Reef safe for large tanks only?

[MrMarth]

So what do you actually do for a living?

And to answer your question, a mated pair of gold flakes.

Me? I'm an aquarist at Ripley's Aquarium of Canada. I take care of their coral tank and I manage the water quality lab for the entire aquarium.

A pair of goldflakes would be really cool!

 

[MrMarth]

Pyramid butterfly's are reef safe and look great in numbers . since you asked about butterfly's..

Google Peter Saxbys reef aquarium. I think he has a really nice selection in his large tank. Angels are always hit or mis but in a tank that size i wouldn't think you would notice any damage. That's not to say that some of the larger angels wouldn't have a field day. But a harem of Red Sea Regals ,a harem of Potters , and a harem of Venestus angels would pop and Be more or less model citizens . So many possibilities

I've always shied away from angels because I hate pulling fish if they start to nibble on the wrong things. It's not the angel's fault.
I guess part of it goes to "nothing ventured, nothing gained." Always taking the safe route leads to mediocrity. I'll have to broaden my horizons, it seems.

 

[MrMarth]

Define "reef". Different large angels are known to have preferred foods when they reach adult size. For instance, the imperator will decimate soft corals and sponges but leave hard corals alone. Navarchus will leave hard and soft corals alone but go for tunicates and worms.

Of course, there are always individual fish who have not read the aquarium books and will go against the norm.

One member here has a tank full of large angels and butterflyfish that you are never supposed to be able to keep with corals (obligate coralivores) but he does. He credits this to having a very large tank and keeping the fish stuffed all the time.

Dave.M

One thing I'd really like to get for the tank in the future are some large tridacnid clams. I know I'll have to be careful if I try mixing some angels with clams.

 

[dave.m]

Stay away from the blue-faced angel.

I was told there is a ban on importing tridacnids to Ontario as they are suspecting of carrying some sort of clam disease. How that is supposed to affect freshwater clams is beyond me. But that's our government for you.

I have yet to be able to get to Toronto to see the Ripley's aquarium. Maybe in the new year...

Dave.M

 

[Mishri]

I'd do 50 powder blue tangs.


^I'm seriously considering building an 8'x4'x4' aquarium and keeping as many powder blues as I can in it.

I'll have to order Nori in bulk

They are a shoaling fish in the wild.

This would be neat to see in an aquarium.

 

[dave.m]

Just about all tangs shoal in the wild... temporarily. Then they fight like hell with each other over individual turf; PBTs especially.

Dave.M

 

[Mishri]

Do you know anyone that has attempted to keep a large shoal of them in an aquarium?

I'd expect that hiding spaces would need to be abundant, but daytime/normally they should be fine.

In an 8x4x4 I think i'd try around 10... and lots of nori spread around the tank. Also, I wouldn't keep any other fish with them.

 

[dave.m]

Convict tangs are known to frequently shoal and are not nearly as aggressive as powder blues.

Dave.M