My Fish "Wish" list

[Beckmola24]

Here is the list of fish I am currently contemplating for my 90 gallon setup and I wanted to post and get y'alls opinions. I have a bunch of questions so far.... Could I put the 2 types of Anthias together or will they fight? I am becoming a wrasse fan and was wondering if I could put a Mystery and 6 line together at the same time?? Can I put a Psych Mandarin in a 90g with a Green Mandarin and the jawfish? Does this list sound compatible? Lastly who should I put in first/last etc? I've only been a reefer for a year now and don't want to make anymore fish mistakes, so for my own peace of mind the list is mandatory Yes I was one of those newbies who bought a damsel for my first fish.... I would really appreciate any and all help!

Mystery Wrasse -Psuedochellinus ocellatus
Dispar Anthias -Pseudanthias dispar
Bimaculatus Anthias (pair??) -Pseudoanthias bimaculatus
True Percula Clownfish (pair) -Amphiprion percula
Copperband Butterflyfish -Chelmon rostratus
Green Mandarin -Synchiropus splendidus
Foxface Lo -Siganus vulpinus
Blue Tang -Paracanthurus hepatus
Swissguard Basslet -Liopropoma rubre
Bluespotted Jawfish- Opistognathus rosenblatti
Psychedelic Mandarinfish -Synchiropus picturatus

 

[steve-s]

I like your choice in fish, some exspensive tastes though...
Your wish list is larger than your tank can safely house though. You'll need to trim it down some.

Mystery Wrasse -Psuedochellinus ocellatus
Six Line Wrasse- Pseudocheilinus hexataenia

50/50 on mixing these two. They both compete for the same food source which can end up in fighting. Both can usually be housed with other wrasses but it depends on the temperment of the wrasse each ends up with. More timid species won't fair well but the mystery wrasse can be just as beligerant. A risk either way IMO. You do realize the mystery commands a rather high dollar? Upwards of $200.00+

Dispar Anthias -Pseudanthias dispar
Bimaculatus Anthias (pair??) -Pseudoanthias bimaculatus

Not recommended to mix Pseudanthias species. In a 90 gal, personally I would skip this Genus completely. They do best in groups but in this size tank you would be limited to a male only or male/female pair. Of the two I would choose the bimaculatus.

Copperband Butterflyfish -Chelmon rostratus
Foxface Lo -Siganus vulpinus
Blue Tang -Paracanthurus hepatus

I would add only one of these fish depending on your other final choices. The Lo and tang get quite large by comparison to the Butterfly.

Green Mandarin -Synchiropus splendidus
Psychedelic Mandarinfish -Synchiropus picturatus

A 90 gal tank won't support two of these that well unless incorporating a rather large refugium, I would choose one or the other. They do best in a reef type system with plenty of live rock and well matured tank. Even then, their addition would mean no other competing fish types. The wrasses, butterfly and anthias would not be possible as they will be hunting for the same foods as the dragonets.

True Percula Clownfish (pair) -Amphiprion percula
Swissguard Basslet -Liopropoma rubre
Bluespotted Jawfish- Opistognathus rosenblatti

These ones should work well together. Just be wary of the jawfish, they tend to be jumpers.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Maxx]

Steve covered things pretty well...here''s my take on things...

The Mystery wrasse, copperband and mandarins will all be competing with each other for food. Mandarins are tough to0 keep as are the copperbands. If you dont see either of them eating something in the store, dont buy them!!!!! So your mystery wrasse is your best bet of the group, but like steve said...not cheap. Keep in mind these fish jump and will eat pods like candy...no big deal, just something to be aware of.

Anthias....if you're gonna do anthias the bartletts are easiest, and they really arent all that easy. Anthias as a whole require excellent water quality and frequent feedings, (several times daily) I would avoid these as you dont really ahve that large a tank to really support these guys.

Foxface and blue tang...you can do it...just work on getting them acclimated to eating Nori and other prepared foods, because with both of them in the tank, you most likely wont have enough algae to keep them alive w/o supplemental feedings. Thats usually really easy to do.

