into the tang before I purchased it and read many posts on forums where people have done it and have had success or I wouldn't have done it. I prob spend 4 months debating on whether I should add the tang or not but after plenty of reading and advice from local reefers and other forums I decided its possible and I wanted to give it shot.

 

[melosu58]

Two points here. One, I am a believer that the bristle tooth tang can be in a 55 gallon tank. I had a yellow eyed kole tang in a 55 for seven years. They are not big swimmers like the other tangs. With the proper filtration they should be ok. Mine was moved to a 125 gallon after seven years. Two, be careful putting up something saying dont comment on something. We can all have issues and I would want someone to give me all the advice they can. Its up to us what we are going to accept and what we are not going to accept. Dont limit advice.

 

[carey]

Maybe I'm too liberal in my tank sizing, but I have experience with bristletooth tangs. I currently have two of them. One is in a 180g tank and i agree with melosu to some extent, as that tang does not swim as much as the yellow or blue i have. BUT the blue eye bristletooth I have in my 90g swims every second of the day it seems, and does laps back and forth. This guy should be in a larger tank no doubt about it. I have thought about moving him over but he is a nasty little bugger and I fear for my smaller fish in the 180g. So he has to remain in the 90g with the other nasty wrasses and the such.
My post was not a bash, i don't "bash", I give advice based on what is considered the norm as well as my own experience. I do apologize if it came off as bashing you personally.
We all love fish and have the best interest of them in mind when anyone posts advice.

 

[acolotto]

Mel I do agree with posting on not to comment about it prob does limit responses and other advice, I was just trying to avoid people switching topic about how I shouldn't have a tang instead of my original post and I knew I would get some when I listed the tang but I wanted to get accurate answers on my bioload if I could add more or not so can't skip a fish lol

Carey I understand and most of the time I love reading your posts they're are usually very helpful I just was trying to find out if I could get away with another fish or two or if I've hit my limit. Like I said I could have 20 years of experience but would still look out to AA for advice it never hurts for extra research but I knew if it got switched to the tang I'd never get the answer to my question. Because IMO I think I could get away with one more small like the Randall's assessor they are beautiful, but I wouldn't ever actually get a fish with out knowing its requirements and asking on how people felt it would affect my bioload...I've crossed the anthias and blenny from the list and I'm like 50 50 still on the Randall's assessor I have a oversized skimmer and do water changes weekly but still I know I'm at the cusp of my limit.

 

[carey]

If you can keep your parameters in check I dont see why another smaller fish wouldnt be do-able. Just keep what you are doing up and the extra fish shouldnt be an issue.

 

[acolotto]

Yea my params stay stable tanks been running for 3 years

If I decide to get the fish it'll be when one pops up on live aquaria...and I'll have more time to ponder and determine if it's worth it or if I should buy a nice frag of something instead...and just throwing this out there does anyone know where I can get some fathead dendros? I've been looking for the past 6 months and waited to long on the marinedepotlive ones and missed out

 

[MarinaClown]

I would skip the blenny and the Anthias. Here's why:
1. Your tang will probably beat the blenny to death because the tang will perceive the blenny as threat to its food resources. Pretty much any grazing fish like a blenny or dwarf angel will be in trouble.
2. Fathead/Sunburst Anthias is challenging to keep. I had one and traded it in to the fish store. It hides a lot and it's behavior is not like regular Anthias. It's mostly a rock percher (like hawkfish) and not a swimmer. It's very shy and will only eat frozen food if you are lucky. I couldn't train her to eat pellets and it seems like it's almost impossible.

 

[Iceman72]

Just curious why taking a perfectly healthy fish back so someone else with a larger tank can buy a bad thing?