Final fish selection... help

[Whystler]

I currently run a 125g Mixed reef. Mostly softies. I was planning to make it sps dominated but i think i may go the softie route instead. Not sure there yet. Its 1.5 years old now. Guess i should decide soon huh?

Current fish list:
Powder brown tang
Two spot bristletooth tang
Blue jaw trigger
Spotbreast Angel
3x Lyretail anthias
yellow coris wrasse
McCosker wrasse
Carpenters wrasse
Yellow clown goby
Diamond watchmen goby
2x Banghai cardinals (mated pair)
2x Osc. Clownfish

Tank is a 125G display, 30G sump heavily skimmed with carbon and gfo reactor. 150lbs of live rocks and a 1.5 inch sand bed.

I thought i was done stocking but my tank seems to just be missing that one flashy fish. I was considering a Copper-band butterfly or maybe a pyramid but i think it may not be flashy enough.

I think part of my problem is both my tangs are very brown... I also considered adding a yellow tang but I have yellow fish already. I had a red sea sail-fin tang but he outgrew my tank. He was flashy enough.

Thoughts? suggestions?

 

[jschultzbass]

How about a purple tang? They are a little on the more expensive side but beautiful fish. A Hippo tang might also work but you are on the minimum tank size for on IMO. Otherwise you could try an angel like a flame, they usually stay away from soft corals IME.

 

[Triggerfish]

I thought i was done stocking but my tank seems to just be missing that one flashy fish.

im sorta confused at what you may be looking for compared to what you already have.

i guess i don't know what you're defining "flashy" as?

 

[Whystler]

im sorta confused at what you may be looking for compared to what you already have.

i guess i don't know what you're defining "flashy" as?

Yes, that would help. By flashy I mean more color. I currently don't feel like my tank has a lot of color swimming thru it. My current large fish dont have bright colors. browns and light blues. My smaller fish have the reds and yellows.

I hope that helps define "flashy" better.

I am very tempted to try out one of the butterfly fish to give me a dose of color that is not brown or light blue. After the Sail-fin tang i am very reluctant to put another tang in the tank and would prefer something a little more peaceful. My powder brown tang is a big pushover and not aggressive like most tangs anyways. My trigger just swims a lot and sticks to himself mostly. So the tank has almost no aggression and would love to keep it that way.

 

[Marshall O]

im sorta confused at what you may be looking for compared to what you already have.

i guess i don't know what you're defining "flashy" as?

Agreed. Although maybe a dwarf angel is what you are looking for, especially if you are just doing a softie tank. I wouldn't be looking to add another large fish either way...

 

[DDon]

Seems fairly heavily stocked now
Just curious do you have a sailfin tang also or did you try one and it not work out?
I agree with Marshall, a dwarf angel would look nice or maybe a nice fairy wrasse.

 

[Whystler]

Seems fairly heavily stocked now
Just curious do you have a sailfin tang also or did you try one and it not work out?
I agree with Marshall, a dwarf angel would look nice or maybe a nice fairy wrasse.

Had a sail-fin tang. I picked it up smaller than a quarter and it got about 7-8 inches and got aggressive and started swimming in laps. I assumed it outgrew the tank and found it a new home.

Would the dwarf angel get along with the spot-breast? I was thinking a bi-color or lemon-peel would look nice. maybe even a potters.

 

[Triggerfish]

By flashy I mean more color. I currently don't feel like my tank has a lot of color swimming thru it. My current large fish dont have bright colors.

so you're also looking for more or less a "show" fish as well. which possibly by definition would also be on the larger size. and the "flash"er wrasses aren't doing it for ya.

yoiu must have a male spotbreast as the females appear to have more yellow color.
yeah,your tangs are more of the dull variety.

pygmy angels are big hit or miss in reefs. so if added be prepared to have some damage.

if you're up to trading in a tang you could certainly add in a yellow. i know you said you already have yellow fish but a yellow coris and clown would hardly classify as a show type fish.
another option would be a long nose BF. had one briefly in my reef
and ingnored all corals.

 

[nicdu]

What about a regal angel if you think your bioload could handle a fish like that? Or one of the other smaller large angels?

 

[Whystler]

Very nice suggestions. The regal angel is awesome looking and more than flashy enough. The price tag though. If i am going to try a more difficult species i would go with a Copper-band Butterfly. The yellow long nose seems like it would be a good mix both visually appealing and the shape of the fish would compliment my tank.

After much debate inside my head. I have decided my issue is lack of corals AND the drabby brown two spot bristle-tooth(he literally has no other color to him.)! Perhaps with a few corals will spice up the tank. I placed an online order for some corals and plan to attend the upcoming event in Columbia, SC where perhaps I can snag a couple frags. I will start to look for a new home for the Tang and perhaps replace him with either a Yellow long nose or Copper-band Butterfly(depending on who looks healthier at the LFS.) ALso reserving the possibility for a dwarf angel since my wife likes them. Just hesitant because of the corals but i do feed my tank heavily(anthias 3x daily)

Thank you for all your help.

 

[DDon]

Just FYI, the copper band isn't entirely safe with corals either. I was watching one at a LFS last weekend go to town on an acan frag.

 

[Dmorty217]

Just FYI, the copper band isn't entirely safe with corals either. I was watching one at a LFS last weekend go to town on an acan frag.

+1 and they are difficult to get feeding on prepared foods. Dwarf angels aren't any better for the most part, and if a occasional nip at a coral isn't acceptable don't get one.

 

[Triggerfish]

I may try another LN BF as im looking for something similar along the lines of yourself.
if you see one make sure of 3 things.
its eating obviously
its not paper thin
fins are clear and not damaged.