Fish Suggestions for a larger tank?

[fishfreak2009]

Any suggestions for fish for a 187 peaceful FOWLR? Currently I have:
1 Pearlscale Butterflyfish (Chaetodon xanthurus)
1 Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus) in quarantine
1 Bicolor Angelfish (Centropyge bicolor)
1 High Hat Drum (Equetus acuminatus) in quarantine
1 Yellow Flanked Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lyukyuensis)
1 Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto) in quarantine
1 Cinnamon Clownfish (Amphiprion melanopus)
2 Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

I know I'm adding a coral beauty angel, a flame angel, and a Quality Marine cleaner wrasse (since I just lost my cleaner to an accident with the koralia) but do you all have any other suggestions? I'm looking for relatively inexpensive as well as hardy, but am up to more challenging fish as well (just can't afford any real expensive fish since I just bought a car and start college next year).

[reeferstace]

Blue throat trigger.

[Ianwraab]

Powder brown tang... Looks great under led and has nice size

Powder blue tang.. A little more on the sensitive side but a nice lookin fish...

Purple tang... $$$ but man these are the best lookin fish ever...


For a community atmosphere and a good peaceful tank I'd steer clear of any trigger...

[fishfreak2009]

Powder brown tang... Looks great under led and has nice size
Powder blue tang.. A little more on the sensitive side but a nice lookin fish...
Purple tang... $$$ but man these are the best lookin fish ever...
For a community atmosphere and a good peaceful tank I'd steer clear of any trigger...

Ya, I'm avoiding triggers for this tank (I've got plans for a trigger tank eventually). I'm also avoiding most tangs, I'll possibly include a yellow, because I don't think any of the larger tangs would be comfortable (e.g. Acanthurus and Naso sp.) and the purple is absolutely aggressive (had one a long time ago and took him back to the store because he killed 4 butterflies in 2 days) and I can't afford it (especially since I just bought a new car and start college next year.

[Monkeyfish]

Check out the fairy and flasher wrasses and anthias. You might also be interested in some of the smaller species of hawkfish. Keep in mind that the hi-hat can get quite large.

[sandwi54]

What about an angel? Majestic, regal, or any of the chaetodontoplus will do well in a 187g.

[fishfreak2009]

I do know the high hat will get fairly large, but I've been looking for one for quite a while and never was able to find a small one that was eating. This little guy is about 2 inches long and loves mysids, brine, clam on the half shell, IO gel food, even bristleworms! His heavy bioload and larger size is one of the reasons I'm trying to avoid a bunch of larger fish.

As for fairy wrasses, I've definitely considered them, and I do like some of them very much so I will keep them in mind.

[fishfreak2009]

How's this for a stocklist?

1 Bicolor Angelfish (Centropyge bicolor)*
1 Coral Beauty Angelfish (Centropyge bispinosa)
1 Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loriculus)
2 Bannerfish (Heniochus acuminatus)
1 Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus)*
1 Pearlscale Butterflyfish (Chaetodon xanthurus)*
2 Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)**
1 Cinnamon Clownfish (Amphiprion melanopus)*
2 Pajama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
1 Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)*
1 Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
1 Diamond Watchman Goby (Valenciennea puellaris)
1 Yellow Flanked Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lyukyuensis)*
1 Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lubbocki)
1 Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
1 Hi-Hat (Equetus acuminatus)*
1 Flame Hawkfish (Neocirrhitus armatus)

note: each * stands for an individual fish already owned.

[rpjaws74]

i like the jawfish for sure!

[fishfreak2009]

What about an angel? Majestic, regal, or any of the chaetodontoplus will do well in a 187g.

I love the angels like these, but unfortunately they are a little too pricey for me currently (I am starting college next fall after all).

[sandwi54]

I love the angels like these, but unfortunately they are a little too pricey for me currently (I am starting college next fall after all).

Understood. In this case I'd suggest a pair of yellow pyramid butterflyfish. They are reef-safe and are relatively inexpensive ($40-$50 each). They will grow to about 5-6" and will make a good show piece.

[WuHT]

inexpensive and hardy :

consider a foxface ? The problem is it may have the same colour scheme as your long nose butterfly.

Plenty of decent haliocheres wrasses available for a good price too.

Niger triggerfish is probably the cheapest commonly available trigger that "may" suit a community tank. The blue throat will set you back more obviously but is a better candidate.

Consider a bannerfish ? Again may be redundant as you have a striped drum.

Tank raised dottybacks are a good choice too

[fishfreak2009]

inexpensive and hardy :

consider a foxface ? The problem is it may have the same colour scheme as your long nose butterfly.
Unable to add this since I don't want anything venomous
Plenty of decent haliocheres wrasses available for a good price too.
Looking into these currently, but don't want too much competition with the goby and drum
Niger triggerfish is probably the cheapest commonly available trigger that "may" suit a community tank. The blue throat will set you back more obviously but is a better candidate.
Had one of these before and he ate all my damsels, as well as my royal gramma. I also have plans to set up a trigger tank eventually, so would rather not have one in here.
Consider a bannerfish ? Again may be redundant as you have a striped drum.
Check the list. There are two on there.
Tank raised dottybacks are a good choice too
I'm kind of worried about them fighting with the gramma and the goby, as well as the smaller wrasses.

See above

[Charley Diesing]

I'd go with more Butterflys. Maybe some Raccoons? They looks nice IMO. :)

[rssjsb]

What are the dimensions of this tank? I've got a 185 (60 x 24 x 30) and I can't imagine two bannerfish in this tank. In fact, would not add any more butterflies or bigger fish to this tank. I like the rest of your list, however.

