Planning for fish in my first reef.

[cryptics]

I have always kept agressive fish only tanks so I have very little feel for reef fish. The tank is a 90g with a 30g sump. Planning on putting between 100-120 lbs of rock. I would really like a pair of Peula clowns. My wife really likes the idea of mated pairs. Can you keep multiple types of clowns? I would also like to add a Mandarin but that won't be for 6-12 months when the tank is established and the fuge is pushing out large amounts of pods. Beyond that I am really not sure and open to suggestions. I would love to add a Tang at some point. What would be my options on a 90g. Besides the Blue Throat are there any reef safe Triggers? Are any of the Angels actually safe or just the dwarf angels?
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated

 

[teresaq]

hi, and welcome.
I would only do one pair of clowns for a tank your size.
As for tangs, Maybe a kole, or a scopas
Flasher or fairy wrasse would be nice
pair of banggi cardinals
bicolor or tail spot blenny
as for angels, dwarf or pygmy - then there is always a chance of them nipping corals.
T

 

[1guydude]

Quote:
hi, and welcome.
I would only do one pair of clowns for a tank your size.
As for tangs, Maybe a kole, or a scopas
Flasher or fairy wrasse would be nice
pair of banggi cardinals
bicolor or tail spot blenny
as for angels, dwarf or pygmy - then there is always a chance of them nipping corals.
T
+1
bangii cardinal are awsome looking. If i had more room in mine i would deff get at least a pair. I like the bi-color tang hes black and like tan kinda diffrent...the angels will pick around if under fed.

 

[cryptics]

Ohh cool the Kole Tang is nice. I think he just got added. My favorite Tang is the Achilles but my tank is too small for him.
Not sure on bangii cardinal. They sit so still it is kinda freaky
Both wrasses look cool.
I want the bicolor blenny! His face looks like an old man it is great.
How about Buterflies? I know they are very difficult and need to be in an established tank. If I added one the same time as the Manderin would that work? or do they need more room than I have?

 

[1guydude]

is this a 90 gal corner tank or a rectangle. I would have a 100-180 gal tank if I was gonna keep tangs and butterflies but this is my opinion. Ive heard nothing but good things about that blenny!

 

[cryptics]

The tank is a rectangle

 

[btldreef]

The possibilities are endless, but this is what I'd go with:
2 Ocellaris Clownfish (they stay more orange in coloration that a Percula and to me just add a little more "pop" in color)
3 Anthias to form a small harem. Resplendent's and Lyretails are some of the easier ones, purchase all females if possible and allow one to change to male
1 McCosker's or other flasher or fairy wrasse. (I'm suggesting the McCosker's because a. they're easy to find and b. they're easy to care for and have crazy colors under tank lighting)
1 BiColor Blenny (every tank needs a blenny! they're just full of personality)
1 Yellow Eye Kole (any of the Ctenochaetus species will work. You could also do a Scopus or a Yellow tang, but to me, they're boring)
1 Copperband Butterfly (because you mentioned you liked butterflies, these are one of your safer options for a reef, but you have to be positive that it's a healthy specimen. IME, well fed CB's do not nip at corals. I have one in my reef and absolutely love it.) There are some other "with caution" butterflies if you really want. They're all a risk, but some are better than others. I've just started to really look into butterflies as I plan to do a FOWLR in the near future.
1 Coral Beauty or Flame Angel (the best options for a reef tank)
1 GreenBanded Goby
1 Mandarin
There are some full size angelfish that are considered reef safe, but none are really suited for your tank size. As a general rule the Genicanthus group of angelfish are reef safe (Bellus, Lamark's, etc).

 

[1guydude]

in that specific order BTL??? sry i guess thats the OPs question lol, I would think the mandrin would be last as it needs pods and thats how u mention it lol. Good luck and have fun with the tank cyrptic!

 

[btldreef]

If I were to go in order based on those fish I'd probably go this route:
2 Clowns
1 Green Banded Goby
1 McCosker's (or other fairy/flasher wrasse) - you really could get away with more than one flasher or fairy, or one of each, add them together to minimize stress/aggression if you decide to do more than one
1 BiColor Blenny
1 Coral beauty or Flame
3 Anthias
1 Yellow Eye Kole
1 Mandarin
1 Copperband Butterfly
I would choose to put the butterfly in last because they really do better in established tanks, they need it even more than the mandarin does. I would wait 2-4 weeks in between each addition, obviously shorter if only adding 1 fish, longer if adding multiples (such as the anthias). Depending on pods, Mandarin can be added in the 6-12 month range. I wouldn't put a Copperband in until after the year mark.

 

[cryptics]

Thank you! That is really helpful and everything looks really cool. I only asked about the full size Angel because i have been following the thread for the 475g build and absolutely loved the Angel he got.
Replaced the bulkheads and painted the back of the tank tonight Maybe get water into it this weekend or next week

 

[btldreef]

He has some beautiful fish in that tank!
As for the butterfly, forgot to mention this earlier, but since you're local:
If you're really set on a butterfly, go to Tropical Island Aquarium in Deer Park. Mike is the owner. He gets really good quality fish in. If you ask him to order it, and feed it for a week or two, he will (especially if you tell him you know me). If it won't eat, he won't sell it to you.

