Movin on up, need advice on species only/aggressive tank

[dustint]

Movin on up, need advice on species only tank
Well its finally come time to move to my new tank. Im still debating on a 58 show or a 65, but Im set on these sizes and now trying to figure out what to fill it with. Ive currently got a 29 with a maroon clown/bubble tip anemone as well as a black cap basslet. I plan having a 3-4 inch sb and an overflow for a sump/refugium to mainly hide my machinery in the cabinet. Im not really sure what to do, and I think that Id be more satisfied with a cool species only tank than trying to stick to reef safe fish. Ive enjoyed my maroon/bubble tip and corals, but now Im getting the bug for a more aggressive fish such as a trigger or eel. Any suggestions on resources/books that define aggressive species that can reside together in a fowlr species only tank would be appreciated. Plus any comments on tried and true tankmates that are active and interesting. I particularly like say a grouper or hark tusk with a very mobile fish like a trigger. I realize that with the size of tank i am wanting that 2 aggressive eaters would be the limit on bioload, but I am considering an anthias only tank as well.

Thanks in advance for any input,
Dustin

 

[wombat1]

Depends on the trigger. I would add it last and make it a picasso or clown. These would be OK with a tuskfish. Frogfishes are a really cool predator but a trigger would probably chew one up, never tried it before. The best eels are snowflake and zebra because of their smaller size but might be cramped full grown in a 75. Forget any lion except maybe the dwarf, they all grow too big and too fast. All the fish you mentioned are relatively hardy as long as they're fed well. Triggers can be fed 3 times a day, eels can go weeks w/o eating but it's prob best 2-3 times a week or so. Anthias, however, are a different story. They require pretty picky water quality and are best in a species tank. Read up on them before you buy! Good luck!

 

[stevebydac]

Skip the clown trigger/ tusk combo. My clown trigger killed a larger tusk. Tusks are not tough enough to compete with a nasty trigger. A good combo for a 75 for me was a snowflake moray and a sexlineatus (six-line or golden-stripe) grouper. The snowflake got along with everything, and the grouper became pettable. He did not like new additions to the tank however. Skip the trigger on a 75. Even the smallest get 8-9" in a tank and desire a lot of swimming room. A species of lionfish that maxes out at 10" could work. Like the grouper mentioned above, they get pretty big but aren't very active swimmers. Avoid larger lions & groupers, or any other eel that will get 30" +. A yellow, purple or kole tang (added before the sexlineatus) would add color and work on algae. Good luck. AND BUY A GOOD SKIMMER--you'll need it!!

 

[stevebydac]

I forgot to add...make sure the tang is substantially larger than the grouper. Sexlineatus groupers (I know from a lot of experience) have the biggest mouths of any groupers, ranking up there with frogfish and big lionfish. They will attempt to eat anything their length or smaller. You won't believe the size of things they will put in their mouths!! Amazing!! My friends couldn't believe it. Aside from that, they are cool pets, pretty mellow and get really attractive striping patterns as they get larger.

 

[wombat1]

Well, I had a spotted grouper that ate a snowflake eel and I've had a clown trigger that gets along fine with a long nosed butterfly and a majestic angel. It all depends on the disposition of that particular fish, the order you introduce them, etc. Groupers can be just as nasty as triggers, grow real big, and IMHO don't look as cool.