Tang or fish density question

[rachyl756]

ok my 220 is coming along nicely, we're on the back half now of the amonia peak, I'm actually testing it again tonight AND Nitrite testing starts tonight, so fish are in the future. I know not for a while

This is we are going to put hippos in there, the rock formation was designed for optimal hiding, Its about 250 pounds of rock (need to update the sig) so a 220 with 250 pounds of rock, starting hippos at a VERY small size, how much is too much? The fish inhabitants in the works are the hippos, some yellow watchmen gobies, and LMBs. So the tangs wil pretty much be the only real swimmers in the group.

Its still a ways off, just looking for thoughts, I mean heck, the MHs aren't even arriving until end of this week, so no insane thoughts of getting fish in there before July maybe? I know, I err on the side of caution with tanks. Although if my freaking xenia keeps it up I might throw some in that tank just to make room in my 90! freaking weeds!

[Cosine]

how many hippos are you planning on?
that's a big tank I think it could work! assuming you plan on a small group

[rachyl756]

I was thinking 3 or 5. I have traditionally had better luck with odd numbers of an animal back in my reptile days, so I guess my odd number things was coming out here. I'd love 5, but I'm thinking that may be over kill. Honestly I don't know. Some people would cram 20 in a tank that size, and doing something like that makes me shudder. But it is going to be -the- hippo tank in the house, so 5 would be awesome. But they get sooo big. But bringing them up from babies, hopefully finding caprive bred babies, I don't know, maybe 5 is doable....

As I said still a ways in the future, Nitrites off the chart but the amonia is down between 1.5 and 1 so it's getting better Although the skimmer is still making something that can be smelt from a LONG ways away when the collection cup is changed. Cycling takes forever!

[Cosine]

hmmm
I'm curious to what others will say but I think aggression might be the problem before bio-load. If you get them young they could grow up together and have a peaceful hierarchy
I'm not familiar with a group of tangs like this in home aquaria but seems duable to me

good luck with it
it will be a nice setup if it works

[rachyl756]

Originally Posted by Cosine

hmmm
I'm curious to what others will say but I think aggression might be the problem before bio-load. If you get them young they could grow up together and have a peaceful hierarchy
I'm not familiar with a group of tangs like this in home aquaria but seems duable to me

good luck with it
it will be a nice setup if it works

With my experience in other animals, thats why the odd number. FOr some reason a group of 5 seems to do better than a group of 4, and a group of 3 better than a group of 2. It splits the agression a bit more I think. Of course its always a crap shoot. But with young animals, hopefully unaccustomed to displays of agression, it seems to have a chance.

I'm really waffeling between 3 or 5, I really would love 5. I need to get a pic of the tank up once we clean off the outside. THe water is finnaly clean on th inside. The rock is over a PVC base with tang sized openings into the base, so they should have room to run and hide. I'll be adding them all at one time, so no one has dibs on any piece of tank realestate. I'm hoping to get them at 50 cent piece size. This is truly the tank that the coral is the after thought. so everything is going to depend on the tang population with everything else chose to work with the tangs.

[VWD]

That size of tank and the fact that they will all be about the same size and introduced at the same time I think it will work very well.




Vince

[tims]

How is the room with 250 LBS of rock?
rachyl, if you run with three, think about a Foxface, they loove to swim and you dont need more than one of them.plus they will help keep some of the bad greens down too.

[rachyl756]

Originally Posted by tims

How is the room with 250 LBS of rock?
rachyl, if you run with three, think about a Foxface, they loove to swim and you dont need more than one of them.plus they will help keep some of the bad greens down too.

Room is actuall pretty good. I think my rock is heavy for volumn, I have some nice light stuff in my 90, but everything in the 220 is HEAVY rock I have the top foot of the tank completely free of anything so pure swim space, The rock is in a relatively box like arrangement so there is inside the box, a small area to the far side, the entire front 8" of the tank and a huge open area without live rock (just substarte) on the one side by the couch.

I'm trying to talk the coral on deck for this tank to include anthalia since I think Tangs could hide in it (well that and I have too much of it in my 90). I'm not planning on anything except the hippo tangs, some yellow watchmen gobies (1 or 2) and lawnmower, so most of the fish load is going to be the tangs.

I've never kept tangs, I just am not sure my 90 has the room for one, although I've considered getting a yellow tang for it, but I think I'll just grow up the corals big instead

[VWD]

I have always love the tangs of all kinds , But I like the Yellow tang in groups and Have had up to four in My 125gal.a few years ago and never had any trouble with them , I put them all in at the same time and they where small. They did very well , a little aggression in the beginning during feeding that ended in a few days, And they stayed together most of the time


Vince

[bad mantis shrimp]

Heres a dumb question for you guys..... Waht are hippos?

[bad mantis shrimp]

Wait I think i just realized it, They are a tang correct! lol

[wanareef]

bms- right you are tangs

We had two yellows in our 100 - small and put in the same time. Had to tear the tank down to get one out after about 10 mths. Just about tore the other one apart. Wife named then correctly timid and meany. Still have timid in the tank.

Just remember - those hippos get big even in your size tank in time.