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View Full Version : The Perfect Stocklist - Fish in a SPS Tank


Avast Marine
12/19/2006, 05:33 PM
This could be fun:

In a SPS tank with everybody doing "chores" and all fish are compatable, what would the "Perfect Stocklist" be?

Please give reasons/experience with your selections.

Lets use a 75 gallon tank as the theoretical vessel.

fishfanatic06
12/19/2006, 05:41 PM
Here are just a few Ideas:
Sixline Wrasse: To feed on bristleworms, flatworms, other pests etc.
Some type of tang: To clean up the algae
Peppermint shrimp to eat aiptasia.
Can't think of anything else right now.

JER-Z
12/19/2006, 05:44 PM
i think sand sifting goby is a great addition for SSB. keeps the crap from building up in the sand bed

bond007069
12/19/2006, 05:51 PM
yellow gobies?

Big Boy69
12/19/2006, 06:28 PM
I would go with a shool of chromis, a 6 line wrasse, a tang, and a sand sifter.

MiddletonMark
12/19/2006, 06:30 PM
I'd avoid yellow gobies.

IMO, I'd go for one display fish, a wrasse or two, a blenny + some gobies for a 75. Is the tank about the corals, or the fish?

If the corals, then I'd keep the fish quantity down.

RichConley
12/19/2006, 06:38 PM
Ditch the sixline and pick up a halichoeres melanarus. Will do everything a sixline will, but more consistently, and will eat more pests. Its also less agressive (IME), and better looking.

Dragon Faced Pipes: For eating redbugs.

Avast Marine
12/19/2006, 06:50 PM
Good ideas so far. The display would definetely be geared towards SPS (this is not my tank nor anybodys in particular just a "theory tank"). I think some ideal characteristics should include; likes a high flow enviroment, does not like to eat a ton (unless of coarse it eats pest or nuicence algae), does not perch (or nip for that matter) on corals, can live with or without a sandbed, any others I missed?

dots
12/19/2006, 06:53 PM
Three dwarf angels, a puffer, and a school of Nemos( I recommend 2 female maroons, a female True Percula and a male skunk)!!!! And don't forget the anenome for the clowns to host in, be sure to get one so they will be forced to share ....SPS tank......probably a Condy Anenome will be fine.

seminolecpa
12/19/2006, 06:57 PM
six-line- pest control

Kole tang or Yellow Tang (others are or will get too big IMHO)-algae eater

Loepard Wrasse- cosmetics

Maroon or percula clown (perhaps even a mated pair)-keep the kids and wife happy.

Hey wait.......


those are my tank inhabitants

Avast Marine
12/19/2006, 06:58 PM
Thanks for contributing to the thread dots :rolleyes:

Avast Marine
12/19/2006, 07:00 PM
OK, can we get some algae eating alternatives to the tang for the smaller SPS tanks?

Frankysreef
12/19/2006, 07:04 PM
algae blenny.. I second the halichoeres wrasse.. Not aggressive
need sand bed for it though..
Angel for display
yellow tang if smaller tank
clowns for color
anthias to mix it up lyretails are great in an sps tank

dots
12/19/2006, 07:05 PM
I thought a little fun was in order?:p .......You know the usual fish.......you have it covered.....I am going through the same thing right now in fact.......I want nice community fish that are colorful and/or unique, swim and have a little personality, since we are limited on fish load. Considering the SPS tanks are "clean" as is, and fish are used mainly as coloring agents for the corals and the icing on the cake......My snails are dying off from too little algae....The angel and tang I do have clean up the little that does grow.

Currently I have:

Coral Beauty (non nipping variety)
Sailfin Tang
3 neon Gobies

considering 1-2 of these 3
Mandrin, (buddy has one that eats mysis)
Sunburst Anthias, (if I can find one that swims instead of hiding)
Orange skunk clown.

Recently removed:

My Maroon Clown(+giant Sebae and am now 100% SPS in the 75g)

strawberry dotty or devil fish as I call them now
2 chromis

JER-Z
12/19/2006, 07:11 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8787789#post8787789 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley

Dragon Faced Pipes: For eating redbugs.

Rich, do these guys do ok in high flow?

Big Boy69
12/20/2006, 06:42 AM
""""I second the halichoeres wrasse.. Not aggressive""""

How reef safe is this wrasse??????

nwrogers
12/20/2006, 07:38 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8790909#post8790909 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Big Boy69
""""I second the halichoeres wrasse.. Not aggressive""""

How reef safe is this wrasse??????

I was thinking the same thing. I would love to add a Halichoeres melanurus to my tank but I fear the destruction it would cause. I realize it will eat feather dusters and I am not worried about that since my copperband has already cleaned those up. I read they will actually help protect clams and corals? Is that true? Also they are peaceful? So that means it will not pick on my firefish? Wow! What a cool fish to have in a reef :)

Nate

DarkXerox
12/20/2006, 09:35 AM
We have had a copperband butterfly in our tank for about 3+ years now and it has been by far one of the most useful fish. Algae blennys are always fun to watch and do an ok job of working at film algae. If your tank is big enough and you have macroalgae problems, rabbitfish are always neat (but semi-dangerous to your skin).

