How many fish?

Firesole · 01/12/2009, 06:41 AM

I'm about to purchase a new tank soon. I haven't made up my mind yet on whether or not I should get a 90gal. or a 75gal. Will the 90 gal make that big of a difference on what all fish I can keep? I know that it is only a few inches taller.
I currently have:
yellow tang
mandarin
two clowns
diamond goby
orange tailed damsel

I would really like to get a Hippo tang and/or a powder blue. I've also given some thought to a copperbanded butterfly fish. How many more fish can I comfortably fit in those tanks. I've even given some thought to going FOWLR so that I can have a trigger or angel. How compatible will one of those tangs be w/ my yellow that has already established himself in the tank?

Indermark · 01/12/2009, 07:11 AM

Personally I see no difference in a 90 gallon and a 75 gallon they have the same amount of surface area. Depending on who you talk to some will say okay on the hippo in that size of tank some will not. They get about a foot long, a little bigger than the yellow tang you currently have will get. I think a 75 would be okay for one of the following tangs, yellow, kole, or a scopas. It might be a bit hard to add anything to your tank since the yellow tang is in there. If your lucky you might get by without any problems. Research your the trigger you want to get so you don't get a very aggressive one.

Firesole · 01/12/2009, 07:42 AM

Yea I know a lot of people will say that you can't put this or that fish in this size tank because they will EVENTUALLY get too large (10" or more). But I know that takes years to happen and I don't plan on keeping them in that size of a tank for years on end.

As for triggers, I've always loved the Huma Humas and the Picasso triggers. What kind of clean up crew do I have to get if I plan on going that route? I read that Triggers will go after my snails and hermits.

fender4string · 01/12/2009, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Firesole
Yea I know a lot of people will say that you can't put this or that fish in this size tank because they will EVENTUALLY get too large (10" or more). But I know that takes years to happen and I don't plan on keeping them in that size of a tank for years on end.

As for triggers, I've always loved the Huma Humas and the Picasso triggers. What kind of clean up crew do I have to get if I plan on going that route? I read that Triggers will go after my snails and hermits.

As for it taking years for fish to grow that depends on the species. For example the blue tang you're considering-tangs grow like it's their job. I've heard for the blue (or hippo) it's like 6 inches in a year. If you really want one of these you might want to wait until you get a larger tank as a 90 is awfully small for a large active fish (tang police alert

).

On the bright side the picasso is a ridiculously slow growing fish. This is a species that does in fact take years. A small one would be fine in a 90 or even 75 for quite awhile. And yeah triggers will absolutely decimate your CUC. I've heard the best route is to buy lots and lots of tiny hermits. The idea here is that they are so small they can hide easily and don't seem to be worth the fish's time as they aren't much of a meal. Also, put them in at night so they have several hours to find cover before the fish wake up.

Another note about the picasso-while these are considered mellow, they are highly individual fish (triggers are extremely intelligent as far as fish go). This means that you could get one that is satan incarnate and pretty much tears up your tank. If you plan on including the list you had above into this tank I think you should skip the trigger. A baby trigger might be ok for awhile but I wouldn't risk is with the goby and the clowns (assuming they are ocs or percs or another species that is non-aggressive). I'm doing what you are thinking about doing-picasso in an 85-and I pretty much planned all of my fish around the picasso. You want fish that can defend themselves.

Hope that all helps and sorry about the novel!

Oh and one more thing-the difference between the 90 and 75 will be stability for water parameters. The move volume, the more stable the water. That being said I don't know how dramatic a difference 15 gallons will make but that's just my 2 cents on it.

giapam · 01/12/2009, 10:16 AM

add firefish (^^,) sexy or herc shrimp

Firesole · 01/12/2009, 11:05 AM

why would I want to add firefish or herc (??) shrimp?

VacavilleFC3S · 01/12/2009, 11:11 AM

herc?? you mean harlequin?

Firesole · 01/12/2009, 12:05 PM

I dunno, I was asking giapam that.

01/12/2009, 06:41 AM	#1
Firesole Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Athens, Ga Posts: 132	How many fish? I'm about to purchase a new tank soon. I haven't made up my mind yet on whether or not I should get a 90gal. or a 75gal. Will the 90 gal make that big of a difference on what all fish I can keep? I know that it is only a few inches taller. I currently have: yellow tang mandarin two clowns diamond goby orange tailed damsel I would really like to get a Hippo tang and/or a powder blue. I've also given some thought to a copperbanded butterfly fish. How many more fish can I comfortably fit in those tanks. I've even given some thought to going FOWLR so that I can have a trigger or angel. How compatible will one of those tangs be w/ my yellow that has already established himself in the tank? __________________ I'm not good enough to play by the rules!! Current Tank Info: 55g reef ready w/ 30g sump/fuge. 80+ lbs LR.

01/12/2009, 07:42 AM	#3
Firesole Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Athens, Ga Posts: 132	Yea I know a lot of people will say that you can't put this or that fish in this size tank because they will EVENTUALLY get too large (10" or more). But I know that takes years to happen and I don't plan on keeping them in that size of a tank for years on end. As for triggers, I've always loved the Huma Humas and the Picasso triggers. What kind of clean up crew do I have to get if I plan on going that route? I read that Triggers will go after my snails and hermits. __________________ I'm not good enough to play by the rules!! Current Tank Info: 55g reef ready w/ 30g sump/fuge. 80+ lbs LR.

01/12/2009, 11:05 AM	#6
Firesole Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Athens, Ga Posts: 132	why would I want to add firefish or herc (??) shrimp? __________________ I'm not good enough to play by the rules!! Current Tank Info: 55g reef ready w/ 30g sump/fuge. 80+ lbs LR.

01/12/2009, 12:05 PM	#8
Firesole Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Athens, Ga Posts: 132	I dunno, I was asking giapam that. __________________ I'm not good enough to play by the rules!! Current Tank Info: 55g reef ready w/ 30g sump/fuge. 80+ lbs LR.

01/12/2009, 07:11 AM	#2
Indermark Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Troy, Illinois Posts: 670	Personally I see no difference in a 90 gallon and a 75 gallon they have the same amount of surface area. Depending on who you talk to some will say okay on the hippo in that size of tank some will not. They get about a foot long, a little bigger than the yellow tang you currently have will get. I think a 75 would be okay for one of the following tangs, yellow, kole, or a scopas. It might be a bit hard to add anything to your tank since the yellow tang is in there. If your lucky you might get by without any problems. Research your the trigger you want to get so you don't get a very aggressive one.

01/12/2009, 10:16 AM	#5
giapam Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 67	add firefish (^^,) sexy or herc shrimp

01/12/2009, 11:11 AM	#7
VacavilleFC3S Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Vacaville California Posts: 2,613	herc?? you mean harlequin?