600gal (96x48x30)

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8820873#post8820873 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sparkss
we use a yellow wrasse (H. Chrysus I believe) in our frag tank. IMO more effective for certain pests and less aggressive than a 6-line, and quite the spalsh of color too :). And an ornate, or sometimes call Christmas, wrasse in our display tank (H. Ornatissmus I think).

Cool, thanks for the info, I will have to look into those ;)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8820590#post8820590 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by asnatlas
Rainfordi Goby & Sixline Wrasse

IME this is a bad combination. I had both in a 120 with a ton of hiding places. The sixline chased the rainfordi non-stop. For the longest time the rainfordi would only come out at night and I had to start a special feeding cycle to accomodate. It was all down hill from there. One day I never saw the rainfordi again.

Given the choice I would have skipped the sixline for the rainfordi.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8820988#post8820988 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrisguy
IME this is a bad combination. I had both in a 120 with a ton of hiding places. The sixline chased the rainfordi non-stop. For the longest time the rainfordi would only come out at night and I had to start a special feeding cycle to accomodate. It was all down hill from there. One day I never saw the rainfordi again.

Given the choice I would have skipped the sixline for the rainfordi.

Not to mention that if you go with a 6-line you may need to pass on any number of fairy wrasses later. I heard from a wholesaler when we bought our Lineatus that we should get rid of our 6-line, since he had seen a 6-line take down larger fairy wrasses on more than one occassion (specifically a lineatus once). Just trying to help you avoid our mistakes (no, the lineatus did fine, we got out the 6-line before we intruduce the new wrasse, but the 6-line had harrassed several other fish to death before then, but until the lineatus we weren't as moitivated to evict the 6-line :)).
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8820988#post8820988 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrisguy
IME this is a bad combination. I had both in a 120 with a ton of hiding places. The sixline chased the rainfordi non-stop. For the longest time the rainfordi would only come out at night and I had to start a special feeding cycle to accomodate. It was all down hill from there. One day I never saw the rainfordi again.

Given the choice I would have skipped the sixline for the rainfordi.

chrisguy, thanks the info, looks like I may pass on a six-line in the display... I would rather have a school of Rainfordi's over a six-line or two...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8821046#post8821046 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cward
Are you adding that big tang last?

I have a few other tangs planned and I was doing to add them all at once... I have read that black tangs are not aggressive, does anyone have more info on this ??
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8821073#post8821073 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sparkss
Not to mention that if you go with a 6-line you may need to pass on any number of fairy wrasses later. I heard from a wholesaler when we bought our Lineatus that we should get rid of our 6-line, since he had seen a 6-line take down larger fairy wrasses on more than one occassion (specifically a lineatus once). Just trying to help you avoid our mistakes (no, the lineatus did fine, we got out the 6-line before we intruduce the new wrasse, but the 6-line had harrassed several other fish to death before then, but until the lineatus we weren't as moitivated to evict the 6-line :)).

I had planned on adding some other wrasses down the road, so no six-line for me, thanks guys...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8814412#post8814412 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
Shawn,

Check into melev's web site where he details how he makes his food. You can get that mixture of seafood all in one bag at most Asian stores. I use that, the nori strips (come in a nice plastic jar which I like because I keep them in the freezer which keeps them drier), cyclopeze, mysis shrimp, silversides (also available very cheap at the Asian store), Garlic Guard, Selcon, krill, Spirulina pellets, and sometimes brine shrimp.

I do it exactly the way he does and my tank loves it! (so do my aiptasia :( )

FWIW; I use the fresh sea food mix from the Asian supermarket, Nori strips, Cyclopeez (frozen and the new mini pellet form), Spirulina, Formula 2 and Garlic. I save a ton of money by making my own food. My recipe was inspired by Marc's.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8821381#post8821381 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SERVO
FWIW; I use the fresh sea food mix from the Asian supermarket, Nori strips, Cyclopeez (frozen and the new mini pellet form), Spirulina, Formula 2 and Garlic. I save a ton of money by making my own food. My recipe was inspired by Marc's.

I am not sure why I didn't do it sooner :rolleye1: but I am going to make a trip to the asain market near my house on Thur or Fri when I am off...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8820590#post8820590 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by asnatlas
I was thinking about a few small fish...

Rainfordi Goby
Neon Goby
Pseudochromis
Sixline Wrasse

I might start with a few Pseudochromis (diff ones) and then add a school of Neon's, then a school of Rainfordi's...

Your selections are good because they are all relatively ich-free fish.

The social dynamics of a large tank are different to that of a standard tank, so you may be able to push it a little with respect to aggression. A fish trap is a good investment nonetheless. Aqua-Medic makes a cheap one that works well, but DIY works too.

Rainfordi gobies do best in pairs, any more than that becomes cluttered. They also need hair algae until they adapt to artificial foods. They eat derbasia hair algae, not briopsis hair algae. A pair of biocelatus (twin spot gobies) would be a similar addition. Both of these fish are a little sensitive, so buy larger ones that are eating.

Pseudochromis are great as long as you stick to Red Sea varieties. The Indo Pacific species are more aggressive, but not always a problem.

I agree with regards to skipping the sixline. Go for some paracheilinus, cirrhilabrus, or halichoerus species.

Schooling fish, like green chromis and anthias, put a big tank into perspective. It makes it look like a true reef.
 
love my chromis. they are the smallest fish in the tank but very active. I have a small school of eight and they will defend their breeding territory against any size fish. Otherwise they are great active fish. I may get more.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8822960#post8822960 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mr.wilson
A fish trap is a good investment nonetheless. Aqua-Medic makes a cheap one that works well, but DIY works too.