RichConley
12/20/2006, 11:28 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8791092#post8791092 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nwrogers
I was thinking the same thing. I would love to add a Halichoeres melanurus to my tank but I fear the destruction it would cause. I realize it will eat feather dusters and I am not worried about that since my copperband has already cleaned those up. I read they will actually help protect clams and corals? Is that true? Also they are peaceful? So that means it will not pick on my firefish? Wow! What a cool fish to have in a reef :)

Nate

They wont touch clams or corals. (IME)


Things they will eat:
1. Flatworms
2. Stomatella snails
3. Nori (yeah, wierd)
4. Probably nudis, seaslugs, anything small and squishy like that


Other similar fish to consider: Iridis, Ornatissimus, Chrysus, etc.


The problem is, people like to make statements about wrasses in general, so very few people actually have correct information on these fish. There are tons of different genuses within the wrasse family, and there are a HUGE amount of variation in them.

seminolecpa
12/20/2006, 11:55 AM
My problem with the pipefish and copperbands are the same. They can be very picky eaters and tough to keep alive because of this.

Also, in many cases, they tend to be hit or miss at eat aiptasia/red bugs. Similar to emerald crabs with bubble algae.

Justin/TiV
12/20/2006, 12:03 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8787789#post8787789 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Ditch the sixline and pick up a halichoeres melanarus. Will do everything a sixline will, but more consistently, and will eat more pests. Its also less agressive (IME), and better looking.

Dragon Faced Pipes: For eating redbugs.

first time I've heard of anything that "eats" red bugs...

Justin/TiV
12/20/2006, 12:06 PM
I don't think that all in the halichoeres family are reef safe...but a radiant african wrasse is on my list, love that fish

RichConley
12/20/2006, 12:15 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8792849#post8792849 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Justin/TiV
I don't think that all in the halichoeres family are reef safe...but a radiant african wrasse is on my list, love that fish

Depends on your definition of reef safe. Theyre all coral safe. As to small invert safe, the larger ones most certainly are not.

Avast Marine
12/20/2006, 12:16 PM
I have a Radient in my sps tank to protect my clam from pyramid snails, not sure he protects the SPS of any pest?

Frankysreef
12/20/2006, 12:29 PM
I love my halichoeres wrasse, he never ate any feather dusters... But he likes to go through the sand bed, and get goodies and spits out the sand..

I have seen him attack bristleworms and fireworms, very cool to watch that. At one time I had an overpopulation of them.

Totally sps safe in my opinion, and they come in all sorts of different colors.

FishDad2
12/20/2006, 02:51 PM
If you have a fine sand bed though, don't you have a problem with sand particles getting blown all over the place? That's been one of my main concerns in adding a fish that likes to work in the sand.

mrp2g
12/20/2006, 03:49 PM
How about a reef safe wrasse that wont tear apart cleaner shrimps and helps with predetor control??

Avast Marine
12/20/2006, 04:14 PM
Are cleaner shrimp needed in a SPS tank?

MiddletonMark
12/20/2006, 04:41 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8794511#post8794511 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mrp2g
How about a reef safe wrasse that wont tear apart cleaner shrimps and helps with predetor control??

IMO, all this talk about pest control makes me wonder why not QT, which seems like more assured and effective?

Personally, I don't see any `mandatory' fish for a smaller SPS tank. Nutrient issues are dealt with other ways IME, and adding more fish to solve nutrient issues [more bioload] seems contradictory if too much bioload is part of the nutrient problem.

JMO.

Avast Marine
12/20/2006, 04:51 PM
Thanks Mark, I agree that QT is a manditory for any tank not just SPS tanks. I do however like to have a few fish and think that is doesn't hurt if they all can pull their weight if needed. Every now and then something may slip into the reef even when careful QT proceedure is followed, in that instance I would prefer to have a hunter in the tank to control before a plague situation arose. I think it is difficult in general creating nice stock list for tanks where everyone gets along, throw in a few "want list" characteristics geared towards SPS tanks and it heightens the bar.

RichConley
12/20/2006, 04:59 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8794854#post8794854 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MiddletonMark
Personally, I don't see any `mandatory' fish for a smaller SPS tank. Nutrient issues are dealt with other ways IME, and adding more fish to solve nutrient issues [more bioload] seems...

Its like wearing a seatbelt. I try to drive safe (quarantine), but when I hit that ice and cause a 52 car pile-up, I'd like to have my seatbelt and airbags.


Yeah, we can QT and check for AEFW, Red Bugs, etc, but what about new pests we dont knwo about?