I'd Like Help Choosing Fish

[Hitch08]

I'd really appreciate help with choosing fish for my 120g tank. I've spent hours reading thread in the New to the Hobby forum, but it's mainly people asking about adding fish and not the place to ask for suggestions.

Here's what I have:
120g tank with corner flow
30" LifeReef skimmer
Two reactors (one with Carbon and one with GFO)
Radion XR30W Pro LED's
40g sump with small refugium.
Probably 160 - 170 pounds of live rock (90 pounds from Tampa Bay Salt and the rest a mix from Bulk Reef)
Clean up crew, including snails, hermits, peppermint shrimp, brittle star, one cucumber (the second one hasn't been seen for over a week), porcelain crabs, two urchins, etc.
1 flower anenome

I'll probably do soft corals and LPS, at most. If I ever do SPS, it'll be a long time from now. Aside from having a new tank, I have a lot to learn.

My wife and kids have requested Nemo and Dori. That aside, I would like to get a clownfish or two. I'd also like to get a tang at some point. It would need to be something that works in a 120g, obviously. I like the Kole's, Tomini and Brown Tangs (not that I'd get all three).

When I had a tank years ago, I had a flame angel and a coral beauty. I liked them, but it looks like they might not be good long term for me.

If you were me, what would you get? Many thanks!

 

[solaris11]

A fox face, yellow and purple tangs, few chromis, goby shrimp pair, mandarin (wait until pods populate) ....just a couple I'd get

 

[Fishkeeper44]

A "dori" is a tang. If you wanted to do additional tangs of that body shape I would I add them simultaneously. You will notice tangs like yellows, purples, bristletooth, and tomini tangs have the same body shape as eachother so if adding multiple of those you would also have to do the same. But if you were to add a dori (blue hippo or regal tang) and a yellow or something like that you would not have to add simultaneously because they do not have the same body shape but koles or tominis would be fine in your tank as long as added at the same time. Two clownfish is my preference although you also have to add those simultaneously as themore dominant one will turn female and the other stays male. Two females and one will end dead. You could do a flasher, hoevens, or leopard wrasse although leopards are a little harder. I love red spot or starry blennies. Clown gobies are neat. Goby/pistol shrimp pair are cool. I could go on but these are good fish. Also, I know a lot of LFS say that you should start out with a damsel but do NOT because even though they are hardy they get mean and dull out as in color. Clownfish and chromis are in the damsel family but are very docile in most cases. As for the brown tang I'm assuming you are talking about the powder brown? Anyways I have heard that the powder blue, a very close species to the powder brown is very aggressive once established. I don't know about the powder brown but I would do some research on them first and see. Anyways, good luck!!

 

[Sapelo]

A "Dori," aka Blue Tang, needs a bigger tank than what you can provide.

 

[Hitch08]

Yes, I think a Dori/Blue Hippo is not in the cards.

LOL. I had a damsel in my old tank. As you said, the LFS suggested it. A while later, it was mean and ugly. I tried to bring it back. They had a trade in program, but initially refused to take it back even for no credit. I asked him to just give it to somebody.

And, yes, I was thinking of the powder brown. I checked the RC recommendations for a four foot tank. I'll need to research that one some more.

Please keep the suggestions coming!

 

[Deinonych]

Fairy and flasher wrasses are active, peaceful fish (most species). Genicanthus sp. angelfish are reef compatible. Basslets, firefish, blennies and gobies are all easy to keep and peaceful. If you add a tang, add it last as they can be pretty aggressive to new additions. I personally would stay away from Acanthurus sp. tangs in a tank that size, and stick with a Zebrasoma sp. or Ctenochaetus sp. tang -- my opinion.

 

[ginpang]

I'd Like Help Choosing Fish

I always pick the smallest possible specimen I come across they usually acclimate better....So if I'm looking for a particular fish around town and don't find what I'm looking for but come across a juvenile fish that I know will grow out the aquarium in a few years and know either someone I can trade it too or give it too, I've done that... I don't particularly like yellow tangs because they're really rowdy, but once my lfs had ordered 25 and along was a hitchhiker... Was so small ( around size of a dime) they had put it in a tank with seahorses wasn't even yellow yet ! I couldn't resist . Kept 2 1/2 years and trade it to a friend for mushrooms.
To see a point in this story ....lol.... I agree with others that a 120 is too small for a hippo tang for it's entire life but if you stumble across one that's an inch and a half could make your kids happy as long as you have a plan for it when it gets too big . If there's a city or state aquarium they don't usually turn away nice healthy specimens if you want to donate it. Sometimes kids votes are important[emoji4]

Though a juvenile mimic tang has my heart [emoji172] Color transitions are really cool to watch

 

[Sir JRAD]

You can never go wrong with a couple Ocellaris!

 

[Temeraire]

Firefish are cool looking, not very expensive, and generally group together so they always look good in reef tanks. Yellow tangs are good, but I wouldn't do more than one with your sized tank. Maybe some flasher wrasse if you have a lid, as they tend to be jumpers. Rabbit fish are always good and some of my personal favourites. Good Luck!

 

[3dees]

I wonder how many tanks were ruined by sick fish (hippo tangs) because of the movie Finding Nemo.

 

[golferbud101691]

Yes, I think a Dori/Blue Hippo is not in the cards.

LOL. I had a damsel in my old tank. As you said, the LFS suggested it. A while later, it was mean and ugly. I tried to bring it back. They had a trade in program, but initially refused to take it back even for no credit. I asked him to just give it to somebody.

And, yes, I was thinking of the powder brown. I checked the RC recommendations for a four foot tank. I'll need to research that one some more.

Please keep the suggestions coming!

There is one set of damsels I have had very good success with. The azure damsel is one of the most docile in the reef. I have had chromis before and they would fight to the death until one was left. It seems a common problem. I would quarantine all fish that come into your system whatever they may be. Since you will be mostly into fish right now rather than corals, pick fish of all different colors. Have fun with it. Good luck!

 

[ginpang]

I wonder how many tanks were ruined by sick fish (hippo tangs) because of the movie Finding Nemo.

+1
Far too many