Percs, basslets and Jawfish...no problem with these at all....are you going BB or DSB for the tank? Jawfish need sandbeds and I thought I recalled you werent going with a sandbed on your tank....

Nick

 

[bc_slc]

Wow, great answers above. I would echo the concerns above in regards to the two mandarins and would also say that if you are planning on going without a sand bed, then the mandarins as well as the jawfish will be tougher to support. If you were patient and planned to add a single mandarin or jawfish 9-12 months from the end of the "cycle" then you could probably support one of the three.

I can't really comment on the wrasses.

Personally I love the anthias. The dispars are very low maintenance, and very active fish. I have a mixed batch of anthias and they hang out fine. Because the dispar and bartletts stay a bit smaller, you may be better off in the long run with a mix of these.

The foxface, tang, copperbanded and clowns would probably be okay. I personally prefer the look of the double bar rabbitfish to the foxface, and he stays smaller. Much prettier IMO as well.

All in all, I think your selection is reasonable. I am glad that you have limited yourself to very reasonable and keepable fish. Good to not see achilles tang, chevron tang, and queen angel for example all expecting to be kept together in a 90 gal. Shows you have done your homework.

Mat

 

[Beckmola24]

Thanks for the awesome info. Without y'alls help I'd have fish issues
This tank is going to have sand. I really like the look of it. I'll rule out the Mandarin for awhile until my tank is really established and then it depends on the current inhabitants. I really love wrasses and my tank will be completely covered so I can have them without worrying about jumpers. The mystery does scrounge for pods, but pods aren't the mystery's complete diet and does eat mysis... At least the one at my LFS does. The mystery will be one of my ceterpiece fish... What other wrasses could I safely put with it? Any faries? How about the Pink Margin Wrasse-Cirrhilabrus rubrimarginatus, and the Blue Star Leopard Wrasse- Macropharyngodon bipartits with the mystery? If anyone else can contribute to my wrasse list feel free!

About the Anthias, I really like the Bimaculatus so I might try to get a pair of them. I would make sure that I had a good ammount of pods in the tank before I put any of the pod eaters in. This is kind of repetitive, but I really want to have a good idea on what behaviors and different husbandry go along with each fish I add. Here is my updated list.

Mystery Wrasse -Psuedochellinus ocellatus
Bimaculatus Anthias (pair) -Pseudoanthias bimaculatus
True Percula Clownfish (pair) -Amphiprion percula
Copperband Butterflyfish -Chelmon rostratus
Blue Tang -Paracanthurus hepatus
Swissguard Basslet -Liopropoma rubre
Bluespotted Jawfish- Opistognathus rosenblatti

 

[steve-s]

Don't think you'll have an issue between the mystery wrasse, the fairy wrasse or the anthias. I agree with maxx on the Bartletts though, they would be an easier "first time out". Just remember, only one male anthias in the tank.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-01/hcs3/

I would add the anthias before any of the wrasse species you end up choosing and be absolutely sure the Regal tang goes in last. I think once all your other fish are in, you'll end up reconsidering the tangs addition but otherwise it will be quite aggressive to new additions added after it and should be the last in.

Cheers
Steve

 

[bc_slc]

good looking list you got there.

 

[NaH2O]

Becky - I would reconsider the Anthias (at least the bimaculatus). Take a look at this recent article: Anthinnae - the Fancy Basses by Anthony Calfo

Here's a quote:

Pseudanthias bimaculatus (Smith, 1955), the Twinspot Anthias, are stunningly beautiful but by far one of the most difficult Anthias species to keep successfully. Please consider this species only if you are willing to set up a species-specific aquarium. They need tremendous space, passive tankmates, adequate places to hide, special attention to feeding (live food may be required) and superb water quality. It really is best for most hobbyists to admire this fish from afar and select another pretty, but hardier, Anthiinae for aquarium use.

