Bigger, showy fish for 75G?

[Sanveann]

We are currently planning our stocking list for our 75-gallon tank and could use a little help!

Tank is currently FOWLR, but we plan to add coral later (when we're reasonably sure we won't kill it!). Only resident right now is one juvenile ocellaris, along with various inverts. We want mostly smaller, peaceful fish (we're looking at a watchman goby, an anthias, a banggai cardinal and a fairy wrasse) and one larger "centerpiece" fish.

We were thinking about a foxface, but honestly, I"m a little concerned about having something venomous in the tank. We often have our hands in there for maintenance, and I don't want to have to wear gloves all the time, especially as reef gloves are rather $$$.

So, if we don't go with a foxface ... what are our other alternatives? I like the Kole tang, but my husband doesn't seem to care for those or for the bristletooth. I think he wants something a little more brightly colored.

Does anyone have any bright ideas? Fish that are reasonably easy for newbs and not going to put us in the poorhouse would be a plus!

 

[nanoreefer1000]

wrasse,school of anthias,or a dwarf angel(but they might pick at corals)

 

[Sanveann]

Not sure we have the room for a school of anthias, the wrasses that are reef-safe are all on the smaller side (and we do plan to add a fairy wrasse at some point), and while I LOVE dwarf angels, I've heard bad things about them with coral. I do love the angels, though ... wish we could get a coral beauty, for sure!

 

[Reefing Newbie]

Look into mimic tangs. They change coloration from juvinile to adult which I like. My personal favorite is the Chocolate Tang(Acanthurus pyroferus). As a juvinile it is pretty much a solid yellow. It will be more a light tan with bluish dorsal and anal fins. The pelvic and tail fins are yellow. Just serch for it on google.

 

[Sanveann]

Reefing Newbie (can you be a newbie with almost 1000 posts?!), I LOVE those! Off to do more reading -- thanks for the recommendation

 

[clowntriggerfis]

I would do some sort of leopards wrasse.

 

[SDguy]

Larger wrasse, like a flame wrasse?

 

[snorvich]

Reefing Newbie (can you be a newbie with almost 1000 posts?!), I LOVE those! Off to do more reading -- thanks for the recommendation

Well, he is 15 so figure it out for yourself.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

Reefing Newbie (can you be a newbie with almost 1000 posts?!), I LOVE those! Off to do more reading -- thanks for the recommendation

Ummm. Yes, yes I can lol! I am 16, Steve missed my birthday lol! I haven't had my tank set up officially yet. I got it off of craigslist, and to say the least it had problems. I would say, that at least 400 posts are asking for help and asking questions, maybe 200 tops are answering people's questions, and the rest are from my build thread, the lounge, etc. kinda off topic stuff I think. I will say this, my knowledge comes from here and mostly from snorvich. He may not know it but he is my mentor lol, I read his posts carefully everytime I see them.

 

[small alien]

Even though it would seem to make sense to map out your whole stock, I don't think you need to. I think you're over thinking. Start with a small, peaceful fish. Maybe a royal gramma or watchman goby. Then read, learn, add gradually. In general, you can remove a fish if you really need to. Go slow. Use a QT. Good luck.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

Even though it would seem to make sense to map out your whole stock, I don't think you need to. I think you're over thinking. Start with a small, peaceful fish. Maybe a royal gramma or watchman goby. Then read, learn, add gradually. In general, you can remove a fish if you really need to. Go slow. Use a QT. Good luck.

I personally like having a plan on my stocking. I simply looked at online vendor sites to find fish I like and narrow it down to what will fit in my tank and what fish are my favorite. Also, you may decide down the road that you want a fish that will get picked on if you have some more aggressive fish in the tank...

 

[clowntriggerfis]

I personally like having a plan on my stocking. I simply looked at online vendor sites to find fish I like and narrow it down to what will fit in my tank and what fish are my favorite. Also, you may decide down the road that you want a fish that will get picked on if you have some more aggressive fish in the tank...

I agree.

 

[Sanveann]

RN, it's greatly to your credit that I've read tons of your posts and had ZERO idea that you were young enough to be my kid!

Small Alien, I'm a planner. Serious, big-time planner. Not having a plan stresses me out Plus, we have small kids who could potentially be very distraught if anyone gets hurt or dies or goes missing, so I want to try to minimize any problems in advance.

 

[Sanveann]

Never mind, duplicate post

 

[Reefing Newbie]

RN, it's greatly to your credit that I've read tons of your posts and had ZERO idea that you were young enough to be my kid!

Thanks. Personally I had no idea I sounded that way lol! Good to hear that, hopefully I can continue this, I love helping people out. I absorb information that I actually can relate to really well. Biology being my best strengh academically definantly helps. Give me a book on reefkeeping and I will literally read that book overnight and retain most if not all of the information. Now when it comes to books asigned by me English teacher like "Lord of the Flies" or "Tom Sawyer", you will lose me. Oddly enough, it takes me longer to read the same amount of writing in a book like the ones stated than while reading something that I am truely interested in.

 

[small alien]

I personally like having a plan on my stocking. I simply looked at online vendor sites to find fish I like and narrow it down to what will fit in my tank and what fish are my favorite. Also, you may decide down the road that you want a fish that will get picked on if you have some more aggressive fish in the tank...

Fair enough. Its certainly an encouraged approach you're taking. For me, its enough to know I want a peaceful reef with smallish fish. Then I can add my absolute favs as I learn about/find them. I wouldn't have most of my coolest finds if id made a restrictive stock list right off. I didn't know enough about what I like or what is available.

Good luck!

 

[sjwitt]

I wouldn't worry too much about the Foxface being venomous. Rabbit fish are hardy and peaceful. They only raise the spines when they feel threatened and will actually become very tame and eat nori from your hand. I have a large 2-bar Rabbit who rushes to the top of the tank when I come near (I feel like "Evan Almighty" LOL) ... it eats from my hand and raises it's spines when the other fish come to eat ... as if to say, it's all mine so beat it. They won't come at you ... more likely will run from you and hide. Just my personal experience.

 

[rssjsb]

Sjwitt is right - they're not really aggressive. Mine comes out when I'm feeding, but hides when I put my hand in the tank. The scariest thing he does hide in the rocks, camoflage himself and then bolt to the surface out of nowhere when I get too close to his hiding spot. Never ceases to get my heart thumping.

They do get bigger than you might think though. I think a full-grown foxface will eventually be cramped in a 75.

The longer I do this the more inclined I am to stick to medium-to-small fish, even in my larger tanks. I would consider groups of fish like wrasses or anthias that are very colorful and will occupy the tank without being individually crowded. I think you would be very pleased.

Maybe you could do a dwarf angel or two if you want a "centerpiece" fish. They max out at about 4-6 inches but are bold and visible.

 

[A_Z]

if it were to be a FOWLR forever: certain Butterfly Fish are fabulous, also Dwarf Angels are also pretty gaudy.

small Tangs for reef safe, my favorite is the Kole Tang.

stock lists are great, it is fun when you see a new nice fish and research about them, best part and very fun!
something I find amusing when I used to do FW, I used to strive for diversity while the majority of peaceful community fish like to be kept in groups, and in SW I love the diversity and ironic enough I now hear about best SW schooling fish.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

^ Too bad there aren't any fish that we can keep that will actually school, or even shoal. I am going to attempt it with a few different fish when I get a much larger tank, most likely my dream tank lol.