Spanish Hogfish in a reef tank

[clsanchez77]

Hey all -

I am planning my new tank I hope to start up in a year. I want do something different from the trend Acro reef. I would like to re-create a Millepora (fire coral) Sponge Reef tank. I have a couple of posts on it already.

I am really hoping to build the tank around a Queen Angel, but that will depend on the ultimate size of the tank. I wont put the Queen Angel in anything smaller than a 300.

The second favorite fish from the area I would like to have is a Spanish Hogfish (Bodianus rufus). This is not a fish you typically see in reef tanks for very good reason. But in researching the Spanish Hog, I think I would be ok and willing to try it.

My third favorite is the bluehead (Thalassoma bifasciatum)

Will I be able to keep the hogfish and the bluehead together? If I had to choose one Id probably take the Hogfish.

Also, with either or both of these, will I be able to keep smaller fish like blennies, gobies, chromis, cardinals or damsels with a Hogfish, or will the Hogfish eat these guys. Will the bluehead beat them to death or just ignore them?

Im not planning on keeping any shrimp, crabs or snails in the tank so Im not concerned about issues wrasses eating them.

Thanks.

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

The spanish hogs get huge and would be a danger to smaller fish IMO, I really like the cuban hog, stays a lot smaller than the spanish and I think they are even prettier. Blueheads are known to be pretty rowdy as well, especially with smaller fish. I love the idea of a Caribbean tank with the queen as the centerpiece.

 

[Eric the half-bee]

I've had a diana hog in my tank for over a year. He has been a good fish APART from eating occ. hermits and beating my yellow tail coris wrasse into submission. I hadn't seen the coris for weeks and he popped out the other day looking rough but still alive and quickly went into hiding.

 

[clsanchez77]

Kahuna Tuna - yes, they do get pretty rowdy. Im leaning toward showcasing the biotope instead of individuals and the Spanish Hog is more abundant at the bank I am copying. But I note your point on size and will keep that in mind if I run into any problems. But in general, this project would hybridize a reef tank and a FOWLR tank at the expense of not having the mobile inverts and pricier corals. Really kind of a FOWLR+WCWBE (whatever corals wont be eaten).

But I guess what I am after is what is "small fish" relative to the bluehead's aggression. Would I be limited to fish bigger than the bluehead? If the bluehead reaches 10", would a 7" fish be ok? What about 5"? Could I house chromis or would I need to stick to damsels to match the aggression. At what size does the hogfish make it a mute point?

I do love Queen Angels, one the fish that got me in the hobby but I have never owned one. I do hope I can swing the 300 gallon or larger to house one. But I wont do it with anything smaller than a 250.

Eric - not familiar with the yellowtail coris wrasse. Does seem to be passive relative to the hogfish. The blueheads are pretty mean so Im hoping they would hold their own and not beaten into submission. But then this is why I am asking and not experimenting Hogfish do love their crustaceans. Good luck with your other wrasse, I hope their differences can be worked out

Thanks

 

[Eric the half-bee]

In hindsight, I regret adding the coris and green wrasses. The coris loves to flip things over and I wouldn't do it again. I'm not mad enough to try and trap the buggers .

 

[clsanchez77]

Well wrasses do like to bury themselves in the sand. I intended to make the base rock myself and rod it all together so that fish cant dislodge it. I think that and providing a large sand bed for them to bury themselves in would help. Not sure about your tank layout, but maybe something you can mitigate if that is indeed the problem.