Is this too many fish???

Pico Keeper

Premium Member
I've been putting alot of thought into my stocking list for my 125 gallon long tank! It will be a mixed reef and have a 55 gallon refugium, and 25 gallon sump, making the total volume of the system approximately 195 gallons!

Here's the stocking list, it's pretty big! Of course they will be added slowly over a long period, but I do want ALL of these fish. I may have to reorder a 180 if this is too many fish. Please review the list and let me know what you think.



Blue Tang
Yellow Tang
Tomini Tang
Blue Dot Jawfish
Mandarin Goby
Yellow Clown Goby
Citron Green Clown Goby
2 x Neon Gobies
Mysteri Wrasse
Either a red sea regal angel or a pair of wantanabe angels
2x False Percs
4x Blue Green Chromis
2x Firefish

Also
2x cleaner shrimp
3x sexy shrimp
1 maxima
1 crocea
1 derasa
1 squamosa
 
Are you also going to keep corals? If yes, I would think about going with a 220. Especially with 3 tangs.
 
I would re-order a 180 instead of the 125 if you DEFINITELY want all of those fish you described!

If you don't have the 125 yet, I think you'd be better off with the larger tank!
 
I'm going to have to figure out a way to get more volume with the same length tank. I will probably go with a custom tank then.

I might spring for what I really wanted which is a 280g 72*30*30 Trimless, braceless, starfire with black silicone.. Drilled bottom panel for closed loop, false wall style overflow to hide wavebox & extention. I really liked the idea of saving $3000 and going with a aga tank and stand, but I guess with something if this importance you might as well go all out!!!
 
A 180gal is 72 x 24 x 24...you'd achieve more water volume with the same six foot length..

but heck...if you can afford it, definitely go for the 280 instead of the 180!
 
if you can do it right the first time. I bought a 90 gallon thinking it was big enough, then 7 months later the 220 was put up. Go all out if possible.
 
You might have a couple compatibility problems and a couple too many.

I would recommend :

no Tomini Tang (due tank size <180g)
no Mandarin (feeding, they like alot of pods, will you have a refug?)
Only 1ea Neo Gobie (due to compatibility, if any)
Only 1ea Firefish (only 1 due to compatibility, 2 would fight to death)
Chromis (you might to increase the purchase to 5-6, 1 or 2 may die off or jump, and you probably want a school of 5).
Angel??? will you have corals? Maybe a Flame or Coral Beauty but only 1.

=== keep a cover, the Chromis and Firefish love to jump===

Best
Doug
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8253689#post8253689 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reef_doug
You might have a couple compatibility problems and a couple too many.

I would recommend :

no Tomini Tang (due tank size <180g)
no Mandarin (feeding, they like alot of pods, will you have a refug?)
Only 1ea Neo Gobie (due to compatibility, if any)
Only 1ea Firefish (only 1 due to compatibility, 2 would fight to death)
Chromis (you might to increase the purchase to 5-6, 1 or 2 may die off or jump, and you probably want a school of 5).
Angel??? will you have corals? Maybe a Flame or Coral Beauty but only 1.

=== keep a cover, the Chromis and Firefish love to jump===

Best
Doug

If you would have read he said he was going to have a fuge, and why only one dwarf angel I have two and they get along great in a 90 at that, and with the firefish I have always seen them in groups and I have 3 that are not aggresive aginst each other and I have never my firefish and chromis have never jumped and I dont have a cover on my tank.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8254043#post8254043 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by usmcsgt
If you would have read he said he was going to have a fuge, and why only one dwarf angel I have two and they get along great in a 90 at that, and with the firefish I have always seen them in groups and I have 3 that are not aggresive aginst each other and I have never my firefish and chromis have never jumped and I dont have a cover on my tank.

while I agree that the mandarin and the multiple dwarf angel should be fine, I will say that I've had a firefish AND a purple pseudo take the carpet plunge.

A LOT more important as far as the lid goes is the blue spot jawfish. These are known VERY COMMONLY to go carpet surfing and I highly recommend some sort of cover (be it eggcrate or some sort of acrylic cover).
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8253689#post8253689 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reef_doug
You might have a couple compatibility problems and a couple too many.

I would recommend :

no Tomini Tang (due tank size <180g)
no Mandarin (feeding, they like alot of pods, will you have a refug?)
Only 1ea Neo Gobie (due to compatibility, if any)
Only 1ea Firefish (only 1 due to compatibility, 2 would fight to death)
Chromis (you might to increase the purchase to 5-6, 1 or 2 may die off or jump, and you probably want a school of 5).
Angel??? will you have corals? Maybe a Flame or Coral Beauty but only 1.

=== keep a cover, the Chromis and Firefish love to jump===

Best
Doug

Nothing against ya Doug but... Your recommendations are pretty off.

Tomini is one of the smallest tangs and IMO can be kept in any 4' tank.
A 125G w/o a fuge is way more than sufficient for a Mandarin given that there's at least 1lbs of LR/G.
125G is BIG enough for multiple neon gobies
125G is BIG enough for a trio of Firefish
125G is BIG enough for multiple angels
 
People people, stop arguing and pay attention to what Pico was wanting... He doesn't want dwarf angels so why argue about whether they're suitable or not... You need to pay attention to what he wants in his tank and not what you want him to have in his tank...

He wanted a pair of Watanabei's... They are gorgeous reef safe angels of the Genicanthus variety... And woould be my pick... Regal Angels - Pygoplites diacanthus are large angels, which do require a larger tank, and aren't really reef safe...

Pico I would reitterate that if you're wanting all those fish, keep as large a tank as possible... Or you could do like I did and just keep as many tanks as possible... lol I only have 6 right now...

Oh, and on a side note people are starting to have success keeping mandarins feeding them Arctic Pods from Reed Mariculture...
 
The regal angel is one of the smallest "large" angels, so a 125 would be fine. They are known to eat zoa's and fleshy LPS, so plan accordingly.

If you skip the chromis (they won't school eventually) I think you could get away with the rest of those fish in a 125. Clown gobies, neon gobies, firefish, mandarin are all really small. Many people have mandarins that eat frozen/prepared foods.

Before you jump to the larger tank, make sure you can afford the initial cost increase (larger pumps, etc). Make sure you can support the weight (almost twice as heavy). And make sure you can afford the monthly cost (electricity for larger pumps, etc.).

hth
 
yeah most all of those fish you listed are realy small. and neon gobies are compatable. they wont fight, they tend to like groups. The mandarin would be more than fine. even w/o a fuge.
 
Yeah.. I was pretty sure about all the small fish being ok. I have the firefish, blue dot, a pearly jaw, chromis, percs, neon gobies...all in groups. All loving each other.

My blue dot and pearly jumped ship like 5 times the first week I got them. But they never jumped again once they made their burrows. I've been topless with them for over 4 months, and no attempts to jump yet.

I'm more interested in a centerpeice fish. That's why I wanted the Regal Angel. They are risky though, I don't mind trying out a few to see if I can get a good one that sticks to the food I give him. But the wantanabe pair would be safer.

I might go with a 72*30*24. I figure if I go with the 24" tall tank I can use T5 lighting to save money on electricity. My tank will be based on high efficiency, cool running temps, very quiet, low maintenance, simple maintenance.

I want to make water changes as easy as possible, ATO as simple as possible, ph/alk/calc as easy and painless as possible.
 
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