74 gallon tower stock questions..

GOSKN5 · Mar 7, 2016

I have a 74 gallon tower 24x24x30... unique deep tank... I'm looking at a few options for stocking.. I have 3 fish currently..

Black snowflake clown
Orchid dottyback
Flame hawkfish

The hawkfish is a little pushy to small fish and probably should have been added later or last. However, I love the guy haha..

So I need some fairly robust and tough fish.. I also want fish that swim and will use the open water and the height of the tank... the hawk chills on the rocks, the dottyback has a hole or two and the clown does clown things.. wobbles in a spot...

Thinking about a couple of options..

Some type of damsel or trio of damsels (yellowtails, azure, saphire)

Is the tank too small for a trio of lyretails? Maybe just a single female?

Chalk bass (probably gonna hang at bottom more than open water)

What other suggestions for open water fill the space and use the depth type fish??

Here is tank.. open rock work...

tankstudy · Mar 7, 2016

In the past, there were times where I was lucky and had some peaceful damsels but I generally avoid them. When they aren't nice, they are killer mean.

I would recommend the bartletts over the lyres. They are a bit smaller.

I don't know much about chalk basses so I can't say much on it.

For depth fish, I liked the flame angel.

eatbreakfast · Mar 8, 2016

A group of Scissortail or zebra dartfish stay in the top 1/3 of a tank and are hardy and peaceful.

Damsels of the genus Chrysiptera are a better choice than other damsels, as they are on the peaceful side.

jamie callard · Mar 8, 2016

Dart fish or fire fish will both swim in the open space in the day

GOSKN5 · Mar 8, 2016

jamie callard said:
Dart fish or fire fish will both swim in the open space in the day

eatbreakfast said:
A group of Scissortail or zebra dartfish stay in the top 1/3 of a tank and are hardy and peaceful.

Damsels of the genus Chrysiptera are a better choice than other damsels, as they are on the peaceful side.

I would think the dartfish and firefish would hang more to the bottom of the rocks would they not? I'm also not sure they could hang with the flame and orchid haha..

eatbreakfast · Mar 8, 2016

GOSKN5 said:
I would think the dartfish and firefish would hang more to the bottom of the rocks would they not? I'm also not sure they could hang with the flame and orchid haha..

The firefish would hang out in the bottom third, hence not on my recommendation list. And since scissortail and zebra dartfish hang out in the open water unless scared, will be of no concern to the orchid dottyback. Orchid dottybacks are also on the peaceful side for dottybacks, so a 74g is more than enough space for them to coexist.

The op doesn't have a flame angel, that also is someone else's recommendation, and if the dartfish are added first won't be an issue either.

GOSKN5 · Mar 8, 2016

Thanks for the help and suggestions... ideally I would probably add a starcki and a midas and maybe a couple cardinals and be done... just not sure I can find a starcki

Vance · Mar 8, 2016

I have had this size tank, for 10 years now, I understand your pain. Hows the flow and lighting battle going?
Not a big enough footprint for a group of anthias IMO have tried, end up with one everytime, Bartlett disbar lyrtail. I had good luck with chromis/damsel pairs using top. Wrasses as well, still jump out with that much water be careful. Banggii cardinals hid and didn't use column, the blue eye/threadfin cardinals used it the most out of anyone I have tried, more mid level but they go to the top.

Right now I have a pair of orange firefish, pair of yellow canary wrasses, and a pair of chromis. I've been happiest with this mixture, good top bottom balance and activity.

GOSKN5 · Mar 8, 2016

Vance said:
I have had this size tank, for 10 years now, I understand your pain. Hows the flow and lighting battle going?
Not a big enough footprint for a group of anthias IMO have tried, end up with one everytime, Bartlett disbar lyrtail. I had good luck with chromis/damsel pairs using top. Wrasses as well, still jump out with that much water be careful. Banggii cardinals hid and didn't use column, the blue eye/threadfin cardinals used it the most out of anyone I have tried, more mid level but they go to the top.

Right now I have a pair of orange firefish, pair of yellow canary wrasses, and a pair of chromis. I've been happiest with this mixture, good top bottom balance and activity.

Flow is not bad.. I have 3 powerheads hidden and it seems to work ok.. but I'm not doing SPS.. the ones in the pic have actually been removed... will be lps, softies and gorgs...

Lighting is interesting... but I have a plan for that... I'm running 2 hydra 26hds... coverage is great.. hard balance between burning stuff up top and not getting enough to the bottom.. again I have a plan (I think)

Thanks for the advice... I considered the threadfin cardinals... and might go that route... I love the Canary wrasse but it's barebottom and I'm not sure I want a tub of sand in the back.. (always gets thrown around)...

Any pics of your setup? Love to see more of these tanks

Vance · Mar 8, 2016

Haha yes I started out bb before the wrasses, gave them some Tupperware with sand, got everywhere, I dumped it out and just let the wavemaker blow it around in front. Tank is about a year old since the last crash and restart. Chromy school is down to two now. Maybe three I dont know I added 6 knowing I would end up with a couple. Mistake I know.

GOSKN5 · Mar 8, 2016

Nice... love that big blasto colony...

Vance · Mar 8, 2016

Thank you. Started with 2 polyps over 10 years ago before I bought this old tank. Love your rock, I always struggles with height and still keeping it open looking. And I regret not getting a corner overflow like you did, hence the stand pipe and lack of overflow. Took up to much space so I took it out.