Stocking A 75 Gallon SPS Tank...

[ChrisRD]

How about a Centropyge vroliki??

I had one about 10 years ago with a C. eibli in this very tank. Pretty neat fish, but IMO there are a lot prettier Centropyges out there. I'd probably want another C. bispinosus or C. loriculus if it weren't for my fear of them nibbling SPS corals...

G. bellus that Dan mentioned is another beautiful fish, but after reviewing Greg's article it sounds like they require frequent feedings and could possibly be a bit cranky when cramped for space.

Great feedback so far - thanks folks!

 

[ChrisRD]

Red Sea 8-line flasher wrasse, man!

Are these any less troublesome than the sixlines?

 

[GSchiemer]

Red Sea 8-line flasher wrasse, man!

Are these any less troublesome than the sixlines?

Most definitely. The Red Sea Eightline Flasher wrasse (Paracheilinus octotaenia) is tough by flasher wrasse standards, but is relatively mild compared to the Six and Four-lined wrasses (Pseudocheilinus species).

Greg

 

[John_Brandt]

Amphiprion percula (Percula Clown)...a pair
Assessor flavissimus (Yellow Assessor)...one
Chromis iomelas (Black & White Chromis)...small group
Gramma loreto (Royal Gramma)...one
Chrysiptera parasema (Yellowtail Blue Damselfish)...small group
Pseudochromis fridmani (Orchid Dottyback)...one
Pseudocheilinus hexataenia (Sixline Wrasse)...one
Ctenochaetus strigosus (Kole's Tang)...one
Centropyge argi (Cherub Angelfish)...one

Chris, I like your list and you have been given great advice here already. The grouped damsels you have listed (YT & Chromis) are unlikely to remain as a social 'group'. They are almost certain to spawn and will pair-off when they do so. It might be better to add pairs rather than groups. I also like grammas in pairs because these readily spawn too. The wrasse and the dottyback may fight, and if you must have both then add the wrasse as the last fish. I think this may be a compatible group, but as others have mentioned I have questions about the happiness of an assessor in this crowd. Don't wait too long to add the tang, as most reef aquariums need at least one active herbivore fairly early on.

The jumping potential is valid for any fish; some are high-risk and some are low-risk. You will need to come to practical and emotional terms with that reality.

 

[Anonymous]

My experience with assessors is quite different from what Len experienced. Mine are constantly out and in plain view, night and day. Maybe the lighting? I have mine in a FO tank right now with NO lighting, so maybe that's the difference. I've noticed they swim upside down at night and right side up during the day.

I think the rest is great advice. If you do go with a Genicanthus angel I think it would have to be the watanabei's. It stays fairly small. They all require lots of swimming room too. I just saw a male G. semifasciatus recently...those suckers get big!

My experience with C. parasema is that it will pester the really peaceful fish, like assessors and flasher wrasses. They really don't like royal grammas at all, probably because of the similar coloration.

I would definitely go with a pair of flashers and a fairy wrasse or two if this was my tank. They'll get along with just about everything on that list. You would probably have to ditch the six or fourline to do this though. I'm not sure how they would get along with a C. argi either.

 

[Anonymous]

I think the rest is great advice. If you do go with a Genicanthus angel I think it would have to be the watanabei's. It stays fairly small.

I'll have to respectfully disagree with Matt here. In my shop, I've had two 6"+ male watanabei angels. Maybe it's the female that stays smaller...the biggest I've seen female is 3".

I'm pretty sure all the genicanthus males get big...not sure about the females.

Also, the bellus pair I had were not aggressive in any way. However, being a deeper water species, they may react badly to the high light of the tank. My male eventually went blind under the 440 watt VHO's I had them under, but then again the female was perfectly fine.

In my 180 I'll have a female bellus and a female masked swallowtail.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

Chip, you're absolutely right, they do get that big. For some reason I was thinking more like 4"...they do stay the smallest of the Genicanthus though. So the females of different species get along huh?

 

[Anonymous]

Chip, you're absolutely right, they do get that big. For some reason I was thinking more like 4"...they do stay the smallest of the Genicanthus though. So the females of different species get along huh?

Dunno...I'll let ya know once I find them again to buy.



Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

Chip, you're absolutely right, they do get that big. For some reason I was thinking more like 4"...they do stay the smallest of the Genicanthus though. So the females of different species get along huh?

Dunno...I'll let ya know once I find them again to buy.



Peace,

Chip

Do let me know, please. I'm actually very interested to find out. My best guess would be that it would be fine, but ya never know...

Thanks, Matt

 

[ChrisRD]

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone!

