What fish should I get next?

[RDtrack]

If you want personality, tangs are the way to go but with a 120 gallon your limited. I would suggest a Brissletooth Tang (maybe a white tail, I love mine and a little more on the rare size). I would also suggest a blenny. Kids fall in love with them. Midas are always cool as they are out and about.

I know someone mentioned a flame hawk. I would second thar. They can be aggressive but you have a large enough tank. I haven't had any problem with them an inverts.

Wrasses are always a must. Come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. At a 120 gallons you should have to much problems with aggression. McCoskers, Carpenters for flashers, bluesided or blueheads; Mystery wrasse: and any of the fairy wrasses. Would be great additions.

If you baby tang is tiny you shouldn't have a problem adding other fish.

I would avoid angels and butterflys if you want coral.

Good luck.

 

[i cant think]

If you want personality, tangs are the way to go but with a 120 gallon your limited. I would suggest a Brissletooth Tang (maybe a white tail, I love mine and a little more on the rare size). I would also suggest a blenny. Kids fall in love with them. Midas are always cool as they are out and about.

I know someone mentioned a flame hawk. I would second thar. They can be aggressive but you have a large enough tank. I haven't had any problem with them an inverts.

Wrasses are always a must. Come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. At a 120 gallons you should have to much problems with aggression. McCoskers, Carpenters for flashers, bluesided or blueheads; Mystery wrasse: and any of the fairy wrasses. Would be great additions.

If you baby tang is tiny you shouldn't have a problem adding other fish.

I would avoid angels and butterflys if you want coral.

Good luck.

I would only avoid fleshy LPS with
Angels but also avoid small worms (Cocoa and Christmas worms may be alright) when it comes to butterflies.

 

[Sordfish]

If you like this and you have a lid (I would say for the species I have they really need Atleast 3’ of tank because he actually rarely uses the whole 4’ tank), can I recommend a tilefish? They are VERY peaceful, mine went in after my blue eye kole tang and he is still with me I think 3 weeks later. I wouldn’t recommend a clownfish unless you truly like them (I prefer them alone than in pairs because it’s so common to see them in pairs). If the tank is a 4’ tank and you want risky fish, a dwarf angelfish (Genicanthus, Paracentropyge or a Centropyge) could work. Do you want any zoas but also a venomous fish? If you don’t want Zoas then the smaller foxfaces (Magnificents or the commons) will do well. Here’s my magnificent;

My tilefish (He is the flashing tilefish so he’s on the rarer side of the tilefish genus - Hoplolatilus);

And my Genicanthus Angel (G. melanospilos);

Although they’re relatively rare, I would say my personal favourite fish for a reef tank are the tilefish and foxfaces. If I could redo my tank I would have my two Lubbock fairy wrasses (For wrasses and their care, there’s a thread that shows a bunch of them), two Halichoeres wrasses (Radiant and cosmetus) then a group of tilefish and probably the topping of a foxface.

Thanks. I had never heard of tilefish and my first Google search took me to this:

I guess I had to be more specific . In any case the aquarium variety seem quite nice but also based on my brief research quite challenging. In particular, I don’t plan on having a vey deep sandbed. The recommended depth seemed to be several inches, up to 6.

I do like the fox faces but I do plan on having a Zoa garden, so I removed them from my list. My lfs got about 8 small ones for his frag tanks as algea eaters but quickly discovered they were eating his softies and moved them to his sps tank.

I do like the dwarf angelfish but I guess they are a risk for corals? I am trying to see if there are any reef safe ones.

 

[Sordfish]

I agree however, they also hide most of the time in the rocks/coral. You’ll find that with some of the larger fish, they’re more secretive. These guys are also said to Eat smaller fish but I don’t think that’s true, I would be able to believe one could eat a small enough shrimp (Not the lysmata genus of shrimp).

Thanks. That’s interesting that larger fish become more secretive. Would not have guessed that. I think I’ll hold off on the bettas for now.

 

[i cant think]

Thanks. I had never heard of tilefish and my first Google search took me to this:

I guess I had to be more specific . In any case the aquarium variety seem quite nice but also based on my brief research quite challenging. In particular, I don’t plan on having a vey deep sandbed. The recommended depth seemed to be several inches, up to 6.

