Stocking List for a 180 Gallon

[Trigger Tough]

I currently have a 70 Gallon with these fish in it...

Starry Blenny
Black Cap Basslet
Frostbite Clown
Lemonpeel Angel
Kole Tang

I'm planing on setting up a 180 in my new house. My stocking list will be to add those fish in that order and then add these in this order...

Flame Hawkfish
Purple Tang
Blonde Naso Tang
Achilles Tang
Blue Girdled Angelfish

I also considered a foxface if that's one too many tangs for a tank of that size

Thoughts?

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

The tank is too small for that many tangs and the angel. They WILL grow to a foot long or longer. They are open water swimmers.
I had a pair of Naso's and a blue guridled angel in a 7 foot long 400 G tank for over 10 years. Watching them swim around made me realise even a 400G was too small.

 

[Trigger Tough]

Could I pull off the Hawkfish, a blue girdled, and a powdered brown tang with those other fish?

 

[McPuff]

Could I pull off the Hawkfish, a blue girdled, and a powdered brown tang with those other fish?

I would say yes. You might need to acclimate the new tang a while because who knows how the kole tang will react to another tang. The hawkfish should provide no issues. As for the angel, just get a juvenile and it should be fine for a long time (growth is relatively slow). Again, my only concern would be aggression from the kole tang or lemonpeel since they are established. If you can add all the fish to the 180 at the same time then you shouldn't have any problems with aggression initially.

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Possibly. You will never find a juvenile blue guridled, they just are not available. They change colors quickly. But you can get a smaller one.
The issue with them is they are very shy until the get established. So they can be difficult to keep alive. I've had probably 5 of them over the course of 15 years. 3 of the lasted a long time.

 

[Trigger Tough]

Let's say I went with a blue girdled, the hawk fish, and a powder brown tang with the 5 other fish. Should I add them all at the same time? The tank will be brand new and I always thought that was a no no because it won't be able to support the biological load of all the fish added at one time. I was planning to do about a fish a week

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Will you still have your old tank set up?
If so, then do the blue guridled and hawk fish first to give them time to settle in, then start adding your smaller fish. Last two would be the tangs. I'd say at the same time so they will both be new to the tank and have a better chance of less aggression.

 

[Trigger Tough]

My old tank should still be set up. I was thinking the smaller fish first but you’d start with the Angel? Aren’t they known to pick on smaller fish once established?

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Most angles, maybe. But like I said, the blue guridled is very shy and takes time to acclimate.

 

[Trigger Tough]

Ok. Cool. Thanks!

 

[Trigger Tough]

Just to confirm this is my thought about how to stock it. I’ll be testing the water weekly and hopefully a new fish will go in about every week as well

Starry Blenny
Blue Girdled
Black Cap and Frostbite Clown Together
Flame Hawkfish and Lemonpeel Angel Together
Kole and Powder Blue Tang Together

What’s the chance that I could get a foxface in there as well or is that pushing it with the size of the Angel and tangs? My skimmer is rated for 260 gallons with a heavy load

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

It's not so much the skimmer rating as it is the swimming room in the tank.
Stop before you put the tangs in and make an assessment as if you think the fox face will be happy in there. Again, they like to swim.

 

[McPuff]

I agree with Shellback. Add the navarchus/blue girdled first. I've never seen a juvenile (pattern) blue girdled... I just meant to get a small one which is pretty easy to do.

I might avoid the foxface. They get big fairly quickly. Mine is kind of a dud. Maybe that's why I wouldn't buy another one. But my kids like it. :0)