fish possibilities?

[g0rFz]

so i am almost done with my new 75 gallon hexagon tank it is like 3 feet tall and 24" across...but in a hexagon.

anyways i cant really figure out proper fish to keep in it. the only ideas i have are fish that dont really swim like puffer, lionfish etc or small guys that dont need room to swim around like damsels and chromis.

i'm thinking this will probably be fowlr maybe a few easy corals that dont need much light so...anything helps for stocking ideas

 

[DonW]

I'm a fan of Lawnmowers. So ugly they are sort of cool looking.


Don

 

[NaH2O]

Are you for sure going to keep a lionfish? If so, are you going to do a dwarf lion or a larger one? I'm asking because I wouldn't want to recommend a fish that may end up being lunch

 

[g0rFz]

haha no im saying its gonna either be a predator type fowlr or i could throw in some little firefish and damsels i havent made up my mind yet. i need something pretty hardy and easy to feed.

i also like lawnmower blennys but i wasnt sure if the footprint is too small for a full grown one.

 

[g0rFz]

well after looking at zoa's and ric's for a while i think i'd like to grow em in this tank, zoa's more in the middle and rics on the bottom with only a few little fish, maybe a mandarine once a fuge is established and then some firefish and damsels.

would it be necessary to have a protein skimmer i plan on having a nice amount of LR and if i can save 200$ i will.

i also am wondering what kind of lighting would be necessary to have healthy zoas and rics in a 36" tall tank? is MH my only option or could i get an easier/cheaper lighting? thanks

 

[NaH2O]

You might want to look into T-5 lighting. IMO, it is a good alternative to MH lighting, and still gives you the ability to keep alot of corals.

 

[g0rFz]

ya i wasnt sure if that would be powerful enough for such a deep tank and only 24" fixtures will work.

what are the pro's and con's of MH? does it get much hotter than t5's...?

 

[g0rFz]

ok so it is now set up, i got a pair of clowns (thanks allenfamily), a firefish and a lawnmower D don) with a little cleanup crew...

anyways everything is good and there are no fights, pretty good selection but how much fish is overstocked now? my skimmer is deltec 1250 which can handle a heavily stocked 130 gal and mines only 75, so skimming is fine.

can i put in a christmas wrasse and a marine betta? will a betta kill my firefish?

 

[Sascha D]

I would avoid the beta. You could get a small wrasse, just avoid the ones that like alot of swim room. If you have a sand bed you could go for a jawfish, you know the ones with the yellow head blue body. I really like the Fridmani, dragon goby and sunrise dottybacks. Lots of people get flame hawkfish, but they make me nervous. They always stare at you like they're plotting your demise hehe

 

[g0rFz]

why avoid it? i think im gonna get the wrasse for sure but if the betta is more trouble than its worth ill decide not to...what is your reasoning. thanks for getting back to me

 

[Herefishyfishy]

why avoid it? i think im gonna get the wrasse for sure but if the betta is more trouble than its worth ill decide not to...what is your reasoning. thanks for getting back to me

I love groupers, all of them but the betta is my favorite. Have raised them from Juvi to large adults. No grouper is reef safe as they are predators and love to consume all shrimp. In a well filtered non-invert tank with no small fish they can be fine. These love caves and are slow mooving gracefull pets. Best in a 90 or better. Be prepared to hand feed it meaty foods.

Most wrasses are a lot less work and easier to keep well fed.

 

[g0rFz]

touche, well the more i think the more i want to steer clear of it...

any ideas about a leopard wrasse and christmas wrasse mix? they have a leopard female which is awesome looking but i read they are hard to feed. how much fish is too much fish in a 75 gal?

 

[Herefishyfishy]

They should be fine if the tank's water is good and seem to be good eaters for those who keep up on water changes or have very mature tanks. No set rules on number of fish. Depends on size, species, etc. Impossible to set a rule, but best to go slow and keep track of your own tank's limits.

 

[g0rFz]

alright well this has been pretty insightful...im gonna see how the two wrasse eat and which one i like better or maybe both thanks guys!

 

[Sascha D]

why avoid it? i think im gonna get the wrasse for sure but if the betta is more trouble than its worth ill decide not to...what is your reasoning. thanks for getting back to me

I would avoid them because their maximum size is alittle big for your tank and they will eat anything that fits into their face. They don't look like the rest of their family but they're still groupers