Am I at my fish limit?

Matt850 · 03/21/2010, 04:53 PM

I've been working hard as to not overload my tank and I think I am starting to reach my limit as far as some people would think. I have a 90g display and a 20g sump setup which currently houses a yellow tang, pair of clowns, diamond goby and a six line wrasse. I do plan on adding a mandarin for the last fish and have a credit for a blue hippo as soon as one becomes available. Is there room for another small fish or is this it? I was thinking about a fairy/flasher wrasse but was concerned about how my six line would react. Any other suggestions on a small fish if it isn't going to push my bio load too far? I do have a G3 so its a bit over skimming as well. I just want to finish off adding all my fish before getting a good many corals in there. I want to make sure my parameters are consistent and wont vary with the addition of a new fish once those corals are added.

cubsFAN · 03/21/2010, 04:58 PM

if you are adding a blue tang to that set up then imo you are def at your limit. That being said if you don't add the tang i think you are not at your limit. Why don't you want to add corals while you add fish? If you add your fish slowly you shouldn't have major variations in your water quality.

Toddrtrex · 03/21/2010, 05:31 PM

I personally would skip the blue hepatus tang -- they get way too big for a 4 foot tank.

Depending on what you have in the tank, coral wise, you could consider a dwarf angel.

Playa-1 · 03/21/2010, 05:33 PM

I think you should skip the blue Hippo. Instead go with your other idea of adding another Wrasse. There are many to choose from. I like the Flame Wrasse myself or maybe the Velvet Wrasse.

75gsalt · 03/21/2010, 05:59 PM

Can you even add the Mandarin? I thought they were carnivours

travis32 · 03/21/2010, 06:07 PM

I believe Mandarins main diet is "pods" copepods and / or amphipods. And I thought there wouldn't be enough of them to maintain their diet unless it was over an 120g tank, maybe even larger.

cubsFAN · 03/21/2010, 06:22 PM

you guys should check out the mandarin primer. So long as you keep up a pod population the fish will be fine. you can also get some to eat frozen food, though mine won't touch it.
The fish are difficult, but not impossible. A lot of fish we keep are carnivores. In my opinion that makes them easier to take care of.

returnofsid · 03/21/2010, 06:26 PM

I definitely wouldn't add the Hippo Tang. I'd also be hesitant to add the Mandarin, since you have the 6 lined Wrasse. The Wrasse will out compete the Mandarin for food. If you do get a Mandarin, make sure to QT it as long as it takes, to train it to eat frozen prepared foods.

burtonpj48 · 03/21/2010, 07:52 PM

I have 10 fish in my 90 gallon, i have 2 orange spotted gobies, 1 flame angel, 1 coral beauty, 2 false perc clowns, 1 golden wrasse, alens damsel, kole tang, hippo tang, Im waiting for a copperband butterfly, from the lfs. And i think that will be it for the fishes. I also have about 90 lbs of live rock. My fish seem to be doing ok.

saltn07 · 03/21/2010, 08:11 PM

I have good luck with getting my mandarins to eat frozen cyclops. The only way I would add the hippo is if I was SURE I was going to be upgrading to a bigger tank in a year or so and then I would get a small one. There are so many other beautiful fish to make a good choice from to finish your tank off that dont get as large...

Matt850 · 03/21/2010, 09:47 PM

Wow, loads of responses. I didn't mention that I do plan on upgrading in the next few years, that being said it has nothing to do with this decision. I plan on trading out the hippo tang once it looks cramped in my tank (if i get it, seems i need more thought on this one) just as I plan on doing with my current yellow tang. As to the mandarin, I know they have special needs and I know it will be competing with my sixline. I also know that people have kept them in 55g tanks and been fine for years without supplementing their food source. I do have about 130lbs of rock in the display and another 10 in the fuge/sump. I plan on breaking apart a 10ish lb stone into rubble and dropping it the the sump as well for more swimming room. Honestly i wasn't at all worried about the mandarin.

returnofsid · 03/21/2010, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burtonpj48

I have 10 fish in my 90 gallon, i have 2 orange spotted gobies, 1 flame angel, 1 coral beauty, 2 false perc clowns, 1 golden wrasse, alens damsel, kole tang, hippo tang, Im waiting for a copperband butterfly, from the lfs. And i think that will be it for the fishes. I also have about 90 lbs of live rock. My fish seem to be doing ok.

Just because you have your tank even more overloaded, is no reason to promote the practice. Your bioload is a disaster waiting to happen.

