Stocking Questions - bioload and introduction

GCS2000

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 22, 2012
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Mechanicsville, VA
Below are fish that we like and wouldn't mind having in our 120g setup (48x24x24).


Current tank inhabitants
3 Percula Clowns
Green Wrasse
Marine Betta
Pencil Urchin
2 starfish (not sure what kind though)
1 Banded shrimp
**We are not "married" to any of these since they came with the tank but would like to keep them if possible


Yellow Tang
Blue Hippo Tang
Powder Blue (would love this but research is showing this may not be a good idea due to care difficulty)
Coral Beauty
Flame Angel
Mandarin Goby
Raccoon Butterfly or maybe a Heniochus
Royal Gramma
Watchmen Goby
Christmas Wrasse
Banana Wrasse
Harlequin Tusk
Pink Anthias
Green Chromis (3-5)

We of course would love something like a nice Majestic or Queen Angel or Achilles Tang but due to their size/tank demands that won't be possible.


Naturally I realize our tank is not big enough for all of these of course and we will have to pick and choose. The main thing is that after spending countless hours reading here it seems the consensus on Tangs is to add them all at the same time and they should be of different body type. It also seems that 2-3 yellows (if going with yellows) is recommended as well.

So if I got a blue hippo and 3 Yellows at one time isn't that going to be too much of a bioload hit on the tank? Its been 20 years since I have been into SW and I know things change but I recall when doing this before no more than about 2 new fish at a time (assuming they were not large fish) ... has that changed?

Lastly with the types of fish I have listed above any recommendations from experienced keepers on what combos work well? I have looked over the compatibility charts but I feel like direct feedback means more than a chart especially when some compatibility charts show "caution" for certain fish.

Thanks in advance for you advice.

Greg
 

FLESHY

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jan 7, 2006
5,542
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Central Wisconsin
I think you could have an achilles tang. I have seen one kept in a 90g for years. (And I mean at least 5 years)

Most people do not have good sucess with them no matter what though, and so I would steer clear. 120g is about the minimum I would suggest for keeping a small one.

Some of these fish are not reef safe - are you aware of that?

If at any point you wish to switch to a reef, you might have to remove a few fish, are you okay with that?

Yellow Tang - ok
Blue Hippo Tang - ok with a yellow
Powder Blue (would love this but research is showing this may not be a good idea due to care difficulty) - okay with both above tangs
Coral Beauty - fine
Flame Angel - fine but not with the above, both have a chance of picking at corals
Mandarin Goby - yes, but needs time for the aquarium to age and develop microfauna for it to eat
Raccoon Butterfly or maybe a Heniochus - These are not reef safe, but you can try it...same as the angels. klenei butterflies are the most "reef safe"
Royal Gramma - good. will possibly conflict with wrasses
Watchmen Goby - fine, small ones can be hard to get food to, especially in larger tanks
Christmas Wrasse - good fish
Banana Wrasse - may conflict with other wrasses, and not reef safe. You can probably keep one in a reef, but you will have to keep stocking snails, hermits, shrimps as he eats them, Ive done this before with other larger wrasses
Harlequin Tusk - Awesome fish. Get a small one to start with, your tank is not big enough for a fully grown adult IMO. 180g bare minimum. We are talking a huge, thick fish that does nothing but swim.
Pink Anthias - Great choice, might want to have at least 5, you can buy all females one will become a male. Might also want to do this OR chromis.
Green Chromis (3-5) - you are going to want more. As these things grow they tend to pick on each other. That paired with a bevy of diseases and weaknesses that they are prone to means that you should hedge your bet with numbers. My brother got 52 and now has 50. Plus they actually school - smaller groups wont.

Hope this helps some, sorry for the poor organization.
 

GCS2000

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 22, 2012
19
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Mechanicsville, VA
Excellent info thanks Fleshy.

We are going to stick with a FOWLR setup. The tank is an established 3 year old set up being relocated to my home on Sunday. There are some coral sin it but I am giving those to the "fish tank mover" as I just do not have the time and patience to properly care for them and would rather someone else benefit from them.

Halequin Tusk we really like also and yeah I agree size will eventually be an issue there.

Anthias - cool I like these guys and think a small school of these would look really nice


And what about adding the tangs all at once and should I be looking to do more than 1 yellow?


