Another 75 Gallon Stocking question

[Rover88]

Hello!

I have a 75 gallon tank with a 40 gallon sump. Probably around 50-60 lbs of live rock made as sort of a center island with plenty of swimming room around the back and the front of it, and a few caves that can be darted through in the middle. The LaMarck already does this!

I am looking to make my final additions to the tank, and was hoping for some opinions from some of those that might have had similar pairings or combinations of fish.

Current Livestock

- LaMarcks Angelfish (3-4 inches)
- Two Ocellaris Clownfish
- Three Green Clown Gobies
- One Convict Blenny (He has a cave, and the LaMarck shares it with him sometimes)
- One Chinstrap Jawfish (He made a hole, and no one shares it with him... ever)
- Inverts: 2x Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, small army of blue and red legged hermit crabs, and a medley of various snails.


I had been planning to get either a Tomini Tang or a Blue Eye Kole tang and call it good with that. Then my girlfriend saw someone else's one spot foxface rabbit fish, and fell in love.

We do have a plan to upgrade the tank but I do not want to make my purchase based on that. So far in the tank there is no aggression from anyone other then the chinstrap jawfish doing threat displays if someone comes near his hole, but he hasn't ever actually gone after someone. The Convict we aren't sure knows how big he is, because despite being the largest thing in the tank he is the meekest and routinely shares his 'home' with anyone that butts in. The Clowns don't seem to care about anything but each other, and the Gobies each have claimed their own areas of the tank and don't stray out of it.

With that in mind....

What would you recommend between the Tomini/Blue eye Kole, or the Foxface and why? From what I dug up online all three recommend a minimum of 70 or 75 gallons.

And what about getting one tang and the foxface? I've been having trouble digging up much information on how a tang would get along with a foxface. Also, if I'd run into overstocking the tank if I got both.

Thank you!

[nereefpat]

Some sites that sell fishes recommend a 75 gallon minimum for the foxface. A lot of us disagree with that. It's a big fish that behaves strangely in a small tank, and it has venomous spines that it uses when feeling cramped.

Any bristletooth tang, except chevron, will be OK in a 75.

Keep in mind, your angel will get big.

[Silly clownfish]

Hi Rover,

I also have a 75 g, but a smaller sump (20g). I went through a similar tang/foxface decision process. I would definitely say one or the other in 75g. It is not just overstocking, but I think they would be prone to be competitive in cramped quarters.

I had a previous rough experience with a tang in the 90’s - before all of the great online info was available. A LFS convinced me that a baby hippo tang was fine in my then 30g. We struggled through ick (long before I ever heard of tank transfer) and a prolonged battle with HLLE. I lost that fish after about a year, which was before it had a chance to really outgrow the tank.

When I upgraded to a 75, I really wanted a suitable sized tang, but was still gun-shy. I was still reading about them being very prone to ick and HLLE (I get the impression that yellow tangs are the worst for disease). Then I ran across the one spot foxface. They have reputation for being less disease prone, have a similar shape, are herbivores, etc. and I liked the look.

As far as personality goes, my foxface is definitely not the smartest fish in the tank. That was my flame hawk, who I recently lost at the age of 19 years. The foxface is somewhat flighty and prone to go into rabbit mode - up against the rocks, very still, spikes up, camouflage colors. It is rather humorous, especially considering it is by far my largest fish and the only one with the spiky defense mechanism. I think it did sting my flame hawk early on. The flame was the closest I had to a bully in my tank. After the suspected incident, all it took was a slight raise of his spikes for the hawk to back off. I strongly suspect The foxface was the cause of my hawk’s fatal jump.

As far as herbivore go, I have no issues between the foxface and my coral beauty, or any other fish in the tank.

So I know I haven’t answered your tnag vs. foxface question, but hopefully this gives you a little more info to base you decision on. If something happened to my foxface today I would be torn on which to get.

Kim

[Rover88]

Some sites that sell fishes recommend a 75 gallon minimum for the foxface. A lot of us disagree with that. It's a big fish that behaves strangely in a small tank, and it has venomous spines that it uses when feeling cramped.

Any bristletooth tang, except chevron, will be OK in a 75.

Keep in mind, your angel will get big.

I appreciate the reply! I was worried it was going to be a case of websites saying one thing and conventional wisdom another.

I don't really know if there is a rule of thumb or if its case by case by inhabitant, but having an annoyed fish with venemous barbs is leaning me away from that.

Is there room in the tank for a tang in your opinion, or does the LaMarck qualify as the big fish, and there won't be room for others once she has grown?

snip

I appreciate the insight on how your Foxface behaved in a similar size tank to mine! That does help me in making up the mind.

[nereefpat]

Is there room in the tank for a tang in your opinion

I think there is.