My New Plan

[toastii]

i also got conflicting info about other tangs

in my catelog for petsolutions
they have
hippo/nasso/powderblue/yellow tangs all for 75 min...

is that right>
i though nasso and powders were larger min size?
if the case if 75 id love to get a powder blue instead i love them- or maybe a nasso id have to choose

 

[toastii]

???/

 

[Brian5000]

I have a guide book that has helped me a lot and I have found it to be pretty close with various fish that I've kept. According to my fishy guide book (Marine Fishes by Scott Micheal):

Yellow Tang: max 7.9 in/minimum tank 75
Hippo Tang: max 12.2 in/minimum tank 100
Nasso Tang (orangespine unicorn?): max 18.1 in/minimum tank 135
Powder Blue Tang: max 9.1 in/minimum tank 100

It also says the powder blue's severe susceptibility to Ich limits it's ability to survive in an aquarium.

The numbers they list as maximum sizes are just the biggest recorded. I think you're right that most fish never actually get that big. You could probably get away with having these fish in a slightly smaller tank than listed (the nasso is a bit big though, I think).

Other tangs to consider:
Yelloweye tang: max 7.1 in
Purple Tang: max 9.8 in
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[toastii]

this is a response i got from someone else- and this is my response/and stocking possibility that i would prefer

Sara,

There really is no way to give you definitive answers to your questions. For example, my 75 gal reef houses three fish. That's right - 3 fish. A Passer Angel, a clownfish and a royal gramma. That's it. My 50 gal houses four fish. A trio of saddleback clowns and a green chromis. My 30 gal houses 5 fish. A pygmy angel, a trio of firefish, a six-line wrasse.

Tangs are a touchy subject. Depending on who you talk to. Some insist no tang should be housed in anything less than a 6 ft. tank. Others keep small tangs in 30 gal tanks. IMO, the recommended minimum tank sizes you quoted are just that - minimums. That said, if you got a very small yellow tang or small hippo tang, I'm sure it would do fine in your 75 gal for quite some time. Do NOT purchase medium/large sizes. Since they are different body shapes, you could even house a small yellow tang AND a small hippo tang in the same tank...assuming you had small specimens and were prepared for the future when they outgrow the tank. You couldn't, however, keep both a Naso and a Hippo as they have similar body shapes.

My very first saltwater tank was a 55 gal. I kept a clownfish, Flame Angel, Koran Angel and a small Yellow Tang. Very colorful tank and the fish got along very well. What you need to decide is what you want in the tank first. For example, I can't keep any feather dusters because my Purple Tang used to nibble on their caps and my Passer Angel just thinks they are frilly food. LOL

Saltwater tanks are not freshwater tanks by any means. You simply cannot stock them like you would a freshwater tank. If you are one that likes to look into a tank and see lots of fish swimming around, you will be disappointed. Unless, of course, you plan to only keep very small species of fish and fill the tank that way.

Assuming you get a trio of clownfish, a trio of firefish, 2 or 3 gobies, and a yellow tang/hippo tang - your tank would be fully stocked IMO. You could put more fish in, however, since you want a low maintenance tank without having the expense of $500 skimmers, etc...then you need to stock lightly.

Tom

 

[toastii]

QUOTE

There really is no way to give you definitive answers to your questions. For example, my 75 gal reef houses three fish. That's right - 3 fish. A Passer Angel, a clownfish and a royal gramma. That's it. My 50 gal houses four fish. A trio of saddleback clowns and a green chromis. My 30 gal houses 5 fish. A pygmy angel, a trio of firefish, a six-line wrasse.

thank you for the answer you gave it was helpful even if undirect- it was mostly the answer i was looking for

QUOTE
Tangs are a touchy subject. Depending on who you talk to. Some insist no tang should be housed in anything less than a 6 ft. tank. Others keep small tangs in 30 gal tanks. IMO, the recommended minimum tank sizes you quoted are just that - minimums. That said, if you got a very small yellow tang or small hippo tang, I'm sure it would do fine in your 75 gal for quite some time. Do NOT purchase medium/large sizes. Since they are different body shapes, you could even house a small yellow tang AND a small hippo tang in the same tank...assuming you had small specimens and were prepared for the future when they outgrow the tank. You couldn't, however, keep both a Naso and a Hippo as they have similar body shapes.

my theory is (prolly not the right reasoning though) is why pay more for a larger older fish that wont last as long even with proper care (just cuz its older)
also my idea was 2 small clowns (adorable little things)
i know about the hippo/naso thats why id have to choose if i went with two tangs id go with powder and yello which are the smaller of the 4

QUOTE
Saltwater tanks are not freshwater tanks by any means. You simply cannot stock them like you would a freshwater tank. If you are one that likes to look into a tank and see lots of fish swimming around, you will be disappointed. Unless, of course, you plan to only keep very small species of fish and fill the tank that way.

im fine with what ever i will get!!!

