fish selection on my tank

KafudaFish

KafudaFish

Cyprinius carpio
Team RC
Ok since many helped Mel choose fish for her 240, can you guys help me choose fish for my 95? I am open to anything since I am not going for a biotype tank. I have always liked gobies and blennies but I need other suggestions as well. The tank is in the living room and my wife wants to look at something that moves rather than just zoas. "They all look alike to me." she says. I would like a group of small schooling fish, one "show piece" such as a wrasse, and other. If you list a fish please explain why such as behavior, color, etc. I will add fish over time and will not add something that should not be there. I do have some standards. :p
Thanks
 
a school of green chromis (peacul schooling fish), a pair of clownfish (always out and normally peaceful - buy from fishboy), as for a wrasse, I love my Leopard Wrasse, and got very lucky in finding one who eats frozen food (as does my Mandarin). Hope I helped some
 
I have read and experianced problems with chromis. They seem to get along fine for a short while but then wind up killing each other off. Usually until there is a mated pair left. There is a thread about it over on the fish forum. I have put 5 in my 75 gallon and I have one remaining. The one that went in first did seem to pick on the others. I have always thought of them as being peaceful but according to that thread it seems they fight among themselves. I'll try to find it and link to it for ya.
 
Hmm, never heard that about them but you never know. Try and find the thread because I wanted to mix blue and green in my big tank. My greens have been in my 80 fovever with no problems. Are you sure yours killed each other or died from other circumstances?
 
I had thought of chromis as a possibility. I think the blues are attractive and I would probably go with a trio.
Clowns from Matt of course.
Why a leopard wrasse? Behavior?
 
I have had similar experiences with the green chromis as Patrick... They got along fine for about 2 weeks and then the big ones went on a killing spree... I went from 6 down to 2 in my 125... I still have the 2 and they're doing fine... But they are not at all the peacefull fish I thought they'd be... My big one still picks on the smaller and will even go after my pair of Clarkii... I saw that sale on SWF.com I had considered putting in an order... I'd wonder if the blue's are more peacefull than the greens??? Anyways, I love my Christmas Wrasse... Very active in my tank... I've heard other people had problems keeping them, but I haven't... Eats regularly and keeps my sixline in check...
 
the leopard wrasse gets around 6", but has a very small mouth. Mine is peaceful toward everyone and hangs out with the Rainfordi Goby and the Madarin alot. They feed on pods, and other small foods, like the Madarin. I wouldn't suggest ordeing one, as they ship badly, from what I have heard. I found mine in a LFS and made them feed it before I took it. Mine is very calm, and when I'm in the tank, I can even "pet" it. They are very curious and he freaks my wife out, when he comes up and touches her hand to check her out. Good luck.
 
For character, you can get a hawkfish of some sort. They tend to sit out in the open and "eye-ball" you when you are near. I liked my flame hawk quite a bit before he got a little too frisky and missed the jump from the tank to the external overflow box (I used to chase him out of there all the time).

Also, a jawfish would be cool if you had some substrate depth for them to dig in.

And for action around my tank, I really like my Kole tang -- he is always on the move.
 
I don't know about the blue chromis. But the greens like randy are not the peaceful fish I thought they would be. The one I have left did pick on the others quite a bit. But there true cause of death I cannot say. Remember they are related to the damsel. Same family. But I think it all can depend on the fish. I have a gold stripe maroon clown, which everyone says are very aggressive. Mine is a baby, very sweet. Go figure!!
 
Anthias, preferrably 2-3 F 1 M, challenge is getting them to start eating, benefit is colorful schooling addition. 2nd the hawkfish idea, I dont know of a bad side but they are personable for a good side. Dottybacks are neat to watch dart around the tank. Tough on pod populations so cross off if you want a mandrin any time soon. Powder blue tang for show fish.

my 2 cents
 
Anthias are good choices but like lots of swimming room and current. Hawkfish can be a bit rough on decorative shrimp if you're planning on keeping any of them. Clowns are puppy dogs of the sea and threaten nobody except the occasional hand that feeds them. Gobies are a good bet, but can be hard to find in a large tank. I like the fairy wrasses, good disposition but the really impressive ones are expensive. Have you considered basslets or hogfish; there are some awesome ones to be had?
 
