Racoon butterfly

[melb]

I am thinking of getting a racoon butterfly and wanted to make sure it would be OK in my tank. I have a 120 gal. tank and the following fish.
2 blue damsels
2 percula clowns
1 blue hippo tang
1 fire fish goby
1 blue angel
1 heniochus butterfly
1 royal grama
20 hermit crabs
Would it be fine to add the other butterfly.

 

[pacopetty]

I'd get rid of the damsels before they turn inti the bullies on the block!

 

[anglachel]

I wouldnt worry about 2 damsels in a 120 gallon tank. are they yellow tails, or blue devils?
I also wouldnt reccommend the racoons, they will make any future attempt at changing to a reef tank futile.

 

[adamz]

Originally posted by jwtrojan44
You're quite heavily stocked right now. I wouldn't add another fish, let alone one that grows to the size of a racoon. Not sure how big the fish you have are right now, but given the adult sizes of those you've listed, you'll be quite crowded.

hes not heavily stocked and the raccoon doesnt get that big

 

[melb]

They are yellow tail damsels. They are not aggressive. We had some that were aggressive but no longer have them.

 

[anglachel]

damsels on this board are over-villanized. IMHO.
is the tank a standard 120? thats my next tank after the 75. i think it is the perfect dimensions for a medium sized reef.
jwt: well stated.

 

[tyr-sog]

Just my $.02
IMO I'm over stocked in my 72" long 120gallon.
I have a
5" Maculosus Angel
2" Queen
4" Niger Trigger
5" Yellow Tang
6" Rabbit Fish
3 x 3" Green Chromis
3" LM-Blenny
5" Diamond Golby
10 fish in total.
I only say I'm overcrowed because of their future sizes. I also can tell that I'm at that "point" because I do far more water changes to keep the tank looking good and stable. The major contributer is the Niger trigger. He consumes and wastes(both internally and messy eater) so much. I doubt he will be getting transffered over to my 240 gallon. Even in the switch over to the 240 I don't think I'll be adding anymore fish considering the sizes of my 2 angels. If I get anything it will be a few more chromis for the schooling aspect. Chromis are pretty low maintaince though IMO.
Then again you see guys tanks that are way more stocked.
Anyways maybe you can use that as a reference.

 

[anglachel]

I had my 75 g tank for two years with relativly nothing in it. I've always had a few chromis, my ocellaris pair, and maybe one more, but its never been more than that.
I didint notice it until tonight, when I finally caught my citron goby out of the overflow (he's been in there about a month) but I've become one of those people with an overstocked tank. heavens to betsy.
one chromis, mandarin, citron goby, ocellaris pair, coral beauty, and a squarespot anthias.
oi.

 

[billy ocean]

you overstocked people are full of **it.
listening to you, people would have huge, bare, tanks.
Keeping an aquarium is like 'domesticating' fish to a certain degree.
If they can adjust from '1 fish per millions of gallons' of ocean, to a 4ft glass box I don't think the 1" per gallon or per 5 gallon rule(s) are gonna matter much.
Overstocking has nothing to do with a fishs' happiness, it has everthing to do with how aggressive you will have to filter your setup.
If you genuinely want your fish to be happy, set him/her back in the wild.
Its like the slaveowner who's idea of making his slaves happy is adding grits to their bacon diets. They seem to like it. But how does it compare to their freedom.
Aquaria is about your love for keeping fish, not the fishes love for being kept.

 

[socer03dud]

you could always get a breeding pair of something and breed them, then their children whould think this is true happieness, and sometimes their are breed in captivity ,SOMETIMES! There is no real way of telling if a fish is happy or not, you can only ossume!

 

[anglachel]

I think overstocked can be a highly relative term.
when your sit back and think about it as inches of fish per gallon, it can be pretty easy to make inane, uninformed comments about the stocking level of other people's tanks.
if you think of it as inches (15) per gallon (75), my tank is 1:5, which is just about right if you follow the completely archaic, asinine rule.
But with the amount that I'm feeding, to make sure everyone from the competitive anthias to the reclusive citron goby, I could very well push the dissolved organics up enough to make my SPS's suffer.
And I'm not saying suffer in the humane sense, I'm saying it in the aesthetic sense. personally, I don't worry about my fish being happy so I can be a good person, I worry about my fish being happy so I dont have to set up a hospital tank, or pay for a new acro to replace my bleached out one, or so I can go on vacation and know I'm leaving a stable enough tank that my girlfriend (who has twice lit the toaster on fire) can maintain it without having to deal with a catastrophe.
If water changes, heavy dosing, and continual livestock monitoring and support or replacement are your thing, go ahead, stock the heck out of your tanks.
Personally, If I could be so bold, I'm tired of posts where people make a point to act irreverent for the sake of looking cool. It's annoying, and the fact that you're posting on a fish forum already makes the effort wasted. (no offense, fellow members, but really )
I like my tank to work without me having to bust my but or my wallet, and having a lightly stocked tank is a perfect way to go about that.

 

[rich1515]

I have been on this group for two years now and used to heavily post with questions about my 75 reef or my 110 fo. The typical response has been the "inch per gallon" police coming out and railing their opinion.
I never venture to mention what is stocked in my tanks anymore because quite honestly I got sick of members that flip out when you have more than two clowns in a 100 gallon tank. Funny thing is, all inhabitants are thriving with good color and eating habits.
Needless to say, this is why I have become a lurker on this board. Many times after seeing the "tang" or "overstocked" police I have written my "See Ya'" letter to this group. However, since I often take away some good suggestions that are made about general items (best eqipment, corals, etc.) and there are the members whose opinion that I respect (having a thousand posts does not make an expert) I didn't do it. But when it comes to what is best for a fish in captivity, if people are so worried about stressed fish ship them to the nearest coast that they originate from and let them go.
I know the flames are coming but I had to post. Keep in mind, this is my opinion and it is worth as much as the "overstocked" police opinions as well.

 

[anglachel]

Originally posted by rich1515
But when it comes to what is best for a fish in captivity, if people are so worried about stressed fish ship them to the nearest coast that they originate from and let them go
If I hear the tired, rhetorical argument that people who are concerned about their fish's health should release them, I'm going to flip out. I'm not greenpeace, I don't bake my fish muffins and ask them how they're feeling. to reiterate: I just like my tank they way it is. same as you, I just happen to think it's getting a little cramped.
let's all get together on this and come to an agreement. When I mention that I feel my tank is getting overstocked, I don't want to hear soapbox commentary/woa-is-me any more than you want to hear the tang police chastise you on your dragon moray/nano.
agreed? agreed.
btw, the sox have lost six in a row, which puts me in about as humid a mood as russell crow after a six pack.