starting community 150 gal tank need compatability advise

[whipitboy]

i ordered 100+ package(75 hermits, 50 snails arrow crab 3 horseshoes, 3 pepermint shrimp), 5 firefish gobies,and a emporer angel(juvenile). im going fish invert only. what can i go with that wont fight or eat my inverts? im going with small medium fish for now. thanks for your advise feel free to email. chris

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

You have a pretty big tank. Id' think the skies the limit for fish.
I would wait until the biofilter settles and start thinking about what types of colors you want the tank to display.

 

[whipitboy]

good idea . but all wrasses out of the question ?i know most eat inverts.

 

[maryc137]

That's right, forget the wrasses. I had to trade off my lunare wrasse after he had a couple shrimp dinners.

 

[livingwater]

You may want to stay away from the more agressive angels. unless you buy them young. i have a 9 inch imperor angel and he does not touch the inverts. however i may wake up one day and a star fish is half eaten. some fish that they say wont work just may work. i think you should do some research. ask yourself this.....what are you top 5 favorite fish and go from there. if number 1 wont work with nuber 3 on your list then number 3 will have to be subsituted. this took me over a year to decide on the fish i have. and next week i will have a 300 gallon coming. now i have a 150g. good luck.

 

[whipitboy]

well top 5 favorites... scratch the wrasses.1.mandarins(owned 3 all died quickly i've heard they dont do well in captivity)2. korean angel3.cowfish 4.schooling fish(whats a safe small to small medium schooling fish of 10?)5. probably a late adition bt a large show fish that wont much my fish or inverts. probably a vegetarian huh?

 

[whipitboy]

i know lights in my fish invert tank are indifferent. i have 4 power compact 3ft 96 watt bulbs. 2 white,2 blue. what are pros n cons? possibly an aglae problem?if so will the 100+ package be sufficient?wat can i add?

 

[livingwater]

like i said you may be abile to get by with the angel.esp when young. but if you see going after him them get him out. trade him or something. once they get big they cant get into the little hiding spaces like under the rock to get to your inverts. i have in my 150 a yellow tang, blue hep tang, a very very large dominoe demsel, a small clarki clown, a arch eye hawk and 2 stars and 2 decor crabs. snails. the thing with some inverts ..with rock you cant see them anyway. i just saw my decor crab 2 days ago for the first time in a month. i have not seen my brittle star in over month and a halve. however i have lots of rock. the angel is pretty you almost gotta try it to see if it will work. i love my emperor angel. he will eat out of my hand. he has his adult markings.

 

[livingwater]

as far as the alge goes..good luck. as long as you have light you will have alge. get you a long scarper and put your rock in a place where you can get to all the glass to wipe off algae.so rock really should not touch your glass. get a timer for your lights about 10 to 15 bucks. make sure its grounded. control the time your lights are on.
oh yeah and with your angel for get about growing stuff on the rock. grab a tang to help control the algae too. get some roman lettuce for the tang and angel to pick at. that will help them stay off the rock. and there are little strips you can buy to put in the tank to allow them to pick on also.
get you some zoe vitamin to help with nutrition. that will keep the lateral line a hole in head away from your angel and tangs. you want to keep them looking good.this will help with the color also. keep your emperor feed and he may stay off the inverts. if you go 3 days with out food. dont get mad if you turn on the lights and he cleaned out your live stock. they are so cool. they will play with you. if you walk pass the tank they will follow once they get use to you.
have fun.....
sorry so winded. its late!

 

[livingwater]

as far as lighting.you dont need that much blue. on 2 50/50 and the rest trichomatic. or 1 blue and the rest white. however a 150 is pretty deep. if you even convert to reef remember that.
as far as scoolong.like i said i want to try like 5 yellow or purple tantgs in my 300 when i ger it sunday evening. if you get a buch of clowns they will eventually go down to just 2. a male and female. try the green chromis. do some research on it. when you go to get you cleaner crew .i say take it to the max. if you have a 150 get something ideal for a 250. only if you have the rock. this will help with getting rid of that extra food in the sand bed.
you are going with live sand right? i personallydont like crushed coral. you get food trapped in the coral bed. this can be a night mare a year from now and when you feed your angel and tang.most green stuff wont hold together in one peice. i recomend making you own food with the vitamins in it.

 

[whipitboy]

greatu. i will get some zo vitamin,. i enjoy yellow tangs might get some after tank cycles. will sailfin, tangs school? are green chromis small? yes i have live sand good luck with your 300.i'd like to see some pics of the progression of it.i've got a pic of mine .fish and invert package arrive tommorrow am. will take pic ofh them . yes i need two timers i prefer to run blue lights little longer at night just for visual preferences.thanks for all great ideas n advice

 

[kung fu]

The green chromis is what I have been planning for a shoal/schooling fish (you might look for my thread concerning this...)
Small fish...1-2 inch. Here's a picture or two...
<a href="http://www.fishindex.com/phpinfo//37/2//1479" target="_blank">http://www.fishindex.com/phpinfo//37/2//1479</a>
Peace...

 

[whipitboy]

fish inverts in! acclimation went well hope e. angel behaves everybodies moving aroud well. time to let tank cycle before more additions?think i'll go with 5 y. tangs 1 or 2 blue? or 3 better?

 

[tallyho]

Don't you think it quite risky to add an angel before having cycled the tank...I am fairly new also
but believe your Angel sould only be added to a
more mature tank.
Good Luck...I hope I am wrong.
Regards

 

[shel]

The green chomis look really pretty together, they always school together. I have 7 in my 140g, they are small (Like 2 1/2").
I would think 150 Gal is not big enough for a school of yellow tangs. I have also heard they will fight with each other and other fish. You might want to research it a little more.
I hope the Emp Angel does well in such a new tank. Good Luck <img src="graemlins//angel.gif" border="0" alt="[angel]" />

 

[whipitboy]

guess an angel is an expensive starter . hope hes made of steel!at least he is very hearty and not skidish n eatting on first day!
thanks for advice on yellows it will be a while before i add more and loading tank of the go is not my intention.looks like a great schooler is he cromis ggotten several posts and seems to be a great schooler i've heard 5-7 so far. sounds good

 

[chicki1957]

be careful with the cow fish, them and the box fish can and will release a toxin that will kill all your inhabitants...if they should die.

 

[whipitboy]

yuk! that sounds real bad

 

[peasly1]

first I think your tank needs to be cycled before any fish is introduced,,the angel should not be put in for a while..6-8 months after cycle but really hope it works for you, very nice fish ($$$)I also think of course after the cycle the cowfish will be some of the coolest fish you might ever see provided no strees condition which I'm not sure how them and the angel will be..I think the angel needed to be added after the cow..the cow will release toxins if stressed and hopefully not, a school of green chromis would be great but I also think the angel might inhale them ...good luck

 

[whipitboy]

emporer angels eat fish?? cant have that. i think he may be a bit small he seems only as thick as a few pieces paper