Great choices everyone.
Anthias: I like them over the chromis
Hawkfish: have always liked being watched. No overflow box but back of hood is open.
Clowns: Yeah I don't care if Nemo has "ruined" this hobby. We go see Crush at EPCOT
I like the fish that you have to look closely to find such as the gobies but I only have #50 of sand in the tank so no sand gobies.
Don't really want a mandrin, not sure why just never thought they were that interesting so dottybacks might be a choice. Which?
Hogfish might be too large but basslets would be better.
My tank is shallow 18" but I have the rock work arranged in 3 main sections so there are spaces for fish to hide and swim around. Of couse I need more LR to hide a few things.
Tangs: Don't they suffer from hole in the head disease often?
 
A lot of anthias get to be more than 5" and you need atleast 3 (I have heard that you need like 7 because you will lose some in the beginning), so you should consider that when you look at which Anthias you want. Lately, I've heard Bartlett's (3") and Lyretails (5") are the most hearty.

For gobies I'd look at greenbanded ones, red headed ones, maybe a goby shrimp pair (tiger pistol shrimp are pretty visible and they pair with the bigger gobies). You need to be careful though with hawkfish if you get some small gobies because I have heard that hawkfish can be really aggressive to smaller fish.

Tangs are supposed to be very prone to getting things like ich and HLLE.

How long is your tank Mike? Tell us the dimensions. If you want a tang then the dimensions of the tank are important. Also, I would definitely stay away from any tangs that get big (which is alot of them).
 
Hawkfish: I have the pointed nose one. He's not as personable as my previous pixy. His hang out is the veggie clip which is 2" below the water line and my tank's an 8' open top. No carpet surfing yet. Knock on wood... I read somewhere that the pointed nose ones actually have a smaller mouth than some others. Not an issue for me.

Dottyback: I like the look of the neon dottyback, I think Art has one and can comment on it. I got 2 purple ones. Not supposed to, but my tank's big enough and it in a trade. They only come together during feeding time and they have no battle issues so far. Knock on wood...

Not all would agree with this philosophy but if you got a small tang and it grew to medium you would likely find it a home here in the club before it turned into a large tang. Some would say it's irresponsible to buy a fish you couldn't care for it's lifespan, but the recipient would appreciate a healthy fish with minimal transport issues and likely a good price. Just choose a common fish, not something like a sm panther grouper since we dont have many FOWLR members.
 
I just got some fairy wrasses(a lubbocks and a Scott's) and I was supposed to have a carpenters flasher wrasse. VERY colorful, but can't tell you about the personality yet. They are supposed to do well together.

Your wife would like their flashy colors. I do think you are supposed to add them at the same time though if you get more than one
 
Thanks for the continued comments. Again this is still in the planning stage and I will go slowly.
My tank is a 95 gal, 48 x 24 x 18 with a SSB. The tank will be zoa dominated with some LPS later on.
I have a 55 gal sump with Aqua C Urchin skimmer and cheato in the sump. I have space in the stand for a DSB if needed. Water movement 2 Rio 1500's. Some of my equipment was bought for the 55 as a display tank but decided I wanted a wider tank. I have around #90 LR in the display.
I know a picture would help but I have not downloaded my camera yet.
Since my tank is shallow I would be worried about the anthias having swimming room. I am on the fence for tangs. What about a small angel such as a lemonpeel?
 
Don, stop saying that!! Don't make me come get the tang police to come bash your head.

Not everyone needs a tang. They are not the end all be all of fish.

I am sorry Mike but I have no experience with angelfish...I'm all about having a tons of small fish. Heck...I'll probably continue to agonize for another 6 or 8 months about adding any fish to my tank. I always do.
 
lemonpeels are supposed to pick at clams and corals... I hear that the true lemonpeels are better than the false... The true have the blue around the eyes... I just got a Swallowtail Angel and they're supposed to feed from the water column as do all Genicanthus... My Kole Tang was rather p!ssed for about 10 minutes, but they've settled down... Art says his Flame angel doesn't bother anything... But I'd not chance it... But as soon as my 75 is cycled, a Flame angel is first on my list...
 
A sm blonde naso tang :lol: :hammer:
"not all" has identified herself.

I actually meant to edit it to say just "a fish" that grows large. ie the point to just pick one that is commonly sought after by reefers.
 
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