Bigger is better? Lets try 475 gallons...Tangs gonna be happy!

tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Desertdawg http:///forum/thread/384145/bigger-is-better-lets-try-475-gallons-tangs-gonna-be-happy/100#post_3371171
Just awesome!!!
Are you planning on adding any more tangs after the naso is moved?
Probably the orange shoulder and a sailfin tang will complete my tang collection. I'd love a sohal, but they are very aggressive to most other tangs, and this is a "happy" tank....The bright yellow fish for the tank will be a longnose butterfly - after this thing is a bit more established. Yellow tangs seem to bother the longnose butterflies some, so I'd rather have the butterfly than another tang.
Everyone eating as usual, still getting along great.....They seem very happy with all the room. I think the work is paying off!
 
desertdawg

desertdawg

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by tangs rule http:///forum/thread/384145/bigger-is-better-lets-try-475-gallons-tangs-gonna-be-happy/120#post_3371314
Probably the orange shoulder and a sailfin tang will complete my tang collection.
The Orange Shoulder tangs are cool, I have a Desjardini and he's about the size of a saucer now. He's always the first one to get a bite out of my hand when it's feeding time.
I had a Mata Tang, he was really cool and the friendliest fish I had, his color changing was from light silvery blue to almost black. Just awesome to watch!
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
After looking at what I've got in there, and the naso yet to come over - I may just stick with the tangs I've got...I do want to add a longnose butterfly, and an angelfish that I've wanted for a long time, Pomacanthus navarchus (blue girdled angel) - and that should be enough large fish, I dont want to over do it and have a crowded tank that requires more maintenance keeping water quality high. I've done the crowded tanks thing for many years now and getting the 475g was the planned exit from that nightmare. There will very likely be some more small guys added such as orchid dottybacks and strawberry basslets, and a reef safe wrasse. BUT - in planning out the next 10 years of this tank, and considering most of what I own will double in size, I just think it's best to resist the temptation to get every fish I ever wanted and cram in there- - only to watch them get big and become crowded/develop bad tempers/habits due to overcrowding. The angel will require some planning, as it is not a reef safe species, and will prey on certain LPS.
It's so easy to upgrade to a big tank and then think it'll hold a reef full of fishes - but big tanks can get as crowded as a nano, resulting in fish loss/stress, while making longterm upkeep difficult. I need to avoid that. I think 5 tangs, 1 lg angel, the longnose butterfly, mated pair occellaris, and some small dudes previously mentioned will result in a fairly heavy but managable bioload in 5-10 yrs
Still waiting on my 2 new 400w MH light units, and just received another dual 250w - which I plan on hanging and getting running later today. It'll look better with another 500w over it, and another 800w sometime this next week.
I'd rather have one of these than another tang though - - - Would love to hear from someone who has/does have one of these for a while.....I've never kept a large angel before.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Blue-girdled angelfish, more common called the Majestic angelfish. Now a member of the Pomacanthurus genus, formerly in the Euxiphipops genus (which you'll still see it called a lot of times) with it's two closely related cousins, the Blue-face angel, and the Six-Bar angel. The Majestic is among the smallest 'true' large angels, reaching 28cm (11") in the wild. Don't expect it to grow much past 7" in an aquarium if it grows that big. To spite some pretty raunchy/boisterous angelfish relatives, the Majestic is actually fairly unaggressive. Upon introduction they are fairly cryptic, especially true when keeping Majestic with larger angels in a multi-angel stocked aquarium. They will come out more as they settle into the tank. It's important in the early stages to make sure the angel is eating well. Like most large angels their diet, as I'm sure you know, should include some sponge (usually prepackaged 'angel formula').
BTW, no member of the "big tank club" is officially admitted till he/she had checked off "Crosshatch Trigger" on their stocklist. Just thought to go ahead and give you the heads up.
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by AquaKnight http:///forum/thread/384145/bigger-is-better-lets-try-475-gallons-tangs-gonna-be-happy/120#post_3372454
Blue-girdled angelfish, more common called the Majestic angelfish. Now a member of the Pomacanthurus genus, formerly in the Euxiphipops genus (which you'll still see it called a lot of times) with it's two closely related cousins, the Blue-face angel, and the Six-Bar angel. The Majestic is among the smallest 'true' large angels, reaching 28cm (11") in the wild. Don't expect it to grow much past 7" in an aquarium if it grows that big. To spite some pretty raunchy/boisterous angelfish relatives, the Majestic is actually fairly unaggressive. Upon introduction they are fairly cryptic, especially true when keeping Majestic with larger angels in a multi-angel stocked aquarium. They will come out more as they settle into the tank. It's important in the early stages to make sure the angel is eating well. Like most large angels their diet, as I'm sure you know, should include some sponge (usually prepackaged 'angel formula').
BTW, no member of the "big tank club" is officially admitted till he/she had checked off "Crosshatch Trigger" on their stocklist. Just thought to go ahead and give you the heads up.

