Fish for 65 Gallon

[meschaefer]

My new skimmer has been ordered and delivery is expected any day now. With a DAS EX-2 on my 65 gallon, I think I can now add some fish. I have always ran a tank with a light bio load because I had a crappy skimmer. Now with a decent skimmer, I want to pack them in like...welll... sardines.

Current fish - two percs (thats it)


I want small to medium size fish. I do not want any fish that I will have to get rid of at some point due to size restraints. I also do not want fish that need alot of room . So no Tangs. An eclectic variety will be nice, and nothing that will nip at clams or sps. (I love dwarf angels, but don't want to take the chance)

I was thinking of a Mandarin, unfortunatly I need to take my fuge off line so I can fit my skimmer under the tank. I don't think I will have enough pods, and it seems that a lot of the smaller fish are pod hunters.

I was thinking of Anthias, but am concerned that three of them would be too much. (That is the reccomended number right?)

Any other thoughts.. what are your favorite fish that would work nicely in a 65 gallons SPS tank.

 

[digitalreefer]

My yellow tang is such a great fish... I know you said no tangs, but he doesn't need that much room and is a great asset to the tank.

I also love my 6-line wrasse, he's got a great personality!

 

[meschaefer]

I was thinking of the six line. My wife wants a "flat" fish, and this might fit the bill.

I just think tangs need room to swim and a three foot long tank doesn't give them enough room to swim. What size tank do you have yours in.

 

[Deanos]

Get the mandarin. Since the 2 perculas are not 'pod hunters', there should be plenty of food for the mandarin. Just make sure not to introduce any competition after the mandarin. How much live rock is in the tank? :scratch:

 

[marrone]

For some that wants to "pack them in like...welll... sardines" you really elminated a lot of fish right off the bat.

I would look at the Hawk fish, Gobbies, some of the less aggressive dottybacks, like Royal Grama and Sunrise. Cardinals, Firefish, Jawfish, Marine Betta & Soap fish, Chromis & small wrasse. You may have a problem putting some of these fish together so you need to plan out some what.

 

[digitalreefer]

I was thinking of the six line. My wife wants a "flat" fish, and this might fit the bill.

I just think tangs need room to swim and a three foot long tank doesn't give them enough room to swim. What size tank do you have yours in.

Ahhh... I thought it was a 4 footer. Mine is a 33 long, but he's got 4 feet to swim around in and has been very happy in my tank.

The six line is wonderful, but add him near last, as he can get a little nippy towards other fish once he's settled in.

 

[fritz]

You can't do a six line and a mandarin unless you are culturing pods. A six line will kill all the pods in your tank faster then a dose of interceptor!

My 58 (same size, little shorter)

has 2 ocellaris
1 scissor tail goby
1 pink bar goby
1 yellow tang
1 purple pseudo
1 radiant wrasse

and I'm tempted to toss in a yellow tailed blue damsel just for contrast.

(And Cali & Pecan made fun of how few fish I had)

 

[meschaefer]

For some that wants to "pack them in like...welll... sardines" you really elminated a lot of fish right off the bat.

That is true, but I think most of them where eliminated with the purchase of a 65 gallon tank. The only fish that I have really crossed off of my list, are the tangs and tha is due to size constraints.

 

[meschaefer]

More information about the tank. It is kind of hard to remeber back to the day when I kept less copious notes, but I think the tank has about 100 pounds of live rock. Back when it was a 75 gallon tank I think I had around 120lbs of live rock. When everything was moved to the 65, I got rid of one or two large peices. Aside from the fish and SPS, the tank has a number of shrimp.

I like the mandarin. That would mean no six line wrass. I think that the dottybacks and pseudochromis are pod hunters as well (???), but the six line is a killer. As a madarin would mean no other pod hunters, I think the addition of one knocks out a lot of other potential tank mates.

 

[fishguttz]

Get a flame angel!

 

[marrone]

I like the mandarin. That would mean no six line wrass. I think that the dottybacks and pseudochromis are pod hunters as well (???), but the six line is a killer. As a madarin would mean no other pod hunters, I think the addition of one knocks out a lot of other potential tank mates.

Even if you fish are well fed most will still hunt pods. So if you plan on having a mandarin you're going to need to build up your pod population first before you add one.

 

[meschaefer]

Even if you fish are well fed most will still hunt pods. So if you plan on having a mandarin you're going to need to build up your pod population first before you add one.

NOt a problem. The tank has been up in one form or another for almost six years. The tank was last moved last Febuary, and was fishless for three months (it was fishless for four months prior to the move). During the move a refugium was also set up with cheato. For the last five months the tank has housed two percs. There are pods all over the place, and I am confident that a mandarin could be supported- as long as there was no other predator.

This is why I want to make a list, and check it twice of every possible fish that I might want to add.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

Get a flame angel!

he wants something that will not nip at his clams or sps.... :scratch:

 

[meschaefer]

he wants something that will not nip at his clams or sps.... :scratch:

Its alright, he has enthusiasm.

Come on people. Give me your fish lists for smaller tanks... I need choices, and I want lots of them.

 

[michael stern]

A school of vanderbilt chromis(3 should do)
3 dispar anthias (smaller than lyretail)
small wrasse (exquisite, blue flasher, or clown)
Potter's angel (if you want to take a chance)
tomini tang(if you want a tang, these max out at 5") or Kole tang
pair of purple firefish.

Done!

 

[meschaefer]

A school of vanderbilt chromis(3 should do)
3 dispar anthias (smaller than lyretail)
small wrasse (exquisite, blue flasher, or clown)
Potter's angel (if you want to take a chance)
tomini tang(if you want a tang, these max out at 5") or Kole tang
pair of purple firefish.

Done!

That's what I am looking for, a nice list.

The firefish are high at the top of considerations, purple or otherwise. I might go with the 'standard" firefish, because fo the price differential. I don't mind spending money on a fish, but there needs to be a reason for it. In my opionn, the purple fire fish is not worth the extra money over the "standard'.

That being said I love the blue flasher wrasse. Does anybody have a reliable picture of a clown wrasse. When I google image it, I get a dozen different fish.

I am very interested in the Anthias, these are great looking fish. Isn't there somebody who just got rid of a pair of anthias because they got to big for his 65. They where on the definate list, untill I saw that.

 

[masterswimmer]

Matt,
A nice yasha hase goby with symbiotic pistol shrimp makes a great pair.
A Janns' pipefish (I've got one in my 75g reef, eats frozen cyclopeeze & daphnia)
Blue Star Leopard Wrasse (if you don't get a mandarin)
Flame Hawkfish (beware of small shrimp though)
Royal Gramma

Nice array of colors and personalities there.

swimmer

 

[charile1]

I had a pair of firefish and a wrasse jump on me. Just a fyi.

You can look into clown gobies and blennies.

 

[meschaefer]

Matt,
A nice yasha hase goby with symbiotic pistol shrimp makes a great pair.
A Janns' pipefish (I've got one in my 75g reef, eats frozen cyclopeeze & daphnia)
Blue Star Leopard Wrasse (if you don't get a mandarin)
Flame Hawkfish (beware of small shrimp though)
Royal Gramma

Nice array of colors and personalities there.

swimmer

The yasha goby/shrimp combo has been on my short list for a long time.

The pipe fish is interesting. I have always thought of them as being like seahorses and being very delicate, requiring a seperate tank with lots of live food. What other fish do you have in your 75, is it shy? This one could be a winner.

I like the wrasse, I think I am going to definately end up with a wrasse just a matter of which one. I think that I am going to forego the mandarin as it cuts out to many other fish.

 

[masterswimmer]

The pipe fish is interesting. I have always thought of them as being like seahorses and being very delicate, requiring a seperate tank with lots of live food. What other fish do you have in your 75, is it shy? This one could be a winner.

You are right, pipefish are in the seahorse family. However, Janns' pipefish are cave dwellers, so they handle reefs fantastic. I saw a school of about six of them in a reef shop in Florida. I inquired about it with the same reservations you've got. He explained that they were in his reef tank for about five years and do great. Mine has been in my tank for just over one year now. They are a fantastic addition to a stable reef. And like I said, mine feeds on cyclopeeze and daphnia as well as rotifers too.

My other inhabitants in my 75 are:
1 - Janns' pipefish :duh: (> 1 year)
1 - psychedelic mandarin (> 2 years)
2 - Ocellaris clowns (mated and breeding) (> 2 years)
1 - Hippo Tang (> 1 year)
1 - Kole Tang (> 1 year)
1 - Blue/Green Chromis (> 2 years)
2 - Fairy wrasse (about 6 months)
1 - Royal Gramma (> 2 years)
1 - Lawnmower Blenny (> 2 years)

swimmer