250 gallon FOWLR stocking help

asinha · 01/02/2011, 03:01 PM

I have a 250 gallon fish only setup with a 100 gallon sump. It contains about 250 pounds of cured live rock and the sump contains about 60 pounds of LR and a 6 inch DSB. The skimmer is a SRO INT 5000 and is doing a fabulous job

The display tank has a very clean look with lots of free swimming space and small caves for the fishes to hide. The caves are only about 12 inches high so there is a lot of space left above them for the fish to swim freely.

The system has gone through the cycling phase and has been running fine for about 3 months with the following parameters:
PH: 8.3 steady
Ca: 420-460 ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
Phosphate: 0

All the above tested using a sailfert and a API test kit.
The current livestock is:

4 Cleaner Shrimps
2 Fire shrimps
1 Purple Tang
1 Regal Tang
3 Yellow Tangs
1 Sailfin Tang
2 Clarki Clowns
10 Blue Green Chromis

The following are what I want to add further to the tank:
2 Bangaii Cardinals (Not wild caught)
2 Wimple/Bannerfish
1 Flame Angel
1 Emperor Angel

Now my questions are:

1) Do you think this setup is not fit for an Emperor Angel in the long run? Am planning to buy something in the 4-5 inch range. I was told 200 gallon should be enough for it, but just want to be sure, don't like to torture a fish just for my own selfish motive

2) I have heard that the Bannerfish/Wimple tends to nip or attack shrimps, is this true as I could not find any relevant information supporting the same, any help would be great!

The above mentioned additions would be the last and final additions, and am not planning on having any corals or anemones for a long long time, like not for the next 2 years or so...

Any and all inputs can really help me go in the right direction...

Thanks guys!

bsagecko · 01/02/2011, 05:33 PM

What are your tanks dimesions?

asinha · 01/02/2011, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsagecko

What are your tanks dimesions?

The tank dimensions are 6 feet long x 2 feet deep x 2.5 feet tall

bsagecko · 01/02/2011, 05:40 PM

Then based on that I would say your tank is to small for a full grown emperor angelfish

an emperor can go up to 15" in size which means your tank would have to be atleast 30" for turn around.....

perhaps a smaller species would be better suited

asinha · 01/02/2011, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsagecko

Then based on that I would say your tank is to small for a full grown emperor angelfish

an emperor can go up to 15" in size which means your tank would have to be atleast 30" for turn around.....

perhaps a smaller species would be better suited

Any suggestions on which ones to lookout for?

svejil · 01/02/2011, 05:46 PM

My opinion is that an Emperor would work, although if you are able to keep this mix of fish for a long time, the tangs may eventually get on the angel's nerves.

Emperor Angels as they get large / old, tend to get "grumpy". Tangs swim A LOT, and this may or may not work with the Emp. Full grown Emperor angels get to be 12"+ in an aquarium, if they are well cared for. My Emp "tolerates" the tangs in my 300g., but they do get chased and grunted at from time to time. It is not the all out relentless attack, but he will show his aggression with age. Lots of caves, and swimming space does help, except tangs pretty much occupy the entire tank with their constant swimming, and grazing.

Someone else will have to chime in on the Bannerfish. I do know that my angel does not at all like certain shaped fish. I had to re-home a 7" Harlequin tusk, and just recently re-introduced a Golden puffer, which so far he does not seem to notice this go around.

SV

asinha · 01/02/2011, 05:51 PM

Thanks a ton SV for the info...my tank has plenty of hiding spaces in the LR and I put the rocks keeping in mind the kind of space different sized fish would require, like I have 3-4 large caves for the angel at different parts of the aquarium and then the medium sized ones for the tangs and then the smaller ones for the tiny fish and inverts...so far all know where to stay as if I had their name plates on them lol

Hydrologist · 01/02/2011, 06:02 PM

What about a Scribbled Angel? Much better suited to your tank size

asinha · 01/02/2011, 06:28 PM

Scribbled angelfish are not available here in India, the only options we got are emperor, queen, majestic, annularis...so I can only choose out of these if I have to make a choice...

