Advice on Peppermint Hogfish or Yellow Candy Hogfish

[swany82]

Hey All, I am looking into adding a hogfish to my 55 gal reef tank. I currently have a blue-sided wrasse, bicolor blenny, male lyretail anthias, and coral beauty. Was wondering how either a peppermint hogfish or yellow candy hogfish would mesh in my mixed reef tank... Adult size, aggression, reef safe, hardiness? Any input is appreciated.

 

[albano]

They both can get large and aggressive... I've already removed a Pep. Hog that was in the tank for 3 yrs, and I will soon remove the candy hog...from a 450g DT .

 

[swany82]

Wow. Ok, so either one might be a bit much for my tank.... My other possible adds are a trio of blue reef chromis or a rosy butterflyfish. Either of those better?

 

[albano]

Personally, I have no interest in chromis...they usually pick each other off, till there's only 1 left. Not sure what a 'rosy' butterfly is, but in general butterflies are not easy to keep...why not some female anthias, and a flasher wrasse

 

[swany82]

A rosy or Longnose Atlantic butterflyfish (Prognathodes aculeatus) gets about 4-5in long and is considered one of the hardier butterflies and is somewhat reef safe but still a butterfly. I've tried several wrasses and I'm a bit hesitant to add another. I just lost a male exquisite wrasse because my blue-sided wrasse chased him into hiding constantly and he just declined over the past few months. 2 previous wrasses buried themselves in the sand and never came out either... Is a 55 large enough for 2 female and 1 male anthias?

 

[albano]

... Is a 55 large enough for 2 female and 1 male anthias?

Sure, if you only have a few other fish, it should be fine

 

[swany82]

Ok, I may try that then.

 

[Rutrag]

I've tried several wrasses and I'm a bit hesitant to add another. I just lost a male exquisite wrasse because my blue-sided wrasse chased him into hiding constantly and he just declined over the past few months. 2 previous wrasses buried themselves in the sand and never came out either.?

You might consider an acclimation box to add an additional wrasse. It gives the established fish some time to get used to the new guy while the new guy is himself protected from harassment. I also used one for a small foxface to keep my tomini tang at bay.

 

[swany82]

Thanks Rutrag. I have tried an acclimation box. The 2 wrasses that hid in the sand were a Timor wrasse and melenarus wrasse (both burrowers) and I read that an acclimation box with too shallow a sand bed in it can stress them out worse, which is what I observed so I let them out and both immediately burrowed and only emerged 2 weeks later looking thin and then burrowed again for a period of days, emerged momentarily, burrowed, then emerged just before they died.... My exquisite was ok for 6 months before the harassment by my blue-sided wrasse became too much and it continually went into hiding. I think he may have quite old too being a terminal phase male. Just looking to keep my wife off my back since she says, apparently wrasses are not working out, even though I know sometimes you can just have a bit of bad luck.