Thinking about going extremely aggressive

[DamnPepShrimp]

Well after everything that has happened, I am undecided on what to do, take a break from the hobby, setup something different, I don't know. I've always wanted to do several tanks, one reef, another semi-reef with large angels/semi aggressive, one shark/ray/grouper/lionfish tank and finally an extremely aggressive tank. Matt I think you'll love this tank, I got the idea somewhat from you back in the day when you were undecided with your 240g.

So my brother has the passer angel, and it doesn't seem to be fitting into his systems (not many an extremely aggressive angel can fit into). Also, my 7" klunzinger wrasse is a pushover, not aggressive what so ever. I am afraid, in a highly aggressive tank, he would get beat up. I am thinking of replacing him with a lunare wrasse.

So my stock list would look like this:
Brazilian Dragon Moray (Bruce, he's part of the family)
Passer Angel
Clown Trigger
Sohal Tang (considering clown tang due to price, but not as mean)
Lunare Wrasse
Maybe Miniatus grouper or a small shoal of blue damsels
Maybe a puffer, any of them aggressive enough to fit this list?

Any ideas or comments on this? If I got a grouper, I was considering getting velvet damsels since they get pretty big (6") and hopefully won't get eaten like the little 1-2" blue damsels. Any ideas on a puffer? There is a small stars and stripes puffer at the LFS. The last two fish are iffy, not decided on, if I should even add them at all. Once I upgrade, I am considering adding a large brazilian queen angel, my LFS gets 6-8" ones for about $200 from time to time and they are gorgeous!

So in what order would you add everything? I'm thinking eel, damasels, wrasse (and puffer if I decide to get one), then trigger and sohal tang, then passer angel? I don't know. I have a 90g QT tank so I can add more then one fish at a time.

Any thoughts, opinions, comments etc are all welcome :)

[happyjack]

maybe a dragon wrasse they are a tough fish and a stone fish that is eating frozen foods .also another eel would be ok i've seen brazilian dragons kept with other eels (an african dragon eel). a few cleaner wrasses might make it . a remora*the clown trigger will be the biggest bully in the tank i gaurantee ,if that fish is a must get a small one .good luck

[DamnPepShrimp]

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't know if I want to add to much to that list, since they will all be big aggressive fish. I do not think the clown trigger will be the biggest bully in the tank. You haven't met my passer angel yet :) That is why he is going in last, even after the sohal! Unless the sohal is huge, but I plan to get a 3-5" one. There is a nice clown trigger at a LFS that is about 5", I may pick him up. Still undecided with the puffer, grouper, damsel situation. I'd love a miniatus, but want the CUC of the damsels, not to mention the splash of bright blue they add.

[karaim]

I think the list sounds good. Don't know if any Arathron puffer would be a good choice. They are quite passive compared to the others on the list. A porc. puffer would do fine, IMO.

Also, I am not sure whether the damsels and the clown trig are a good idea.

I would add in the following order:

1) Eel (you already have)

2) Puffer (if you decide to get one)

3) Miniatus Grouper and/or Lunarre Wrasse and/or Passer Angel

4) Sohal Tang (I think it's more aggressive than the Passer Angel)

5) Clown Trigger (would definitely get this one last)

[DamnPepShrimp]

Wow, you guys think clown triggers are that aggressive? I have seen a lot that are pretty mellow. Heard of a few sohals that were somewhat tame, but never heard of a passer being nice and able to take tankmates! Mine is a total beast, he is the biggest bully. Given he is almost 6", I think he should go in last, or atleast with the last group of fish.

So a stars and stripes puffer wouldn't be a good idea? They aren't aggressive? A porc puffer would be the best choice? They are cheaper! I wonder if my klunzinger wrasse would be ok? He is very active, but not a bully at all. He doesn't pick on anyone, keeps to himself. I could see him getting bullied, but not to the point where he wouldn't get any food, and if there are several other fish in the tank, maybe he could be alright?

