Could use some Pond Advice

[ichthyogeek]

Cross posting from Reef2Reef in the hopes of getting more advice!
I could use some Tang Advice, as well as some stocking advice for a tub Idea I'm playing around with! The tub is 36"x24"x13", or around 50 gallons (3'x2'1'/231). It's a lot smaller than I previously thought (4'x3'x2'), so my initial stocking plan might not be ideal. This was the initial stocking plan:

• 1x Dwarf Lionfish (preferably D. biocellatus, followed by P. sphex, and D. zebra)
• 1x yellow tang
• 1x convict tang
• 1x kole/tomini tang (highly negotiable, less preferred than convict tang, but would still like)
• 1x harlequin tuskfish
• 2x pelagic spawning species (something like flame or Lamarck's Angels)

Given that the tub is a foot shorter than expected, I'll mark out the pelagic spawning species. I plan to have 2-3 planting baskets in the tub filled with macroalgae (Sargassum for sure, probably also Ulva and Chaetomorpha) "floating" at the top of the tub (inaccessible to fish), and 1-2 mangrove propagules as well. Some sort of cover as well for the fish, maybe as a structure to support the planting baskets? I'm thinking maybe some sort of "bookshelf" made out of shelf rock designed specifically for the slim profiles of the fish I'd like to keep. If no tangs or herbivorous fish, I was thinking of a "seagrass meadow" with Caulerpa prolifera instead. This is the updated stocking list, ranked in order of fish I'd most like to keep

1. Dwarf Lionfish
2. Yellow Tang AND Convict Tang (tied)
3. Kole/Tomini Tang
4. Harlequin Tuskfish

Tang Question 1: Initially, I thought the tub had a surface area on par with a 180 gallon (4'x3' = 12 square feet = 6'x2'). Now, the surface area has halved to a "measly" 6 square feet instead. Liveaquaria recommends for the yellow tang and convict tang to be in 100/125 gallon aquariums, which have a footprint of 6'x1.5' = 9 square feet. I know that tangs need a lot of swimming room. Assuming biofiltration will be superior (macroalgae filter + attached to larger system + biofiltration in the larger system), and open swimming space is maximized, is the lack of an extra 3 square feet a deal killer for the tangs? The last time I kept a yellow tang, I was 12 and told to feed it lettuce in a 10 gallon tank...I'd prefer to not mess it up this time.

Tang Question 2: Assuming I can get the yellow and convict tang (and maybe a kole/tomini tang), would a 20L/29 be an adequate quarantine tank? I prefer to go with a prophylactic treatment strategy instead of a reactionary one, so the fish would go through a TTM with praziquantel and metronidazole to treat for flukes, ich, velvet, brooklynella, black ich, and internal parasites/infections, followed by prazi and metro to round out the treatment cycle, with freshwater dips in between each transfer to fully account for tomites. And a full bleaching (.5 cup bleach/5 gallons) for all used equipment...

 

[Joshuakahan]

Reef2reef is cool, I’m on there too, at least i used to be.
I think a Harlequin Tusk is too big for that tub, I like the idea of the khole tang in there. Tangs do need a lot of swimming space so a khole is probably the only type I would do. The QT doesn’t have to be that big, so I think a 29 is fine, I used to just do FW dips and that was always enough for me I like everything else, I would replace the tusk with a smaller wrasse like a rainbow wrasse or a Toby blue spotted puffer, or both

 

[ichthyogeek]

Reef2reef is cool, I’m on there too, at least i used to be.
I think a Harlequin Tusk is too big for that tub, I like the idea of the khole tang in there. Tangs do need a lot of swimming space so a khole is probably the only type I would do. The QT doesn’t have to be that big, so I think a 29 is fine, I used to just do FW dips and that was always enough for me I like everything else, I would replace the tusk with a smaller wrasse like a rainbow wrasse or a Toby blue spotted puffer, or both

Well...I'll probably go with a Tomini then if it's smaller, or just cut the tang out altogether. I'd have to look into what types of wrasses do well with lionfish, since they tend to have a more slender, easy to slurp, body plan...maybe some comets instead?

 

[Joshuakahan]

Well...I'll probably go with a Tomini then if it's smaller, or just cut the tang out altogether. I'd have to look into what types of wrasses do well with lionfish, since they tend to have a more slender, easy to slurp, body plan...maybe some comets instead?

Dwarf lions get around 6” and most rainbow type wrasses get around 7-8” so I think you’re good, just really do your research cuz many of the rainbow type wrasses look similar as juvies and some get 12” plus. If it was me, I’d skip the tang, if you just look at them wrong and they get ich. Here’s a vid of a semi reef I had with a blue spot Toby

And another I had with a blue headed wrasse

The blue headed might nip the lionfish tho, but there’s similar types that I think would be ok

 

[ichthyogeek]

Dwarf lions get around 6” and most rainbow type wrasses get around 7-8” so I think you’re good, just really do your research cuz many of the rainbow type wrasses look similar as juvies and some get 12” plus. If it was me, I’d skip the tang, if you just look at them wrong and they get ich.
The blue headed might nip the lionfish tho, but there’s similar types that I think would be ok

Can you elaborate on what you mean by "rainbow type wrasses"? Is that a specific genus or genuses?

 

[Joshuakahan]

Can you elaborate on what you mean by "rainbow type wrasses"? Is that a specific genus or genuses?

I don’t know if it’s a specific genus, many lfs sell wrasses that look similar to the one in the picture or to the blue head in my video and from what I’ve seen, many are sold under the rainbow wrasse name. I’ve also seen lunar wrasse sold as a rainbow. So my conclusion has been that they’re the active, cigar shaped type. Sorry I couldn’t help with this more, I’ve bought a few of them and I google rainbow wrasse and find the one I’m considering buying.