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KOZMOBC
02/05/2008, 10:45 AM
i'm currently in the planning stages of a reef build. i will be setting up a 72 gallon mixed reef. it will have a 55 gallon(current tank)sump/refuge and a asm g2 skimmer. what i'm looking for is help with is fish selection. i'd like to have varity of active swimming and interesting perhaps even quirky fish. my only limit is the size of the display tank, which i know is too small for a lot of species.

kar93
02/05/2008, 11:10 AM
Purple Tang, Yellow Tang, Kole Tang.
Mandarin - When tank mature
Yellow Wrasse
Dwarf Angels - but be cautious
Goby & Pistol
Cardinals
Clownfish

Aadler
02/05/2008, 12:03 PM
Sixline Wrasse and Lawnmower blenny are two of the 'quirkiest/entertaining' fish i have ever kept. From what i hear LMB can be hard to keep sometimes if they dont take to your food. Mine eats anything now. But it took a good 8 months to ge tto this point.

kar93
02/05/2008, 03:31 PM
ye six line wrasse are very entertaining fish but you will have to choose between a Mandarin and a Six line if you like both of these

deklin
02/05/2008, 04:21 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11770093#post11770093 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aadler
Sixline Wrasse and Lawnmower blenny are two of the 'quirkiest/entertaining' fish i have ever kept. From what i hear LMB can be hard to keep sometimes if they dont take to your food. Mine eats anything now. But it took a good 8 months to ge tto this point.

I second the sixline wrasse and blenny. A midas blenny is another great option if you don't want to go with a lawnmower blenny. I have a midas blenny with tons of personality, always active and always watching what is going on outside of the tank.

Your tank is on the small side for a tang, maybe one of the smaller species like kar93 mentioned. A Kole would definitley fit and is an under-rated fish with loads of personality IMO. If you aren't going to focus your tank around corals then it is hard to beat a dwarf angel in tems of color and activity, flames and coral beauties are great. However if you are planning on getting some very expensive coral, the chance of them nipping here and there should be enough to steer clear of dwarf angels.

deklin
02/05/2008, 04:26 PM
Forgot to mention a pair of aquacultured clowns like ORA naked or black and white!

KOZMOBC
02/05/2008, 05:17 PM
thanks to all, good call on the kole (forgot about them), i was worried that the tank would be to small for any tang(i'm not tring to start another tang/tank size fight)are there signs to look for if a fish needs more room? as for the cardinals.....how do they do with high flow, say i was going for some sps near the top of the tank will they get blown around that would suck for them. the six line i think i read somewhere or heard that it's good to keep one with clams, them being a preditor of worms or snalls that feed on clams anyone know about this?

deklin
02/05/2008, 05:27 PM
A confined tang will show increasing aggression with other fish and signs of stress. Erratic movements and spasms, loss of appetite, ich and lateral line erosion could all be indications that the fish is not happy with its current environment.

Yes the sixline has been known to eat pyramid snails which can prey on clams. They can also keep a variety of other tiny invertebrates in check.

Not sure about how cardinals handle high flow, maybe someone who keeps cardinals can chime in.

ejrabekoff
02/05/2008, 07:32 PM
A 55g is too small to keep any tang long-term, IMO. You also can not have both a yellow tang, and a purple tang, because they are both zebrasomas. 6-line wrasses will eat shrimp. I agree completely with the mandarin goby. I would recommend the following

Clown (maybe a pair)
yellowheaded jawfish
mandarin goby
royal gramma
red sea mimic blenny
firefish.

This is I am turning my tank to a mixed reef also. Good luck!

deklin
02/05/2008, 08:44 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11773604#post11773604 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ejrabekoff
A 55g is too small to keep any tang long-term, IMO. You also can not have both a yellow tang, and a purple tang, because they are both zebrasomas. 6-line wrasses will eat shrimp. I agree completely with the mandarin goby. I would recommend the following

Clown (maybe a pair)
yellowheaded jawfish
mandarin goby
royal gramma
red sea mimic blenny
firefish.

This is I am turning my tank to a mixed reef also. Good luck!

Tank is a 72 gallon, not 55. I believe kozmobc is debating between having one tang or not at all, mixing tangs would not be a good idea in a tank that size. I think a khole would be a great fit for a tank that size but that's subjective. Sixline's will not threaten reef shrimp, unless you count mysis and brine shrimp! :) They grow to a max of 3 inches and are quite reef safe.

