Stocking thoughts on mixed reef

[Fragmented 99]

getting close to starting up a 250 tank, 60Lx36wx27h and putting together a potential fish list. Looking for reef safe fish that won't decimate the pods, snails, hermits and sps. Also concerned about aggression between fish.Did some research but looking for hands on experience for potential problems.

Powder blue- can be difficult to acclimate
Yellow tang
Regal or Flame Angel- anyone keeping both? Potential coral nippers
Azure damsel- will the flame or regal pick on it. Ok in a group?
Blue throat trigger- reef safe but unsure about snails & hermits
Candy hog- rearranger of frags, will decimate pod population? Hermit safe?
Threadfin Cardinals for shoaling /schooling effect. Will a group of 7 school?
Leopard wrasse- acclimation issues and voracious pod eaters
Longnose butterfly- any issues with starfish?
Schooling banner fish (diphreutes) - are they truly reef safe? May get too big

Tell me why I should stay away

 

[chuckbuc]

I got a regal in my mixed reef and he ate all my zoas ..i wouldnt chance him again if i had another shot

 

[chuckbuc]

I also have a few leopords wrasses which are awsome but u def need a nice deep sandbed for them ..

 

[chuckbuc]

Oh wait and also a pair of bluethroat triggers .which are great

 

[chuckbuc]

I always liked the threadfin .

 

[lrasser]

Love my powder blue. I would highly recommend a 2 month QT with hypo etc but worth it. My favorite fish hands down.

 

[divebri69]

The fish I keep with my corals are:
Scopas Tang (to eat macroalgae)
Foxface Rabbitfish (eat macroalgae)
Clown Wrasse (eat bugs)
Tailspot Blenny (eat microalgae)
Blue Green Chromis (just for movement)
False Percula Clown (cause my wife and kids wanted a "Nemo")
Banggai Cardinal (He's the last I kept from when I had a breeding pair)
I've had no probs with this mix.
Good Luck,
Brian

 

[CoralOfDuty]

The more i read the more i want to stay away from all tangs. i keep reading that hippo tangs and purple tangs eat zoas, and i suspect my powder brown is eating mine.

im digging my male lyretail anthias. thinking about getting 2 females to go with him. they had a bunch at Carib Bl.
leopard wrasse is real cool.
always wanted a flame angel but my luck he will pick.

good luck with stocking

 

[JRR1285]

Once I get a bigger tank I am going to give a Niger Trigger a shot. I hear that some people have success with them in mixed reefs, even with clams.

 

[Editour2]

I have seen my Regal Tang eat my zoos (eventually all of them) and some palys...but I kept him anyway. He developed this taste after having him for years. I have a flame angel and I've never witnessed him nipping at the corals however someone is currently picking on my purple stylo polyps....although not killing them..I am not sure who is doing this. Regarding threadfin cardinals....I have purchased 7 of these and also tried 7 red stop light cardinal fish....these were very disappointing since they either were very fragile or they constantly hid in the rocks.....which left very little opportunity to witness them schooling. Just my experiences......

 

[Fragmented 99]

Thanks For all the responses , I'm ok on skipping zoo's and plays to keep a regal.
Chuck- did the blue throat go after your snails and hermits.

 

[chuckbuc]

No but .come to think of it i really dont have hermits and snakls in my tanks .i use cucumbers , small urchins and conch

 

[divebri69]

Regarding triggerfish.... I can't speak to any of the varieties people keep in tanks, 'cause I've never kept them.
I can tell you that I catch and eat them here in summer- Atlantic Grey Triggerfish. What's in THEIR stomachs is crabs, snails, barnacles. They have good sized front teeth made for crunching up hard shells to get nice, soft tidbits out.
I would guess that if you can see teeth in the Triggerfish you're looking at- that's what they are for. This would make me a bit leery of putting them with hard corals, snails, hermits, etc.
That being said- I've never tried having them in a tank and could be way off base.
I've had my Scopas Tang in my tank for about a year and a half and haven't seen it eat or even pick at any of my corals, hard or soft. I do feed the Scopas and the Foxface some Nori to supplement their browsing in the tank for algae to gnaw.
Brian