Community Marine Fish Suggestions

[Puncture.uk]

Hi All,

I am currently setting up three marine tanks... a Rio 240, a Rekord 96 (approx 100L) and a 24G D-D Nano Reef. Now, I would like to get some ideas on what to stock in them.
All have T5 lighting and I would *like* to have the Rio 240 to also have corals in it. However, I'm aware that some fish love to munch through them. I'm aware that Tangs can get very large but I intend to keep anything I buy - even if that does mean a larger tank further down the line!

There are a few fish I have seen and really like;

Clown Trigger
Picasso Trigger
Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish - This is a must for me... I think they're great!
Tomato Clown
Clarkie Clown
Percula (sp?) Clown
Skunk Clown
Blue Tang
Yellow Tang
Bristle Star Fish (already have two than came 'free' witht he live rock)

Again, I would like to use the 240 to keep corals in but it's no big deal if I cant

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!

Sam

 

[STD]

Hi All,

I am currently setting up three marine tanks... a Rio 240, a Rekord 96 (approx 100L) and a 24G D-D Nano Reef. Now, I would like to get some ideas on what to stock in them.
All have T5 lighting and I would *like* to have the Rio 240 to also have corals in it. However, I'm aware that some fish love to munch through them. I'm aware that Tangs can get very large but I intend to keep anything I buy - even if that does mean a larger tank further down the line!

There are a few fish I have seen and really like;

Clown Trigger
Picasso Trigger
Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish - This is a must for me... I think they're great!
Tomato Clown
Clarkie Clown
Percula (sp?) Clown
Skunk Clown
Blue Tang
Yellow Tang
Bristle Star Fish (already have two than came 'free' witht he live rock)

Again, I would like to use the 240 to keep corals in but it's no big deal if I cant

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!

Sam

Firstly the Clown Trigger will get huge and incredibly aggressive
Picasso Trigger - not as big as a clown but still to big for your tanks - also gets very aggressive and will chomp inverts
Fuzzy Lionfish - lovely fish & OK with anything that will not fit into it's huge mouth - be aware they can get to 8"
Tomato clown - lovely but don't mix with any other clowns
Skunk clown - no problem
Blue Tang - Do you Mean Regal? They get much to big to fast and are a whitespot magnet
Yellow Tang - could go in the 240 at a pinch but really needs a bigger tank

 

[Puncture.uk]

[/quote]

Firstly the Clown Trigger will get huge and incredibly aggressive
Picasso Trigger - not as big as a clown but still to big for your tanks - also gets very aggressive and will chomp inverts
Fuzzy Lionfish - lovely fish & OK with anything that will not fit into it's huge mouth - be aware they can get to 8"
Tomato clown - lovely but don't mix with any other clowns
Skunk clown - no problem
Blue Tang - Do you Mean Regal? They get much to big to fast and are a whitespot magnet
Yellow Tang - could go in the 240 at a pinch but really needs a bigger tank
[/quote]

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. As I stated; I'm not really too fussed about 'tank-busters' as I will simply buy a larger tank when the time comes I'm more concerned with whether they will get along with one another and will they eat the corals?

Would a Clown Trigger, Tomato and/or Skunk Clown, Regal Tang, Yellow Tang and a Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish get along with eachother and leave corals etc. alone?

 

[Lynden]

Clown trigger likely won't hurt a fly until it reaches about 8'', at which point they can relieve a tank of it's entire fish stock overnight. Might relieve you of your fingers as well if you don't treat the fish with respect when working in the tank.

 

[STD]

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. As I stated; I'm not really too fussed about 'tank-busters' as I will simply buy a larger tank when the time comes I'm more concerned with whether they will get along with one another and will they eat the corals?

Would a Clown Trigger, Tomato and/or Skunk Clown, Regal Tang, Yellow Tang and a Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish get along with eachother and leave corals etc. alone?

Firstly don't mix the clowns - with the fish you are looking at I'd go for the Tomato

Secondly The Clown Trigger will munch any inverts but should be OK with Corals - Take into account they get huge and are renowned for turning Phyco and killing every other fish in the tank - if you are intent on have a trigger you would be better off with the Picasso and much better off with a blue throat

Also Triggers have been know to nip the fins of lion fish

If you go for a Clown or Picasso introduce it last and be aware that adding any other fish after it has settled in could be a disaster.

As to the Tangs they should be OK if introduced at the same time but I would advise against the Regal unless you intend to get a much much bigger tank fairly quickly. They can grow amazingly fast - I had one from 1" to 6" in less than 6 months.

Scott Michael recommends a minimum size of 100 gallons for a Regal Tang but personally I think thats much to small - they are very active fish that need a lot of swimming space

Sorry to be negative but I have kept all these fish and have now hopefully learnt by my mistakes

I would recommend you get a copy of Marine fishes by Scott W Michael - great book and very informative

 

[Lynden]

Agree on most points... the clown trigger will have lots of fun with the lionfish.

If you are ABSOLUTELY SURE that you can get a larger tank, I would also recommend some of the smaller piscivorous morays and groupers. These will probably make a meal of the clownfish but should be fine with tangs, et cetera.

 

[Puncture.uk]

Thank you all for your replies so far,

Right, this is what I'm thinking so far...

