treesprite April 15, 2013 Share April 15, 2013 So I'm planning a 90g, it is same area as a 75 but 15g more volume by height. What kinds of reef-safe fish could I put in it which would be compatible with the following I already have? current fish: - pair of ocellaris - typical oc personalities - mainly stay around their anemone except at feeding time - yellow zebramosa tang - pair of firefish - keep to themselves, just kind of hang around casually and are kind of timid - occelated dragonet - they don't take up any territory in the water column, so really don't need to figure in for volume or area, but I wouldn't want it to have to compete with something else - Hector's goby - small, keeps to itself, just hangs around casually looking for pods to eat on the rocks or sand - scissortail dartfish - he stays on the bottom of the tank (I think he's just old - he's not sick), so I don't really need to figure him in to volume or area Due to the characteristics and behaviors of the fish I have, the tank seems lifeless except for the tang or for about 15 minutes at feeding time. So, I want to put more fish in when I get the 90, and need to start getting some ideas (will be a couple months). I would like a bunch of small fish, ones that swim in open water (doesn't have to be a school - there aren't enough options). Then maybe 3 medium fish (about 4" if body shape is like a clownfish, or up tp 5" if elongated shape like a dartfish). I definitely don't want any single fish to be more prominent than my centerpiece fish, which is my 4" yellow tang. I definitely want at least a couple of scissortail dartfish, several if they are ok in that number. I definitely want something very blue (or with bright blue on them), but there aren't many choices for bright blue reef-safe fish that stay small. Blue reef chromis get to 5" which is kind of big. A cherub angel would be nice because of the color and size and being reef safe, but the ones I had (at different times), got so intrusive of every inch of the tank going in and out of every crevice and hole all day, that the other fish couldn't tolerate them. Yellow tail damsels are typically only weakly semi-aggressive if even that (less aggressive than clownfish), and are not intrusive and rambunctious like the cherub angels. no wrasses no triggers (I really want a niger trigger, but oh well) no tangs no anthias (I really want them, but wouldn't be able to feed them properly with the work schedule I have) no dottybacks no royal grammas Ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYfan78 April 15, 2013 Share April 15, 2013 How about a school of blue chromis? They look awesome in schools and are mid to top water swimmers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite April 15, 2013 Author Share April 15, 2013 Do you mean blue reef chromis, or the pale blue-green chromis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDRDATA April 15, 2013 Share April 15, 2013 One option would be a group (say a trio) of chalk bass. They've been well-behaved when we've had them (including the current singleton in my 30 cube), although we did lose one to carpet surfing. The blue is definitely striking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette April 15, 2013 Share April 15, 2013 a yellow eye kole is always nice as a bigger fish. How about a trio of flasher wrasses or a harem of anthias? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind April 15, 2013 Share April 15, 2013 cherub angelfish, rainford's goby, groups of blue reef chromis and chalk bass, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dholmblad April 15, 2013 Share April 15, 2013 Dont waste your time on chromis, they will eat eachother until there is 1 super chromis left. Gobys and blennys in my opinion are some of the most interesting fish to watch, put some of those in your tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime April 15, 2013 Share April 15, 2013 Dont waste your time on chromis, they will eat eachother until there is 1 super chromis left. Gobys and blennys in my opinion are some of the most interesting fish to watch, put some of those in your tank. I disagree, I started with 5, about 2 months ago, one disappeared, rest are doing fine. I guess to each their own. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef April 15, 2013 Share April 15, 2013 Dont waste your time on chromis, they will eat eachother until there is 1 super chromis left. Gobys and blennys in my opinion are some of the most interesting fish to watch, put some of those in your tank. +1 on blennys and gobies...very entertaining Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw April 15, 2013 Share April 15, 2013 You could always go for a rabbitfish..........you could get a small foxface or scribbled rabbitfish. They will swim back and forth all day long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite April 16, 2013 Author Share April 16, 2013 I had thought about a kole or bristletooth tang, but I don't like them enough to add one to my bioload, and then have it draw attention away from my yellow when it gets bigger. Not sure why the mention of anthias and wrasses when I already posted