Questions about compatability...

Hey everyone!

I'm having a hard time deciding on what to get for my last 2 fish. My signature has my current group in it, and the following is a list of fish I like, in order of preference.

1.) Flame Angel
2.) Achilles Tang
3.) Blue Hippo Tang
4.) Tomini Bristletooth Tang
5.) Coral Beauty Angel
6.) Purple Firefish
7.) Raccoon Butterfly

At the moment I don't have any corals at all, although I'm considering getting a colt coral and perhaps a carpet anemone in the near future.

I've heard from several sources that Achilles tangs are a finicky fish and that tangs of the same family will scrap amongst themselves, which is something I wish to avoid. I've heard the same thing about Flame angels. I have also heard that Raccoon Butterfly's are not entirely reef safe, and that Firefish seem to like jumping out of tanks.

All of these things have me concerned about my final 2 selections. I know that sometimes everyone will just get along and other times you get a bad apple but I'd prefer to play it safe.

Any opinions or information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

Before i answer, i need to know. Do you plan on this being a reef tank, im asking because some of the fish listed will not be very friendly in a reef tank with corals.

 

To start off, if you plan on doing a reef tank with corals, you will need to increase your lighting intensity. Right now you only have roughly 3.4 watts per gallon, which really isn't alot.
Next, as far as the fish question is concerned, I would stay away from the Butterfly fish in a reef tank as they will pick at and eat coral polyps. As for the Tangs, being that you already have a Tang, it is adviseable for you to pass on purchasing another one for two reasons. The first being that Tangs require alot of space to roam and graze for food. Secondly, Tangs do not get along with each other especially being of the same species ie. Zebrasoma. They will fight one another til death quite possibly.
Angelfish are a touchy subject. Angels generally are for a fowlr tank. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Flames generally are one of the better choices for a reef tank as they adapt to a wide range of food and are quite hardy and usually non-aggressive. Coral Beauty's are not as hardy and are a little more questionable with regards to getting along with corals. The other thing I should mention is that keeping more than one of the same species of Angel, for example, an Flame and a Coral Beauty in the same tank will again result in a possible quarrel, the same way that Tangs would. The only way of getting around this is to have different species together ie. a Centropyge Loriculus(Flame) and a Holacanthus Ciliaris(Queen) or a Pomacanthus Arcuatus(Gray angel). However, once again you need a bigger tank of atleast 180 gallon if you plan on having a Holacanthus or Pomacanthus species in your tank.
You could go with a Gold-Rim Tang and a Hippo or Zebrasoma Tang(Sailfin, yellow, purple or scopas), and they should get along fine.
As for the Firefish are concerned, they are excellent reef fish, however, they should be one to a tank unless their are paired. They do require sandly rocky biotopes in order to survive as the rocks provide shelter and protection. Some other fish for a reef tank if you chose to do so are many Gobi's, Blennies, small Wrasses like the 6 or 8 line or most of the Fairy Wrasses, Clown fish, Dottybacks and Royal Grammas (though not one of each) and Anthias', though some are very difficult to keep alive.
Hopefully I have helped you out atleast a little.
Do some research to help you with regards to husbandry and compatibility by either reading books or look up particular fish on line.
Best of luck and have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So you're saying that my Gold Rim tang (Acanthurus) will get along with a Hippo Tang (Paracanthurus)? If so that's awesome! My wife loves the Hippo tang thanks to Finding Nemo, and I really like them too.

It seems that my last 2-3 fish will be a Flame Angel, Hippo Tang, and possibly a Purple Firefish. That will make 7 fish in my tank, which should be about max.

 

Purple firefish I've read are peaceful. You wont have problems with that guy. Tangs will clash, angels will nip your corals if running reef. If not, might fight with any other angel you bring in and your existing tangs might pick at any new fish.

 

Yeah, you should have no problem with the Hippo and the Gold-Rim Tangs as different shape/species should do ok together. However, there are always exceptions to the rule, just keep an eye out. Also it is always better to add them together.

 

id be carefule mixing the flame angel with the firefish , firefish are very peaceful and can be very skiddish some flames have been known to chase firefish and can be a bit pushy. also watch mixing different species of angels they do not get along well and sometimes one angel per tank is best.

 

I agree with Karlas.
Firefish although beautiful fish, are not (at least
in my experience) one of the most aggressive fish
in the world.I've tried the Flame Angel in a reef tank.
I got the one in the 50% group(I think it's more like 80%)
who went after my clam,my corals and other fish.I had to
completely tear down a 55gal reef tank to evict this angel.
So really think about it.
I still think that the Flame is one of the prettiest fish around.

 

Well, this weekend has produced some new additions to my tank!

I decided against the Flame angel as I really did want to get into some corals and wasn't willing to chance it. Instead I got a Hippo Tang and a Pacific Sailfin Tang, as well as some purple striped mushrooms, green star polyps, and what I think are Finger leathers, one pink and one blue.

In other news it turns out that I have a Powder Brown Tang and not a Gold Rim. I didn't realize until this weekend that the majority of websites have the two mixed up.

My powder did not take kindly to the new additions last night. Even after moving some aquascape and turning off the lights she chased the Hippo into hiding and ran the sailfin around the tank until it hid as well. At this point I caught the powder in my net and left it suspended in the tank in the dark for a few hours. I released it back into the tank after all the lights in the house had been turned off and the tank was completely dark.

My wife tells me that my Hippo has been out and about today without harassment from the powder, and the Sailfin is only being bothered a little bit here and there, which I'm hoping means success! I'm going to have to move more rocks around to get my new corals into appropriate light/flow areas anyways, so hopefully everything will work itself out.

;D