stocking ideas

[glarior]

In my 240g reef I am wanting to add some different fish. I have a blue tang, 3 chromis, yellow tang, and diamond goby. I am trying to figure out what else I can add that is not your typical fish you see all the time. What would you add in the reef tank? The marine beta is cool but 50/50 on getting along in a reef tank so I decided not to. The coral beauty and emporer I don't want because everyone I know already has them lol.

Throw ideas at me... I like schooling and/or color! Oh, none that may eat my corals again.

[steeler1]

How about a Passer/king Angel?

[glarior]

I like that one! Added to the list.

Keep the ideas coming :-)

[Cliff]

It would depend on what type of reef tank that you want.

If you only want SPS, then large angel are OK, but you would most likely run into problems as most angels will nip/eat softies and LPS

Here is what I would suggestions as potential options pick from, to add with your current stock that may not be very common in your area:
about 7 reef chormis
a white tailed Bristol tooth tang
a bird wrasse (may not be reef safe, not too sure on him)
5 Pictilis Anthias (1 male 4 females)
a Magnificent or Fuji black Foxface
a Crosshatch Triggerfish (can be a risk with soft corals)

I've had the magnificent fox face for a while now and just added reef chromis to my QT tank. I have no first hand experience with the other fish, those recommendations are based on the aquariums of a few people that I know where I live.

[glarior]

It would depend on what type of reef tank that you want.

If you only want SPS, then large angel are OK, but you would most likely run into problems as most angels will nip/eat softies and LPS

Here is what I would suggestions as potential options pick from, to add with your current stock that may not be very common in your area:
about 7 reef chormis
a white tailed Bristol tooth tang
a bird wrasse (may not be reef safe, not too sure on him)
5 Pictilis Anthias (1 male 4 females)
a Magnificent or Fuji black Foxface
a Crosshatch Triggerfish (can be a risk with soft corals)

I've had the magnificent fox face for a while now and just added reef chromis to my QT tank. I have no first hand experience with the other fish, those recommendations are based on the aquariums of a few people that I know where I live.

I did not even think about the fish picking at the corals. My goal is a mixed reef tank with softies, SPS and LPS eaching having ~1/3 of the tank. I will be able to control the lights above them so that will work out great.

The crosshatch trigger is sweet but claims agressive and I don't want a $500 fish lol.

The white tailed bristol tooth tang is added to my list along with the anthias.

[Cliff]

Yes, some of them can be little terrors some times, but not all the time

You certainly can't go wrong with the tang and anthias

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

How about a Passer/king Angel?

No offense, but was this recommendation a joke or were you actually serious?
You are recommending one of the most aggressive fish in the Pomacanthus genus, and one that has one of the worst reputations for going after corals for a reef tank?

I recently talked to Bob Fenner about Annularis angels in SPS reef tanks. The Annularis are known to be one of the better large angels for reefs and this was his reply:

"In a system of one hundred or less gallons, a good deal of trouble to be expected... at two hundred, about 50:50 odds, and three hundred plus gallons not likely any issue."

The "not likely any issue" is due to the fact that the damage will be spread out and the corals will recover before being attacked again. Passers don't fall into this. My LFS has one in a 240 with a handful of corals... all of which are looking really beat-up right now. On top of that, most of the other fish look beat up because the Passer won't leave them alone. The other inhabitants include a 10" Sailfin Tang, 7" Blue Hippo, Cuban Hog, a Magnificant Foxface, and a Maculosus Angel. Not one of them is exempt from the beatings this fish dishes out.

[glarior]

Good to know!