Centerpiece Fish

[henryriesett]

Hello all. I have a 75 gallon tank, which recently had ich which wiped out most fish. The tank has had the standard copper treatment, so I am now adding inverts back, and am thinking on how I will stock in the future. Does anyone have any good centerpiece fish ideas? Right now the only fish that lived the parasite is my Valentini puffer and hawkish, so if anyone has any centerpiece ideas, that would be great.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

What kinds of fish do you like? What non-centerpiece fish are you planning to have? In a 75-gallon, you have lots of good options IMO.

 

[Sharkbait19]

What did you do for treatment? If you dosed directly to the tank, rocks and sand will absorb copper. During treatment, the concentration will drop (potentially below the therapeutic level) and the rocks will leach it out over time, harming inverts.

As for a centerpiece, I’d look at smaller tangs, foxface, or dwarf angels.

 

[Slocke]

Tilefish have tons of personality. That and my dusky margined wrasse are my centerpiece fish

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Fire angels!

 

[henryriesett]

What kinds of fish do you like? What non-centerpiece fish are you planning to have? In a 75-gallon, you have lots of good options IMO.

At the moment all I know I want is a clown pair, other than that, I want a good sized centerpiece fish.

 

[henryriesett]

What did you do for treatment? If you dosed directly to the tank, rocks and sand will absorb copper. During treatment, the concentration will drop (potentially below the therapeutic level) and the rocks will leach it out over time, harming inverts.

As for a centerpiece, I’d look at smaller tangs, foxface, or dwarf angels.

Yeah I was informed about that risk if I treated in dt. I did have a blue eye Kole, and I don’t know if it was just that one, but he did not seem very comfortable in a 75. I also thought a fox face got too big.

 

[henryriesett]

What kinds of fish do you like? What non-centerpiece fish are you planning to have? In a 75-gallon, you have lots of good options IMO.

Also am a big fan of oddballs

 

[Slocke]

Also am a big fan of oddballs

Dwarf fuzzy lion
Ribbon goby,
Soapfish
Garden eels
Snake eel
Other predatory fish

 

[eliaslikesfish]

if you’re willing to drop a bag: potters angel

more reasonable: bristletooth or tomini tangs are beautiful in my opinion.

 

[eliaslikesfish]

.

 

[Extremeengineer]

So I have a 75g, currently have Tomini Tang, Coral Beauty, Lyretail Anthias, Black Ice clown, Fire Shrimp. Pics are White Tail Tang that is next addition. I am moving to a 150 in 6 months, so also will be adding a Majestic or Regal Angel juvenile to grow out. Will move all to 150. If I wasn’t going bigger I’d still do white tail, but then one or two smaller fish instead of Angel.

 

[henryriesett]

Dwarf fuzzy lion
Ribbon goby,
Soapfish
Garden eels
Snake eel
Other predatory fish

I have always considered the idea of the lion, but I have read that they can and will eat small fish like clowns. Do you think that will be a problem?

 

[Slocke]

I have always considered the idea of the lion, but I have read that they can and will eat small fish like clowns. Do you think that will be a problem?

@littlefoxx ?

 

[littlefoxx]

My dwarf fuzzy never even looked at other fish. She was in with small damsels, clowns, gobies, dottyback, blennies. I got her as a baby and was able to train her on frozen food early. If you get one I would put it first or in a separate tank to train it, or put a small damsel in before your clowns or other fish to see what it does

 

[henryriesett]

My dwarf fuzzy never even looked at other fish. She was in with small damsels, clowns, gobies, dottyback, blennies. I got her as a baby and was able to train her on frozen food early. If you get one I would put it first or in a separate tank to train it, or put a small damsel in before your clowns or other fish to see what it does

Do you think it could eat a decently sized valentini and hawkfish. That is all I have right now, and I am really intrigued by these lionfish.

 

[littlefoxx]

Do you think it could eat a decently sized valentini and hawkfish. That is all I have right now, and I am really intrigued by these lionfish.

A fuzzy? No. They only eat what fits in their mouth. A full grown volitian maybe but those two probably would be fine with the fuzzy. Clowns I would get on the bigger side just to be safe not the little cute babies. Each lion is different, just cause mine didnt eat my smaller fish doesnt mean another wouldnt. But those two fish should be fine

 

[henryriesett]

A fuzzy? No. They only eat what fits in their mouth. A full grown volitian maybe but those two probably would be fine with the fuzzy. Clowns I would get on the bigger side just to be safe not the little cute babies. Each lion is different, just cause mine didnt eat my smaller fish doesnt mean another wouldnt. But those two fish should be fine

Alright, thank you. I also heard that while they will eat a fish that will fit in their mouth, they won’t go out of their way chasing a fish to eat? Is that true from your experience?

 

[Tired]

Starckii damsel? Decent-sized, not super aggressive. Like a dwarf angelfish in appearance, size, and price point, except it won't eat your corals.

 

[littlefoxx]

Alright, thank you. I also heard that while they will eat a fish that will fit in their mouth, they won’t go out of their way chasing a fish to eat? Is that true from your experience?

They will perch and ambush fish in the wild when they are hungry. Ive had several lions, none of them hunted any of my fish because I kept them on a schedule for feeding, fast/gorge. I had to get rid of them because Im deathly allergic to their venom sadly. But none of mine ever went after fish because I fed them at the same time I fed my eels about every 2-3 days (two when they were younger, 3-4 when they were older). I learned to see the signs when they were hungry. My fuzzy would come up and beg at the top of the tank when she was hungry!