Compatibility Issues

[curve]

You guys have been a great help in the past, giving me advice on my stocking list. I have made some changes, thanks to some of your opinions and much research, and would like to again ask for your help on my revised list. I want to make sure that I know what I'm getting into before I start buying fish that I can't take care of.
I am considering the Sohal Tang, which I understand is one of the more hearty Tangs. Is this true? I am also wanting a Blue Hippo, and I believe that I have decided on the Desjardinii Sailfin Tang to go with these two. I realize that both the Sailfin and the Sohal are larger specimens, but I do not plan to keep them in my 150 for more than a year or two. (Will give me the excuse I need to get that 300 I really want...LOL) Can anyone give me advice on these three Tangs coexisting? Any experience with them? Is there any reason that I would not want to mix them?
If these three are good choices, should I introduce all three at once, or one at a time, with a few weeks in between to lower Ich chances? I've heard both ways, and I am confused as to which way is better. Any experience?
A little info. on my tank: I currently have a 150 FOWLR tank (setup on 12/27/07) with two Percula Clowns and a Pink Spotted Goby. I have given these three a little over a month to themselves, and I am ready to begin adding my next fish or fishes. After the tangs, I plan to also add three triggers: Niger, Pinktail and a Picasso. These 9 are the only fish I plan to have. I am maybe considering a dwarf fuzzy lion and a dwarf toby puffer, but only if they can coexist with my previous choices and not overstock the tank.
Any suggestions/advice welcome. Thanks in advance!

 

[trigger11]

Originally Posted by Curve
http:///forum/post/2533911
You guys have been a great help in the past, giving me advice on my stocking list. I have made some changes, thanks to some of your opinions and much research, and would like to again ask for your help on my revised list. I want to make sure that I know what I'm getting into before I start buying fish that I can't take care of.
I am considering the Sohal Tang, which I understand is one of the more hearty Tangs. Is this true? I am also wanting a Blue Hippo, and I believe that I have decided on the Desjardinii Sailfin Tang to go with these two. I realize that both the Sailfin and the Sohal are larger specimens, but I do not plan to keep them in my 150 for more than a year or two. (Will give me the excuse I need to get that 300 I really want...LOL) Can anyone give me advice on these three Tangs coexisting? Any experience with them? Is there any reason that I would not want to mix them?
If these three are good choices, should I introduce all three at once, or one at a time, with a few weeks in between to lower Ich chances? I've heard both ways, and I am confused as to which way is better. Any experience?
A little info. on my tank: I currently have a 150 FOWLR tank (setup on 12/27/07) with two Percula Clowns and a Pink Spotted Goby. I have given these three a little over a month to themselves, and I am ready to begin adding my next fish or fishes. After the tangs, I plan to also add three triggers: Niger, Pinktail and a Picasso. These 9 are the only fish I plan to have. I am maybe considering a dwarf fuzzy lion and a dwarf toby puffer, but only if they can coexist with my previous choices and not overstock the tank.
Any suggestions/advice welcome. Thanks in advance!
I am certain there will be others with more experience but here are my thoughts. I realize you do say you are thinking about upgrading to a 300G in the future. However, even knowing that I myself would not stock your 150G with all of the fish you suggest. Seems to me you would start running out of room within a year. And this would be if all of the fish were real small when you get them. The main issue IMO is that your stock list is consisting of all fish that get to be around 10 inches at least when they grow up. With 3 triggers I would bet there would be a lot of aggression in the tank.
This would be my advice. Stock the 150 for what you can safely put in there. Maybe 2 of the tangs and one of the triggers. See how things go and maybe you could introduce one other larger fish. But I would definitely wait on getting all that many big fish until you have the aquarium ready to do so. I have not had first hand experience but I have read several horror stories of Triggers living peacefully with other fish for a while. Then they get to a larger size and get super aggressive and territorial killing everything in the tank.
My other suggestion would be to research the Aggressive section on these boards. Many of your questions could be answered there.
Best of luck

 

[curve]

I took your advice and read through the entire Aggressive section of the boards. From what I gathered on there, the three triggers that I have chosen appear to be on the low end of the aggression spectrum, so I believe they are good choices.
I understand your point of all of my fish choices being over 10". I'm just so confused and frustrated,

, because everyone I have showed my list to locally says, "yeah, they should be fine, just stay around 1" of fish for every 2 gallons of tank." So, according to that theory.......
Two Percula Clowns - 3-1/2" each
Pink Spotted Goby - 4"
Sohal Tang - 12"
Sailfin Tang - 15"
Blue Hippo - 14"
Pinktail Trigger - 14"
Niger Trigger - 12"
Picasso Trigger - 10"
.......my max lengths total 88" (full grown), which is only about a 58% ratio to my tank's volume, which I though was a good ratio. And, isn't it unlikely that ALL of these fish will reach their max size?

 

[1journeyman]

Fish typically fail to grow to their max size because of stress, lack of proper nutrition, etc. Don't expect a fish not to grow, rather see lack of growth as an issue to address.
the fish to inch ratio is silly. Pet stores throw that out there all of the time, although 1 to 2 is more a FW idea. SW is usually 5 to 1. Even that is goofy. You must look at territory requirements, feeding, level of activity, etc. For instance, a 3 inch Hawkfish and a 3 inch Puffer are certainly not equal.
Triggers are agressive. A "less aggressive" Trigger is similar to saying a small pipe bomb. I encourage you to read and ask for more opinions on the Aggressive section for mixing Triggers in a tank.