Stocking ideas, angels and bf's

[crsaz]

Well my baby goldflake is not a baby any more and has taken a liking to some of my favorite corals. So I have decided to start a second tank for him, a tank focusing mainly on angels and butterflies.(with whatever corals they decide they dont want to eat:fun2 The dimensions will be 72"x30"x30" 280 gal. so far I have a few fish I know I want and some I am on the fence about

For sure list:
Gold Flake
False Personifer
swallow tail angel pair(semifasciatus not melanospilos)
mitratus butterfly
tinkeri butterfly
group of 10-15 queen anthias
declevis butterfly
5-10 blue chromis- cyaneus not virdis

the maybe listwant all of them but must choose just a few)
passer angel
six bar angel
bandit angel
arabia butterfly
meyers butterfly
blue jaw trigger pair(tank big enough?)
venustus angel

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

I would skip the passer (aggressive) and the sixbar (huge) but I like your other angel picks. I have a meridithi, a majestic, and a blueline and love them all. I have had aggression problems with emps, passers, and blueface and have really become a fan of the "medium" size angels (Apolemichthys, Chaetodontoplus). If that was my tank I think I would try to pair up both the goldflake and the meredithi.

 

[SDguy]

I'd pick a different anthias... there are MUCH easier to keep species that are just as pretty.

WetWebMedia does a pretty good breakdown of which butterflies to well, and which don't:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BFsBestWrst.htm

 

[Angel*Fish]

Here's my opinion, and it may not be appreciated, but I'd pass on all the larger fish like the passer. I was at the LFS today - they have a 400g very long style tank. They keep a unicorn tang in there and it just looked cramped navigating that tank. It was about 8-9 in long. It also made the tank look small.

I know it sounds like I only visit tanks in multiples of 4 but I was at another LFS here that has a 4,000 g pond tank. Also arranged longish. They have a sohal, about 8 in. I stayed and watched it for about 10 min. It covered that whole tank, several times in that period. it didn't look cramped, but you could sure see that it would have happily had a bigger range.

I know others see it differently, but I just don't like to see such big fish in our home aquariums.

 

[Angel*Fish]

And x2 on the anthias - if you mean purple queens. If you get those, you might want to consider quitting your job and just devoting your life to them :lol: Been there, done that. Those tukas are too much work.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I can't really speak about the other angels, but IME, a venustus angel is fairly shy, wonder if it would get lost in that sized tank, and with those tank mates.

 

[crsaz]

Those tukas are too much work.

I guess Im lucky then, my small group has been doing well for 8+ months and they for the most part weren't too terribly difficult to get feeding.(ventralis will be my next challenge)

If that was my tank I think I would try to pair up both the goldflake and the meredithi.

I like your thinking, the false personifer pairing may be a possibility, but finding a gold flake near the same size may be difficult, he's at an odd size not quite a juvenile but not an adult either. Wonder if he would be alright with a juvenile? He/she is a pretty docile fish.

I too have always loved the apolemichthys and chaetodontoplus the bandit is by far my favorite fish, such simplistic beauty.

WetWebMedia does a pretty good breakdown of which butterflies to well, and which don't:

I have had personal experience with all on my list other than the meyers

They keep a unicorn tang in there

Very sad, this is a fish that should no be collected for the aquarium trade.

 

[SDguy]

I guess I'm lucky then, my small group has been doing well for 8+ months and they for the most part weren't too terribly difficult to get feeding.(ventralis will be my next challenge)




I have had personal experience with all on my list other than the meyers

You very much are lucky. Most never eat anything but live food or frozen eggs. If yours adapted, then congrats. I know a friend who had some, even had one change to male, but even then, only one out of three ended up eating anything except nutra ova (sp?)

I took the time to link you to WWM because you have two coral eating butterflies on your list that don't live in captivity. Meyers and such don't live. There is one guy keeping similar butterflies like these in Japan, feeding a specific species of clam, 3 times a day. The deep water type butterflies you list are great, and hardy.

Oh, and you may want to research the bandit. I'm pretty sure they need somewhat cooler water.

 

[Angel*Fish]

Yep, x2 on the bandit angel, need coolor water.

And I agree with Todd, I wouldn't put a venustus in there with that crowd, besides, they need lots of dark hiding places and less light in general. I just passed on one yesterday even though my tank has two large caves and tons of rock in general. It was hard to do, he looked very robust, was feeding and was only $60.

 

[Poomba]

Your stocking list looks like it would be pretty awesome.

 

[snorvich]

While I love to look at Tukas, in my opinion they are virtually impossible to succeed with long term; even if they eat, they often waste away from improper nutrition. Also, in my opinion 280 gallons is not sufficient for the stocking list you are suggesting. I have larger and would never stock that heavily, especially with "special needs" fish. Also, a shy fish such as venustus angel would likely be intimidated in the vast array of dominant personality types. Just my opinion.