Is this too much for a 45g?

[NeveSSL]

Hi all!

I've been working on my "fish list" for a bit.

What do you guys think of this for my 45g tall?

2 Percs (already in )
1 blue reef chromis
1 flame angel
1 mandarin
1 lubbock's fairy wrasse

I thought this should be doable in a 45, but may be too much. What do you guys think?

Thanks!

Brandon

[Entropy]

I would leave out the mandrin. Not enough space to provide food unless you get extremely luck and get one that will eat prepared foods. Even then I would skip it. Also I don't think a single chromis will be happy in your tank.

[ahullsb]

I'm not sure the mandarin is a great idea either unless you find one that eats prepared foods or you spend a lot of money adding pods. It's really not as easy as the fish stores make it out to be. I had a guy tell me to add one even after he knew I had a diamond goby and yellow watchman goby already...
Wrasses are great. I had a flame angel that I had to return because it started nipping all of my corals. FYI You will get mixed opinions on chromis too. I have 5 and so far so good...

[NeveSSL]

Thanks guys.

I'm just going to play it by ear on the Mandarin. Hopefully I'll find one that accepts prepared foods. If not, I'll do what I can. If it begins to starve, I'll probably take it back or sell it. I'm well aware of their care requirements... I've been studying them for a couple of months now...

I very well may get a purple firefish either in addition to the list provided, or in place of the blue reef chromis.

So you guys don't think that would be over stocked? What about also adding a firefish?

Thanks!

Brandon

[Entropy]

The only problem with the "take it back" idea is the mandrin ends up starving just as easy in the store tank and usually by the time you figure out it is starving, it is too late.

[kkyyllee]

yeah...unless you ask to see it eating prepared foods , i would leave it out, besides it would have to be fed several times a day

[Frick-n-Frags]

if a mandarin "begins to starve" it has already been starving and is usually toast.
one chromis will just vanish in a few days usually. it's magic, that's all there is to it
so I would also pass on those two.

If that was me, and I already had two red colored percs, I would probably go with one of those tiny gold and blue dwarf angels vs the flame which is the same basic color as the clowns

I would also consider a rock dweller like a blackcap basslet (nice dark purple fish) once again with a good contrast of color. or a royal gramma. they also will have little to do with the clowns or an angel.

[NeveSSL]

Thanks for the recommendations. I've got good news on the mandarin!

I just sold some left-over rock to a guy here in town who told me that one of the guys who owns a LFS will actually find a mandarin for you that will take prepared foods! He said thats how he got his, and I know the guy who owns this place seems to be a really awesome guy, so I'm not surprised at all. He said his eats mysis and brine, so thats really good to know and I'll go that route.

Thanks again!

Brandon

[sanababit]

hello neve, i got in my 46 gal a hippo tang, a yellow tang, a firefish, 2 clown fish, 1 sixline wrasse and 1 cleaner wrasse, they all seem to get along, im running a refugium too because i will get a mandarin in the near future, i got 7 fishes in there, and zero ammonia, trite and about 2 ppm of trate, the tank is doing fine, i suggest just get want makes you happy and take care of them, thats all you can do, and if you can qt them even better, good luck, btw heres a photo of hte little buggers.

sana

[NeveSSL]

Thanks for the reply!

I think 7 should be a good number of fish, so long as they're smaller (and they all are ).

Your tank looks great!

Brandon