Stocking Question?

[aileena]

I don't want to overstock my 60g. I have a small yellow tang and two small percs. I am thinking of adding either a coral beauty or a flame angel. The tank has been up for 2 months and it has about 50 lbs of LR. I have a remora pro hang on skimmer and a 36watt UV light.
I am somewhat concerned about adding the angel since I want to start adding corals next month. I know that they are hit and miss. Either way I am shooting for the flame or beauty.
I know that once I added either one I would not be able to add anything else

 

[flamehawk]

I would wait until your tank is up and running with no problems for at least 5-6 months before adding a dwarf angel. They need a well established tank. I would instead add another 5-10 lbs. of L/R for now. Both YT's and dwarf's do better w/ plenty of L/R. Good luck.

 

[fishy88]

angels need at least a 6 month old tank. as flamehawk said add some more lr. you know that the yellow tang cant live in there forever

 

[flamehawk]

Once tank is well established and you decide to add the dwarf, you may want to remove the tang into a Q/holding tank, introduce the dwarf, wait two weeks, then re-introduce the tang. This process has worked for me in the past w/ aggressive fish. Good luck.

 

[aileena]

I am suprised about how territorial everyone says YT's are. The YT was the first fish I added to my 60g. About a month later I added two small percs. There have been no territorial battles between the percs and the YT at all. The YT I added at the end of month 1 and the percs and the end of month 2.
To be quite honest before I got the percs the YT spent a lot of its time hiding behind the LR. Since I've added the percs the YT has come to life swimming the length of the tank and darting in and out of the rockwork. In my opinion the YT is much more open and less timid now that the percs are in the tank. Could this be because of the fact that percs and YT's get along well? Or maybe I just lucked out with a YT with a good personality?
To whomever said I cannot keep the YT in the 60g forever, I beg to differ. I already forwent getting the purple tang, the YT is much less aggressive and does not get as large. I gave the decision to add the YT a whole month while the tank was cycling. People keep them in 55g all the time and they do quite well. I have 5 more gallons.
I was hoping to add the flame or coral to help deal with the hair algae problem, but maybe I'll get the lawnmower blenny for now and add the flame later...
THE QUESTION now is whether
1 YT, 2 percs, 1 lawnmower blenny, and a flame angel? Is this ok?

 

[flamehawk]

There is endless debate on whether YT ok in a 55/60g tank. I tend to think it's ok but respect those who believe otherwise.
AS far as fish capacity... When you conside water displacementcaused by L/R, sand etc., you really have about 50g's of actual water. If you use the 1inch per 3 g's rule, you have room for 17inches of adult size fish. I count 19 " of adult size fish amongst the 4 suggested......Would be pushing it but probably doable. Is there enough swimming room for the YT in the 60g after adding the extra 10lbs. of L/r? Good luck.

 

[aileena]

I respect it, but don't like it bein shoved down me throught.
So 2" over...well...with the UV light and the remora pro skimmer with the penguin wet/dry filtration it shouldn't make too big a problem.
As far as the LR goes check out the post I just put on the reef forum about lbs per gallon including displacment or not. DO you think the lbs per gallon should include the 10g displacement in my tank? If not then 50lbs of LR is 1lbs per gallon. If displacement is included then 60lbs would be necassary, which would mean that extra 10 lbs. Probably get two 5lbs pieces since I like the bigger rocks...but that would certainly be the max...I don't like the crowded look too much.

 

[aileena]

I will definetly keep that in mind...are there particular dwarf angels that the YT would be less likely to molest? Either the flame or coral beauty? Or are they in the same predicament?

 

[flamehawk]

No-one is shoving it down your throat. Just making you aware.
The extra 10lbs. of rock can be considered insurance. I would get it but it's your call.
Dosen't matter which dwarf. Both w/b faced with the same reaction from the YT. I personally like the Cb. My experience is that the CB is hardier.