Stocking help, please....

[ReefSurge]

240g custom glass aquarium, with closed loop circulation system. Dual skimmer (euroreef and beckett skimmers), UV sterilizer and ozone, inline liverock pool/lagoon (some corals/small fish)... I have a total of 300lbs of rock in lagoon, and 150lbs in main display.

So far for fish, I have:

Sohal Tang
Marine Betta
pink tail trigger
Niger trigger
Emperor Angel

what I'd like to add soon...let me know if you see any issues:

Panther grouper
Pair of Heniochus
Picasso trigger
Dogface puffer
meyer's butterfly
Harlequin Tusk


What do you think?

 

[SW1TCH]

From what i have read the Panther grouper will have alot of nice dinners when it gets big enough, and will probley end up needing a bigger tank.

 

[stevebydac]

I'm going to assume you absolutely want to keep the fish you already have, so...

If you are planning on keeping these fish for life in this tank, you will have four large fish already, plus the betta. I wouldn't add much more. Fish need room to swim, develop territories and stay more stress-free.

Therefore, I would skip the Picasso. You already have two triggers. A third might cause aggression as they get large. Plus, it is another large fish.

I would skip the panther grouper, as it eventually might eat the betta. Panthers get really big also.

I would skip the dogface, as it might nip at the betta.

I would go tusk, butterfly, and the bannerfish pair. The latter three fish assuming your niger and pink tail are non-aggessive (are they???).

Now if it were my tank (and yes, I am jealous of you! ), and I had these fish to choose from, I would pick:

Picasso
Emperor
Tusk
Puffer
and then go find another semi-aggressive, mid-size fish like a smaller grouper or moray.

Best of luck!

 

[ReefSurge]

The pink tail is very mellow, the niger is very small...not aggessive so far...the sohal is a long time inhabitant of the original reef, so I'd like to keep him.

Thanks for the info...if you have any other suggestions they would appreciated.

 

[ReefSurge]

Also...I was wondering if you can add any type of sandsifters to the tank or maybe some type of starfish....? Some type of invert to eat up uneaten food?

 

[SW1TCH]

I would think that the triggers would pick on the starfish. I dont know how a gold headed sleeper goby would work in the tank. It might work if you got a large one.

 

[stevebydac]

Any time you have triggers or puffers in a tank it is hard to keep mobile inverts. YOU become the cleanup crew.

You could try a huge hermit crab (the big ones get baseball sized) or a chocolate chip starfish, but it's 50/50 that they would get killed or maimed.

The good thing about triggers, on the other hand, is that if they are not stuffed with food all the time they will be on a constant "nibble patrol" all day long and picking at leftover scraps.

 

[cjvolitan]

panter grouper will get really big and eat fish that are atleast half it's length.
rules out lots of fish you betta will be grouper food.

 

[Absint Reefer]

Dogface is a crustacean eater should'nt nip at the betta.
As for sandshifting large hermit crabs do a good job

 

[Petstorejunkie]

skip the panther, they are cute when about 4 inches or smaller but they look reduculously ugly as adults. the humu woudl cause unwanted agression inyour tank. the puffer should be fine, i have 5 puffers currently and have kept several others in the past and my ONLY nipper is my little toby, who is about to go live in a 20Gal at my mom's as a valentines day gift. i personally would go with a third heni, so that the form a small school.
since you have such a large lagoon/ filtration system you should be fine. sand sifters, you are going to be out of luck on that one, if you are looking for someone to pick up the excess food at the bottom consider a bicolor goat, although i dont know if they really clean up more than produce extra waste.

 

[ReefSurge]

Ok so the grouper will be out of the picture, you've all twisted my arm...

So ok how's this for final list:

3 Heniochus
PinkTail Trigger
Niger Trigger
Sohal Tang
Emperor Angel
Meyer's Angelfish
Marine Betta
Pixy HAwkfish


Can I add another Angel...Any suggestions?

 

[Fignewton]

Yup. The Panther's loose the bright whitness as they get older and bigger (almost two feet full grown!)

The dogface is my dream fish!!! I hope to have a tank big enough to hold one one day. AMAZING personality and you've got the system to handle the bio-load of one.

A friend of mine has a show size dogface that will let you pet him (seriously).

As far as a sand sifter, maybe try a mature fighting or queen conch? Kinda cool, if it's big enough (4 to 5 inches?) i'd think it'd would have a chance.

 

[LRS078]

Nothing like pawning off trouble makers to friends and family Petstorejunkie!! Hope your mom doesn't have internet access or at least doesn't visit fish boards.

Back on topic...I'll agree with the "skip the panther" movement. Lots of longterm headaches with those despite the early cuteness and low cost. Ditto w' the huma, you already have plenty in the trigger department. Watch the two you have already as they grow to keep an eye out for aggression. Triggers tend to go to the dark side one day for no particular reason.

Now for the "good ones"....I'd vote yes for puffer and tusk. They are predators to inverts but each fish is different and you may get away with them leaving some cleaners alone. (NO PROMISES) or you could end up giving them a great snack. Start a few low cost large as possible before the puffer/tusk get there with a 50/50 on them being dinner. The butterfly and pair of henni's should be fine as they are fairly low impact fish vs puffer and tusk. Just make sure they have some veggies to nibble at.

Good luck...

 

[Petstorejunkie]

nope i have ran the numbers and with that bioload you are done! congrats
here is my calculator:
heavy bioload fishes (lions, triggers, puffers) 5g per inch of fish
medium bioload (angels, tangs) 3g per inch of fish
light load (gobies, butterflies, finniky fish) 1g per inch of fish.
you want to run the numbers for the fish at full size if this will be their permanant home.
this calculator works if you have 8x hr filtration circulation, and a really nice skimmer, and are doing 20-25% water changes at least every two weeks.
when i ran you numbers i got that your fish list will need approx 300gals, when you factor in the sump gals, you are right at capacity, or even a bit over
(note i am not the tang police... or the angel or shark police and i dont own a snowflake eel)