A pair of biocelatus (twin spot gobies) would be a similar addition. Both of these fish are a little sensitive, so buy larger ones that are eating.

Pseudochromis are great as long as you stick to Red Sea varieties. The Indo Pacific species are more aggressive, but not always a problem.

I agree with regards to skipping the sixline. Go for some paracheilinus, cirrhilabrus, or halichoerus species.

Schooling fish, like green chromis and anthias, put a big tank into perspective. It makes it look like a true reef.

A DIY acrylic trip is in my "to do" list...

Would I be able to keep a pair of twin spot gobies if I am running BB ??

As for the Pseudochromis, I had planned on the Red Sea variety, I am going to avoid the Strawberry Purple, I would love to find a Flavivertex...

I will have to look into the paracheilinus, cirrhilabrus, or halichoerus species and get more info...

I already have 6 anthias in QT and I am thinking about getting 4-6 more...
 
I agree that chromis in a large tank do give a "reef like" appearance. I was doubtful of the effect of 8 in my 600 but when they are left alone (ie not thinking im feeding them) they do school pretty well. I am actually thinking of adding a few more.

My christmas wrasses tho are getting quite aggressive. I have 4 and they will not allow other fish the chance to get food. They gorge themsleves and have completely decimated the small hermit population I added. They are pretty, but are glutons. They will soon be out and moved to the frag tank.

The yellow wrasses, (also halicoerus species) are far more placid. the two I have are inseparable, always following each other.

I would recommend the yellows over any wrasses.

------and while I think of it, Happy Christmas Shawn.
 
I am also going to be adding a school of Bangai Cardinals... 8-10 or so...

Chromis were on my list but I have seen some HUGH ones in some local club members tanks... Also heard they would kill of the weakest ones in the school...
 
You may be disappointed with the Bangais. I too thought of getting a school of them but they are very apt to hide and do not move around much. I think they are cool but for smaller tanks. In a 600g, you may never see them again.

My chromis have not grown much at all. I have had mine for months and they are still under 2". I too have seen larger ones but only to about 3 - 4" which is no big deal. They are very actice and I like that they eat from the surface keeping food from going down the overflow. Mine eat very agressively and will actually get inside my feeding bowl! Their agressiveness fits well with being in a tank with all the other much larger fish. There are threads dedicated to the whole chromis kill-off issue but I have not had that problem in my tank. Occassionally one might get cut off from the group but it doesn't seem to last long. They also show quite a bit of mating behavior and use a large clump of halameda as their fun palace. One will rub itself all in the halameda and then break another from the school to join it. They will also strike at any other fish that ventures near the macro.

I also have wrasses with no trouble. I have a mysteri, blue sided scott's fairy, and a golden rhomboid. They all seem to get along just fine and I have not caught them doing anything naughty yet. :) They make good use of the caves and in particular, the mysteri really gets around the reef. It is the smallest wrasse and definitely keeps itself in a defendable position "just in case". The rhomboid is known as a jumper but with the depth of my tank that is not a problem. I did lose one out of my QT.
 
Christmas wrasses are sooooo freakin' cool. I had a friend with one that had to give it up because it was picking on something else, I think the fairy wrasses.

I wouldnt bother with the bangii's either, like jnarowe said... they tend to hide alot, and they also like to nip at each other, and at sailfin tangs believe it or not!!! I had one rip the dorsal fin off of a yellow tang once.

The rainfordi's are nice, and if you get 6 or more, they will form a pack... a school of sorts, that rummages throughout the bottom like a schooling catfish group. A 6-line would have them for lunch though.... too similar to a wrasse to be left alone. FWIW, I would skip a wrasse for now all together. If you desire a 6-line type, also consider a 4-line wrasse then... a little less nasty with the shrimp and other wrasses... but still, I would add wrasses last, along with any other more agressive fish, as you want them to set up shop after everything else, or you will have a bully on your hands when you add other fish. That yellow coris wrasse, fairy wrasses, etc would be alright for now since they arent as nasty, but I can understand not wanting them right now.

As for the neons... dont bother in a tank that large... they will just become overflow fodder.

And pseudochromis? Are you nuts? Lol... just kidding, but like I said before, add them last if anything. For now you could get some less agressive basslets though... royal grammas and their type are not nasty like pseudos and dottybacks.

This would be a good time to add the chromis if ever, gobies as well. Perhaps a sand-sifter like an engineer or yellow-head, or even a plain yellow watchman. Dartfish would also do well now... firefish, bar, scissortail, etc. You could also add blennies now, but Im not a big blenny fan... they tend to nip my clams.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8825547#post8825547 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
This would be a good time to add the chromis if ever, gobies as well. Perhaps a sand-sifter like an engineer or yellow-head, or even a plain yellow watchman. Dartfish would also do well now... firefish, bar, scissortail, etc. You could also add blennies now, but Im not a big blenny fan... they tend to nip my clams.

Thanks for your post hahnmeister :)

I may think about adding some chromis again... I am running BB so I will need to watch it on anything that needs sand... I was thinking about a "sand box" but I am not sure where I could place it in my tank...
 
All this talk of stocking lists is getting me antsy :)

Just remember to share al of your experiences, good and bad, Shawn... I will be following not far after you in stocking our, smaller, tank :)

I am also jealous of Johnathan and his rhomboid wrasse.. that is the one fish that I really want to have once the new tank is setup and broken in (With plenty of micr fauna and live food sources).

Now I need to look into some cleanup crew.. what did you end up using Shawn (I am sure it is back in the thread somewhere.. but save me the digging :)).
 
I actually brought in a M/F pair of the Rhomboids but one did a "Fish Stick" while I was away on a fishing trip.
 
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