I do like the fox faces but I do plan on having a Zoa garden, so I removed them from my list. My lfs got about 8 small ones for his frag tanks as algea eaters but quickly discovered they were eating his softies and moved them to his sps tank.

I do like the dwarf angelfish but I guess they are a risk for corals? I am trying to see if there are any reef safe ones.

That 6 inch deep substrate bit I have never understood, I think at its deepest mine is 2-2.5” and my Hoplolatilus chlupatyi doesn’t seem to care. Difficulty is more so about how they don’t deal well with stress when first introduced and they’re bad shippers (I think). I think the stuff written down about these fish is older information, I don’t 100% trust it since my tilefish isn’t what they say they are when it comes to behavioural differences. I know there’s some truth in there but I don’t trust it (I find experience/Trial and Error is better).

 

[Sordfish]

Multiples of these fish are not recommended but who am I to talk? I completely ignored the rules of fish in my 4’ tank. If you get multiple they often stress eachother out and two males of the same species isn’t ideal unless in a large tank. Females will often always become males in captivity with Flasher and fairy wrasses.

Thanks, good information. One of the sites mentioned that multiples are recommended since they tend to color up better and their behavior becomes more interesting. It looks like that might have been incorrect.

 

[i cant think]

Thanks. That’s interesting that larger fish become more secretive. Would not have guessed that. I think I’ll hold off on the bettas for now.

I find that the tangs, foxfaces, tilefish (Albeit the captive tilefish aren’t “Large” fish), wrasse, Genicanthus angels ect… aren’t as secretive but there are certain large fish that are highly secretive such as the bettas/comets.

 

[i cant think]

Thanks, good information. One of the sites mentioned that multiples are recommended since they tend to color up better and their behavior becomes more interesting. It looks like that might have been incorrect.

I would recommend different species of flasher wrasse males (Say a Carpenters/Mccoskers, a blue and a filamented) when it comes to mixing flasher wrasses. If I saw one I would get hold of a Paracheilinus attenuatus, my LFS has a female wrasse labelled as a female P. attenuatus but it looked way more like a Kwazalu fairy. Then again, if I could get hold of a Oreni tilefish I would have one (A pair went up for sale somewhere in the UK - near me which was pretty exciting, but the price they went for was equal to I think 4 gem tangs).

 

[Parker Kufel]

I wouldn't. That species gets pretty big.

My usual suspects, to add to your tang and clowns, for tanks around this size would be:
Flame hawk
Coral beauty dwarf angel
Pink spot watchman goby
Halichoeres wrasse like chrysus or melanurus
Midas blenny
Meiacanthus blenny
Yellow tail damsel
Orchid dotty
Bangaii cardinal

I love my melanarus, as long as he’s happy, everything else is too and he’s always out swimming. Plus he’s an overly aggressive eater and attacks the Mysis cube when I throw it in. So fun to watch! Added him last in my 42 gal

 

[Sordfish]

If you want personality, tangs are the way to go but with a 120 gallon your limited. I would suggest a Brissletooth Tang (maybe a white tail, I love mine and a little more on the rare size). I would also suggest a blenny. Kids fall in love with them. Midas are always cool as they are out and about.

I know someone mentioned a flame hawk. I would second thar. They can be aggressive but you have a large enough tank. I haven't had any problem with them an inverts.

Wrasses are always a must. Come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. At a 120 gallons you should have to much problems with aggression. McCoskers, Carpenters for flashers, bluesided or blueheads; Mystery wrasse: and any of the fairy wrasses. Would be great additions.

If you baby tang is tiny you shouldn't have a problem adding other fish.

I would avoid angels and butterflys if you want coral.

Good luck.

Thanks. When you mention brissletooth tang, do you mean in addition to the yellow tang? Would they be ok together?

I'll look into wrasses more. There is such a large variety that it is mind boggling. From what I can gather, they are not simply color variations. They seem to have all sorts of sizes, behaviours and aggression levels.

 

[Sordfish]

That 6 inch deep substrate bit I have never understood, I think at its deepest mine is 2-2.5” and my Hoplolatilus chlupatyi doesn’t seem to care. Difficulty is more so about how they don’t deal well with stress when first introduced and they’re bad shippers (I think). I think the stuff written down about these fish is older information, I don’t 100% trust it since my tilefish isn’t what they say they are when it comes to behavioural differences. I know there’s some truth in there but I don’t trust it (I find experience/Trial and Error is better).