 

[MzWeazelle]

If you want something to keep algae in line, go with the Foxface. When we moved from one tank to another I left my Foxface out for possible sale because it seems to be so skittish, and when it bolts everything else does, too. After a couple weeks I was having a real algae problem on all the rocks in my new tank. Tossed the Foxface back in, added a few more snails, and "poof" no more algae problem. Along with the Foxface I've got a Yellow Tang, a Blue Tang and a Bicolor Blenny which all seem to go for the algae. I give them nori now and then, but I'm running a 180 so they have a bit more room to roam. By the way -- be careful of the spines on a Foxface. My LFS is usually pretty good about warning me of potential problems, but they missed that one. Fortunately I found out the spines were there with my eyes, not my fingers.

Good luck, and enjoy!

 

[Beckmola24]

I did read the article Nikki... I actually printed it off so I would have it to consult if needed. I will deffinately not be putting the Bimaculatus Anthias in my tank anytime soon. I do want to try Anthias in general though and will research a little more about which kind I'd be better off keeping. Any other opinions on when to put the blue tang into my tank? Someone at my lfs said the blue tangs are a lot more passive than their relatives and the smaller ones can get easily picked on if not introduced at the beginning. If things wind up getting to the agression point with any of my inhabitants can the fish be taken out for a couple of weeks, put into quarantine and re-introduced at a later time? Does this work or do they remember their previous established territories?

 

[Maxx]

IME,
Adult Regals, 5+ inches in length, can be aggressive, but thats pretty rare. The smaller ones are much less territorial than the other tangs. I think if you got a small one and added it earlier you'd be fine. I would add it before the mystery wrasse. Keep in mind that tangs are a shy fish initally, and it will most likely hide out for a couple of days and be shy for a while afterwards. They will eventually get acclimated and no longer hide at the sign of movement outside the tank.

Nick

 

[steve-s]

I agree the size makes a large difference in temperment but my experience differs when it comes to them getting larger. They are a very shy and timid fish in general except when it comes to tank mates. They can be quite aggressive especially to new arrivals. If a small tang is added, it will not be a concern I agree. If on the larger side, I think it will be. In my experience anyway.

Cheers
Steve

 

[LCGoldman]

I wouldn't put in a Mandarinfish until the tank was very well established (at least a year). They need copious amount of pods to survive.

 

[Beckmola24]

Ok so tang before mystery wrasse... When should the perc pair, basslet and copperband join the crew?

 

[Scooterman]

boy has anyone else incurred higher prices lately on the Regal tangs, I paid 19$ for my first one & $70 for the last, both were small?

 

[Beckmola24]

I talked with a ton of people about these tangs and they've been overfished due to many reasons including "Nemo" and they just aren't showing up as plentiful at the importers. I talked with a lady at marinedepot live and she said some of the other sites collect them when they are penny/nickle size and over half of them don't even make it through shipping... (she's talking about lots the size of 400 fish) She said people are scooping up the tiny ones which are very delicate and most of the time the people really don't know how to take care of them so they die and it's off to the store to buy another one... It's a never ending cycle. It's really sad that some of the collectors use very little discression in what they choose to capture. A guy at my LFS here said that he knows a guy in Hawaii that brings in 50 or more yellow tangs in each day... Think about that.... They don't have time to reproduce fast enough to replenish their populations.... That's the reason for the high prices for the regals and soon to be yellows. My LFS charges 50 bucks for the quarter sized ones. Even Liveaquaria is sold out of Regals right now....

 

[Scooterman]

Maybe they should go up in prices, we don't need them so bad that we will destroy what we cherish the most.

 

[Beckmola24]

A little off topic... I needed to vent because I feel so bad for those baby blues.... Back to my main thoughts now I just finished reading article about Leopard Wrasses aka Macropharyngodon bipartits. They seem gorgeous and Terry Seigel mentions this about one of his Leopards... ("It is feeding very well now on flake food and frozen plankton") So it doesn't wholly rely on pods for its diet. This fish has striking coloration and appears to be very peaceful. Does anyone here have experience with these wrasses?

 

[NaH2O]

You will have to choose between the Mystery and the Leopard Wrasse. Leopard Wrasse don't always do well in captivity, so the right specimen would need to be found, and your tank very mature, as well. Here is an article on them: The Leopards on the Reef

 

[Scooterman]

Thought I'd post a pic that was difficult to get, all of these get along really great. BTW, there are 5 total.