Fish Mix...Advice Needed

[FishDad2]

Thank you.

Unfortunately, I can't watch YouTube at the office...I'll get the big red stop sign...will have to watch at home.

 

[humaguy]

huge thumbs up to the Navarchus...my fav. angel....I feel as if is totally overlooked and under-rated...Emps, Queens, Blues, Passers are so much more popular...there are babies all over right now...1.5 inches and they are a stunning baby angelfish- with the light blue and dark blue stripes.... I think it is the best looking baby Pomacanthus...they also tend to change their colors very quickly...I had one go adult coloration under 3 inches...but have seen 2.50 inch specimins with adult coloration while diving...they are the "smallest of the large angels" and this can also be quite beneficial when considering how many fish to put in a tank...mine have also been very friendly and curious...will eat from my hand and shadow my arm when I am in there cleaning...

 

[FishDad2]

I'm still pondering the big angel but am concerned about what happens if/when it grows up.

 

[PatrickB101]

dwarf angels will really dig the current landscaping the will weave in and out of the holes.

 

[mattsilvester]

Given the feedback I've received here and in my discussions with local hobbyists, here's where I am now.

Large Angel (0 or 1) - If I do get a large angel it's likely to be a Blue Girdled Angel as this one is a bit smaller and less aggressive than the others. However, regardless of which species I select, it's clear that if the fish grows to full size or near full size my tank will likely be too small to accommodate it properly. As has been pointed out, if/when that does happen I could always restructure the aquascaping and remove some other fish to accommodate it better or remove the large angel itself but I'm not excited about either prospect. Most likely is that I will pass on getting a large angel.

Dwarf Angel (2 or 3) - I should be able to fit 2 in a tank this size and with this much rock...perhaps 3. Beyond that though I'm moving into the high risk territory, so 2 or 3 is the likely number.
Flame Angelfish
Coral Beauty Angelfish
Flameback Angelfish

Butterflyfish (3 or 4) - With the large Angel likely removed form the picture, this opens the door for 3 or 4 Butterflies to peacefully coexist. As you'll see below, I've changed the list a bit and gone with ones known to be generally more peaceful.
Copperband Butterflyfish
Latticed Butterflyfish
Auriga Butterflyfish
Heniochus Butterflyfish

Tangs (1) - I'd forgotten what a pain the Powder Blues can be, particularly given that I have a Yellow already in there. So, I think I'll limit myself to just the Yellow. If/when it meets its end I may go with a PB to replace it...but hopefully that's not for may years.
Yellow Tang

Anthias (2) - I already have female and male (actually, a female that's morphing...pretty cool) and perhaps I'll just stick with these and not pump the fish count up unnecessarily. So, 2 Anthias...the ones I already own.
Lyretail Anthias (female)
Lyretail Anthias (male)

Wrasses (3) - The Tusk is off the list for all the reasons given in the thread. I have a Six-Line and may add the others for a total of 3. None are large and the Six-Line I have is the most aggressive of the bunch...and not particularly problematic.
Six-Line Wrasse
Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse
Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse

Royal Gramma & Banggai Cardinalfish (1 each) - Since I already own these, they're small, non-aggressive and it would break my daughter's heart if I got rid of them, they stay...1 of each.

Clownfish (1) - I've decided that this is my opportunity to replace the Tomato with an Ocellaris so I'm taking that opportunity.

Foxface (0) - Was never a priority for me so I've decided to eliminate.

Gobies (0 to 2) - Also not a priority but they're small, non-problematic and hardly even count against the bioload. They're on the list for now but I may or may not pull the trigger.
Citrinis Clown Goby
Green Clown Goby

I'm getting the impression that you are seeking a "peaceful" set up, and that you are general risk averse - in which case I would reiterate a previous point and recommend that you only go for a single dwarf angel. In this hobby (as you probably well know) there are things that we "can do" and things that we "should do" and the line of seperation between the two is blurred at best. Speaking from my own experience, I have found osme dwarf angels to be beligerent little creatures - pound for pound, much more aggressive that their larger cousins, and to that end unless you are talking pairs of a single species then I would stick with one.

If you are not too bothered about the large angel, then ommission is better than inclusion for the sake of inclusion. To paraphrase another member, choose only the fish that excite you, not those which are held in high regard by others..... myself, personally, I would rather a navarchus than all the butterflies you have listed and your tank is a good size even for an adult navarchus. There is an alternative theory regarding minimum tank sizes, which I am beggining to subscribe. See here:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1920357

I would not advocate this methodology for everone, it should be avoided by begginers, and if applied (in my opinion) it should be done so on the basis of overall low stocking ratios - but by this measure your tank is big enough for the navarchus, and generally they are not an aggressive species. So my advise would be that if you like them, get one - but if your on the fence then reserve the stocking space for something else!

If you are going to go ahead an omit the navarchus, allowing more stocking space for others - then I would suggest the addis (semilarvatus) butterfly - they are one of my favourites, and a great fish by all accounts.

Generally - if a "peaceful" tank is your ambitions, may I suggest a "butterfly" tank..... i.e. forsake all for the greater goal of hving the maximum number of butterflies. Butterflies are really nice, really active, and great show fish - it would not necessarily be my choice, but I am inferring from your post that this might be something you'd like

 

[mattsilvester]

180g from one of the pros(campbell) from the board... check out the fish list..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO3aLyHuGng

i wouldnt be so hesitant about adding 1 large angel.. the rest of your livestock is of the smaller type too.

FYI - I believe Chris has now upgraded to a 600 gal tank. Which was always his intention in putting several angels in his 6' tank. Many of us live in a dream world where we will simply upgrade to a bigger tank when our charges outgrow their current accomodation - but in the real world most of us lack the funds, time, or space to do so.

Chris is one of the few examples that had a detailed plan and actually followed through on it.

Notwithstanding the above, I see no issue with a navarchus in a 6' tank.

 

[FishDad2]

Yes, I am looking for some degree of harmony among tank mates. The key thing for me is that in a tank this size I want to avoid creating issues that will necessitate the removal of a fish since it will be a HUGE pain in the backside to do so. Catching a fish in my old 75 gallon with just a few pieces of rock in it was enough of a challenge...in the 225 gallon with all that rock the simple fact is that I'll never catch anything without first removing most of the rock.

As for the navarchus, its inclusion in my original list is out of desire not just including it for the sake of it...I'd very much like to raise one. However, at the same time I'm trying to be responsible and not get a fish that will outgrow the tank or wreak havoc with its tank mates. I'm trying to think not only about how the fish will interact in the early days/month but also about how things will be down the road, once everything is grown.

I hear you about the dwarf angels...their reputation proceeds them. At the same time though, I had a Vroliki years ago that was no problem at all. It played nice with the other fish in my 75 gallon tank. Of course, I only had the lone dwarf...I didn't try to mix several together in that relatively small tank. Perhaps I developed a false sense of security from this lone experience with the Vroliki.

As for an all butterfly tank, that could be nice but it's not really what I want to do. I want a mix of different fish. The semilarvatus is a beautiful fish but oh lord it ain't cheap!!

I will continue to ponder, plan and listen to advice.

It's not like I'm in a rush...I've not yet sold the corals in my tank so I have plenty of time to ponder.