I'll look into them more. The site I got that information also mentioned that the difficulty was outdated, but that finding a good harvester/shipper is tough. I'll ask my LFS to see whether he gets any and what his experience has been.

 

[i cant think]

Thanks. When you mention brissletooth tang, do you mean in addition to the yellow tang? Would they be ok together?

I'll look into wrasses more. There is such a large variety that it is mind boggling. From what I can gather, they are not simply color variations. They seem to have all sorts of sizes, behaviours and aggression levels.

Wrasses are by far one of the most diverse groups of fish in this hobby, aggression and sizes is definitely a huge range with these fish! The different variants of certain species (Exquisite fairies, Lubbock fairies, Scott’s fairies ect…) is all shocking!! I have both lubbocki variants and they don’t even come close in terms of looks.

 

[RDtrack]

Thanks. When you mention brissletooth tang, do you mean in addition to the yellow tang? Would they be ok together?

I'll look into wrasses more. There is such a large variety that it is mind boggling. From what I can gather, they are not simply color variations. They seem to have all sorts of sizes, behaviours and aggression levels.

Yes you could do the Brissletooth in addition to your yellow tang. They should be alright together.

I would skip a Foxface. I love them but when he started mowing my acans he was gone.

Yes there are a ton of wrasses and at 120 gallons you have enough room for them.

 

[InactiveAcct]

I am finally getting into salt water tanks. I have been keeping various height tech planted tanks for 7 years.

I just set up and cycled my quarantine tank. It is 15g. I bought some inexpensive beginner frags - couple of Zoas, GSP, candy cane, cyphestria and a lepto.

While getting those corals, my daughter noticed that the lfs had some biota baby yellow tangs (transparent at this point). She had been asking for one for months and they are never available so I got the last one.

Any thoughts on what I should get next. The LFS suggested a pair of tank raised clowns. I was wondering what else I should consider. The display tank is a RS peninsula 500. My freshwater approach is always to get the smallest and most peaceful fish first and the more aggressive larger ones later. I know, I really did it backwards with the tang but he is tiny so hopefully when moved to the DT he will still be too small to claim it all as his own, even though he’ll be the first fish there.

Any suggestions you may have are welcome. Please note that I’d like to stay away from challenging fish like the ones that only eat live foods.

Welcome to the hobby. Can never go wrong with osc clowns.
By the way I’ve always had more trouble with high tech planted FW than reefs, I gave up after 2 years and came back to reefing because it was easier haha.

 

[Sordfish]

Welcome to the hobby. Can never go wrong with osc clowns.
By the way I’ve always had more trouble with high tech planted FW than reefs, I gave up after 2 years and came back to reefing because it was easier haha.

Thanks. I really got tired of having to trim every week - when dosing NO3 at 20ppm and phosphates at 1-2ppm, slightest thing going wrong - flow changing because you didn’t trim for couple of weeks - rapidly leads to algae explosion.

Here is my current low tech tank - a read sea 250. I now have to trim once a month, which is awesome.

 

[i cant think]

Yes you could do the Brissletooth in addition to your yellow tang. They should be alright together.

I would skip a Foxface. I love them but when he started mowing my acans he was gone.

Yes there are a ton of wrasses and at 120 gallons you have enough room for them.

If the wrasses were the only other fish in the tank you could have Atleast 6 of them (I have 5 with 6 other fish in my 4’ 100g tank).

 

[nereefpat]

Flame hawks: I actually wanted one as my next fish. However, I was told by my LFS that they can be aggressive towards smaller fish and would kill all invertebrates. Was that your experience? Based on that advice, I decided not to get one.

I like the cardinals as well. Though I think I might go for the pajama cardinal because of the coloring.

I wouldn't call hawks peaceful. Mine have been in bigger tanks with smaller fish like damsels dottys and blennies. I don't keep small shrimp or small crabs. There would be a little risk there. Longnose hawk is my favorite. There are others that get bigger and aggressive.

Cardinals are great. They are unique among the fishes we keep in our reefs, imo. You can have both bangaii and pajama or multiple pajamas.