Any suggestions???

[stig]

I recently moved all my fish from a 15G to a 46G. Currently I have a couple of small gobies, a maroon clown, a cherub angel, a wrasse and a small puffer.
I want to add just one or 2 more fish. All my current fish are, and will stay, pretty small. I'd like to get something a little bigger.
I really would like to get a tang and I know what the tang police would say about that.......or maybe a butterfly.
So, any suggestions? Is there a kind of tang I could keep happy in a 46G? Or a butterfly? Possibly......dare I say it, both? Or any other suggestions for any slightly larger fish that can be kept in this tank?

 

[logan15]

Wow your at your level tottaly!!!!!! I cant believe you have all that in a 46 Gallon.A puffer dosent stay that small a marron can get up to 5-6" the max bioload for a 46 would be 9-10" max
Is it me or would you guys say no to anything else?I think a yellow tang would be way over.
Logan

 

[fshhub]

definitley no tang
you are probably over stocked but,
what type of wrasse and what type of puffer?

 

[stig]

Erm, well, as I mentioned, I moved all these inhabitants from a 15G where they all lived without problems for quite a long time. If I am overstocked now then......??? Many of the people on this board predicted disaster for me when I set up my 15G tank 3 years ago and, well, sorry to have to inform you, but it wasn't. I really appreciate the advice that people offer but, at times, some people should perhaps refrain from giving it with the attitude that they are the ULTIMATE authority on this topic. Yes, we all have opinions and, yes, they differ. But, at the end of the day, opinions are exactly what they are. If you are telling me that I am at my biological limit now then that is obviously incorrect since the same inhabitants were kept successfully in a 15G tank. If you are talking about room for the inhabitants then we can debate. All of the inhabitants, with the exception of the maroon, were chosen because they stay small.
The puffer is a valentini which do stay small. The wrasse is similar to a yellow wrasse except it has pinkish stripes on its body. One of the gobies is a Randall's shrimp goby which I've had for ages and is tiny. The other one is a complete recluse except to feed. So, I have 4 small active fish and I want to add a slightly larger fish to this population.
Any suggestions?

 

[tygerfifteen]

Hey stig ,
I'm with you on that inches per gallon rule, I go by it but don't believe in it (planning to get more fish that's way), I also don't go by the watts per gallon rule.
Anyway I'm also thinking what to get,I have a 68 gallon with a scooter blenny,cherub angel,perc,greenchromis.
by far my favorite fish is the cherub because of it's beautiful color.
I'm thinking of getting some type of tang and more chromis so that they can school.
Did you ever think about pairing your goby with a shrimp ?

 

[stig]

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, the cherub angel's color is beautiful.
Pairing the Randal's shrimp goby with a shrimp? Didn't know anything about this, perhaps you could tell me what you mean. I do have a cleaner shrimp in there but maybe you mean a different kind of shrimp.
If you are looking for a really cool fish with great personality and you don't have inverts, I'd really recommend a valentini puffer. They can be slightly picky eaters but mine eats anything and is so cool to watch - especially when it practices blowing itself up like a balloon.
Would a butterfly be better for my tank than a tang? Has anyone kept a tang in a 46G without any problems?

 

[jumpfrog]

I too have a 46 and my largest fish in a 2.5" coral beauty. I have a yellow tang in a 72 and a sailfin in a 125. If there is a problem with tangs in a 46 it would not only be that they grow fairly large, but they really like to swim. If you ever saw an animal at the zoo pacing back and forth in a small spot you'll get the idea. Would the tang survive? Probably. Would it be happy? Probably not? Of course a baby tang would be ok for a while. But then you'd have a "small" fish instead of something bigger than you're looking for.
I can't think of a larger fish that is somewhat sedentary that won't make a meal of your other fish. ie grouper or lion.
Good Luck in your search!

 

[ozadars]

I think a tang is REALLY small for that size of tank, he will have white spots on him always , when he ll grow! If u have a reef tank, i wouldnt recommend u to add any more fish, yes u re right sometimes u can overstock but thats really too much, butterflys need EXCELLENT water. But my favourite fish is Marine Betta which isnt agresive and they are big, I love them and ll put to my neew tank, if u want, u can take something of like puffer or angel and put, i think its better to take of some of your fish and add new ones, because, maroons are REALLY agresive, gobys are fine, angel and puffer arent reef safe (but i dont know much about valentini puffer) and wrasse looks fine, if u want to take off some of yur fish and add new ones u can have this
Your gobies
Your Wrasse
Your Angel
1 Royal Gramma
1 Ocellaris Clown
1 pair of goby
2 pairs of pistol shrimps (pistol shrimps lives w/ their gobies, if they are shrimp gobies, and digs holes for them)
this will be a peaceful tank, but u said u want bigger sp. ???
Take Care
And Good Luck

 

[stig]

Thanks a lot for the replies. I really appreciate your opinions.
It's not a reef, it's a FOWLR.
Jumpfrog: You hit the nail on the head. I've seen elephants pacing in zoos in Thailand and it made me feel sick. If you look at my post above, you'll see that I am only correcting the person's comment about biological limit. I have a deep respect for nature and that is why there are no corals in my tank.
The reason I posted this question is to get people's opinions based on their knowledge and their experience. I have no desire to put a fish in my tank if it will be unhappy - I had a yellow tang in my 15 when I didn't know any better and it wasn't long before I gave it back to the shop coz I could see he wasn't happy.
Ozadars: I have tried to give my maroon away and my LFS refused. They said it was coz they couldn't sell it since everyone knows how aggressive they are. I'll try a different store. I appreciate your suggestion about substituting some of the fish. Since I don't have a reef, the puffer will be fine. I wouldn't give him up even if I did have a reef
So, no bigger fish for a 46G eh?

 

[michaeltx]

most of the nier fish that are offered for trade will be like the tang and pace around and be real happy about it.
what about smaller more active schoooling fish like bangii cardinals or firefish something simialar to these>?
if you didnt have the wrasse I would say a small group of filamented flasher wrasses I got a group that have been a great addition to my 50.
I would really try to find someone for that maroon though or if you still have the 15 reset it for the maroon?
as far as bioload I think it all depends on exoerience and what type of filtration methid you use. and what works for one doesnt work for all.
MIke

 

[stig]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm starting to consider the idea of a couple of small fish instead of one big one. I'll just have to keep a close eye on that maroon.

 

[ozadars]

If ur lfs dont want 2 change him, then y dont u give him free?

 

[stig]

Since I bought him from a different store, which closed down - not because it was a bad store - I offered it to him for free from the beginning. He said that he didn't want it since he would have trouble shifting it. I was in the store today and got chatting to a customer who I repeatedly offered him to. He thought I was joking at first but eventually realised that I wasn't.....he went home happy with a free maroon clown. I came home happy with a royal gramma. Probably a lot more expensive than what you guys are paying - about $40!!! Don't even ask me what I paid for my cherub. Oh, you can't beat Japanese prices!

 

[sting_ray29]

You think about a hawkfish or a dwarf angelfish?