Looking 4 large center piece fish

[edwar050]

Title says it all
Ideas include bluethroat trigger and harlequin tusk for my 120 gallon

The inhabitants include medium sized valentini puffer, purple firefish, chromis, pair of percula clowns, and mandarin dragonet. I am low on motile inverts but am concerned about aggressiveness with the trigger or the tusk. Was thinking about tangs for a while as well but am concerned with ick. Other ideas include coral beauty and flame angel but they can be hit or miss I suppose. Which would be the least risk, the dwarf angel or the trigger/tusk? Thanks in advance,

Brad

 

[Torno]

Im pretty sure bluethroat triggers are one of the least aggressive triggers, and can be kept in pairs. Harlequin tusks are pretty passive too. Personally, I love the colors on the tusk, but it's all about preference.

 

[mitchelwb]

I love so many of the different wrasse, but the harlequin tusk just isn't one of my favorites. Like Torno said... it's your preference though.

 

[dpeek]

Harlequins are beautiful fish but they will dominate any hermits/snails/shrimp they see. A pair of bluethroats, sargassums, or crosshatches would make a nice addition.

 

[witfull]

personally, i dont think a 120 is big enough for a pr of BTT and a tusk. a male BTT will lose his color over time without a female.

 

[SDguy]

If your tank is 6ft, I think a healthy, quarantined powder blue tang would be a great centerpiece fish. JMO.

 

[pennyguy23]

The tank is to small for a pair Crosshatch triggers. But I agree with the Power blue. Very pretty fish.

 

[hgbarwick]

Purple Tang

 

[Monkeyfish]

Purple or Hippo tang
Flasher or fairy wrasse harem

 

[Fishwhisperer]

ok if money is not issue what fish could be better than a zebrasoma gemmatum !!!!!!!

 

[bskiba]

Is that a gem tang?

I would get a regal angel, mystery wrasse, goldflake angel, or a moorish idol that eats flake.

 

[edwar050]

Thank you for the listings of fish. I am not concerned with the load of fish becasue all of my fish combined when full grown will equal about the equivalent of one full grown yellow tang. I would love to house a Morish Idol and have given it some thought. I plan on oneday doing a fairly large system and may give it more thought then. I will also transfer the larger two fish from this system to that, like 7 to 10 years down the road. I plan on buying juviniles but want them to be able to do well in my tank. I have a ton of arches and the fish I select should live a cave type system with and low to mid level swimming speed taking most tangs out of the question. If i got a regal and it was shy I would see it very little. I am looking for a fish with a personality where its usually out and about but fairly peaceful but not over energetic in swimming

Here is another pic of my sump total water volume is about 150 gallons

The only real concern I have is for my fish due to ick from a tang and possible aggressive nature from the trigger or tusk once larger. Would a pair of blue throat male & female triggers be to much for the bioload. I don't plan on getting all of these but may get a dwarf angel and then one more over about 6 months.

 

[Monkeyfish]

How about this? http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=315

 

[Dert42]

sailfin tang.
little freshwater dip, boom no ich.

 

[edwar050]

I am not a big fan of the sailfin tang and I thought the soldier fish was not reef safe or at least partially aggressive. Thanks for the input though - I am leaning towards a pair of bluethroat triggers. Is it true a male trigger will loose his color without a female trigger? Anyone know a good site to buy bluethroat triggers from, I saw some for pretty cheap on marine depot live. I buy all my fish locally but they charge about 90 bones for the trigger. Whats the likelyhood that a harlequin tusk or a pair of bluethroat/jaw triggers would be agressive to my smaller fish, which should I go with? If I get the tusk I will get Australian and add a dwarf angel, if I get the triggers I will add them as a pair. Both will be small about 4 inches when added.

 

[Monkeyfish]

"Whats the likelyhood that a harlequin tusk or a pair of bluethroat/jaw triggers would be agressive to my smaller fish...?"

Pretty darn good. The harlequin will eat just about anything that will fit in his mouth and though blue throats are relatively mild for triggers and USUALLY don't bother other fish, but they're still triggers. Your best bet is to add the aggressive fish last so he doesn't perceive other fish as trespassing in his territory.

 

[Manderin]

nice touch with the gatoraid bottle, actually its good advertisement for the comany

 

[edwar050]

As I have never kept a Tusk or trigger I am unsure as to the extent of their aggressive nature. Often in this hobby people say things cannot be done, ex. my valentini puffer in my softie tank. I have been getting mixed and conflicting view on the tusk and bluethroat/jaw trigger. I have a friend thats got a niger in his 135 with some smaller fish and its nearly full grown with sucess. A TOTM a couple of years back had a tusk in a reef mixed with other fish. I was just wondering how they would fare with individual compatability, specifically the medium sized clowns, purple fire fish, bi-color blenny, or compete with my valentini puffer on food.

Brad



I am not forcing this, its why I am doing the research

 

[pennyguy23]

Most people people should EVEN THINK about getting a moorish Idol. You better have ALOT of experience to try and keep one of those. They really should be kept in the ocean.

The soldier fish is NOT reef safe. I will each just about anything it can fit in its mouth if its hungry

 

[Monkeyfish]

In regards to people's advice - Fish have different personalities just like people. Also, you need to take into consideration that you are (in most cases) taking an animal out of its natural habitat and placing it in an artificial one. When people say, "don't put a puffer in a reef" this is based on what would most likely happen (ruin corals) which is in turn based on its behavior in the wild and in some home aquariums. There are exceptions, but to place a puffer in a reef is taking a risk. If you are willing to take that risk then go ahead, just be prepared for all possible outcomes.

Some tusks and blue throats are pushovers and bother no one. Others will devour every snail in the tank and bully fish smaller than themselves. You are taking a risk. People on these boards generally tend to give advise erring on the side of caution so we will advise against adding these fish.