how many fish in a 75gal
- Thread starter Drake29
- Start date
- Tagged users None
brwaldbaum
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2018
- Messages
- 173
- Reaction score
- 101
- Location
- Long Island
- What state or country do you live in
- New York
I can tell you what I had in a 75 without issue for several years:
1 C. bispinosa
1 C. acanthops
1 C. punctatofasciatus
1 C. rafflesi
1 C. xanthurus
2 P. squamipinnis (m & f)
Red_Beard
Valuable Member
In my 75 right now (newest fish is at least 6 months in, most are 2+years):
1 one spot foxface
3 pajama cardinals
1 firefish goby
1 diamond watchman goby
1 black occelaris
1 lyretail anthis
I feel like i could add 2 more without issue.
The biggest thing to think of is not 'how many', but 'which fish' will fit the best. As long as the fish you get are not fighting for territory or being bullied into hiding life is good. The nutrient load can become an issue, but is way easier to manage with water changes, algea scrubber, skimmer, biopellets or gfo or whatever than fish that aren't getting along/ being bullied to death. Just add fish that you've researched and should be a good fit to the ecosystem you've built slowly and watch nutrient levels and your tank will tell you when you're getting close to max capacity
1 one spot foxface
3 pajama cardinals
1 firefish goby
1 diamond watchman goby
1 black occelaris
1 lyretail anthis
I feel like i could add 2 more without issue.
The biggest thing to think of is not 'how many', but 'which fish' will fit the best. As long as the fish you get are not fighting for territory or being bullied into hiding life is good. The nutrient load can become an issue, but is way easier to manage with water changes, algea scrubber, skimmer, biopellets or gfo or whatever than fish that aren't getting along/ being bullied to death. Just add fish that you've researched and should be a good fit to the ecosystem you've built slowly and watch nutrient levels and your tank will tell you when you're getting close to max capacity
Rmckoy
7500 Club Member
I think it would depend on nutrients .
your maintenance schedule along with test values for each nutrient .
but …. I believe you might be ok with a few other fish .
What are you thinking of adding ?
your maintenance schedule along with test values for each nutrient .
but …. I believe you might be ok with a few other fish .
What are you thinking of adding ?
Jekyl
GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
Parameters are secondary in my opinion. First thing that needs to be considered is the stress on the fish. If not enough sleeping areas and safe places, it's not a good idea.
frizzayyyyreef
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2021
- Messages
- 771
- Reaction score
- 309
- Location
- new york
- What state or country do you live in
- New York
I have a 75 gallon ...I have 7 clownfish 1 blue star wrasse 1 yellow coris wrasse 1 mandarin 1 sandshifting goby a small hippo tang a small box fish and a anthias... tanks been running for 5 years I’m not adding anymore I think I’m way past my limit
frizzayyyyreef
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2021
- Messages
- 771
- Reaction score
- 309
- Location
- new york
- What state or country do you live in
- New York
Agreed if I didn’t have a skimmer I think I’d be in trouble
PatW
2500 Club Member
The number of fish you can have in a tank depends on many separate issues.
The fish themselves.
A hyper aggressive fish may result in one and only one fish in the tank. Some of the damsels are so aggressive that they will probably eventually kill other fish in the tank unless the tank is very large.
The size of the fish. Obviously a Goliath grouper will be far too large for virtually any conceivable home aquarium (they were at one time sold as reef fish).
A small, peaceful, inactive fish has a much smaller tank foot print than many other fish. Examples are neon gobies, dartfish, bengai cardinals etc.
Tangs which are large active eating machines tend to have a greater foot print.
Fish have different guilds. Putting several fish inside a small tank that will directly compete with each other often does not end well. I have found that fish that have very different lifestyles are often “invisible” to each other. My filefish tends to be ignored by my tangs. Sometimes they collide when going for the same food item but even then they do not really notice each other much.
The fish themselves.
A hyper aggressive fish may result in one and only one fish in the tank. Some of the damsels are so aggressive that they will probably eventually kill other fish in the tank unless the tank is very large.
The size of the fish. Obviously a Goliath grouper will be far too large for virtually any conceivable home aquarium (they were at one time sold as reef fish).
A small, peaceful, inactive fish has a much smaller tank foot print than many other fish. Examples are neon gobies, dartfish, bengai cardinals etc.
Tangs which are large active eating machines tend to have a greater foot print.
Fish have different guilds. Putting several fish inside a small tank that will directly compete with each other often does not end well. I have found that fish that have very different lifestyles are often “invisible” to each other. My filefish tends to be ignored by my tangs. Sometimes they collide when going for the same food item but even then they do not really notice each other much.
blaxsun
10K Club member
I agree that it also really depends on the fish. I’d also like to add that more often than not fish don’t conform to the typical accepted behavior.
For example, I have four damsels that absolutely adore one another (3 blue devils which follow an extremely peaceful azure), a sixline wrasse that isn’t an *******, two paired clownfish that killed between 30-40 other clownfish (according to the previous owner) that ‘adopted’ my sole clownfish (the trio are now inseparable), a cleaner wrasse that enjoys seaweed, two angels that spent two weeks tearing up the tank chasing each other and now sleep in the same cave night after night, the sailfin tang that lets the coral banded shrimp have a turn at the seaweed, the two dottybacks that share a cave... the list goes on.
For example, I have four damsels that absolutely adore one another (3 blue devils which follow an extremely peaceful azure), a sixline wrasse that isn’t an *******, two paired clownfish that killed between 30-40 other clownfish (according to the previous owner) that ‘adopted’ my sole clownfish (the trio are now inseparable), a cleaner wrasse that enjoys seaweed, two angels that spent two weeks tearing up the tank chasing each other and now sleep in the same cave night after night, the sailfin tang that lets the coral banded shrimp have a turn at the seaweed, the two dottybacks that share a cave... the list goes on.
