Stocking questions

DCT326 · 05/01/2016, 08:07 AM

Hi all! Been lurking on the forum for awhile but haven't posted before.

My husband and I recently jumped headfirst into reefing. We acquired our first SW tank (I've kept FW before but he's never had an aquarium) a couple of weeks ago. We bought a 1.5 yr old 90 gal setup that the owner listed on Craigslist. We paid $700 bucks for probably 2-3 grand worth of equipment, supplies, LR, fish, inverts, and soft coral. It was a great deal but of course now we have to figure out what to do with all the previous owner's odd decisions (drilled tank but no sump, a gargantuan skimmer, etc)...and the fish. At the time we bought it, the system had a pair of Clarks clowns, a pair of black ocellaris clowns, a lone percula clown, three smallish yellow tangs (largest about 3.5-4 in), two blue hippo tangs (largest about 5 in) and a striped mandarin. The black clowns have already gone to LFS since we felt like that was clownfish overload. Everybody else seems to be doing OK.

With that background, my question is about what to do with the tangs. I know they will get bigger (esp the hippos). Right now they seem to get along ok - there is some sporadic chasing and so on but we haven't seen any actual nipping or physical damage. If they "grow up" together will they likely continue like this or should we expect the aggression to escalate as they grow? Are they going to be too crowded when they are full grown in this size tank? If so can we get away with maybe keeping one of each?

Input from anyone with some experience in this area would be appreciated!

thegrun · 05/01/2016, 08:27 AM

Welcome to Reef Central! As far as the fish go in a 90 gallon tank I would strongly recommend only keeping a single or one pair of clowns, so I would either keep the Clark's clown or the percula, but not both as sooner or later they will fight. Unfortunately the Hippos should go as soon as possible and really the tank is too small for even the Yellow Tangs. Here is our Reef Central Tang/Tank size recommendations: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1946007
Although many will disagree and say that all the tangs should be re-homed, you might get away with keeping a pair of the Yellow Tangs. The Hippos need to go for sure.

DCT326 · 05/01/2016, 10:16 AM

Thanks. That was kind of what I thought. I would have taken most of the tangs to LFS already along with the pair of clowns we got rid of, but my husband likes them and wanted to keep them. Any idea how fast they grow? I read the hippos get up to about a foot long, but if the ones we've got will stay a manageable size for awhile longer then we may keep them a little longer.

DCT326 · 05/01/2016, 10:21 AM

And re the clowns, I would like to re home the percula clown, it's the smallest thing in the tank and all it does is hide in a corner all the time. But it has something wrong with its mouth so I don't think LFS or anyone else will want it. It holds its mouth open literally all the time and one of its gill covers is deformed. It's been like that since we got it. I've seen it eat and there are no obvious signs of disease so I'm wondering if it was born (hatched?) like that. Has anyone seen something like that before? Suggestions on what to do with it? And no I don't want to flush it down the toilet!

05/01/2016, 08:07 AM	#1
DCT326 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 27	Stocking questions Hi all! Been lurking on the forum for awhile but haven't posted before. My husband and I recently jumped headfirst into reefing. We acquired our first SW tank (I've kept FW before but he's never had an aquarium) a couple of weeks ago. We bought a 1.5 yr old 90 gal setup that the owner listed on Craigslist. We paid $700 bucks for probably 2-3 grand worth of equipment, supplies, LR, fish, inverts, and soft coral. It was a great deal but of course now we have to figure out what to do with all the previous owner's odd decisions (drilled tank but no sump, a gargantuan skimmer, etc)...and the fish. At the time we bought it, the system had a pair of Clarks clowns, a pair of black ocellaris clowns, a lone percula clown, three smallish yellow tangs (largest about 3.5-4 in), two blue hippo tangs (largest about 5 in) and a striped mandarin. The black clowns have already gone to LFS since we felt like that was clownfish overload. Everybody else seems to be doing OK. With that background, my question is about what to do with the tangs. I know they will get bigger (esp the hippos). Right now they seem to get along ok - there is some sporadic chasing and so on but we haven't seen any actual nipping or physical damage. If they "grow up" together will they likely continue like this or should we expect the aggression to escalate as they grow? Are they going to be too crowded when they are full grown in this size tank? If so can we get away with maybe keeping one of each? Input from anyone with some experience in this area would be appreciated!

05/01/2016, 08:27 AM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Welcome to Reef Central! As far as the fish go in a 90 gallon tank I would strongly recommend only keeping a single or one pair of clowns, so I would either keep the Clark's clown or the percula, but not both as sooner or later they will fight. Unfortunately the Hippos should go as soon as possible and really the tank is too small for even the Yellow Tangs. Here is our Reef Central Tang/Tank size recommendations: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1946007 Although many will disagree and say that all the tangs should be re-homed, you might get away with keeping a pair of the Yellow Tangs. The Hippos need to go for sure.

05/01/2016, 10:16 AM	#3
DCT326 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 27	Thanks. That was kind of what I thought. I would have taken most of the tangs to LFS already along with the pair of clowns we got rid of, but my husband likes them and wanted to keep them. Any idea how fast they grow? I read the hippos get up to about a foot long, but if the ones we've got will stay a manageable size for awhile longer then we may keep them a little longer.

05/01/2016, 10:21 AM	#4
DCT326 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 27	And re the clowns, I would like to re home the percula clown, it's the smallest thing in the tank and all it does is hide in a corner all the time. But it has something wrong with its mouth so I don't think LFS or anyone else will want it. It holds its mouth open literally all the time and one of its gill covers is deformed. It's been like that since we got it. I've seen it eat and there are no obvious signs of disease so I'm wondering if it was born (hatched?) like that. Has anyone seen something like that before? Suggestions on what to do with it? And no I don't want to flush it down the toilet!