KarenM Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Since it takes me months to decide on fish, I'm already thinking about what I can add after the 120 has been up for awhile. I currently have a coral beauty angel, a basslet, a tomato clown, and a tiny blue neon goby. I also have a clam and the various beginner LPS corals. What are the coolest, brightest colored fish that I can put in a 120 that's 48"x24"? I'm looking for unusual looking fish, maybe a little larger, that will get along with everyone else. Nothing that will eat my other fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatfouz Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Since it takes me months to decide on fish, I'm already thinking about what I can add after the 120 has been up for awhile. I currently have a coral beauty angel, a basslet, a tomato clown, and a tiny blue neon goby. I also have a clam and the various beginner LPS corals.What are the coolest, brightest colored fish that I can put in a 120 that's 48"x24"? I'm looking for unusual looking fish, maybe a little larger, that will get along with everyone else. Nothing that will eat my other fish. i know of unusuall looking fish, as far as compatability im more lost than a father in a limited too store. cowfish, lionfish, big hermits, puffers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 If you are able to feed twice a day Anthias are great. Lots of color movement and a good temper. I would also look into Fairy Wrasses. They are great too since they will hunt some of the pests we don't want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semperfimarine1 Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 tangs are always cool fish to have also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 Can't do puffers because of my clam, can't do lionfish because they'll eat my other fish. I'll check into the anthias and the fairy wrasse, I'm not familiar with either one. I would LOVE a tang, but they're a no-no in a 48" tank, so I hear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Karen, I was just going to ask the same question. I'll be upgrading from a 100 to a 180-200 gallon before the end of the year. Today when I was out working on our land I was thiking of asking this now because I wanted to start a list and check them out online to see what they cost...plan to spend my Xmas bonus this year on ME!!! Forget about the bills! My tank (that will be upgraded) now has a coral beauty angel, a flame angel, naso tang, yellow tang, couple of damsels and chromis, pistol shrimp, banded shrimp, purple lobster, clam, two mandarin dragonets...wish I could just have a whole tank of those LOL, couple of urchins, about four anenomes but only one moves around, and a variety of corals. I was wondering if a stingray would work with these guys. And if so, what is the smallest "full grown" one? Also, I plan to purchase this big puffer to put in my 100 gallon tank as a fish only tank. Are there fish that puffers do better with? I think he's living with some type of wrasse right now. And do puffers do okay with eels? And do eels do okay with other eels? LOL. Dena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Dee and Karen we are in the same mode. Robin and I have several fish we both like and some most haves. We are upgradeing from a 29 to 150. We are looking at color as well as compatablity. Once we finalize the list we will post here for opinions. I like the Yellow Coris or Canary Wrasse. Dave- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted October 22, 2007 Author Share Posted October 22, 2007 The wrasses are nice, but they're not that unusual looking. I love the puffers (but can't have them) and the blue hippos tang (can't have them, either), and the Koran Angelfish (but I've already got the coral beauty angel - with they fight?). I'd love some blue and some red (we have purple and orange already).This is why it takes me so long to decide. But surely with a 120, I can have some really awesome fish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcreonx Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 There are ALOT of beautiful, unusual Wrasses: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=1378 Also look at the various Anthias (beware of their special needs though) and Rabbitfish. Skip the larger Angels like the Koran, as they'll get over a foot long and will most likely nip at SPS or LPS. One of the smaller Genicanthus Angels would be great, like the Swallowtail (I had one in my old 180, gorgeous), the Lamarck's or the Watanebei Angels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted October 22, 2007 Author Share Posted October 22, 2007 I like the yellow foxface rabbitfish. Is there any reason why it can't go in with my clams & coral? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ACampbell Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 I like the yellow foxface rabbitfish. Is there any reason why it can't go in with my clams & coral? Some rabbitfish have been reported to eat corals and clams. Mainly fleshy LPS, zoos, and clams. However, that being said, I kept one in my tank for 6 months with no problems. It really just depends on the individual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted October 22, 2007 Author Share Posted October 22, 2007 Then I really don't want to chance it unless I absolutely have to. If I got a baby hippo tang, how long could I keep it before it got too big for my tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBob Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 if you've got any big open swimming areas in your tank you could probably keep a blue/regal/hippo tang for life in a 120, just make sure it's getting an appropriate algae based diet and you should do fine with it. I've never actually met anyone who's had a well fed foxface or rabbitfish eat any of their corals, but in tanks where they aren't provided any meaty foods, it's common for them to go after zoos and fleshy LPS if they're starving to death, but take care of them and they'll leave your corals alone. a dwarf lion would be very cool and the only at risk fish would be the neon goby, the rest of your selections would be safe with any of the dwarf lion species. I'd definitely look into wrasses before tangs though, I'm a big fan of the reef safe "coris" in the genus Halichoeres, they are generally inexpensive, peaceful, easy to care for provided a deep sand bed, and as a rule eat bristleworms and flatworms like there's no tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted October 22, 2007 Author Share Posted October 22, 2007 Thanks, Bob. My tank is the 120 tall, 48"x24" (I didn't know if you were aware it's only 4' long). There'll be plenty of open space and I'm