 

[cryptics]

Thanks. Good to know. I will get all the fish from him.

 

[btldreef]

A lot of my fish came from him. I've done a lot from AquaHut as well, but you're taking a risk when you get fish from there. They move fish so fast that you have no idea what you're getting. I've seen people fight over fish in that store, LOL. They have a lot of unhealthy fish that come in too, since they get such huge shipments, so fish from the absolutely have to be put in QT. That being said, you can't beat their prices, and they get crazy amounts of corals in. Mike at Tropical Island is a big ORA guy, his corals are pricey, but he's got quality and a lot of stuff that others on the island don't have. For any basic coral or a big piece of LPS, definitely go to AquaHut.

 

[cryptics]

I would rather go to someone like Tropical Island. A new store called Aquarium Village opened up right by my house across from the Source Mall. Have you heard anything about them? Everything in there looked healthy and clean. As far as corals I am thinking about going all Frags and growing them. I think it would be cool to see the whole tank grow. Of course I am usually not good at resisting temptation so we will see how long that plan lasts

 

[btldreef]

Haha, I know the feeling. We do a lot of small pieces and let them grow out, but having a few nice chunks helps fill the tank and not look so empty. We have a lot of rock, so without some of the bigger LPS pieces, the frags just look lost amongst the sea of rocks.

 

[cryptics]

I was in a LFS on Saturday and saw adult perc clowns. I loved the black they get on them. I am leaning towards them now

 

[gcgrad]

IMO a Golden Angelfish is a better option than the dwarf angels. They are generally peaceful and reported as reef safe. On the pricey side but what else is new with this hobby!

 

[cryptics]

The Golden Angelfish looks really cool. A little worried because most sites say they will nip at corals later in life. May be tempted enough though. He is cool

 

[cryptics]

Ok so far I have a pair of clowns (love them) and a yellow watchman goby. Going off of BTLDReef's recommendations here is what I am thinking
I really like the Leopard Wrasse but I know they are difficult to keep (not sure why though). I also really like the Linespot Flasher, the Carpenter's Flasher and the McCosker's Flasher. Idealy I would like to add two one Leopard and one Linespot. How doable is this?
Love the bicolor blenny so that is a must
The Golden Angelfish looks really cool. It seems to carry the same warnings as the Flame and Coral Beauty. I know they are hard to find but if I do is this a good choice?
3 Anthias. thinking Saddleback or Bartlets.
Yellow eyed Kole Tank. Going to look for an Indian Ocean one. I love the Chevron but I believe it needs a much bigger tank.
Still on the fence about the Mandarin and the Butterfly. Still want them but I will play it by ear
opinions?

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by cryptics http:///forum/thread/385042/planning-for-fish-in-my-first-reef#post_3391974
Ok so far I have a pair of clowns (love them) and a yellow watchman goby. Going off of BTLDReef's recommendations here is what I am thinking
I really like the Leopard Wrasse but I know they are difficult to keep (not sure why though). I also really like the Linespot Flasher, the Carpenter's Flasher and the McCosker's Flasher. Idealy I would like to add two one Leopard and one Linespot. How doable is this? Completely doable. I'm planning on a flasher, a fairy, a hogfish (which is a wrasse) and a pair of Leopards. The issue with Leopards is that they often refuse to eat in the home aquarium. They really need an established tank to thrive. I put them in the same category as mandarins, completely doable, just need the tank to be mature first.
Love the bicolor blenny so that is a must
The Golden Angelfish looks really cool. It seems to carry the same warnings as the Flame and Coral Beauty. I know they are hard to find but if I do is this a good choice? The few times I've seen them in tanks, they've always been in reefs. I believe that they're almost never in stock anywhere though, but I do see a place online that has them at the moment, for a decent price. They are cave dwellers, so it's not going to be as out in the open as some of the others. They're VERY hard to keep because they get stressed out very easily. As long as your rock work has a lot of hiding places, it should be okay. One of the other issues with this particular species, is that they are one of the ones that require sponge in their diet. Many of the more common Dwarfs don't, such as the Coral beauty.
3 Anthias. thinking Saddleback or Bartlets. Copy cat with the Saddle Backs!!!

They're beautiful. I really considered the Bartlett's for awhile because they're one of the easier ones to care for.
Yellow eyed Kole Tank. Going to look for an Indian Ocean one. I love the Chevron but I believe it needs a much bigger tank. Chevron's get aggressive. Yellow Eyed Kole will do well in your tank.
Still on the fence about the Mandarin and the Butterfly. Still want them but I will play it by ear Mandarin is completely doable. You have my rock, which I know had a ton of pods because my mandarin had died about 5 months before you got the rock. Wait 6-9 months and you should be fine. You also have a refugium, so you'll be good.
Which Butterfly? I have a Copperband in my tank, he's never nipped at anything. I am one of those people that truly believes that if you feed good quality foods and a good mixture to keep the fish interested, they are much, MUCH less likely to chomp down on your corals. Mike at Tropical Island usually has Copperband Butterflies that are reef safe. Keep an eye out, he likes to keep them in his acan frag tank. I took a risk and bought mine from AquaHut, and got lucky.
opinions?