Mature reef tank additions?

[Master Kyle 297]

Ok so my reef tank has been up running for Almost 2 years now and everything is stable and everything is thriving and I was wondering what additions I could add for more color to the tank. These are the inhabitants:

Aquarium

Fish
-Flame Angel
-Lawnmower Blenny
- Green Chromis (3)
-Ocellaris Clownfish (3)
-Domino Damsel (3)
-Four Stripe Damsel (3)
-Blue Tang
-Desjardini Sailfin Tang
-Yellow Tang
-Fairy Wrasse (2)

Invertebrates
-Bubble Tip Anemone
-Carpet Anemone
-Dwarf Hermit Crabs
-Tiger Cowrie
-Black Sea Cucumber
-Cleaner Shrimp
-Turbo Snails
-Green Brittle Starfish
-Sand Sifting Starfish
-Black Shortspine Sea Urchin
-Feather Duster Fan Worms

Corals
-Carnation Tree Leather (2)
-Duncan LPS
-Frogspawn LPS
-Galaxea LPS
-Actinodiscus Mushrooms (2)
-Ricordea Mushrooms
-Star Polyps (2)
-Yellow Polyps
-Zooanthid Polyps (2)

I also am having a feather duster outbreak and as much as diversity they add to the tank they are growing everywhere and I was wondering what animal would eat them and be compatible with what I have. If need I can remove or take out a fish at night.

I prefer to have LPS and soft coral because of the movement they create.

[Sk8r]

You could house a mandarin if you have 50, a pair if you have a 100 g; Don't worry about the dusters. They'll adjust their own population, and they don't hurt anything. Royal gramma is compatible. If you can tolerate a grumpy lunatic in your tank a yellow or orchid dottyback; or chalk bass.

[Master Kyle 297]

I forgot to say my tank is 100g and a pair of mandarins sounds great because I always see Copepods swimming around. A royal gramma sounds good too. I also forgot to mention I have a marine betta

[Sugar Magnolia]

Seems to me you are already at maximum capacity. As it is, the sailfin and blue (hippo?) will need much larger tanks in the future.

[Master Kyle 297]

Yes I am aware. I traded in my first blue tang because he got too big. Now I would trade in my tangs but the price for a blue tang these days are ridiculous. What fish would or should I remove in the future besides the tangs?

[Ambition]

You are at max capacity, if not over capacity. As Sugar Magnolia mentioned, the sailfin and blue tang will need much larger tanks in the near future. Also, the damsels you have are known to be quite aggressive which would make the additions of peaceful fish like mandarins or royal grammas difficult.

[Master Kyle 297]

Could I remove the damsels and add them back after adding new fish?

[username in use]

Originally Posted by Master Kyle 297

Could I remove the damsels and add them back after adding new fish?

Have you tried to catch a damsel in an established reef?


In theory you could remove them and then re add them. However, If you go to the trouble to remove them I would just leave them out. Makes for a much more peaceful community.

[Master Kyle 297]

Yes I have created ways and traps to catch them. I had to catch my breeding pair of maroon clowns and a three stripe damsel that is pretty big. My girlfriend just wanted to add some color and more movement of schooling small fish. I tried keeping a school of green chromis but they fought among each other on only the dominant three remain.

[username in use]

Harems of wrasse's are nice. Shoals of cardinals are nice as well. But I wouldn't really add anything till the big tangs were out.

Also, small cardinals may eventually end up in the Betta.

[Master Kyle 297]

My betta hasn't touched any fish and I've tried Banghazi cardinals in the past and the most dominat one killed the others and then it died from old age. I had that guy for a year and a half! I agree with the tangs being gone so I'm just planning what to add after they are gone

[username in use]

Bangaii's are one of the largest cardinals and the most difficult to pair, groups are near impossible long term.

I was referring to the smaller cardinals like the red spot glass (1-2" max) and the likes that will group together really well and not kill each other off. Those would be on the menu for the betta due to their small size.


Check out the different wrasse's. There are some beautiful ones out there that do well in groups and you get to see their group dynamics going on which is really neat.

[Master Kyle 297]

Would you recommend leopard wrasses?

[username in use]

Not if you are planning on a Mandarin. They are both sensitive fish and would be in competition with each other foodwise.

[leveldrummer]

just get more coral, sort out the fish issues every has already mentioned, then start looking for more colorful corals. acans, more zoanthids, more ricordeas, etc. just pack the tank with as much variety as you can find.

[BIG_KAHUNA]

Anyone else want to see a picture of this reef?!

[MrClam]

Originally Posted by Master Kyle 297

My betta hasn't touched any fish and I've tried Banghazi cardinals in the past and the most dominat one killed the others and then it died from old age. I had that guy for a year and a half! I agree with the tangs being gone so I'm just planning what to add after they are gone

I will from now on call my cardinal "Benghazi"

Go for corals. If you like movement get a torch. Duncans can be colorful and dont take up much space. Frogspawn,hammer ect sway a bit and can be colorful.