opinions need...fish/ no fish

[n8ureman]

Ok everyone, a little background on my situation. I started a 40 gallon tank that I want dedicated to sps corals only. I made a "frame" out of plastic eggcrate to hold the corals and I went bb. ( after seeing all those awsome bb tanks on another thread!) Now for the question, It is my understanding that having fish in the tank is good for the corals.The fish waste feeding the zooxanthellae. however from what I have also been reading on this form too much of a "good thing" can cause the corals to "brown out". So I was intrested in peoples thoughts on the matter.

[Bebo77]

[welcome]


you want fish that will "work" tangs will keep algea down Wrasse will eat little critters etc... brown out is usually caused by phosphates, low/ not enough light, or bad water parameters in general..

[Sk8r]

I have good growth on what I think is a. nana, any montipora, green slimer, poci, a blue unidentified, etc, and I have a tank fully stocked with gobies---and big bristleworms [two puffy fingers as I type].

I think one thing that makes a difference is what the fish eat, because that governs what's going back into the system. I think the algae-eating fish and fish that eat copepods are more compatible with corals than fish that eat a high meat diet which is continually put into the system. This is just me, but it's the theory behind my tank: that in nature there are always more grazers than lions, or things get out of balance. So there are zillions of copepods in the system, and things that predate on them, while I feed phyto to the tank like crazy; there are algae eating and sand-sifting gobies, and a few carnivores [the chromis, and the dartfish]. So far so good, with the coral growth: montiporas are great, ditto some acros and poci, and no complaints out of the lps. I have 2 underperforming acros, but they're new, so they may still be acclimating.

[sfsuphysics]

Well here's my take, REGARDLESS of if fish poop is helpful or not a tank with nothing but SPS corals would be quite boring, there needs to be some dynamic aspect of the tank, fish usually provide that aspect. Now you could get away with various inverts that would lessen the bioload but hey a fishtank without a fish is meh. Of course this is my own personal preference there are those who are absolutely happy with that.

With that that said though keep the fish you have within the parameters of your tank, and really try not to overstock, with 40 gallons you really don't have much room to work with as far as fish. A few smaller fish could go overwell, while I do sort of agree with the above poster on fish that will "work" on a tank that small you're really limited on working fish, I would not ever suggest any sort of tang with a tank that small, and even wrasses would be a push since they tend to be a little bit on the agressive side. In my 100g stony tank I have 3 chromis, 1 blue damsel, 1 percula, 1 6-line, & 1 watchman goby, I'm pretty much at a happy place as far as fish with the exception of perhaps a fish that will pick the rocks for algae which I have yet to find a decent fish.