Greg
 

FLESHY

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jan 7, 2006
5,542
20
92
Central Wisconsin
I have a purple, clown, sailfin, blue hippo, and chevron in my 125g tank.

Not a single one was added at the same time - all but the sailfin have different body types.

Sailfin is through the worst of it now after several months in captivity and I think that he will make it.

Probably easier done the other way, but healthy tangs in a good environment with different body shapes should make it okay too.

If possible however, add all tangs at once at a small size IMO.

Anthias are neat - get yourself some ventralis for a very special treat.
 

GCS2000

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 22, 2012
19
0
0
Mechanicsville, VA
Thanks again Fleshy. Makes sense. I think I will try to add the Tangs all at one time (probably just a yellow, blue hippo and one other type) and yeah I had plan to go small to start with as I would like to watch them grow with the tank if you know what I mean.

Ventralis Anthias -- time to look 'em up.


BTW one last question as I am not getting much activity on my thread in the Filtration forum. The setup I am getting Sunday already has an AGA Megaflow W/D Filter, Octopus Protein Skimmer and UV Sterilizer. I have done a lot of reading and it seems that lots of folks don't like W/Ds anymore. 20 years ago that was the thing to do. Should I be swapping out the w/d for a standard sump ... something like the Eshopps ESP-200, keep the W/D in place, or use the W/D but ditch the bioballs?

Greg
 

Otherone

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 2, 2009
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Lancaster,PA USA
Use the W/D as a live rock trickle chamber + sump. Bioballs can't hold Denitrifying bacteria and catch alot of undissolved carbon type materials which very slowly and steadly dissolves into nitrate + phosphate issues. The LR can hold all 3 types of B+B and is less likely to catch undissolved materials - they kinda rinse right off with the water. UV sterilzers are good for killing free floating organisms however some of those organisms are planktonic aswell (animal, plant, + bacterial). These planktonic organisms are essential for an SW Reef ecosystem and very benifical for an FOWLR enviorment.

Although Tangs can be mixed and kept in numbers they are also some of the most fragile SW fish in the hobby. Easily stressed and highly susceptable to marine diseases esp. ICK. I've read article after article claiming all Tangs have marine ICK at the point of purchase. This doesn't mean they are sick just hosting. I know over the past several both Fleshy and myself have struggled with Tang health issues. I personally think it's easier to add them one at a time - reason being they need a 6-8 week quarentine period to aviod adding marine ick to your system. Seaweed is the key to their overall health - only Flora can produce Thiamin ( Vitamin B-1).

Mixing a Harlequin with shrimp, urchins, and possibly starfish could spell disaster for the inverts, halequins eat this stuff. Mines is my pride and joy - never sleeps - never stops hunting. Only issues I've had are from the Tangs they don't like the Harlequin. My tank is a 210 Oceanic.
 

FLESHY

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jan 7, 2006
5,542
20
92
Central Wisconsin
+1 to the above. I had a bad tang come in...the shipper didnt tell me they were sending it.

Then it was on my doorstep one morning. No time for QT - and THAT was the disaster. Didnt have any problems until him.

+1 to the wetdry situation...basically trapping lots of waste and letting it decompose over a long period of time releasing all of its potential badness into the system. At least you have a nice skimmer by the sound of it.

Id go conventional sump as well.
 

GCS2000

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 22, 2012
19
0
0
Mechanicsville, VA
So it sounds like I should which to a regular sump (say a Eshopps ES-200) and not only that set up a small quarantine tank (10-15 gallon ok??) to keep new arrivals in prior to putting them in the 120?

On the QT tank can I just run it empty with a Rena XP4?
 

FLESHY

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jan 7, 2006
5,542
20
92
Central Wisconsin
Should be fine. All my QT have been between 10-29g even for some very large fish. Just make sure you have a copper test kit if that is what you are using, and that you do h2o changes to keep quality up.

Feed minimally.
 

GCS2000

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 22, 2012
19
0
0
Mechanicsville, VA
Ok well I have my old 37 gallon freshwater tank that I was going to take down now that I am getting the 120. I guess I should flip that to a QT tank.

I would imagine the best thing to do would be to keep it empty with no sand/crushed coral etc. Should I put some live rock in there at least?

Thanks for the input Fleshy.

Greg
 
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