Aggressive 210g help

[Phishguy]

Hey all! I've been reefing for about 9 years now and I've been gathering equipment for my 210 upgrade. I recently started thinking about a different route for the 210 and maybe going fish only with minimal live rock. I thought it'd be awesome I get a shark or stingrays but I've been convinced that my tank is still too small for them. So I started thinking about other aggressive inhabitants. Problem is, I don't know where to start for compatabilities and tank. Requirements and overall advice. The majority of forums seem to be reef type which don't go very deep into aggressive fish only. I want it to be a very unique and active tank. I am thinking about lionfish, eels, minatus grouper etc. I don't really know what is compatible with what but I want to educate myself in this direction. Thanks for the feedback

 

[pieceman]

There are a lot of experienced guys here who can help you.
The best thing is to write down your wish list and we can share our thoughts with you.

 

[viggen]

If you want a active tank I wouldn't go with any of the fish you listed.... the lionfish, eels & groupers do not swim all the time. They are ambush predators thus they just lay down and wait. As cool as they are.... they get boring really quick, at least they did to me. Another issue with groupers is they have a big mouth, anything that is close to fitting in it will be food & since their mouth opens up larger then their body their meals can get expensive. The panther grouper has a small mouth, looks so cool when small but butt ugly when large.

If you want active I would go the trigger, angel, tang route. You could also add a puffer due to their awesome personality.

Depending on how aggressive you go that will determine what fish you can put in there.

I prefer a semi aggressive tank so non of the big mean predators & also no whimpy fish

Semi aggressive triggers -Hawian/Black Durgeon, BlueJaw, Sargassum, PinkTail, Niger & a few others

LG Angels - Passer, Emperor, Queen,
SM Angels - flame

Tangs - powder blue/brown, achilles, naso, purple/yellow, sohal/clown & numerous other tangs....

You can also do clownfish, I have a pair of maroon clowns for my FOWLR

 

[Phishguy]

Thanks for the feed back. I'd love to have a wish list but really haven't gotten that far yet. I have a firm grasp and understanding of peaceful reef fish, but I'd like to try something new. I just haven't been able to find a good source of info for learning about the aggressive side.
Thanks for pointing out the inactivity of the fish I mentioned. I'm not sure that their activity is the most important thing. I'm looking for some very cool looking and unique fish. What about eels? What about mixing in some more active fish with the ones I mentioned? Where or what is a good resource for learning more about these types of fish?

 

[randomfishguy85]

your best bet would be to pick one fish you really want and then build your stocklist around that fish

 

[namxas]

If you're looking for "cool and unique"...

We LOVE cool and "unique"....

 

[Phishguy]

If you're looking for "cool and unique"...

We LOVE cool and "unique"....

YES!!!! I want inhabitants that when people see them, they don't reference finding nemo characters.. Things that aren't normally seen. Are those anglers along with the lion fish? Those may get lost in a 210 wouldn't they? What should I know about keeping predators vs reef? Thanks for the suggestion by the way. Seems like a great resource.

 

[namxas]

That's a Rhinopias frondosa in pic with the volitans. They can be a little pricey, but sometimes you can find good deals on them.

That particular specimen took my breath away when I found it:

You'll also find R. eschmeyeri being offered for sale: