Am I ready ??

[ging]

I have a 155 gal bow front with 2 400watt MH's. The tank has been going for 5 mths and all looks good. I would like to get the following, please let me know if this will work. Is this to many for the size tank, will the all get along, how should I add them. Any suggestions are welcome.
Blue Hippo
Blonde Naso
Powder Blue
Purple Tang - adding last

I now have:
Lawnmower blenny
2 Banggai Cardinals , and the father has eggs

2 Purple Fire Fish
Velvet Wrasse
Coral Beauty
Yellow watchman goby

 

[mariner]

How about some corals? Otherwise, that powerful lighting you have is a waste.

 

[ging]

I have some corals, a torch, brain and polyop. Im just going slow and getting ones that really catch my eye. Just want some opinions for the fish and how others would add them.

 

[Anonymous]

I would go with the purple and the hippo because of their relative hardiness.
If you wanna get a few more fish, you might wanna limit yourself to one tang.
Sounds like you have a nice tank going.

But one word of warning to you: I found my purple tang didn't mix well with firefish. The tang bullied the firefish into starvation. I tried target feeding, to no avail.
I can't remember which was first in the tank; the tang or the firefish.
Hope you have no problems.

 

[McReef1]

Given your fish load, I would stick to one (maybe two) tangs at the most. I am a little surprised that no one has chimed in yet about the swimming room necessary for tangs. The 135 gal seems a little small given the fact that you already have many fish. A very rough gauge for fish in a tank is one fish for every 10 gal. With that formula, you are getting close! The tangs could really be considered 2 fish each for the purpose of that equation, IMO.

I vote you stay away from the Powder Blue, as well. This is a very difficult fish to keep. If it were my tank, I would add the Purple Tang, wait a year or more, then consider the Powder Blue if you just can't live without one. I would not add any more fish.

Good luck!

McReef

 

[ging]

Thanks for the info, I have a 155 gal not a 135

I guess it looks like the best is the hippo and naso. I don't mind sticking with the fish that I have now. Should I add them together or separately ??

 

[McReef1]

Arguments for adding them separately would be: to minimize the initial bioload increase (although with a 155gal, this is a minimal risk), and to make sure that one has enough room before adding another.

Whereas, one argument for adding at the same time would be to try and keep one tang from becoming more dominant than the other.

Anytime you make more than one change at a time increases your chance for failure, in my opinion. I would add one tang first- whichever one you think is less aggressive - wait a month or more and add the other. I would test your nitrates before adding the first fish, and then before you get ready to add the second. If they have increased a lot, I would not add the second one at all.

Good luck!

McReef

 

[danmhippo]

Given you already have quite some "other fish", I would say limit yourself to no more than 3 tangs. I would drop powder blue.

But after the tangs, no more fish should go in there.

BTW, how long have you had the firefish? How are they doing? Firefish don't have a good track records.

 

[ging]

Was thinking that 4 would be to many. Thanks for the suggestion. I was going to get a few more little reef fish, like chromis etc..so I will wait on the tangs. I have had these fire fish for about 3 mths, and I have 2 orange fire fish in my 60 gal tank for about 9 mths. They all seem to be doing well. I think as long as they have a deep bed and lots of hiding places they are pretty happy. I would warn that they love to jump out of the tank, luckily I saw my little guy jump out and saved him. I now have everything covered