Thank You for the info...am likely a couple months away from stock completion - but you mentioned a prepackaged "angel formula" and I'd like to know what make/brand u suggest......I have not ever kept an angle, and would appreciate your advice prior to getting one (and espically this one)..... As far as the crosshatch trigger is concerned - I've had a humu - which was a great fish to own, aside from him tipping over corals & rocks and trying to bury them 24/7. The humu is alot like a dog in that it makes noise and likes to arrange/re-arrange the tank to suit his needs and to heck with the owner - Am not sure I want a trigger in the mix just yet - but am not calling it off either. . . . .Your advice on a great angel fish food is surely needed...thx in advance! ken
 
bullitr

bullitr

Active Member
That's a good idea to start with one angel
I got carried away with I have 6 large angel on my tank and so many tangs.
With my ick issues and too much aggression they all die:(
Now I plan to go slowly and add 3 fishes at a time while I do a heavy copper and prazipro QT
My current fish list
Maculosus  angel currently on my qt again 
Regal angel 
Emperor Angel 
moorish idol currently on my friends reef tank 
 
Blue tang on my friend reef tank
Purple tang on my friend reef tank
Achilles on my friend reef tank
Yellow tang 2x in qt
Naso on my friend reef tank
Kole tang on my friend reef tank
Black tang if I can find a large one 
Yellow coris wrasse x2 qt
Lime green wrasse qt
Lunare wrasse qt
Melanurus wrasse qt
Red coris wrasse juvenile qt
Leopard wrasse x4 
Cleaner wrasse
Diamond gobies x 3
Black and white clown 
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1Snapple http:///forum/thread/384145/bigger-is-better-lets-try-475-gallons-tangs-gonna-be-happy/120#post_3372593
I like crosshatch triggers but way to expensive for me.
True, they are a little pricey compared to other fish, but if you looked at the costs of most tanks that are sized appropriate for a Crosshatch, their prices shrink in comparison
.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tangs rule http:///forum/thread/384145/bigger-is-better-lets-try-475-gallons-tangs-gonna-be-happy/120#post_3372751
Thank You for the info...am likely a couple months away from stock completion - but you mentioned a prepackaged "angel formula" and I'd like to know what make/brand u suggest......I have not ever kept an angle, and would appreciate your advice prior to getting one (and especially this one)..... As far as the crosshatch trigger is concerned - I've had a humu - which was a great fish to own, aside from him tipping over corals & rocks and trying to bury them 24/7. The humu is alot like a dog in that it makes noise and likes to arrange/re-arrange the tank to suit his needs and to heck with the owner - Am not sure I want a trigger in the mix just yet - but am not calling it off either. . . . .Your advice on a great angel fish food is surely needed...thx in advance! ken
There are basically two types of angel formula commonly available, Ocean Nutrition Angel Formula, and Hikari Mega-Marine Angel. They compare pretty similar in their nutrition specs, but the Ocean Nutrition sinks to where you're angels actually are, where as the Hikari floats at the surface and usually gets sucked down the overflow. Most people feed the angel-specific food a couple times of a week, 3 or 4. There's no harm in feeding everyday, or for non-angelfish to eat the food. Depending on the size of your angel, you may have to cut up the cubes, which will help cut down on waste. I dice mine into long pieces across the cube.
As for the Crosshatch, triggers in the Xanthichthys genus (including the Xhatch, and the Blue Jaw trigger, and the Sargassum trigger), are quite unique. They are planktivores, which means they eat little bits of food drifting in the water, instead like most triggers who hunt on the rocks for food. Xanthichthys triggers have a very different personality then most, more aggressive triggers. They swim a lot, much like a tang, and are usually extremely peaceful. Most will even leave most shrimp/crab alone, depending on size. I would really suggest research more on them.
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
Wow! - thanks for all the data AquaKnight. So much easier to learn from someone elses knowledge / experience...I will surely research the Xanthichthys line - they are some amazing looking fishes.
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
Sorry for the absence on new progress - my bud, Yogi was having blood in his urine mid week - so he is at the vet now recovering from this mornings surgery to remove 2 bladder stones - one the size of a dime and 1/8" thick!
He comes home in an hour so it may be kinda a quiet weekend, but I gotta get the Qtine tanks set up - have new fishes comming on tuesday of next week...the blue girdled angel, an orange shoulder tang (couldn't resist it), a longnose butterfly, 2 6line wrasses, and 2 lawnmower blennies. I've also 4 new skunk cleaners comming, and they will go into a fallow 100g for a couple weeks. The crosshatch trigger WILL be added to the stocklist, and will be purchased later - Just spent 1000 bucks on surgery for the dog - but his VPI insurance will reimburse that, later this year, then I'll use 1/2 of it to buy the trigger.
This is the bigger of the 2 stones removed this morning - No wonder he was peeing blood,
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
wow thats pretty big.my wife had gall stones like 5 of them about a cm. big.they looked like cracker jack popcorn.
i really want a crosshatch.i am not worried about my shrimp and cuc if they eat them but do they bother corals? my guy in plano can get them for a very good price i would get the pair if i did.
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
well just talked to my fish supplier and he said crosshatch dont come in small size i want something around 4 inches and he said they only come 6-7 inches or bigger.i just think a 7 inch trigger will rearrange my corals and rock too much.oh well.i will have to follow yours when you get it.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
I have just a single Crosshatch. Would have liked to do a pair, but with the tank 'only' being a 240gal, we saved the bioload space for other fish. In the wild, Crosshatches live in medium-sized shoals from 10, to 100's of fish, mixed males/females. As long as you have other fish that will keep the Crosshatch active, I have a Naso with him, they should be fine. Most of the CUC will be left alone, can't guarantee it, but the shrimp should be left alone as well. Correct about the size, smaller Crosshatches are almost never available. They're believed to be deeper water when they're smaller, and come into more collectible areas as they grow (which is still quite deep over 100' deep, closer to 200'). CCampbell got a 5.5" Male 4.5" Female a while ago, though he purchased his directly from a collector.
I really won't worry about the Crosshatch flipping frags over, or picking up rocks. Again, their behavior is quite different from other triggers. They're usually out in the front swimming, very similar to a tang, rather then picking the rocks clean. KJR_Trig has a better vid of his pair, then I do of mine, which really shows the behavior of these guys;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb_L0zXZWUI
 
1snapple

1snapple

Active Member
A friend of mine has/ had a crosshatch in his 240g, it moved his rocks, his corals, and when he went to feed it bit his finger and took out a chunk of finger. he sold it shortly after he bought it. $350
 
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