Weird fish compatibility

Cthulukelele · Jan 12, 2019

So I am starting a high bioload fairly aggressive 45g 4' mangrove tank filled with macros and pods. It will have a screen top lid with holes cut for the mangroves.

I want as many weird looking fish with strange behaviors as possible. I might have some soft corals, but I am not particularly concerned with the fish being coral or invert safe. It will be a low flow tank.

Here were the things I was currently considering. I REALLY want other suggestions as well:
Flame hawkfish
Midas blenny
Green mandarin
Dragonface pipefish
Valentini puffer
Mombassa or fu manchu lion
Red rooster waspfish
Radial filefish

I really like toadfish, but I imagine the tank is too small for that.

I will be periodically adding springers damsels, chromis, and peppermint shrimp to the tank as food and short-term inhabitants. Any fish suggestions or recommendations?

lion king · Jan 13, 2019

I would chose 4 to 5 from your list, the more aggressive the fish, the more sparse you need to stock. The pipefish likely wouldn't do well with the valentini or the hawk, and the valentini is likely be a nipper if crowded in that size tank. The tank is too small for the mombasa, the fu and waspfish would work. Also be aware of the feeding requirements of the lion, waspfish, mandarin, and pipefish. Adding any fish like the damsels or chromis for food without qt will likely end badly very quickly, and will likely be too large and the damsels too elusive for the fu or waspfish. From your list I would chose the fu, waspfish, hawk, blenny, and filefish; You could look at a yellow spotted scorpionfish and dwarf golden eel as interesting candidates as well. Feeding live ghosties and guppies to those fish would be a good addition to their diet and enrichment. My predators enjoy peppermint shrimp from time to time, but at $3 or $4 a pop on sale it;s an expensive meal.

Cthulukelele · Jan 13, 2019

lion king said:
I would chose 4 to 5 from your list, the more aggressive the fish, the more sparse you need to stock. The pipefish likely wouldn't do well with the valentini or the hawk, and the valentini is likely be a nipper if crowded in that size tank. The tank is too small for the mombasa, the fu and waspfish would work. Also be aware of the feeding requirements of the lion, waspfish, mandarin, and pipefish. Adding any fish like the damsels or chromis for food without qt will likely end badly very quickly, and will likely be too large and the damsels too elusive for the fu or waspfish. From your list I would chose the fu, waspfish, hawk, blenny, and filefish; You could look at a yellow spotted scorpionfish and dwarf golden eel as interesting candidates as well. Feeding live ghosties and guppies to those fish would be a good addition to their diet and enrichment. My predators enjoy peppermint shrimp from time to time, but at $3 or $4 a pop on sale it;s an expensive meal.

Thanks for the info! A dwarf golden eel would honestly be a top choice, but the blenny was chosen as a 10x cheaper substitute lol.

Yeah the pipefish is probably a bad idea. I just love their dumb little faces. Would a fu or a waspfish be likely to eat a large manadarin?

lion king · Jan 13, 2019

The waspfish you are talking I would say no, they are rather small with small mouths, if sized appropriately I would say it would be safe with the fu as well. My fu has eaten a fish more than 1/2 to almost 2/3 his own size.