D-D 24G Nano Reef

Corals with either a pair of young Percula Clowns OR a Tomato Clown AND / OR a Skunk Clown (would anything else cohabit with a Tomato or Skunk clown in this tank?... and not eat the corals)

Rio 240

Unsure about this as I would really like to keep corals in there too... Clown Trigger? Regal Tang? Yellow Tang? Would a Tomato / Clarkie or Skunk clown co-exist with any of the former fish? Sea Horse? Starfish? Lionfish (not a dwarf variety)? Not too bothered about size as I'll buy another tank when the time comes for an upgrade.

Juwel 100L

Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish (if it cannot go in with Tangs etc. in the 240) - Will this eat corals?

If anyone has any ideas of any better combinations please advise! Any other suggestions? I'm after fish with sharp vivid colors such as the Picasso Trigger,Clown Trigger, Perculas etc etc...something nice to look at. Lionfish really interest me so that's a priotrity

Sam

 

[STD]

Thank you all for your replies so far,

Right, this is what I'm thinking so far...

D-D 24G Nano Reef

Corals with either a pair of young Percula Clowns OR a Tomato Clown AND / OR a Skunk Clown (would anything else cohabit with a Tomato or Skunk clown in this tank?... and not eat the corals)

Rio 240

Unsure about this as I would really like to keep corals in there too... Clown Trigger? Regal Tang? Yellow Tang? Would a Tomato / Clarkie or Skunk clown co-exist with any of the former fish? Sea Horse? Starfish? Lionfish (not a dwarf variety)? Not too bothered about size as I'll buy another tank when the time comes for an upgrade.

Juwel 100L

Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish (if it cannot go in with Tangs etc. in the 240) - Will this eat corals?

If anyone has any ideas of any better combinations please advise! Any other suggestions? I'm after fish with sharp vivid colors such as the Picasso Trigger,Clown Trigger, Perculas etc etc...something nice to look at. Lionfish really interest me so that's a priotrity

Sam

Skunk & Percula or ocelaris should be fine together - NOT Tomato

Fuzzy Lion is OK with Tang - not with Triggers - it wont eat corals

 

[andywg]

Fuzzy Lionfish - lovely fish & OK with anything that will not fit into it's huge mouth - be aware they can get to 8"

8"?

Are you sure?

Fishbase lists the maximum wild size of the dwarf fuzzy (more correctly called Dendrochirus brachypterus) as 17cm total length (including the somewhat large tail). I make that a shade over 6.5" max. In reality, getting one of these over 5" is a pretty wild achievement.

 

[STD]

Fuzzy Lionfish - lovely fish & OK with anything that will not fit into it's huge mouth - be aware they can get to 8"

8"?

Are you sure?

Fishbase lists the maximum wild size of the dwarf fuzzy (more correctly called Dendrochirus brachypterus) as 17cm total length (including the somewhat large tail). I make that a shade over 6.5" max. In reality, getting one of these over 5" is a pretty wild achievement.

OK I exaggerated a bit

Still a 5" lionfish is fairly substantial

 

[Puncture.uk]

Great... I'm starting to get a few ideas now...

So...

D-D 24G Nano

A lone Clarkie + lone Skunk+ Corals?

Juwel 100L

Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish + Corals

Rio 240L

Choice between... Regal Tang, Yellow Tang, Picasso Trigger, Clown Trigger, Common Lionfish, Porcupine Puffer, Stars & Stripes Puffer, 3 Green Spotted Puffers (I already have these but in FW set-up...need to condition them to SW?), LARGE Tomato Clown and NO corals??

Sam

 

[andywg]

Rio 240L

Choice between... Regal Tang, Yellow Tang, Picasso Trigger, Clown Trigger, Common Lionfish, Porcupine Puffer, Stars & Stripes Puffer, 3 Green Spotted Puffers (I already have these but in FW set-up...need to condition them to SW?), LARGE Tomato Clown and NO corals??

Umm, no.

I wouldn't want an 8"+ clown trigger in a 240l tank, and certainly wouldn't want a fully grown lionfish (presume you mean Pterois volitans by colour) or porcupinefish (not actually a pufferfish ) in such a small tank.

 

[Puncture.uk]

Rio 240L

Choice between... Regal Tang, Yellow Tang, Picasso Trigger, Clown Trigger, Common Lionfish, Porcupine Puffer, Stars & Stripes Puffer, 3 Green Spotted Puffers (I already have these but in FW set-up...need to condition them to SW?), LARGE Tomato Clown and NO corals??

Umm, no.

I wouldn't want an 8"+ clown trigger in a 240l tank, and certainly wouldn't want a fully grown lionfish (presume you mean Pterois volitans by colour) or porcupinefish (not actually a pufferfish ) in such a small tank.

Umm, Try and keep up mate!

If you'd bothered to back-read then you would know that purchasing a larger tank would be absolutely no problem when the time comes. Please do not treat me like some crazy 'keep as much as I can' youth!
I also keep two types of Piranha and many different types of turtle... I always buy new tanks for them when their current ones are outgrown. There is absolutely no need to have a 6,7,8ft tank for juvenile fish - they'll look lost!

Sam

 

[snowclown]

I currently have a 10in clown trigger in a 8ft-225 gal system, and beleive me, it wont be long before i have to upgrade to a 10ft.
Worth keeping in mind for the future, if you take on the challenge of keeping these fish.

 

[pengy666]

I would not get fish that get too big before buying a proper tank for the fish, Its easy to put off buying a bigger tank and it isnt fair?

Just my opinion

I suggest only buy fish to suit the tank you ARE keeping them in not INTENDING to keep them in

I want a 12ft but it aint really gonna happen!