Rethinking Stock List

nikkipigtails

nikkipigtails

Well-Known Member
I'm rethinking my stock list...here's what I was originally going to have:

Six Line Wrasse (already have this one)

Pair of Purple Firefish

Yellow Watchman (still going to get this one)

Sailfin Tang

Powder Brown Tang
........................................................................................................

I'm rethinking the pair of Purple Firefish although I'm still going to get one, probably a male because of the high fin. If I only get one, what could I substitute for the other and still have a lot of color?

I'm also rethinking the Sailfin and Powder Brown.

I want to add fish that have a lot of color. More specifically, I want 2 tangs as "show pieces". What would you suggest?


Oh, and the DT is 180 gallons.
 
tippMANn98

tippMANn98

Has been struck by the ban stick
Whats with everybody and tangs? You want color right? well, I wouldnt suggest a doo doo brown tang, how about something a little fancier huh?

There are Chevron tangs, clown tangs, sohol tangs, orange shoulder tangs.
 
tippMANn98

tippMANn98

Has been struck by the ban stick
nikkipigtails said:
I'm rethinking the pair of Purple Firefish although I'm still going to get one, probably a male because of the high fin. If I only get one, what could I substitute for the other and still have a lot of color?

Oh, and the DT is 180 gallons.
Click to expand...

This is not true, they all have high fins....its almost impossible to tell the difference in Firefish.
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
You have so many choices with that size tank.
There are lots of gobies you could easily add to that mix as well as a variety of other fish.
You are certainly being well behaved on your stocking.
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
No clown or sohal tang.
Those are both very agressive.
Now I do have a Chevron and love it and the Achilles is another gorgeous one that could go with the sailfin.
 
SeahorseBT

SeahorseBT

Active Member
I like tangs and all, but olivert00 here has a 225 and she only has small fish. I really like the look of it. She only does colorful fish and only has a scopas tang as far as big fish go.
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
You just can't beat the impact of a large tang. If you have the place to keep them happy (which I believe you do), then they are wonderful fish to have. I've found mine to be very peaceful piggies who are a lot of fun to watch. I did get them the same size and 2 of the 3 at the same time. The two picked on the third a bit but not bad and now they all 3 hang out zipping in and out of arches and tunnels. You will be amazed at how small of a space a large tang can squeeze into.
It all comes down to what you like and what you have room for. I have seen tanks with a lot of small colorfull fish that are gorgeous and I have seen large tanks with large tangs that are just as nice.
 
travis127

travis127

Member
my friend has a juv clown tang in his 125 and its awesome! and he also had a power blue ... the blue hippo tangs are cool too...
 
nikkipigtails

nikkipigtails

Well-Known Member
tippMANn98 said:
This is not true, they all have high fins....its almost impossible to tell the difference in Firefish.
Click to expand...

That's weird because when I was looking at them online a while back, they differentiated between the male and the female and the males were the ones with the high fin. Oh well, I'm still getting one regardless.
 
nikkipigtails

nikkipigtails

Well-Known Member
lcstorc said:
...Now I do have a Chevron and love it and the Achilles is another gorgeous one that could go with the sailfin...

You just can't beat the impact of a large tang. If you have the place to keep them happy (which I believe you do), then they are wonderful fish to have. I've found mine to be very peaceful piggies who are a lot of fun to watch. I did get them the same size and 2 of the 3 at the same time. The two picked on the third a bit but not bad and now they all 3 hang out zipping in and out of arches and tunnels. You will be amazed at how small of a space a large tang can squeeze into.
It all comes down to what you like and what you have room for. I have seen tanks with a lot of small colorfull fish that are gorgeous and I have seen large tanks with large tangs that are just as nice.
Click to expand...

I don't know how I could have forgotten about an Achilles...they're one of my favs. I have read, though, that Achilles require special care and are only for "experts". Is this true? I definately don't consider myself an expert, but I'm not a beginner either.

The big impact of a large tang is what I'm looking for. I love their personalities and how much color they add to a tank. Tommy really wants a Desjardinii Sailfin so I guess we'll keep that one. He also saw a BSJF for the first time online and fell in love with it. I'm not sure I feel comfortable getting a BSJF just yet.
 
SeahorseBT

SeahorseBT

Active Member
BSJF will do better if they are introduced first beacuse they will not be threatened by more active swimmers. Where did you see one?
 
BarbMazz

BarbMazz

Well-Known Member
How about a Royal Gramma? They're small, VERY colorful and have lots of personality. They have gorgeous red lips! lol

Anthias? A trio of Bartlett's would be gorgeous.. they get somewhat bigger, though.

Flame Hawkfish (Neocirrhitus armatus) Bright red coloration and a hilarious facial expression.

Coral Beauty angelfish? Supposed to be one of the more docile dwarf angels.

Onespot Foxface Rabbitfish? Get bigger, but very flashy. Also supposed to be great HA eaters.

Clown Goby? Bright, bright yellow and a fun perching fish.

 
nikkipigtails

nikkipigtails

Well-Known Member
Thanks, Barb. I want to stay away from pygmy angles. Our coral beauty nearly nipped my pink panthers to death. I was thinking about a longnose hawkfish. I hear they have a great personality. Any ideas for a larger fish? Tommy was thrilled when I told him about a blue jaw trigger being reef safe. Not sure I want one though.

Thanks, Wolfgang...do they ship? lol...I had a yellow tang but decided that I want something less common for the big tank.
 
BarbMazz

BarbMazz

Well-Known Member
I understand about the angel! LNHF are supposed to be very good tank inhabitants. I've read some things about them MAYBE eating ornamental shrimp, but I think that's anecdotal and not a species trait.

Blue spot jawfish are VERY entertaining! I don't think they are challenging as long as you understand at the outset what they need to be happy and survive:

1. a closed top, easy mod to do
2. at least 4-5" of substrate..sand, crushed coral bits.
3. LOTS of varying sizes of rubble and shells to build with... from small pebbles up to the size of the fish... they are STRONG!
4. a variety of meaty foods; Bam Bam eats mysid shrimp, krill, squid bits, arctipods.... I target feed him twice per day. He ate great from the beginning.

I think keeping them supplied with lots of rubble to play with may be one of the most important things. They are OBSESSED with building and re-building and re-arranging their burrows. I add small handfuls of rubble almost daily.

Bam Bam is between 4-5" long.
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
As long as you have a very tightly closed top, deep sand, and very stable rock structure, get the bluespot. Other than getting a healthy one those are the most important things. LiveAquaria has a great QT process so you are pretty safe assuming a fish from them is healthy. If you have the rest, then go for it. They are the most fun of all of my fish.
I honestly don't know about the Achilles. You could ask Woodstock. She has had one (Dr Pepper) for some time and other than her recent battle with ich I don't know of any problems she has had.
They are beautiful fish.
I wouldn't trust the trigger but that is JMO
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
I did forget the rubble requirement. Sunshine once quit eating because she didn't have large enough rubble. As soon as I gave her more larger pieces she was fine.
 
nikkipigtails

nikkipigtails

Well-Known Member
I think the BSJF require too much care. Tommy's not allowed to touch the tank except to turn the lights on and off, and only when I tell him to. I don't think I want to have to do all that extra care with everything else I have going on. Plus I don't think I can trust anyone to care for it as diligently if we were to go out of town.
 
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