03/21/2010, 04:53 PM	#1
Matt850 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 260	Am I at my fish limit? I've been working hard as to not overload my tank and I think I am starting to reach my limit as far as some people would think. I have a 90g display and a 20g sump setup which currently houses a yellow tang, pair of clowns, diamond goby and a six line wrasse. I do plan on adding a mandarin for the last fish and have a credit for a blue hippo as soon as one becomes available. Is there room for another small fish or is this it? I was thinking about a fairy/flasher wrasse but was concerned about how my six line would react. Any other suggestions on a small fish if it isn't going to push my bio load too far? I do have a G3 so its a bit over skimming as well. I just want to finish off adding all my fish before getting a good many corals in there. I want to make sure my parameters are consistent and wont vary with the addition of a new fish once those corals are added.

03/21/2010, 05:31 PM	#3
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	I personally would skip the blue hepatus tang -- they get way too big for a 4 foot tank. Depending on what you have in the tank, coral wise, you could consider a dwarf angel. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

03/21/2010, 05:59 PM	#5
75gsalt Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Southeast Kansas Posts: 286	Can you even add the Mandarin? I thought they were carnivours __________________ 75 ga. reef 20 gal. sump corals GSP assorted Polyps Zoos PomPom Xenia Waving Hand Xenia Blue Mushroom Toadstool Leather Current Tank Info: 75g. reef 125 lbs. live rock 90lbs. live sand 1 Clown small Regal Tang 20 Nass. Snails Turbos hermit

03/21/2010, 04:58 PM	#2
cubsFAN Moved On Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: South Lake Tahoe Posts: 1,550	if you are adding a blue tang to that set up then imo you are def at your limit. That being said if you don't add the tang i think you are not at your limit. Why don't you want to add corals while you add fish? If you add your fish slowly you shouldn't have major variations in your water quality.

03/21/2010, 05:33 PM	#4
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	I think you should skip the blue Hippo. Instead go with your other idea of adding another Wrasse. There are many to choose from. I like the Flame Wrasse myself or maybe the Velvet Wrasse.

03/21/2010, 06:07 PM	#6
travis32 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: West Fargo, ND Posts: 2,161	I believe Mandarins main diet is "pods" copepods and / or amphipods. And I thought there wouldn't be enough of them to maintain their diet unless it was over an 120g tank, maybe even larger.

03/21/2010, 06:22 PM	#7
cubsFAN Moved On Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: South Lake Tahoe Posts: 1,550	you guys should check out the mandarin primer. So long as you keep up a pod population the fish will be fine. you can also get some to eat frozen food, though mine won't touch it. The fish are difficult, but not impossible. A lot of fish we keep are carnivores. In my opinion that makes them easier to take care of.

03/21/2010, 06:26 PM	#8
returnofsid Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 3,852	I definitely wouldn't add the Hippo Tang. I'd also be hesitant to add the Mandarin, since you have the 6 lined Wrasse. The Wrasse will out compete the Mandarin for food. If you do get a Mandarin, make sure to QT it as long as it takes, to train it to eat frozen prepared foods.

03/21/2010, 07:52 PM	#9
burtonpj48 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 79	I have 10 fish in my 90 gallon, i have 2 orange spotted gobies, 1 flame angel, 1 coral beauty, 2 false perc clowns, 1 golden wrasse, alens damsel, kole tang, hippo tang, Im waiting for a copperband butterfly, from the lfs. And i think that will be it for the fishes. I also have about 90 lbs of live rock. My fish seem to be doing ok.

03/21/2010, 08:11 PM	#10
saltn07 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 58	I have good luck with getting my mandarins to eat frozen cyclops. The only way I would add the hippo is if I was SURE I was going to be upgrading to a bigger tank in a year or so and then I would get a small one. There are so many other beautiful fish to make a good choice from to finish your tank off that dont get as large...

03/21/2010, 09:47 PM	#11
Matt850 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 260	Wow, loads of responses. I didn't mention that I do plan on upgrading in the next few years, that being said it has nothing to do with this decision. I plan on trading out the hippo tang once it looks cramped in my tank (if i get it, seems i need more thought on this one) just as I plan on doing with my current yellow tang. As to the mandarin, I know they have special needs and I know it will be competing with my sixline. I also know that people have kept them in 55g tanks and been fine for years without supplementing their food source. I do have about 130lbs of rock in the display and another 10 in the fuge/sump. I plan on breaking apart a 10ish lb stone into rubble and dropping it the the sump as well for more swimming room. Honestly i wasn't at all worried about the mandarin.