Future Additions to 180 Tank

joelb

joelb

New Member
This is my first post to the boards, I'm looking for some advice/recommendations on future additions to my 180 fish only tank. The tank is 8' x 18" x 24" tall with a pretty heavy amount of rock cover and fake plastic/rubber corals. Tank has been up and running for about 18 months and is generally very healthy.
Current inhabitants include:
Clown Trigger (5")
Picasso Trigger (3")
Stars & Stripes Puffer (8")
Snowflake Eel (12")
Mono (4 @ 3")
Powder Blue Tang (5")
Naso Tang (6")
Lunar Wrasse (6")
Bar Goby (2 @ 3")
Metallic Foxface (4")
a 6" Blue Throat Trigger will be delivered in a few days as well.
I generally love all the Tangs, Triggers, and Wrasses, my local reef shop seems to be very conservative about adding any fish that will get along with the current inhabitants so I wanted to check in with people who have more hands-on experience with the aggressive fish.
I've not noticed much aggression from anyone at this point, they are all very well fed and other than the Powder Blue chasing the Monos (which were added as dither fish) - there is not any drama in the tank. I realize the triggers are still relatively small and less aggressive than they will be someday, a larger tank will be in the works eventually to house them if they all go nuts.
Fish on my wish list include:
Hippo Tang
Achilles Tang
Crosshatch Trigger
Niger Trigger
Atlantic Blue Tang
Fairy Wrasse
Golden Heart Trigger
another Puffer or two of various types
I appreciate any input on fish from the wish list, or other appropriate species.
thanks!
Joel
 
R

rcreations

Guest
An agressive angel would get along well. Something like a queen or empreror. But you're getting up there as far as stocking. You don't want to overstock it too much, especially with the clown trigger in there. Triggers don't do well when they feel crowded. They go crazy and not in a good way.
 
ccampbell57

ccampbell57

Active Member
the tank is waaaay too small for a crosshatch trigger. I had one in my 180 andit looked like a quarantine tank.
 
prime311

prime311

Active Member
You're tank is already at max capacity. None of you're large fish are anywhere close to full size and some(like the Puffer and SFE) will grow pretty quickly. Although my bet is on the Clown Trig or Lunare Wrasse killing a few before they get full size anyway.
 
kjr_trig

kjr_trig

Active Member
Welcome to the boards, sounds like a great tank, love to see some pics.
I hope the Clown Trigger continues to behave, but keep an a very close eye on him, he is to the size where they are known to become very nasty.....They can turn overnight.
You have a fairly full tank at this point, sounds like time to start thinking about what CCampbell did, and turn your 180 into a much larger tank to accommodate the wishlist you have.
Chris has a 500 gallon on the way.....Biggest issue on the wishlist is the Achilles vs Powder Blue, these are two fish that would not like each other at all. You would need a far larger tank to keep another Ancanthurus family Tang IMO.
The only fish I would worry about the Lunare with is the Eel, for some reason Lunare like to go for the eyes of slow moving fish.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Agreed with most of the stuff above.
If the Powder Blue is already aggressive towards fish in the tank, I would avoid adding more tangs, esp. more Acanthurus tangs. Your Stars&Stripes, Naso, Clown Trigger, and Snowflake are still less then half fullsize.
 
joelb

joelb

New Member
Thanks for the suggestions & advice, I really appreciate it, it sounds like I'll need to let this tank settle out for a bit and will hold off adding any new fish. I'll bring the camera to work and get some pics soon. In the meantime I have a 470 gallon reef tank going in my office in January, so while that won't solve the problem of where to put the large triggers & puffer, it will be very exciting - I'll get some pics of that once the tank arrives and everything is put together.
 
N

nereef

Guest
Originally Posted by ccampbell57
http:///forum/post/2867879
the tank is waaaay too small for a crosshatch trigger. I had one in my 180 andit looked like a quarantine tank.
did you mean a clown trigger? X. mento get to about 11" max in the ocean. i don't see a problem with an 8" trigger in a 180 (ignoring other stock).
 
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