On a different note, how long have you had those three clowns?

[Monkeyfish]

Avoid dottybacks if you're trying for a more "peaceful" tank. Triggers may nip at the banner fish and high hat.

Multiple dwarf angels can work out, but it's best to introduce all of them at once.

[WuHT]

See above

Well looks like you've done some homework in restricting your choices. Look into a blenny (midas?) of some sort and I think you're set

[Vince272992]

you could get a yellow tang which is the hardiest of all tangs and some what cheap...... u could also get a pair or small group of firefish which are hardy and cheap as well

[fishfreak2009]

What are the dimensions of this tank? I've got a 185 (60 x 24 x 30) and I can't imagine two bannerfish in this tank. In fact, would not add any more butterflies or bigger fish to this tank. I like the rest of your list, however.

On a different note, how long have you had those three clowns?

Ya, it's a 60x24x30 tank (sold to me as 187 gallons). I actually had 2 bannerfish in here for quite a while and they were absolutely beautiful (stupid lunar wrasse butchered them). I know I am definitely adding a pair of them, after all, they aren't a clown tang, or a queen angel, or something else of that sheer size.

As for the clownfish, the pair has been in the tank 5 years, and I added the cinnamon about 6 months ago. The cinnamon is definitely the boss, but the pair (who still regularly lay eggs) hold their own. The cinnamon claimed one side of the tank as her own, and the ocellaris pair claimed the other.

[fishfreak2009]

you could get a yellow tang which is the hardiest of all tangs and some what cheap...... u could also get a pair or small group of firefish which are hardy and cheap as well

still debating on whether or not I'll add a yellow tang, but I know I'm not adding a firefish. It would be outcompeted way too quickly.

[Vince272992]

ok cool and ya if u are going to do a tang i would defiantly do a yellow tang or tomini cause there the hardiest and cheapest and add a lot of color and personality to the tank while staying smaller then other tangs such as powder blue/brown and a lot of other ones i would defiantly do one of those two

[rssjsb]

Ya, it's a 60x24x30 tank (sold to me as 187 gallons). I actually had 2 bannerfish in here for quite a while and they were absolutely beautiful (stupid lunar wrasse butchered them). I know I am definitely adding a pair of them, after all, they aren't a clown tang, or a queen angel, or something else of that sheer size.

As for the clownfish, the pair has been in the tank 5 years, and I added the cinnamon about 6 months ago. The cinnamon is definitely the boss, but the pair (who still regularly lay eggs) hold their own. The cinnamon claimed one side of the tank as her own, and the ocellaris pair claimed the other.

No doubt the bannerfish are beautiful. I just think they get too big for your tank. In any event, if you do add them, I would not add any other big fish (tangs, etc.) until you've gotten some feel for how much space these guys will take up when they're grown.

I hope the clowns maintain the detente they've achieved in your current tank when you move them and disrupt their territories. I'd keep an eye on that situation.

Finally, I would skip the cleaner wrasse. I missed that before on your list.

I like my tank. It is a challenge to keep clean, particularly around the sand bed, but I love the space - it allows for some interesting aquascaping.

Good luck.

[fishfreak2009]

No doubt the bannerfish are beautiful. I just think they get too big for your tank. In any event, if you do add them, I would not add any other big fish (tangs, etc.) until you've gotten some feel for how much space these guys will take up when they're grown.
I had a pair of adults before and they were just fine in my opinion. Between a crazy lunare wrasse and an a relative who thought they could clean the tank with bleach I lost them (and all their tankmates besides the wrasse), but never did I feel the tank was too small for them. They lived with a yellow tang, a purple tang, a copperband butterfly, and a pearlscale butterfly and all of them thrived together.

I hope the clowns maintain the detente they've achieved in your current tank when you move them and disrupt their territories. I'd keep an eye on that situation.
Why would I move them? They are in the display and have been for quite a while...?

Finally, I would skip the cleaner wrasse. I missed that before on your list.
I had excellent luck with a cleaner wrasse from Quality Marine, until the safety cover got knocked of the koralia... When I get another cleaner, I will make sure it has been in the store for a while, is greedily eating, came from Quality Marine, and will go through a 6 week quarantine.

I like my tank. It is a challenge to keep clean, particularly around the sand bed, but I love the space - it allows for some interesting aquascaping.
Ya, the dimensions are a challenge when it comes to cleaning, but the aquascaping potential is just awesome.
Good luck.

See the red above. Also, I am not a newbie at this, I have been keeping saltwater fish for almost 8 years. I was just going for some unique suggestions, and seeing if people could think of a species I might have forgotten about. Sorry if it sounds like I'm flaming you, I'm really not trying to, and I appreciate that you have the best interests of the fish at heart.

[rssjsb]

See the red above. Also, I am not a newbie at this, I have been keeping saltwater fish for almost 8 years. I was just going for some unique suggestions, and seeing if people could think of a species I might have forgotten about. Sorry if it sounds like I'm flaming you, I'm really not trying to, and I appreciate that you have the best interests of the fish at heart.No worries. Reading back through my posts I realized that they were more negative than I intended. I didn't mean to scold. I like the fish on your list. I've just been surprised at how, well, moderate my 185 feels now that it's set up and running even though it's over twice as big as the 90 it replaced. Even my foxface seems big to me now.

On the clowns, I misunderstood your original post as a question about an upcoming upgrade. I didn't realize you had already moved your existing fish. Moving my clowns from the 90 to the 185 seemed to upset their former equilibrium and they've only now started to spawn regularly again.

Again, I wish you luck.