yet another "stock my tank" thread

[renogaw]

Just to get the mind working, i was wondering about all the fish i can put into my tank. Eventually i will want corals and anenome:
75 gal, 95lbs of live rock, 40lbs live sand.
Have now:
2 percs (can't tell yet if true or false)
1 sally lightfoot
1 BIG brittle star
~14 hermits
3 red mythrax crabs
1 pistol shrimp (maybe 2, but haven't seen the second in a while)
2 semi big bristle worms
1 BIG turbo snail
4 smaller snails
I'd like fish with a lot of color and peaceful temperament, but with weird quirks that make them interesting. Some i have been looking at:
Blue hippo tang
Yellow tang (if 2 can go together in a 75)
Scooter Blenny (long run, once tank is going good)
Midas Blenny (or something colorful like it)
Neon Gobies
Pajama Cardinals
Mandarin Spotted or Green dragonet
Marine Betta (if the shrimp don't live)
Long nose hawk fish (if shrimp don't live)
Some type of Dottyback
I'd also like (but doubt) some type of angle or butterfly or trigger fish
when this site says you cannot mix say 2 of one fish, does tank size determin if you can or cannot put 2 fish in? I can understand not putting 2 of the same fish in a 20 gallon where there's not much room, but would 2 fish find homes on opposite sides of the tank in a 75?
thanks

 

[chris57]

it depends on the species and 40lbs of sand that isn't nearley enough for live sand beds to be at their most effective, so i recomend dry sand 75 lbs (2 inches deep sand bed) deeper sand beds are better.all sand becomes live sand eventually, with live rock present. i hear bristtle worms can ruin entire reef tanks corals , angels, butterflies, and triggerfish aren't good around corals and inverts. some fish such as dottybacks and some damsels are so aggressive they will fight to the death with others of their kind, false perculas are the easiest to care for, yellow tangs only one per tank unless its well over 100 gallons, even then you must monitor, when they say they can't mix think of the worst possible conclusion when they mean not compatible they means not compatable unless it is a special species that schoals, dragonets ARE ONLY FOR EXPERTS. anemones can eat fish or inverts if the anemone is very poisionous or it is really big. hope my advice comes in handy.

 

[zanoshanox]

You would be better off with at least 60 lbs. One more bag. You could do a couple yellows in the 75, at least for awhile. the PJ cardinals are sweet too. I would say dragonets are hard to keep at all, except that you have to have a mature tank with lots of pods and microfauna. Thats pretty much all that 99% of them will eat, so its best to have a tanks et up with a refugium where you can grow such things.

 

[fedukeford]

no tangs except MABEY a kole tang in a 75, get ONE of the dargonnet or scooter blenny, both eat pods, and add only after the tank is 1 year old, and you must have around 100+ lbs of live rock, most dottybacks are very aggressive/territorial, everything else sounds ok, not sure about marine betta, a dwarf angel would be OK, but you's want to make sure its reef safe first, your best bet would be a coral beauty

 

[renogaw]

cool thanks i'm guessing on the lb's of LS, i bought 5 big bags worth, and the lFS said it would be about 3in deep. The dragonet would definitely be after the tank is old enough and once i get a fuge going. i just love their coloring and how they hop around.
so no Dori to go with Nemo/Nema?

 

[renogaw]

the 2 bristle worms were just thrown in there on the list, i don't care if they go away or not--i didn't pay for them they just came with some of my LR i've read here and on other sites that they are great scavengers as long as they don't over populate. i also was given 2 tubs of old rock/corals so my rock levels are going to be more than 95lbs once they be come "live" again.

 

[sea_star]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard you can't keep just two yellow tangs. One or three +, but not two. I agree no hippo tang, those need more swimming space. As for angels I'd say get a dwarf like a coral beauty etc.