[DamnPepShrimp]

I am going to the fish store this sunday (thatpetplace, have a 20% off coupon) so I will pick up a small shoal of yellowtail damsels (already have one) and probably a porc puffer. So I will be QTing my eel, wrasse, puffer and damsels. I could QT the angel at my brothers house, since that is where it currently is and get a clown trigger and sohal tang into my 90g for QT and add the last 3 at once. I gotta get that MSX300 skimmer!

[karaim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14377966#post14377966 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DamnPepShrimp
Wow, you guys think clown triggers are that aggressive? I have seen a lot that are pretty mellow. Heard of a few sohals that were somewhat tame, but never heard of a passer being nice and able to take tankmates! Mine is a total beast, he is the biggest bully. Given he is almost 6", I think he should go in last, or atleast with the last group of fish.

So a stars and stripes puffer wouldn't be a good idea? They aren't aggressive? A porc puffer would be the best choice? They are cheaper! I wonder if my klunzinger wrasse would be ok? He is very active, but not a bully at all. He doesn't pick on anyone, keeps to himself. I could see him getting bullied, but not to the point where he wouldn't get any food, and if there are several other fish in the tank, maybe he could be alright?

You know the passer you're getting better than we do. If you know it's that aggressive, definitely put it in last.

Stars and stripes puffers might work since they get quite large (alot bigger than the dog face). If you do get one, I would make sure it's several inches larger than the other fish. Porcy is more aggressive, so I don't see any problems there.

You could leave the klunzinger and see what happens, but I imagine there might be problems with the Lunare.

[karaim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14377982#post14377982 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DamnPepShrimp
I am going to the fish store this sunday (thatpetplace, have a 20% off coupon) so I will pick up a small shoal of yellowtail damsels (already have one) and probably a porc puffer. So I will be QTing my eel, wrasse, puffer and damsels. I could QT the angel at my brothers house, since that is where it currently is and get a clown trigger and sohal tang into my 90g for QT and add the last 3 at once. I gotta get that MSX300 skimmer!

I would also watch the porc. puffer with the damsels. If the damsels are very small and the puffer quite large, well...lunch.

I've seen a porcupine puffer swallow damsels in front of my eyes (they were very small however).

[DamnPepShrimp]

Think I'll get the porc puffer, since I only see puffers in smaller sizes. There was a nice 6" mappa puffer for sale locally, hmmm. Yeah, I've had the passer for almost two years now, he's at my brothers house currently. He's extremely aggressive. You think there might be problems with the lunare? He'd be more aggressive, which is what need. I am basically taking the most aggressive fish from each species and putting them into a tank. If I were to get a lunare, I don't know what I'd do with my klunzinger, I'd hate to give him up, so maybe I'll just try it with him.

[DamnPepShrimp]

The porc I will be getting will be small, around 3-4" or so. The damsels are all small 1". If he eats them, then I will just get a miniatus grouper then.

[Gotsoup]

My porc is a huge wuss, I have never had an agressive porc. My guineafowl is a much more agressive fish. More money, but cool overall and it has no problem standing up against the others.

[DamnPepShrimp]

Hmm, so what puffer does everyone suggest with this group of aggressive fish?

[danorth]

What if you got just the 9" clown tang from just rare fish? That and the eel, and the angel and a bunch of rock and killer flow?

[DamnPepShrimp]

$250 is way over priced. I don't like buying online (unless I have to). I can get a 6" clown tang for about $50-60 at my LFS. They sell them cheap. I was considering the clown tang, but I've always loved the sohal. I like the bright colors on the clown, but there is nothing quite like a full grown adult sohal tang, the colors are amazing.

[DamnPepShrimp]

Check this video out!

http://www.oceanfootage.com/video_clips/FG06_047

The passer angel is gorgeous! Can't wait until mine gets streamers! Is that really a guinea fowl puffer? Thought they were black with white dots?



So does anyone else have a puffer recommendation for me?

