Stocking questions?

[Dugan]

I have a 72 bow front which has been running flawlessly for 4 months now. My specs all look great and my aqua scape is about to the point were I am done tinkering. Right now in the tank I have 5 green chromis which are about 2' 1/2" and I have 4 Lyretail Anthias, 3 fems and one amazing male. If none of you have ever had the pleasure of keeping these wonderful fish I would suggest that you do. They have been a joy and a pleasure. I have been researching this tank for 8 months and been dreaming about it for over 2 years, so I have a pretty good idea of what I want in there and what I can have in there. I am just not certain what order to add them being they all are faorlyagressive. Well here was the plan I want to add 2 young snow flake eels, I have plenty of rock work for the eels on both sides of the tank but left enough swiming room for every one else. at the same time I add the eels I want to add a Whitecheck tang, this will be my first experience with I tang and I have gotten mixed answers while doing my research to see if they will thrive in a more aggressive tank. After a couple of weeks to ensure the community is doiung fine I want to add a Bannana Wrasse. Then the coup de grave will be a more peaceful trigger. Please hold your laughter till the end. I know that there are several members of the trigger family that are real sweethearts. The bluethroat and the Niger come to mind off the top of my head. This is where I am torn I would really like a Pinktail or Hawaiian Black. I am just not sure how they will interact with my community. I know that there are no clearcut laws in this hobby when it comes to fish getting along but I was wondering what you guys think of the list, order and the compatibilty? Thanks for taking the time to read this I know I can be a little windy....

 

[Max]

this might not have all the fish, but it has some populare ones.

link to compatibility chart

 

[Navarre]

Im not sure of the size of your tank... At a guess its 72 gallons? And as i have never heard of this size im assuming its USA? This would mean its a 60 gallon UK tank.

I will word my answers with a tank of this size in mind.
2 Morays in this size tank is risky at best. also, they might start small but as they grow then your other fish (especially your anthias ) will be on the menu.
I really dont advise tangs in anything under 75 UK gallons (90 US gallons). Tangs are open reef swimmers and need alot of room to reduce stress. they are very prone to whitespot and my belief on this is because they are stressed due to small tank conditions.
As for triggers. Excellant choice! Im glad someone has the courage to try them in a tank like this. I have a bluethroat and a niger trigger. Personally i would recomend the bluethroat (especially the male) as they are a smaller species of trigger. The Niger will outgrow your tank. I have mine in a 100 UK gallon tank and it will even outgrow this in the future
I keep anthias and my triggers have never given them any trouble. The niger is a bit more bold and will chase them away at feeding but the bleuthroat is a real softy! )

 

[Dugan]

Echidna nebulosa
Common name: snowflake eel, starry eel
Maximum length: 30", minimum tank size: 40 gallons


Snowflake morays are found commonly on reef slopes and reef lagoons. According to Michael (1999) this eel is common in the tidal zones and has been observed slithering out of the water at ebb tide. Snowflake eels feed primarily on shore crabs, spider crabs, and rock-dwelling xanthid crabs. Additionally, mantis shrimps and small bony fish remains have been found in the stomach content analyses of these eels and adult snowflake eels have been observed eating small cephalopods. In general, snowflake eels are excellent reef-safe morays [Figures 1, 3, 4, 5]. They adapt quickly to tank life, readily accept prepared marine-based foods, and are much less of a threat to fish than members of Gymnothorax. Snowflakes remain fairly small, under 30 inches, and it is not uncommon for a juvenile snowflake to take up to two years before adult sizes are reached. However, one word of caution is needed when keeping snowflake eels: when food is in the water, these eels may become aggressive. It is not uncommon for a medium-sized snowflake eel to attack a fish when chasing a scent trail though the water column, and it is also not uncommon for an adult snowflake eel to take a bite out of a nearby fish when food is in the water. As a way of preventing this type of feeding behavior, snowflake eels can be fed using a feeding stick, a rigid tube on which the food item is attached to the lower end and placed within inches of the eel. Stick-fed eels tend to wait for food on the stick and don't exhibit the frenzied feeding response described above. As with most morays, juvenile snowflake eels will spend the majority of their time with their head protruding from the rockwork. When they become more familiar with their surroundings, they will actively explore the tank. Snowflake eels tend not to be as shy as chainlink eels.

 

[Dugan]

The article goes on to say that two juvinales snowflakes when introduced together will share the same cave until they mature, then they will live in two seperate caves. It takes 2+ years for young eels to mature. The tank is a 72 US gallon.

 

[Navarre]

Ok cool, a 60 gallon tank (not being from the USA means confusion in tank volume at times )

A tank of this size will house a single moray but you must consider other factors as well. A moray is a large fish (and gets larger). The amount of waste this fish will produce is going to be far higher than the anthias you have at the moment. I am wondering if 2 fish of ths size would be a considerable strain on the filtration. Tangs and triggers are also large fish so this will put further strain on it. Adding to that fact that triggers (and probably morays) are real messy eaters means the filtration is going to be under pressure. )