Looking for Ideas for Additional Fish to Add

[BigJim]

I am an experienced reefer but I am having a difficult time deciding what additional fish to add to my tank. It is a 155 gallon mixed reef tank (72x24x21) with a 40 gallon sump. I have complicated the selection process with my previous fish decisions. I currently have two ocellaris clowns, a 3” randall’s assessor, a 4.5” mystery wrasse, a 5-6” harlequin tusk, a 6-7” magnificent foxface and a 5” copperband butterfly. All of the fish have been in the tank for 2 – 7 years. I would like to add at least three more fish including at least one or two tangs.

There are a few things making this difficult. I cannot add another wrasse because of the mystery wrasse and tusk. The assessor is small and I need to get something that will not eat him (I already worry about the tusk but he has shown no aggression in the two years I have had him). I had to remove a desjardini tang because he was terrorizing the copperband. He also showed aggression to the foxface but the foxface held his own. I have some algae popping up since removing the tang and need to find a tang or two who can live peacefully with the copperband and foxface.

I am thinking about a kole tang or tomini tang as one of the new fish. I was also thinking maybe a scopas tang or yellow tang in addition to the kole or tomini. I have been in the hobby eight years and have only had two tangs (kole and desjardini). They were both so aggressive towards other fish that I had to remove them. I need them for algae removal but I want to get it right this time.

I have very few ideas on the third fish. It needs to be large enough that the tusk and wrasse will not view it as food. It needs to be small enough to not eat my assessor. It needs to get along with the tangs and not nip at SPS corals. A semi aggressive hawkfish or maybe a large algae blenny or starry blenny are the only fish that I can come up with.

If you made it through my rambling, all advice/ideas are appreciated.

 

[happyhourhero]

I would not do a scopas or yellow with the Copperband. They have the most similar body type and could be problematic. My kole leaves my CBB alone and my powder brown is “ok” with it.

Hawkfish are always awesome! They will eat smaller shrimp though. Have you considered an indigo hamlet?

 

[BigJim]

I would not do a scopas or yellow with the Copperband. They have the most similar body type and could be problematic. My kole leaves my CBB alone and my powder brown is “ok” with it.

Hawkfish are always awesome! They will eat smaller shrimp though. Have you considered an indigo hamlet?

Thanks! I was worried about the same thing with the yellow or scopas tang. I love powder blue and powder brown tangs but I have several people in my local reef club who regretted purchasing them due to their aggression. The mystery wrasse took out my shrimp long ago, so there is no concern with that. I have only seen hamlets for sale a few times, but that is a pretty cool looking fish.

 

[lion king]

I have found the scopus tang to be much more laid back, even shy; I really like mine. Check out the mimic tangs, another laid back tang. All fish are different but I would have no problem with these 2 in your mix.

 

[Pbh-reef]

Maybe a filefish or bluethroat trigger? I’ve never kept one and don’t know how they do with the cbbb but hear they are peaceful for triggers. Maybe someone with experience can weigh in?

 

[Jesterrace]

I am an experienced reefer but I am having a difficult time deciding what additional fish to add to my tank. It is a 155 gallon mixed reef tank (72x24x21) with a 40 gallon sump. I have complicated the selection process with my previous fish decisions. I currently have two ocellaris clowns, a 3” randall’s assessor, a 4.5” mystery wrasse, a 5-6” harlequin tusk, a 6-7” magnificent foxface and a 5” copperband butterfly. All of the fish have been in the tank for 2 – 7 years. I would like to add at least three more fish including at least one or two tangs.

There are a few things making this difficult. I cannot add another wrasse because of the mystery wrasse and tusk. The assessor is small and I need to get something that will not eat him (I already worry about the tusk but he has shown no aggression in the two years I have had him). I had to remove a desjardini tang because he was terrorizing the copperband. He also showed aggression to the foxface but the foxface held his own. I have some algae popping up since removing the tang and need to find a tang or two who can live peacefully with the copperband and foxface.

I am thinking about a kole tang or tomini tang as one of the new fish. I was also thinking maybe a scopas tang or yellow tang in addition to the kole or tomini. I have been in the hobby eight years and have only had two tangs (kole and desjardini). They were both so aggressive towards other fish that I had to remove them. I need them for algae removal but I want to get it right this time.

I have very few ideas on the third fish. It needs to be large enough that the tusk and wrasse will not view it as food. It needs to be small enough to not eat my assessor. It needs to get along with the tangs and not nip at SPS corals. A semi aggressive hawkfish or maybe a large algae blenny or starry blenny are the only fish that I can come up with.

If you made it through my rambling, all advice/ideas are appreciated.

Stay away from Zebrasoma Tangs (ie Yellow, Purple) as they can be super assertive (goodness knows my Yellow Tang was a jerk). A Kole or Tomini could work, a lawnmower blenny that is big could definitely hold it's own.