120 Gallon Stocking

outcasts9

outcasts9

New Member
I need help with my stock list. This will be an aggressive FOWLR tank.
FISH I MUST GET
zebra moray
FISH ID LIKE TO GET
Achilles tang
Sailfin Tang
Sohal Tang
French Angel
Emperor Angel
Copperband Butterfly
Right now I cant think of anything else but I know im missing a lot of things. I dont want a lionfish because of the risk or anything poisonous to go along with that. Thanks for the help in advance.
 
nicetry

nicetry

Active Member
Originally Posted by outcasts9
I need help with my stock list. This will be an aggressive FOWLR tank.
FISH I MUST GET
zebra moray
FISH ID LIKE TO GET
Achilles tang
Sailfin Tang
Sohal Tang
French Angel
Emperor Angel
Copperband Butterfly
Right now I cant think of anything else but I know im missing a lot of things. I dont want a lionfish because of the risk or anything poisonous to go along with that. Thanks for the help in advance.
The eel would be fine. With the exception of the copperband, all of the others will grow much too large for that sized tank. You don't specify the dimensions of the tank. My 120 is 60 inches long and has three fish.
Skip the sohal and achilles altogether. Either fish needs a much larger system and the achilles is not the hardiest fish. A sailfin would be cramped as an adult, even if it's a 5 foot tank. French angels are enormous. Tanks over 200 galons are not too large. Pretty much the same with an emperor. A copperband is a fragile little fish that is not going to do well with any aggressive mates.
A couple other suggestions; a harlequin tusk, a miniatus grouper and maybe a blue throat trigger. None will outgrow the system, but you'll need kick ass filtration and good skimming.
hth.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Definitely agree with the above. Real important to know the dimensions of your tank, because if it is a 4' 120 then, IMO, many of those fish are really not suitable. They need some more length to the tank to get a minimum amount of burst swimming. Also agree to avoid the copperband and go with a "tougher" butterfly like a heniochus or something if desired.
 
outcasts9

outcasts9

New Member
Yeah I agree that is alot of tangs. Most of tangs grow large.
The tangs I listed were just some thoughts... they werent all going in the same tank.
The tank is 5 feet by 2 feet by 18"
Right now im running a 200 gallon rated ocean-clear filter i think its called. It kind of resembles a pool filter. In the future Ill get a protein skimmer. I went to my lfs today and this guy told me that i need expensive lighting fixtures for just live rock... and also i cant keep a zebra moray with lr because he will "tear it apart". ( I know...that made no sense to me either)
Im looking for something else besides triggers and groupers. If I should get a trigger it would be a humu-humu. I was wondering if I could do an emperor angel along with a few butterfly fishes.
 
nicetry

nicetry

Active Member
Originally Posted by outcasts9
I went to my lfs today and this guy told me that i need expensive lighting fixtures for just live rock... and also i cant keep a zebra moray with lr because he will "tear it apart". ( I know...that made no sense to me either)
Im looking for something else besides triggers and groupers. If I should get a trigger it would be a humu-humu. I was wondering if I could do an emperor angel along with a few butterfly fishes.
The eel will simply dig and burrow under the rock. You also don't need special lights for live rock or fish for that matter. An emperor angel will outgrow the tank within a couple years, depending on how large it is when you get it. They're just big fish that need very large systems. They can also be pushy with lesser tankmates and butterflies fall into that category. Having a "few" butterflies can pose different problems as in many cases different species don't get along well. Crowd them and they will fight. In very large tanks, you can get away with it. My tank is the same size as yours. My melannotus butterfly has grown from the size of a silver dollar to over three inches and is still going. It's hard to tell anyone what to put in their tank, but it boils down to good husbandry and making good selections. Any of the large angels require more room. Certain fish don't mix well. Is there a guarantee you'll have problems? Nope, but why risk it and lose some beautiful and expensive fish. While filtration is important, it's no substitue for ample swimming room and personal space. I would select smaller fish, one from each family. Choose a "centerpiece fish" and round it out with other mates that give your tank interest and visual appeal.
You will be surprised at how small this tank looks after stocking it with fish, and more so after you've had it awhile. I upgraded to this 120 after having two smaller tanks. The 120 isn't really big.
If I had a clean slate to work with on this size tank; one dwarf angel, a fairy wrasse, one of the smaller hardy butterflies, a pair of clowns, one of the pretty shrimp gobies, maybe a kole tang.
 
nicetry

nicetry

Active Member
Originally Posted by outcasts9
But thats not much of an aggressive tank if I go with those fish.
It's just another option. Most of the aggressive/predatory fish grow pretty large so you're going to be limited to a few specimens. I've been out of aggressives for a few years now.
Do you like lionfish? A lion, tusk and eel would work? Whatever you decide consider adult sizes/talk to people who have owned these fish (not newbies with little to no experience)/ and research compatability. You have to be happy with it but good practice dictates responsible choices too. Good luck.
 
vanos

vanos

Member
Skip the achilles and sohal tang even though their beautiful fish because you just don't have the room for those. Get a blue tang or a kole tang which would go well in your size tank. Maybe a large puffer such as a dogface. Maybe a clown trigger but a 120 might be pushing the limit.
 
moto757

moto757

Member
well you got a wish list about the same as my fish in my tank I have 1 zebra moray who is getting huge and doesn't bother anyone. I have a hummu trgger and a purple tang. I used to have a tusk but I got a nice ick outbreak and lost him until I started running uv. I replaced the tusk with a lunar wrasse way more color and personality and lastly 1 figi devil damsel . I would get larger angels with alot of aggresive fish they seem to not like the messy water no mater how clean you keep it a trigger is going to mess it up. good luck and choose wisely
 
outcasts9

outcasts9

New Member
get a lionfish with those
No lionfish....I already stated that
well you got a wish list about the same as my fish in my tank I have 1 zebra moray who is getting huge and doesn't bother anyone. I have a hummu trgger and a purple tang. I used to have a tusk but I got a nice ick outbreak and lost him until I started running uv. I replaced the tusk with a lunar wrasse way more color and personality and lastly 1 figi devil damsel . I would get larger angels with alot of aggresive fish they seem to not like the messy water no mater how clean you keep it a trigger is going to mess it up. good luck and choose wisely

what filteration are you running with that?
 
moto757

moto757

Member
I am running a mag 9.5 as my main pump with a maxijet 400 for the refuge with a 9 watt uv with a maxi jet 400 running through that. A aqua c urchin skimmer all in a 29 gal. tank I built myself and works pretty good.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
You had a humu trigger, purple tang, zebra moray and had a harlequin tusk (now a lunare wrasse and damsel) in a 29g tank? Wow. Did you ever figure out why you had an ick outbreak?? I have some ideas.
 
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