QUOTE

Assuming you get a trio of clownfish, a trio of firefish, 2 or 3 gobies, and a yellow tang/hippo tang - your tank would be fully stocked IMO. You could put more fish in, however, since you want a low maintenance tank without having the expense of $500 skimmers, etc...then you need to stock lightly.

i was gonna get a prizm skimmer... they are inexpensive and someone else had it and had nothing bad or said nothing bad about it..

so i was thinking (if not too much)
2clowns
a powder and/ or yellow tang
5 species of gobies - yellow rose/barber shop goby- firefish- panda goby- orange stripe prawn goby- black barred convict goby
(is 5 too many- id think they are small and wouldnt take up that much space especially the shrimp gobies which stay close to their burrow supposedly- )

then should i get a pair of peps or a cleaner shrimp
id get a couple of pistol shrimp
and snails

mushrooms/ zoos
frags from ppl smile.gif

it says in my catalog brain corals are moderate lighting

what qualifies as moderate lighting- is that an HO t-5?

so i think thats what i will get if i get a 75gl tank-- which im not sure how likely but i will wait untill a similar deal comes along again because im sure someone has bought the tank already


any thoughts?>

 

[toastii]

my theory is (prolly not the right reasoning though) is why pay more for a larger older fish that wont last as long even with proper care (just cuz its older)

ignore that- i will not base anything -- mostly anything on cost

 

[mr_X]

red sea prizm skimmers are crap imo.
you will have a heck of a time adjusting it.
i had one for 1 day. after playing with the adjustment for about 6 hours straight, i returned it for an ASM. it was a good decision.

 

[toastii]

hmm ok...
i'll see what i can do

 

[toastii]

any comments on my stocking wishes?

 

[toastii]

anybody??

what are some good skimmers that arnt in the 300-400$ range and more like the 100-280$ range

 

[Brian5000]

Your fish plan seems fine. Add the tangs last since they are the most aggressive of your choices and add them simultaneously (if you get more than one) to get the best chances of them tolerating each other.

Peppermint shrimp are fine, but I think they tend to hide a lot more than cleaners.

Mushrooms and zoos are extremely easy to care for and are great.

I've never dealt with T-5 lighting. I don't know if that's enough or not for the more advanced corals.

For hang on skimmers, AquaC seems to be the brand to use. The Remora Pro with a Mag350 is $238 at Premium Aquatics.
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[mr_X]

aqua c for a 75 gallon? i would go with something larger. if you do get the aqua c, make sure you get the prefilter/bubble box with it, because they put some bubbles in the display, and this box seems to be the only thing that stops it.
the aqua medic turbofloater HOB is a pretty good skimmer. shavo has the red sea berlin turbo, and that seems to do his tank well. i think they have a HOB version. you will have alot more choices if you go with a sump, and plus the increase in water volume will make it better for the "bio load wish list" too.

 

[toastii]

ok...

i have room for a sump to go in the cabinent.. of the stand-
i want to go to the store today but i idk if i'll be able to. i wsh i could drive-
i just dont want to deal with the mechanics of a sump

 

[mr_X]

what mechanics?

 

[toastii]

the output? over flow/ tubing- etc

 

[toastii]

maybe im over thinking the complexity of it

 

[mr_X]

it's no big deal. really. it's super easy. just get a basic tank that will fit inside your stand. you don't even need a refugium if you don't want to go through making partitions and stuff, but i recommend it.

get a pump to return the water, and an overflow.
you can get a 600gph overflow, and then a mag7 for return. it will work fine. then some tubing to connect everything.
i think 5/8 inside diameter tubing for the return, and basic pool hose for the overflow part. just tell the LFS what you are buying and tell them you need hoses for it. they will give you the right ones.

or, just get a decent hang on the back skimmer and forget the sump.

 

[toastii]

oh i was gonna get a good HOB skimmer... i was looking at the ASM and the aqua medic and aquac

the ones suggested..

 

[mr_X]

HOB means hang on the back. asm skimmers are in-sump skimmers.
aqua medic turbofloater makes a HOB version, and so does red sea berlin

 

[toastii]

right right right sorry i forgot that i ruled out the ASM because i wasnt getting a sump
but then i started to consider a sump and so i started thinking about ASMs again and then never rethought wha was going on

so never mind about the ASM- i knew that i just wasnt thinking when i wrote my comment