against them. Rainfords goby is out. I had one and loved it, but the Hectors beat it up so bad I had to take it out of the tank. Put it back in the tank and it vanished a couple weeks later. Most other types of gobies don't generally swim in the open water column. Foxface is too big and I'd be afraid of it sticking me. Chalk bass... I used to think of getting one, but when I saw some in person, they lost their appeal to me. The ones I have seen had fairly dull colors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind April 16, 2013 Share April 16, 2013 Do you plan on having inverts like crabs or shrimp in this tank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite April 16, 2013 Author Share April 16, 2013 I have only 1 shrimp right now, but need a couple more. Snails. IOne token hermit crab and don't plan on any more of them. (Note: the 90 isn't even drilled yet & I still have to plan out my overflow. It's not even at my apt.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind April 16, 2013 Share April 16, 2013 I was going to suggest some other fish if you didn't have shrimp or crabs. Try not to break the glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amuze April 16, 2013 Share April 16, 2013 Skip the YT, it will only cause you headaches in a tank this size later down the road (or right away depending on it's size). Why no wrasse or anthias? I would flood the tank with these two specifically. You could add a lot of movement and color to the tank this way. Marine Scene gets some really hardy pink anthias in that you shouldn't have a problem with. I had a bunch and never lost one along with many different wrasse. In a 90g, it'd be nice too see a lot of smaller colorful fish rather than any larger ones. Just put a lot of flow and they'll become quite active. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite April 17, 2013 Author Share April 17, 2013 Amuze is hearing it backwards. I want small and medium fish. I don't want any big fish. Amuze, why say I should skip the yellow tang, which I have already had for several years in a 75g? Yellows are ok in 75g. He will be just as fine in a 90g. I got 2 scissortail dartfish today. Paul at Aquarium One told me a few weeks ago that he would try to get some. Today I went in and there was a pair, which had apparently been there almost 2 weeks just waiting for me to come get them, which I didn't know. It would be cool to have 5 of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt April 17, 2013 Share April 17, 2013 How about a starcki damsel....seems out of season now, but if your patient... Also, look into tilefish (purple, skunk, flashing, starcki) and blue gudgeon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite April 17, 2013 Author Share April 17, 2013 I was thinking about blue gudgeons. I have had them before, but they were hiders and I guess starved. They are more secure in greater numbers and less likely to hide all day, so if I got them, it would have to be a few of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt April 17, 2013 Share April 17, 2013 I think tilefish are similar (from my reading)...some tend to do better with at least 1 friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef April 17, 2013 Share April 17, 2013 (edited) Amuze is hearing it backwards. I want small and medium fish. I don't want any big fish. Amuze, why say I should skip the yellow tang, which I have already had for several years in a 75g? Yellows are ok in 75g. He will be just as fine in a 90g. I got 2 scissortail dartfish today. Paul at Aquarium One told me a few weeks ago that he would try to get some. Today I went in and there was a pair, which had apparently been there almost 2 weeks just waiting for me to come get them, which I didn't know. It would be cool to have 5 of them. I am sure Amuze was just referring the accepted guidelines for Tangs in saltwater tanks which would mean that the yellow should not be in a tank less than 100 gallons and 6' long. Edited April 17, 2013 by sachabballi reef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite April 18, 2013 Author Share April 18, 2013 But the generally accepted standard for yellow tangs is 75g/4ft. YT are small compared to most other tangs, getting to no more than 8". Regardless, I don't really want any fish over 6", so there's no point in debating it here (my YT is only about 4", so he's got at least a couple years left with me). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rioreef April 18, 2013 Share April 18, 2013 Lamark's Angelfish. Not expensive Reef safe (Mine has never picked at corals or clams) Grows nice streamers off its tail. Eats anything you feed your tank. (Meats or Veggies) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite April 19, 2013 Author Share April 19, 2013 (edited) I'll look up Lamarks. Are they intrusive and hyper like cherubs (aka pygmy)? ... Nevermind. I just read that it gets to 9". Edited April 19, 2013 by treesprite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef April 19, 2013 Share April 19, 2013 I've got one...he's an open swimmer but fairly calm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now