Fish shopping, looking for input for a 120g

[cody6766]

I'm looking to stock my 120g in a couple of months and am looking for recommendations.

So far, I have a black clown, a YWG, a purple striped dottyback, and a Kole tang. I will probably add a second clown at some point, but need to wait until the LFS gets a big group in so I can get an undifferentiated one.

My goal is to have an active tank, but one that features the corals more than the fish. I don't want 15 tangs cruising the tank, blocking the coral. I'd prefer a larger community of smaller fish, near the sizes of the ones I have now, that move active in and around the rocks without visually dominating the tank. I've considered a group of yellow-tail damsels, as I've never had any behavior issues with those in smaller tanks in the past. Some species of cardinal fish have also caught my eye. I also don't want anything particularly high maintenance. I go TDY often, leaving the tanks in my wife's hands...along with 3 birds and 2 toddlers. I'd like to keep it as simple as practical (1 feeding/day, no special requirements). I have a mixed reef and no shrimp. I'm hesitant to add wrasses since my former yellow coris wrasse cleaned out all of the worms, micro stars, and other small inverts in a 40br I set up. I'd like to keep those animals in the tanks as they seem to benefit the overall health of the system and add interest when looking closely.

Cost is also a bit of a factor, especially for a group of fish. I don't really have any desire to spend $100 on a fish that may end up as jerky on the carpet. I'm fine with the average price of smaller fish and $50-60 for some 'show piece' fish, but I won't be shopping for a candy basslet anytime soon. A school of 6 $60 anthias probably won't pass the sanity check either.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys recommend. Pics never hurt either, especially if they're of groups in your tanks.
Thanks!

 

[eatbreakfast]

A school of zebra bar gobies or blue gudgeon gobies for a group.

Solorensis and Lubbock fairy wrasses wont decimate the microfauna like a Halichoeres will.

Clown gobies, royal gramma, and firefish are interesting and inexpensive as well.

 

[thenewguy997]

Im a butterfly guy so i say 5 small butterflyfish species as your showpiece, no tangs, no big wrasses, just a huge active tank, if its fowlr tht is

Or if a reef, a white tail tang is beautiful

 

[MikeandNicole]

ORA gold assessor basslets are interesting and make good community fish. The gold assessors are the most reasonably priced. We have a group of 9 in our 205g.

I also like groups of barnacle blennies, a cleaner goby or two, and I do like firefish. You could also consider evanesti Anthias, we have a trio that are really active and lovely.

I also really like high fin gobies, bangaii cardinals, and lyrtail Anthias.

 

[cody6766]

Im a butterfly guy so i say 5 small butterflyfish species as your showpiece, no tangs, no big wrasses, just a huge active tank, if its fowlr tht is

Or if a reef, a white tail tang is beautiful

The tank is already a reef, with the focus on the reef. Fish are to serve as more of a supporting role, as they always did in my smaller tanks. A Kole tang and Foxface will most likely be the largest fish in the tank, and I'd probably skip the Foxface if it wasn't for this algae that I can't kick that they eat. I wish butterflies were reef safe, however. They're awesome fish.

The gold assessor basslet is a good looking fish, I'll read into it. I definitely planned to toss in a few small blennies and maybe another goby or jawfish, but I'll also need some movement in the water column. Anthias are great looking fish, but don't they need to be fed several times a day to best support them? Given my schedule, that's pretty much impossible. Once a day is about all I have time for, and when I'm TDY or deployed, my wife definitely doesn't have the time for multiple feedings. I think she'd start punching me in my sleep if I did something like that to her, haha.

 

[benjc]

I've got a 120 and I too prefer smaller fish. I got a real small pair of blue/green reef chromis that have been fine together for >1 year, a pair of fire fish, a pair of yellowtail damsels (great fish), bangaii cardinal, melanurus wrasse, diamond goby, mandarin goby, pair of clowns, longnose hawk, kole tang, yellow tang, and one-spot rabbit fish. Soon I'll be getting rid of the yellow tang and adding some anthias. One thing to keep in mind is if you add a second clownfish and they start to mate, they will get real territorial about the coral/rock/anemone they decide to host.

 

[MikeandNicole]

Some Anthias do ok with one feeding a day, I have a friend sho gets away with feeding his lyrtails 1x daily. If you can add an auto feeder with Cyclopes or small pellets, you should be ok even if she is busy.

If you like gobies, I also like wheelers- they are pretty in a very quiet way. A couple of cleaner gobies can be kept in a tank your size. I like pearly jawfish very much.

 

[JoelA7]

I'm very partial to PJ Cardinals. Royal Gramma. Blennies. Dart Fish.

 

[Whystler]

Lyretail anthias is something to consider. They are cheap, hardy, and pretty. They wont really school but a group of 3 would add color and they do like to swim amongst the rocks and corals. Those are the only anthias i would recommend to you for your requirements.

Get some small gobies like clown yellow and or green. The blue neon is nice but they only live 2 years tops. The yellow and green perch all around the colors and add some color.

banghai cardinals are always good looking in a reef tank.

With your current list and adding the second clownfish i would just add the 3 anthias, banghai cardinal, and perhaps a couple small gobies like clowns, a blenny of some sort and perhaps a firefish/dartfish of some sort.