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MantaFan

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Hey everyone... I'm setting up a new 150g and can use some advice on stocking it. The tank is cycled, and I have 2 fish already in. I am not going to stock all these fish at once, but over the course of the next year.

I have researched and understand the individual reef compatibility and care level of each fish. My question is how well they all play together. Any advice is much appreciated!

- What order should I introduce them?

- Which species aren't compatible with each other?

Fish:

Canary Blenny (already in)
Green Chromis (already in)
Regal Tang
Ocellaris Clowns
Powder Blue Tang
Copper Banded Butterfly
Coral Beauty
McCosker’s Flasher Wrasse
Lyretail Anthias x 3 (main concern with Sunburst)
Sunburst Anthias x 2 (main concern with Lyretail)
Mandarin Goby
Catalina Goby
Maybe:
Lemonpeel Angel (with the coral beauty?)
Orchid Dottyback
Melanurus Wrasse
Red Tail Triggerfish
Corals:
LPS (acans, brian, euphyllia)
Zoanthids
Chalice
SPS (once I upgrade my lights)
THANKS!
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The catalina goby is a cold-water fish. I've read that they should have temperatures from the mid 50s to mid 60s. When I had my seahorse tank, the temperature was around 69/70 degrees. I wanted to put one in there, but I feared that would end up being too warm for it. If they are kept in tropical temperatures, they have a /extremely/ shortened lifespan. Some people reported they could only get about 3 months out of the fish in tropical temperatures.

They are gorgeous fish, though. If I had a cold-water tank, I'd have one in a heartbeat.

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IMO the PBT is too aggressive for either the CBB or the Regal Tang. As far as toughness goes, both are at the bottom. More acceptable tank mates would be a Ctenochaetus or Zebrasoma Tang. My PBT is the only tang in the tank he's aggressive as hell. If you do decide to get the CBB, make sure he's eating before you put him in and definitely intro it before the PBT.

The Catalina can get lost in a tank that big even if you could keep it long term.

Two dwarf angels might be okay in a tank that size. I had a CB and Flame in the same tank at the same time without trouble, but they need to be introduced at one time. I would advise against the Lemonpeel Angel though. They are known coral eaters and they top the aggressive scale for angels.

Trigger = no shrimp, no snails, and no crabs. They're also messy eaters and you'll have to clean up all of the bits of clam and squid out of your tank before they decompose. If you don't then you'll have a harder time with corals as phosphates elevate.

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I think everyone here has covered it pretty well so I don't have much to add. I agree that the PBT and the blue hippo may not be so complacent with each other in the tank but I would imagine if you introduced them at the same time and they were roughly the same size, it should be possible. The hard thing, as Sascha hinted to, is that both are highly prone to ich and other diseases (add to that the Copperband), and you have a potential recipe for disaster because if one gets sick, they'll all more than likely catch it. I would also recommend introducing them last... just ask Sascha about is PBT... and how it'll attack anything new in the tank.

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Thanks! That's interesting about the PBT... I had one previously with a Regal and had no problems, but as we all know each one is different. I don't mind skipping one of the tangs if I can get all the anthias in there.

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The catalina goby is a cold-water fish. I've read that they should have temperatures from the mid 50s to mid 60s. When I had my seahorse tank, the temperature was around 69/70 degrees. I wanted to put one in there, but I feared that would end up being too warm for it. If they are kept in tropical temperatures, they have a /extremely/ shortened lifespan. Some people reported they could only get about 3 months out of the fish in tropical temperatures.

They are gorgeous fish, though. If I had a cold-water tank, I'd have one in a heartbeat.

I've read the same thing, but there's a LFS that has one in their display tank. He says he has no problems and has kept them for years... anyone else have experience with them?

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I've read the same thing, but there's a LFS that has one in their display tank. He says he has no problems and has kept them for years... anyone else have experience with them?

I don't think this is common, not saying it's not possible, but definitely isn't typical. Every story I've ever read about them in tropical tanks, doesn't end well, definitely none that I can think of made it a year. A lot have tried in the nano community since they're such an amazingly colored fish.

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From Liveaquaria.com

The Catalina Goby is native to the cold waters off the Eastern Pacific coast of the United States. This temperate species thrives in water temperatures between 60° F and 70° F. The Catalina Goby may be tolerant of warmer, tropical temperatures in most reef aquariums but only for a short time. If exposed to tropical temperatures for too long, the Catalina Goby can experience decreased resistance to disease and a shorter lifespan.

.... there you go

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I have a powder brown tang and a yellow tang. The yellow tang definitely dominates the PBT. The PBT is not aggressive towards other fish either. I for sure thought he would be the godfather of my tank but he proved me wrong.

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I was under the impression powder brown and powder blue had sharply contrasting personalities. With powder brown being a more docile tang. I think adding tangs at the same time will be pretty essential though, because while I don't have experience with those particular tangs, my bristle tooth tomini tang is the meanest little bugger on the high seas I'm convinced. I couldn't add another tang if I wanted too. Seems like once its allowed to claim the throne, any others will be handled with extreme prejudice

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I was under the impression powder brown and powder blue had sharply contrasting personalities. With powder brown being a more docile tang. I think adding tangs at the same time will be pretty essential though, because while I don't have experience with those particular tangs, my bristle tooth tomini tang is the meanest little bugger on the high seas I'm convinced. I couldn't add another tang if I wanted too. Seems like once its allowed to claim the throne, any others will be handled with extreme prejudice

The browns are completely different in temperament, but they're also ich magnets. Almost a guarantee you'll deal with ich if you get one.

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White cheek, powder brown and powder blue vary in aggressiveness. It largely depends on size and tank mates. Personally I had a foxface before I got the blue. They were good for a month then the blue killed the other so suddenly I couldn't set up the qt fast enough.

Sohol, Achilles, Clown, PBT, Naso are the top aggressive tangs in that order.

Its up to you to take the chance with three $40-60 fish.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

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