Rule of thumb for number of fish?

[airtime23]

I know that it depends on the size of the fish, but what would be the ballpark number for a 225 mixed reef?

I'd like to have multiple tangs (Yellow, Kole, Hippo, and Blonde Naso), if it's possible.

A pair of percula clowns.

Also, perhaps a flame or coral beauty angel.

A bluethroat trigger.

A wrasse to be determined later (reef-safe one, of course).

And then several chromis and anthias (maybe 3 of each?)

As well as a bicolor blenny, mandarin (once the tank is established, of course), and a diamond goby.

Is that too many fish? Would welcome any input.

Thanks.

 

[danimallaminad]

beware angels and reefs. Honestly there is no rule of thumb, You should just make a list of what you want and we can help tell you yes, no or try this fish instead. Just make the list of like most wanted to least wanted and we can help trim it and perfect it.

 

[Dmorty217]

I know that it depends on the size of the fish, but what would be the ballpark number for a 225 mixed reef?

I'd like to have multiple tangs (Yellow, Kole, Hippo, and Blonde Naso), if it's possible.

A pair of percula clowns.

Also, perhaps a flame or coral beauty angel.

A bluethroat trigger.

A wrasse to be determined later (reef-safe one, of course).

And then several chromis and anthias (maybe 3 of each?)

As well as a bicolor blenny, mandarin (once the tank is established, of course), and a diamond goby.

Is that too many fish? Would welcome any input.

Thanks.

The hippo and naso are poor choices for a 225g. You could do other tangs but I would stray away from ones that get huge. (15"+) other than that you are good on number of fish. Also the number of fish is only relative to husbandry and skimmer size

 

[Dmorty217]

Coral beauty is a much better choice as a reef safe option then a flame. Look at Bellus, lamarki, and swallowtails to be on the safe side

 

[ca1ore]

Also the number of fish is only relative to husbandry and skimmer size

This is very good point that often gets missed. I have had sucessful large reef tank installations with 30 fish; and lousy ones with 5. If you are able to manage nutrient export well enough, you certainly could keep 25 fish of modest size in a 225. If you are going to try to keep a larger number, a QT setup becomes even more important otherwise adding fish is the aquarium equivalent of craps in Vegas.

 

[finsurgeon]

While it takes time and patience, and great care to avoid bad combinations (Generally meaning NOT a SINGLE mean fish, and good husbandry (feeding a lot, but not enough to trash your tank) and having every nutrient absorbing coral or invert or algae possible, and pod- maximizing tricks, your list is not unreasonable. I don't think a hippo tang is unreasonable - mine started very small and seems to have topped out at 8 or 9 inches, not changing much over the last 5-6 years. Not sure if a naso would need a bigger tank or get bigger, but other tangs could be okay -(purple, sailfin, powder blue, and clown all get along for the last 3 years for me) And I love the flame angel - my pair get along with their tankmates and don't nip my corals at all. I also have a pair of clowns with 2-4 big anemones (depends on when they reproduce and require removal to save their surrounding coral tankmates) as well as a regal angel, potter's angel, flameback angel, melanurus and solar wrasses, 2 pipefish (jansii are awesome reef fish), 2 mandarins, flame hawk, and a couple gobies. and a divers dens orange-spotted filefish- still the main feeding focus after 8 months. Again though, it's taken nine years and a few mistakes - (buy a fish trap along the way to help erase some of the mistakes. Good luck.

 

[airtime23]

Wow, lots of good advice guys...thanks!