KOZMOBC
02/06/2008, 08:49 AM
thanks again and yes my personal debate is tang or no tang. keep the suggestions coming compiling a list of possibilities tring to get as a diverse population as possible. anyone keep cardinals in high flow?

MV_ReEfLoVer
02/06/2008, 12:36 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11773604#post11773604 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ejrabekoff
A 55g is too small to keep any tang long-term, IMO. You also can not have both a yellow tang, and a purple tang, because they are both zebrasomas. 6-line wrasses will eat shrimp. I agree completely with the mandarin goby. I would recommend the following

Clown (maybe a pair)
yellowheaded jawfish
mandarin goby
royal gramma
red sea mimic blenny
firefish.

This is I am turning my tank to a mixed reef also. Good luck!

which shrimp will a 6-line wrasse eat???I thought they were supposed to be reefsafe!

fish4lyfe
02/06/2008, 01:24 PM
Bicolor blenny
firefish
six lined wrasse
yellow or green clown goby
purple tang

lhoy
02/06/2008, 03:10 PM
Six lines have killed many a much prettier fish!! There are some awesome wrasses that won't give you the nightmare a six line will (or might I should say).

Fairy wrasses would be nice in that tank.

Lee

KOZMOBC
02/06/2008, 03:50 PM
i like the idea of a wrasse and have had a 6line and currently have a 12 line. i was thinking of going bb with the new reef, do all wrasses require a sand bed or can i go bb with some types

KOZMOBC
02/07/2008, 07:46 AM
ok so here's what i was thinking so far


2 yellow clown gobies
red lip blenny
3 fairy or flasher wrasses(2 female 1 male)
chevron tang
flame angel


please give me feed back on possible non-cohabiting species.
i know that the flame may nip @ corals and the red lip may nip @ clams anything else that i should be aware of or other recommendations. also will the wrasses be ok BB?

Setec
02/07/2008, 09:43 AM
I have a 4 line which is more colorful than the 6 line, but similar in personality. He does not sleep in the sand, he spins a sack at night and sleeps in a hole the LR.

Also, as far as the “choose a 6 line or a mandarin” comment goes, I have 2 mandarins and 4 wrasses and they never mess with each other. They may compete for food, but both of my mandarins and all of my wrasses eat pellets, so it is not an issue.

I wouldn't do the yellow wrasse as these are hit or miss for attitude problems and same with the angel fish. I had an angle destroy a full display acan colony one night. I pulled my entire tank apart to get it and all of the other angels out and will never touch one again.

Green Chromis are nice fish that add a lot of activity and color to a reef, also a diamond goby will keep the sand bed stirred, but if you are going BB, stay away from the gobies.

As for the flow vs cardinals, I have an SPS tank with 2 tunze 6101s at almost full strength and I have 2 pajama cardinals. They are doing great.

KOZMOBC
02/08/2008, 11:01 AM
^

jedi31
02/08/2008, 02:24 PM
I would add some hardy Anthias once your tank matures somewhat. I like Bartlett's I have a trio in my 90 and they are awesome. Very active colorful and they eat anything I throw in my tank. Flakes, Mysis etc. Other anthias are more difficult and require multiple feedings. Bartletts you can get away with once a day.

KOZMOBC
02/08/2008, 03:01 PM
thanks jedi

chrisstie
02/08/2008, 06:50 PM
Personally I like more docile tanks.. in a tank that size a tang would just take up viewing space - will the tank be at least 6 feet long? I wouldn't do a tang in a tank less than 6 feet they need a lot of room to swim and graze, even a tinier one like the kole.

My stock list in my 55g which you could easily adapt to your 75g has a lot of personality

-Latezonatus clown (rare, but a pair of clowns could be substituted)
- Algae Blenny - Mine is highfin or dusky type species, you can have starry, lawnmower etc here
-Tailspot Blenny
-Green Target Mandarin
-2 banggai cardinals
-cleaner goby
-Possum Wrasse
-McCosker's Wrasse
-Flamehead goby
-priolepis goby
-aurora goby

Seems like a lot but 2 of the gobies are about an inch big and have separate territory down on the rocks and sand bed separate from the column swimmers etc.

If I had more room i'd definitely go with an anthias harem in a tank your size!

Hope this gives you some ideas, its so hard to plan!