another stocking help thread

[cyclops23]

i'm setting up a 125g, and after all this time researching fish, i still don't have a clue on what will work for me.
here's a list of the fish i like:
whitecheek tang
zebra moray eel
niger trigger
picasso trigger
striped dogface
foxface
lionfish
annularis angel
flame angel

here's my problem, i can't decide whether i want to keep inverts or not. i really like the zebra moray, but i can't keep snails with it. how much harder is tank maintenance without snails?

i also would like to keep some ocellaris clowns, very personable fish. so there goes the lionfish. i might swap the ocellaris out for a maroon. i don't know what i want to do!
i really like the picasso, but i don't want to have to worry about it "turning" on me. and i'm worried about how he'd get along with the other fish.
would i be better off getting a large angel and smaller fish. i'm trying to get it as colorful as possible, but i'd like a couple "show" fish.

any experience on any of these fish that you would like to share would be great. it would help me put together a stocking list.

i wouldn't mind another tomini tang, or a chevron. the only thing holding me back is i had a tomini before, great looking fish, WAY too shy. i never saw him when i was in a 20" radius of the tank.

 

[cyclops23]

BTW, any suggestions on different fish are welcome. if your favorite fish isn't listed above, tell me about it anyway!

and here's some more specs on the tank:
55g sump with @ 20g in it
prizm protein skimmer(not worth much i know, but a friend gave it to me, so i gotta use it)
soon to add an Octopus Xtreme 160 w/meshwheel skimmer, this bad boy will be doing the real work
100lbs. live sand
205lbs. live rock
i'll have some LR rubble in a wet/dry section of the sump.

 

[cyclops23]

alright, forget the picasso, lion, and whitecheek. i don't want to take my chances with these guys.

LisaD, if you read this, do you still have a zebra eel? that's the only one i won't give up, i will have one in the future. how big around do they get? i was thinking of putting a haphazard PVC framework together to go under the rock to give it a place to hide, with the ends sticking out of the rock at various points. would a 3" ID be big enough? how is it with inverts (snails, shrimp). i'm guessing it would eat them, but i wanted to hear if you had any luck keeping them together. i would like to hear how you personnally take care of it, if you don't mind thanks!

 

[justlopin]

I have a EEL and he has not touched my inverts or my snails....I also have a dog face and I love him!!!! he is a pet he eats out my hand and even lets me pet him!

 

[bsagecko]

Keep the eel they are awesome.
I think hte zebra eel is like one of the least agressive eel, but i have never had one

If you want the eel i would just try it out with the inverts and keep him well fed.

You might want to try a large angel if you want?

But if you only have 125g i would try to do the eel and maybe some medium size fish, that way the eel can be your show with some back up singers if you get my drift.

 

[justlopin]

a snowflake is the least agressive and smallest eel

 

[cyclops23]

i like the zebra better. i would like 1 more larger fish. i really like the annularis. but i may go with pygmy angels and a foxface.
that's another question, how much of a problem would i have if i put a bicolor and flame angel into a 125g (at the same time, of course).