Considering options

Jesterrace

Active Member
I am still about 6 weeks out before I will be ready to really add more fish to the tank, but I do have some possibilities here and I will list the Pros and Cons as I know them.

First of all my setup with what I currently have

90 gallon tank with corner overflow, I currently have 40lbs of live rock, 60 lbs of live sand (and another 50lbs that is finishing cycling in a garbage can)

Here is my current stock in my tank:

Young Melanurus Wrasse
Diamond Watchman Goby
Cleaner Shrimp
A handful of snails and hermit crabs
1 Frogspawn Coral Frag
1 Hammer Coral Frag
I also have a soft leather mushroom that I got for free, but it isn't doing too well, so I don't care much what happens to it at this point

Here are what I am considering:

Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel

Pros: Great Colors, Will definitely fit comfortably in my tank even when fully grown, Cheap to Buy, Can help keep algae under control, Tends to be one of the least Aggressive Dwarf Angels

Cons: Can be aggressive and Can become a Coral Eater

Half Black Dwarf Angel

Pros: Tends to be better than most Dwarf Angels for Coral Nipping and Aggression, Cheap to Buy, Can Help keep Algae under control

Cons: Coloration is about as boring as it gets for a Dwarf Angel, and I could get that random one that is an aggressive butthead that eats corals

Pyramid Butterflyfish

Pros: Considered the Holy Grail of Reef Safe Butterflyfishes since they are planktivores, Would definitely stand out in the tank, Generally Peaceful in temperament, Generally hearty for a Butterflyfish

Cons: Fish might become cramped as an adult in my 90 gallon, A little more pricey than other alternatives, They aren't my favorite butterflyfish for looks

Long Nose Yellow Butterflyfish

Pros: Generally Peaceful, Less likely to nip at corals than most butterflyfish, unique look

Cons: Same as the Pyramid although I like the look better and they will have a problem if they don't have a bunch of worms to snack on

Swallowtail Angelfish

Pros: Great Looking fish that would stand out in the aquarium, one of the few Angels considered Reef Safe and Peaceful,

Cons: 90 would likely be cramped for it as an adult, more expensive than other options

Exquisite Fairy Wrasse

Pros: Generally Reef Safe and Peaceful, One of the more colorful varieties of Fairy Wrasses, Will comfortably fit in my tank, Is different enough from the Melanurus that it shouldn't be an issue to have them both in the same tank

Cons: A little bit pricey, Something about the affordable Fairy Wrasses just leave me with the "meh feeling" in terms of coloration and patterns, but then again the affordable fairy wrasses just don't quite appeal to me as much as the H varieties

Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse

Pros: Affordable, Generally Reef Safe and Peaceful, Decent Colors, Will fit comfortably in my tank

Cons: See above about my feelings on the fairy wrasse, colors on the head are a bit close to the Coral Beauty so it might create problems

Bartlett's Anthias

Pros: Beautiful Colors, Will fit comfortably in my tank, very active, won't bother corals or inverts

Cons: A bit pricey, Some have had some bad aggression issues with them


Any other input from the folks that own or have owned these fish in comparable sized tanks. I would also welcome alternative suggestions, but I am on a fairly tight budget per fish ($60 per fish would be the absolute high end of what I would pay at this point).
 
Last edited:
Top