sevendigitcake · 01/02/2011, 08:28 PM

majestic would be the best choice out of what is available

RoganTerrance · 01/02/2011, 09:23 PM

I don't think the Yellow Tangs and purple tang will work out

01/02/2011, 03:01 PM	#1
asinha Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 24	250 gallon FOWLR stocking help I have a 250 gallon fish only setup with a 100 gallon sump. It contains about 250 pounds of cured live rock and the sump contains about 60 pounds of LR and a 6 inch DSB. The skimmer is a SRO INT 5000 and is doing a fabulous job The display tank has a very clean look with lots of free swimming space and small caves for the fishes to hide. The caves are only about 12 inches high so there is a lot of space left above them for the fish to swim freely. The system has gone through the cycling phase and has been running fine for about 3 months with the following parameters: PH: 8.3 steady Ca: 420-460 ppm Ammonia: 0ppm Nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: 0 ppm Phosphate: 0 All the above tested using a sailfert and a API test kit. The current livestock is: 4 Cleaner Shrimps 2 Fire shrimps 1 Purple Tang 1 Regal Tang 3 Yellow Tangs 1 Sailfin Tang 2 Clarki Clowns 10 Blue Green Chromis The following are what I want to add further to the tank: 2 Bangaii Cardinals (Not wild caught) 2 Wimple/Bannerfish 1 Flame Angel 1 Emperor Angel Now my questions are: 1) Do you think this setup is not fit for an Emperor Angel in the long run? Am planning to buy something in the 4-5 inch range. I was told 200 gallon should be enough for it, but just want to be sure, don't like to torture a fish just for my own selfish motive 2) I have heard that the Bannerfish/Wimple tends to nip or attack shrimps, is this true as I could not find any relevant information supporting the same, any help would be great! The above mentioned additions would be the last and final additions, and am not planning on having any corals or anemones for a long long time, like not for the next 2 years or so... Any and all inputs can really help me go in the right direction... Thanks guys!

01/02/2011, 05:33 PM	#2
bsagecko Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,752	What are your tanks dimesions? __________________ There are three things that will never be believed- the true, the probable, the logical (Steinbeck) Obey little, Resist much Current Tank Info: 24g AIO

01/02/2011, 05:40 PM	#4
bsagecko Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,752	Then based on that I would say your tank is to small for a full grown emperor angelfish an emperor can go up to 15" in size which means your tank would have to be atleast 30" for turn around..... perhaps a smaller species would be better suited __________________ There are three things that will never be believed- the true, the probable, the logical (Steinbeck) Obey little, Resist much Current Tank Info: 24g AIO

01/02/2011, 06:02 PM	#8
Hydrologist Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Hamilton, ON Posts: 417	What about a Scribbled Angel? Much better suited to your tank size __________________ 550g reef system (150 DT + 225 DT + 110 frag tank) + 7' Frag Table - Vertex Alpha Kone 300 & 170 - x7 mp40ES - Controlled via Profilux x2 - Pacific Sun LED (150g)/ATI PM 10x80w(225g)/ATI PM 10x54w Current Tank Info: See Signature

01/02/2011, 09:23 PM	#11
RoganTerrance Young Reefer Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Scottsdale Az Posts: 1,253	I don't think the Yellow Tangs and purple tang will work out __________________ ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>¸. ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>

01/02/2011, 05:46 PM	#6
svejil Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 144	My opinion is that an Emperor would work, although if you are able to keep this mix of fish for a long time, the tangs may eventually get on the angel's nerves. Emperor Angels as they get large / old, tend to get "grumpy". Tangs swim A LOT, and this may or may not work with the Emp. Full grown Emperor angels get to be 12"+ in an aquarium, if they are well cared for. My Emp "tolerates" the tangs in my 300g., but they do get chased and grunted at from time to time. It is not the all out relentless attack, but he will show his aggression with age. Lots of caves, and swimming space does help, except tangs pretty much occupy the entire tank with their constant swimming, and grazing. Someone else will have to chime in on the Bannerfish. I do know that my angel does not at all like certain shaped fish. I had to re-home a 7" Harlequin tusk, and just recently re-introduced a Golden puffer, which so far he does not seem to notice this go around. SV

01/02/2011, 05:51 PM	#7
asinha Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 24	Thanks a ton SV for the info...my tank has plenty of hiding spaces in the LR and I put the rocks keeping in mind the kind of space different sized fish would require, like I have 3-4 large caves for the angel at different parts of the aquarium and then the medium sized ones for the tangs and then the smaller ones for the tiny fish and inverts...so far all know where to stay as if I had their name plates on them lol

01/02/2011, 06:28 PM	#9
asinha Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 24	Scribbled angelfish are not available here in India, the only options we got are emperor, queen, majestic, annularis...so I can only choose out of these if I have to make a choice...

01/02/2011, 08:28 PM	#10
sevendigitcake Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 452	majestic would be the best choice out of what is available

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