 

[Anonymous]

Do let me know, please. I'm actually very interested to find out. My best guess would be that it would be fine, but ya never know...

Thanks, Matt

Well, now...the wholesaler I order from is getting in pairs of masked swallowtail and pairs of watanabe regularly, so I may try a pair of swallowtails instead of the two females.

I'll let ya you exactly what I get.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

My male eventually went blind under the 440 watt VHO's I had them under, but then again the female was perfectly fine.

Are you sure it was the lights? In Scott Michael's new book on Angels and Butterflies he has an interesting section on nutritional blindness...

 

[Anonymous]

My male eventually went blind under the 440 watt VHO's I had them under, but then again the female was perfectly fine.

Are you sure it was the lights? In Scott Michael's new book on Angels and Butterflies he has an interesting section on nutritional blindness...

I read that. Everything was fine, and I was taking care the of fish as I should have. It was unexplanable. The female was fine, and was a picture of excellent health.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

I don't see anything wrong with the choice of fish. Most of it is a matter of personal preference. I'd reconsider the chromis and damsels. They can both be a little nasty in a small aquaurium. If I had to have one group, it would be the chomis. The sixline can also be a nasty fish and limits your future options. I'd seriously reconsider this fish. The cherub angel is also a tough customer, but if you really want an angel, it's a good choice. Here's what I'd suggest:

Amphiprion percula (Percula Clown)...a pair
Assessor flavissimus (Yellow Assessor)...one
Gramma loreto (Royal Gramma)...one
Ctenochaetus strigosus (Kole's Tang)...one
Pseudochromis fridmani (Orchid Dottyback)...one
Chromis iomelas (Black & White Chromis)...small group
Centropyge argi (Cherub Angelfish)...one

I really don't think the order is critical, except for keeping the cherub angel last and the royal gramma before the fridmani.

Good luck!

Greg

Hey Chris, I agree with Greg's post, with some changes to suite my personal preferences.
Myself, I don't care for the assessors, and they don't ship well to boot.
I would go with a PAIR of fridmani, and forget the gramma. These are great reef fish. You can do the grammas in a group too, but attention must be payed to the "critical density" when doing this. I'd say in a tank that size, a trio would be fine. The fridmani is a much better choice IMO.
C. argi might be my favorite reef fish - ad him LAST. I would definitley include him though. You can also add C. argi in a trio! Scott Michael sent me a paper on spawning them sometime back, let me know if you're interested and I'll try and dig it up for you.
I currently keep a Brazilian gramma (like a royal, but more aggressive) and a fridmani together with no problems, however the sixline IS a probem and picks on the fridmani relentlessly. In a tank your size, I'd go with either the fridmani or the grammas, not both.
I would stay away from the Genicanthus angels in a tank this size. Remember your corals will grow and take up swimming space.

Cheers
Jim

 

[ChrisRD]

OK, I think I've got the list now:

A. percula (pair)
C. strigosus (one)
P. fridmani (pair)
C. iomelas (pair)
C. argi (one)

...boring to some, I know, but I'm hoping to offset that with some nice looking corals.

Thanks to all for the great advice.

 

[ChrisRD]

You can also add C. argi in a trio! Scott Michael sent me a paper on spawning them sometime back, let me know if you're interested and I'll try and dig it up for you.

PM sent.

 

[John_Brandt]

My male eventually went blind under the 440 watt VHO's I had them under, but then again the female was perfectly fine.

Are you sure it was the lights? In Scott Michael's new book on Angels and Butterflies he has an interesting section on nutritional blindness...

I read that. Everything was fine, and I was taking care the of fish as I should have. It was unexplanable. The female was fine, and was a picture of excellent health.

Peace,

Chip

Chip, there is an issue with angels and clowns going blind in captivity. I've noticed it for 24 years. Only recently I found information on vitamin D deficiency causing blindness in fish. I don't know if it is a true correlation. There is another older thread in this forum discussing it.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Jim,

I saw a 300 gallon or so tank the other day with a C. argi and C. acanthops (I think...it had a yellow tail...forget if that's acanthops or aurantota) together. What's more, they hung out constantly. Both were very small. Ever heard of these two hybridizing?

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Matt,
I've heard of hybridization within this little complex, but have never seen the results. I'd be curious as to what criteria was used to discern the different species here asid from chromatic variances. They are very close, closer than say a passer and queen, or an asfur and a maculosus. At least, that is my guess.

Jim

 

[Anonymous]

It was just chromatic differences. As far as I know C. argi only has yellow on the head, right? The acanthops(?) had yellow on the head, dorsal fin, and tail.