60 Cube for one fish... Seeking Suggestions.

[E.intheC]

I've got a 60 gallon cube (24x24x24h) and I'm having some difficulty with fish selection. :hmm4:

Normally I would write up a list, check for compatibility, size, etc, and start stocking. However, with this tank I would like to do something different. I'd like to try and stick with either one fish or a small group of fish that may not do well with others (because they are easily bullied or out-competed for food, etc).

The tank is a mixed reef, so I would like to choose a fish (or group) that won't put my corals at risk.

So, if you had to stock a tank with one fish (or one group of fish), what would you pick?

 

[steveo9043]

I dno why but seahorses and jelly fish come to mind right away. I haven't done research if that will work with your requirements but it might be worth looking into.

 

[michael_cb_125]

We have similar tastes:

I have a 92 gallon with only a pair of Bandit Angels. I love only having two fish....


~Michael

 

[E.intheC]

Michael, that's awesome :thumbsup: bandits are great fish, but a bit out of my price range.

 

[Allentown]

Until i saw it was a mixed reef i was going to say "Clown Trigger"

I am considering turning my old 40G display (currently cooking rock and going to do duty as a QT tank for stocking) into a single fish display for a clown trigger after my other purposes for the tank are completed.

 

[namxas]

I dno why but seahorses and jelly fish come to mind right away. I haven't done research if that will work with your requirements but it might be worth looking into.

Neither will work in a reef...SH have temp, flow, and tankmate issues, and jellies require more of a rounded tank with a Kriesel type flow pattern. I've kept and bred lots of SH for several years, but not jellies.

E,

How about a M-F-F trio of fuzzy dwarf lionfish? They're very cool and become quite the aquatic puppy dogs...AND they come in colors: brown, red, yellow, and any combination thereof.

 

[Ambition]

Until i saw it was a mixed reef i was going to say "Clown Trigger"

I am considering turning my old 40G display (currently cooking rock and going to do duty as a QT tank for stocking) into a single fish display for a clown trigger after my other purposes for the tank are completed.

A clown trigger would put grow a 60 gallon tank by quite a bit. IMO they need at least 6ft 180 gallon tanks to thrive and not look cramped or make the tank look small.

It is best not to use a QT as a display tank at any point after it has been given that task. The fish in your DT may get something that needs attention outside of the DT because treatments aren't safe in a reef.

To the OP, I would agree with Greg's suggestion of doing a trio of fuzzy dwarf lionfish.

 

[BlueFyre]

Some species of eel would be my choice. Skeletor eel would be my choice.

 

[E.intheC]

Until i saw it was a mixed reef i was going to say "Clown Trigger"

I am considering turning my old 40G display (currently cooking rock and going to do duty as a QT tank for stocking) into a single fish display for a clown trigger after my other purposes for the tank are completed.

It's funny... I saw a two inch clown trigger at the LFS and that kind of gave me the idea for this thread. He was reacting to my presence and showing so much personality... It was very cool.

Neither will work in a reef...SH have temp, flow, and tankmate issues, and jellies require more of a rounded tank with a Kriesel type flow pattern. I've kept and bred lots of SH for several years, but not jellies.

E,

How about a M-F-F trio of fuzzy dwarf lionfish? They're very cool and become quite the aquatic puppy dogs...AND they come in colors: brown, red, yellow, and any combination thereof.

I agree... The flow is too much for seahorses and the jellies need a dedicated system. I'm not sure about the lions... I'll have to research them a bit. Thank you for the suggestion.

A clown trigger would put grow a 60 gallon tank by quite a bit. IMO they need at least 6ft 180 gallon tanks to thrive and not look cramped or make the tank look small.

It is best not to use a QT as a display tank at any point after it has been given that task. The fish in your DT may get something that needs attention outside of the DT because treatments aren't safe in a reef.

To the OP, I would agree with Greg's suggestion of doing a trio of fuzzy dwarf lionfish.

I agree with you on the clown trigger's size.

Some species of eel would be my choice. Skeletor eel would be my choice.

Hmm.. An eel might be cool, but I'd really only want a zebra (might knock over my rocks) or a ribbon eel, and those have very poor survival rates.

 

[Curious George]

How about a blue dot jawfish? Very interesting, fun to watch, and would love a small reef all to himself.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1637+748&pcatid=748

 

[E.intheC]

Blue spot's are awesome. I haven't seen one for sale locally in a while (at least a year) though. With the BSJ, I'd need to add some fish for the open water column as the blue spot would probably chill in his cave most of the time.

 

[Ostara]

I think a shoal of ten or so of those small red spot glass cardinals would look awesome in a cube by themselves, especially if it was SPS dominated. There are frequently groups of five on Diver's Den and they'd probably do well in a species tank because they wouldn't be out-competed for food. I've always thought they would look really natural as the centerpiece in a cube.

 

[MikeandNicole]

Check for golden dwarf eels I think that would be cool.

Pair of really nice flasher wrasses

Pair of false shepardi angels

If you are up for a challenge, a pair of orange spot filefish

Or if you want to really have fun cuttlefish fish

 

[E.intheC]

I think a shoal of ten or so of those small red spot glass cardinals would look awesome in a cube by themselves, especially if it was SPS dominated. There are frequently groups of five on Diver's Den and they'd probably do well in a species tank because they wouldn't be out-competed for food. I've always thought they would look really natural as the centerpiece in a cube.

This is an interesting idea. My rockscape is well-suited for this too.. It's essentially a central column with lots of swimming room in every direction.

 

[TimothyJ]

This is an interesting idea. My rockscape is well-suited for this too.. It's essentially a central column with lots of swimming room in every direction.

They are very cool fish and as a center piece of the tank would really show their character.

 

[E.intheC]

I keep coming back to large-ish clowns, like allardis or akindynos... Possibly a pair of a. Nigripes.

Also, I asked my wife what she would like to see and she said "clownfish!". So that might be the answer.

 

[sponger0]

A pair of these guys

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1378+319&pcatid=319

 

[rssjsb]

I keep coming back to large-ish clowns, like allardis or akindynos... Possibly a pair of a. Nigripes.

Also, I asked my wife what she would like to see and she said "clownfish!". So that might be the answer.

It's a simple idea, but a good one. I'm not sure what kind of reef you're looking at, but this is a good size tank for an clown-anemone-only tank too.

 

[hobbzz]

Wartskin frogfish or black straited angler.

 

[E.intheC]

It's a simple idea, but a good one. I'm not sure what kind of reef you're looking at, but this is a good size tank for an clown-anemone-only tank too.

Im going for a mixed reef... Mostly LPS and SPS toward the top. I've had some bad luck with anemones in the past and am trying (as difficult as it is) to stay away from them.