[Recty]

Yeah, that is a guinea fowl. Arothron meleagris is their name it they can be the dark blue with white dots, the golden color (like for instance my golden puffer is a guinea fowl) or a mix of the two. Some people say they have 3 phases but to me the spotted phases look the same with just a little variation.

[Gotsoup]

Mine is an olive green with spots. Golden's run a little more, but they are really cool.

[DamnPepShrimp]

What about a mappa puffer? There's a guy selling one somewhat local for $150, it's been for sale for awhile now. Considering trading my klunzinger wrasse for it, although I'd hate to see my wrasse go, he might not be able to hold his own in my tank.

[DamnPepShrimp]

Well the mappa puffer sold, so that is out.

I think I am going to get a porc puffer, seems like they are either hit or miss with aggression. Hopefully I can get an aggressive one. Hopefully the clown trigger, passer angel or sohal tang won't mess with the puffer, maybe it will puff up once to show them up and they will leave it alone. I think I am going to keep my wrasse as well, hopefully it being established in the tank, along with the puffer, will be able to hold their own. All this saves me money too, the wrasse I already have and the puffer's are $15. I will also try a handful of blue devil damsels, for CUC and added color.
Now the big question comes in, clown tang or sohal tang? I'd love a sohal, but they are more then 3 times the price of a clown tang!There is nothing quite like a full grown sohal though!
I have a lot of hopefulls in this setup, don't know how it will turn out since each fish is different. I do know unfortunately though is that my passer angel is extremely aggressive. I'll add him last and hopefully a 7' tank will keep aggression down. Any suggestions or comments are welcome, thanks.

[camero678]

hey dps i was just up at captian nemos up in pa this past weekend and they had a really nice Sohal Tang there. Not sure the price but is was maybe 5".

[virginiabreeze6]

Didn't you just go thru some type of tank outbreak? Didn't something similar happen about a year ago?

Patience seems to be the greatest asset in long term success.


Just in my humble opinion anyway.....

good luck........."again"

[DamnPepShrimp]

camero, thanks, but I am not ready for a sohal just yet. Still have to get the wrasse, eel and soon to be puffer through QT. Then the clown trigger, then the passer and sohal.

virginiabreeze, I don't have a clue what your talking about. Yes, I just had an outbreak about a week ago, which is why everything is in QT. You brought that thread up, but it wasn't a year old. Kind of a pointless post? I am rebuilding the 210g now and figuring out what fish in what order to stock everything, going through QT. My display will remain fishless for 6-8 weeks, everything is getting treated with cupramine and prazipro.

[Gotsoup]

make sure to quarentine and fresh water dip the puffer. They often have parasites of some kind

[DamnPepShrimp]

I am treating everything with cupramine and prazipro for 4 weeks. So shouldn't need a freshwater dip and everything should be disease free. I think flukes is what I had in my tank before though. I saw some skin like flakes in my QT tank, guess the copper is killing them. Will 6 weeks in a fallow display tank kill off flukes and velvet?

[Gotsoup]

Puffers don't always do well with copper. Those I have treated with copper have gotten sick and died mysteriously months later so be careful. Porcs are my favorite fish, so good luck.

[kirkaz]

Clown Tangs are beautiful fish, but why risk it. Sohals are considered so much more hardy.

Guess my system would have to be considered rather aggressive with 3 big angels (including the new Passer), Sohal Tang, and Niger Trigger.....My previous tank in S. Carolina had Porky Puff, Achilles Tang, Lunare Wrasse, Niger and Huma Trigger, they are lived happily together for many years.

[DamnPepShrimp]

Yeah, I've heard puffers don't take copper to well. Eels aren't supposed to take copper period, but with cupramine it's safe. What kind of copper did you treat with? Hopefully cupramine will be safe enough for a porc puffer.

Kirkaz, your tank will definyely get a lot more aggressive with time. Your angels (especially the passer) are still young. My brother had a 4" passer that wasn't too aggressive, but my 6" one now is a complete A-hole!!!