My fish choices for 70 gallon

[lizzie]

As I sit and wait for my cycle, I was on liveaquaria.com perusing the beautiful fish trying to find some compatible to a reef tank and my particular taste (not the frying pan kind of taste).

Here are my top choices, what do you think?

Hawkfish


Royal Gramma (I love how crabby this guy looks)


Black and White Butterfly


Percula Clown


Yellow Tang (although my yellow tang always got ich in the past)


Hippo Tang


Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse


Coral Beauty

What do you think of these choices?

Thanks!
Lizzie

[paulg]

[quote=lizzie;1184952]As I sit and wait for my cycle, I was on liveaquaria.com perusing the beautiful fish trying to find some compatible to a reef tank and my particular taste (not the frying pan kind of taste).

Here are my top choices, what do you think?

Hawkfish


Royal Gramma (I love how crabby this guy looks)


Black and White Butterfly


Percula Clown


Yellow Tang (although my yellow tang always got ich in the past)


Hippo Tang


Ruby Head Fairy Wrasse


Coral Beauty

What do you think of these choices?

Thanks!
Lizzie



The tangs will outgrow your 70gal. You can keep the yellow tang but you will eventually have to give it away so you should just stay away from it. Tangs like about 6ft to swim. The butterfly is hard to care for(never had on,just going by recent advice). The coral beauty will pick at your corals. As for the others, I think they are good choices. The hawkfish might try to eat shrimp(if you intend to keep any).

[crvz]

So as paulg mentions, there are a few things to consider with the fish of choice. Are you implying that you want all these fish, or are these some of the options?

The tangs will probably get to be too big, and they'll most likely tax the bioload of a tank as small as 70 gallons, especially combined with other fish (which leads to nutrient problems, which can lead to corals suffering and algae problems). While they may do ok if small (under 3-4", at most), they'll quickly out grow a tank that small. Heck, I just had to give away my hippo tang from my 150 because I was concerned about how it was bullying the other fish in my tank and it's tendency to race back and forth in the tank.

Any angel is risky, especially with fleshy corals (leathers, LPS, zoanthids, etc). Another fish I've had to get rid of due to incompatibility to just about everything in my tank was a half-black dwarf angel. Beautiful fish, but it was not going to allow any polyp or clam live in my tank.

The long-nose hawkfish will devour shrimp with regularity, though there are accounts of success with co-habitation. I wouldnt count on it, so it'd be wise to chose between one or the other.

And the butterfly can be difficult to acclimate to captivity, as well as may eat coral. I'm not real smart on butterfly fish, but there are some that do not bother coral. That may be one that you've listed.

Hope this advice helps, and you're wise to do some research before making purchases. Keep it up!

[lizzie]

Thanks! I did research these fish and all are reef safe. The hawkfish--I think I will drop that choice as I do love shrimp. I read up on coral beauties, many people report no problems with their coral, so that one would be hit or miss. It would not be hard to give up the tangs, as I was never able to keep one alive for too long, due to ich. Any other suggestions? I'm looking for vibrant color, reef safe and fish that don't run and hide forever after you pop them in the tank.

[ChrisPrusha]

How about a lawnmower blenny?

[lizzie]

Oh yes, I had a lawnmower blenny for a long time, loved that little fish! Boy, I wanted some interesting fish, and everything I liked posed some kind of problem with inverts, aggressiveness, corals, etc. Boy, this is tough. The nice thing about doing this the second time around--you don't have all that impatience working against you. I have no problem taking my time this go around...definite bonus.

[Fish Eat Fish]

Isnt a hippo tang the exact shape of a frying pan???

Maybe im missing your point but sounds like a cool and colorful roster.

Good luck

[lizzie]

What about one of these?


Aren't they just monstrous looking? I am just amazed by these creatures....

[DevilBoy]

if those were my choices, i would go with the clowns, gramma, and some species of the fairy wrasses.

the coral beauty i would not consider reef safe. some have success while others have not.

the hawkfish, probably would not touch the corals, but mentioned above will devour shrimp. so another in my opinion not reef safe.

the butterfly too hard to keep in a home aquarium.

tangs tank is too small.

[lizzie]

OK thanks, the butterfly is out then. Any more suggestions?

[DevilBoy]

how about some cardinals?

[dobejazz]

Look into Midas Blennys they are colorful and out swimming alot

[seasalt dreams]

I have a pair of black Saddlebacks, a pair of Firefish, and a Marine Betta in my 75. They are all very active and great fish to watch! I would have blennys and gobies in the tank, but they would be at risk of getting eaten unless they were big ones, so I dont have any, although they are great choices as well!

[lizzie]

Thanks Kelli, I looked up the midas blenny, it does look pretty, but it says they bite!

I am trying to steer clear of anything that will bite me, hee hee.

I found this cardinal, he's very pretty!

Pajama Cardinal

So remind me, what is my stock load for a 70 gal? Also, what is the recommend for stocking, one every four weeks or so?

Thanks, Lizzie

[seasalt dreams]

Stock load for a 70 is basically what I have in my above post. Maybe another small fish, like a blenny or goby with a similar combination.