Fish ideas for a 150 Gallon Frag Tank???

[nuxx]

Hey guys,

I'm kind of not going to be so paranoid about ich and have decided instead of keeping all coral and inverts fishless for 72 days in our frag tank, I'm going to turn the tank into more of a real tank.

Build thread:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2472158

Meaning I'll be adding rock and fish. Clock will be 30-40 days after the last wet item is added until anything can hit the display.

Fish will act as not only coral nutrient providers, but also tank janitors and canaries to catch tank killers like velvet. Trying to keep acros for 72+ days just ended up in a bunch of brown sticks. Takes a month or so to color up again in the display.

The one fish I really want to add is a juvenile Sohal Tang, just since I'm too scared to add one to our display and love the fish.

Apart from that, I'm open. The tank will not have a top at this level of planning.

I know a wrasse or two should be in there for pests... but they're jumpers.

Any ideas?

Thanks! :beer:

 

[scooter31707]

IMO, I would say no to the Sohal Tang, IMO, they need 300+ gallons with their aggression. I honestly think all fish are jumpers. About any reef-safe Wrasse will go.

 

[Dmorty217]

Go with the Sohal and have it be the only fish in the tank.

 

[toothybugs]

Stick a 6-line in there with it. I don't think you would need a top so much as a fence, which with a little creativity in the planning can stay in place while you work. For example the 3x7 netting from BRS could easily become a 14'x 18" H fence to make a highly significant obstacle. And then your top stays completely open.

 

[nuxx]

Thanks guys

The Sohal and a Sixline sounds like a good idea. They are both aggressive and might add a little stress to the tank causing some diseases to be seen faster.

Typically how high would a fish jump?

 

[Dmorty217]

Thanks guys

The Sohal and a Sixline sounds like a good idea. They are both aggressive and might add a little stress to the tank causing some diseases to be seen faster.

Typically how high would a fish jump?

Hard to tell. I have had fish jump out of my 210g sump when it was setup about 3/4 of the way full and it has euro bracing... The fish still made it out on the tile floor

 

[ThRoewer]

All Acanthurus tangs need a lot of swimming space that will be hard to provide in a 150.
And a shallow frag tank may be even more stressful for a big fish that normally prefers open spaces.
I would skip on the tang and rather go for little fish that are known to go after coral pests: wrasses, dragon face pipefish, dottybacks, gobies, ... copperband butterfly - every fish that constantly scans rocks or corals for pods, worms and other possibly harmful critters.
For algae control blennies, snails and hermits are more efficient, especially if you are as lucky as me and find a blenny that loves cyanobacteria.

 

[nuxx]

So this happened...

Our Yellow Bellied Blue Tang is now the first resident in the frag tank... he had become an extreme terror the last two weeks.

Our Crosshatch Pair and super male Flame Wrasse hadn't come on in almost a week and stopped eating.

Pulled him after hours and guess what...

This morning everyone's out and eating...

Not sure if I'm going to rehome him, or leave him in there...

 

[scooter31707]

Well you probably will still have the same problem in there. He will get established and will not accept newcomers.

 

[nuxx]

Well you probably will still have the same problem in there. He will get established and will not accept newcomers.

Yeah he sucks...