just dying for a hippo tang, but I don't want the Tang Police after me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcreonx Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 (edited) Def skip the Hippo tang. A 120 is too small. Those guys get BIG. And they swim like crazy. A 120 is still a very small tank as far as swimming space is concerned, especially a 4' tank. Edited October 22, 2007 by xcreonx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semperfimarine1 Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 you can do a tang. get it small and watch it grow until it gets to big then just remove it from your tank later down the road. river city always gets small tangs in that you can look and try out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBob Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 4' is a little on the short end, but you definitely could keep a 12" adult blue tang in there provided it was given a good open area to swim in. In a perfect world a 6' tank would definitely be better, no questions there, but you definitely could keep a blue tang healthy in a 48"x24" tank, especially if the rockwork was set up in such a way that the entire perimeter of the tank was open like a sort of raceway where the fish could circle. By no means am I saying the setup would be ideal, or that a typically constructed 120G reef would facilitate this fish, but I'd be misleading you if I said it couldn't be done. The tang police generally mean well, but they're often people who don't consider all the factors of a setup, the most important one being aquascape, as I already suggested with a sort of raceway layout, this effectively negates tank length as a swimming space factor provided there is enough room on either end of the tank for the fish to turn around comfortably and there is enough room above the rockwork for the tang to swim up and over the reef. I'm not going to lie it'd be a tight fit, but it can be done with proper planning and accomodations made for such a large fish in your tank. That all being said I'm going to restate my first suggestion on the matter and recommend wrasses over tangs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 While I agree that it could be done and that an open rock work would make it more feasible, I think if we are going to be responsible in offering advise to new comers to the hobby shouldn't we err on the side of caution? I don't know about you but I think a fish that is 1/4 the length of a tank is TOO big regardless of rock work. I just think we should be more careful of the advice we give people because many people only hear what they want to hear anyway. I also want to state for the record that I think it is a bad idea to buy fish with the plan of taking them out when they get bigger. 2 reasons. First have you ever tried to catch a fish in an established reef? Not easy. Second, when do you know it is the right time? My brother-in-law used to have a Yellow Tang that was less than 2" in a 55g. That fish paced that tank. It was obvious it wasn't happy. As the fish grows it will get more and more stressed and could lead to health problems. (Steps off the soap box) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBob Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 While I agree that it could be done and that an open rock work would make it more feasible, I think if we are going to be responsible in offering advise to new comers to the hobby shouldn't we err on the side of caution? I don't know about you but I think a fish that is 1/4 the length of a tank is TOO big regardless of rock work. I just think we should be more careful of the advice we give people because many people only hear what they want to hear anyway.I also want to state for the record that I think it is a bad idea to buy fish with the plan of taking them out when they get bigger. 2 reasons. First have you ever tried to catch a fish in an established reef? Not easy. Second, when do you know it is the right time? My brother-in-law used to have a Yellow Tang that was less than 2" in a 55g. That fish paced that tank. It was obvious it wasn't happy. As the fish grows it will get more and more stressed and could lead to health problems. (Steps off the soap box) which is exactly why I ended my post suggesting she go with a wrasse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawbones Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Flame Hawkfish, Copperbanded Butterfly, shrimp goby/ pistol pair, Bangai cardinal pair, pipefish - ask Rufus at Deep Blue which ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted October 27, 2007 Author Share Posted October 27, 2007 I think I've checked into most of these. Won't the hawkfish eat my snails? I like the CBB. It's crossed off my list, though I don't recall why. The pipefish will starve in the tank with my other big eaters. I have looked at the cardinals, though. Who knows anything about mimic tangs? Some of htem only grow to 6". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmanning Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 I think I've checked into most of these. Won't the hawkfish eat my snails? I like the CBB. It's crossed off my list, though I don't recall why. The pipefish will starve in the tank with my other big eaters. I have looked at the cardinals, though.Who knows anything about mimic tangs? Some of htem only grow to 6". Hi Karen, You may consider some gobies......I have the Randall, Clown Circus Goby, Yellow watchman Goby (blue spots), Highfin Goby w/pistol shrimp, all in the same tank and get along. They all made their homes in perspective areas. By the way, congrats on your new set up.....I can just picture that grin on your face . Enjoy!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted October 27, 2007 Author Share Posted October 27, 2007 Hey, Cindy. I like the gobies, but I was hoping for something larger. I LOVE this new tank. I'll be posting some newer pics later on this weekend. I think I'm about to get everything settled for now (I still have the 30" lights so until I can upgrade all my corals are on one side). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquarius Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 consider a candy hogfish, they're very beutifull, "reef safe", and don't need the DSB to hide in. mine is in and out of the rockwork all day. in fact mine will be available as soon as i sell off the remaining corals and rock in the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted October 27, 2007 Author Share Posted October 27, 2007 Ok, that's a nice fish. Will he eat my snails? How much are you asking for him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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