What should I add as my first fish.

[Casey Gore]

Hey guys. I just got a 120 gallon that I am making into a reef tank. My main goal is to have a pair of mandarins in it. But I have no idea what fish I should add first. My cycle is almost over and I know im going to wait a full year to add the mandarins. I have looked at a tang and wrasses as other tank mates. Also my rock is really porus so i have thought of the fish that likes to back up into rocks. After I get my clean up crew in what do you guys think I should add first? I only plan to have 1 tang. I also considered getting a valinti puffer but I just dont want it to eat my cleaner shrimp.

 

[Fotocha]

I know you mentioned a puffer, are you planning a reef tank or a fish only?

 

[Casey Gore]

I know you mentioned a puffer, are you planning a reef tank or a fish only?

Reef tank. Its a small puffer compared to most and I have read it being peacfull in a reef but im just afraid of it eating my clean up crew.

 

[Fotocha]

Reef tank. Its a small puffer compared to most and I have read it being peacfull in a reef but im just afraid of it eating my clean up crew.

I’m sure someone with more experienced with puffers could tell you better. Typically they require a little more care. Probably not the ideal fish for a reef tank. I’ve heard some having success, but hungry puffers tend to go after your CUC.

As far as a first fish you might consider something pretty peaceful and hardy like a clown. See how they handle the water parameters. As a rule I try to avoid doubling my bio load for entire month before adding more.

Best wishes!

 

[Casey Gore]

I’m sure someone with more experienced with puffers could tell you better. Typically they require a little more care. Probably not the ideal fish for a reef tank. I’ve heard some having success, but hungry puffers tend to go after your CUC.

As far as a first fish you might consider something pretty peaceful and hardy like a clown. See how they handle the water parameters. As a rule I try to avoid doubling my bio load for entire month before adding more.

Best wishes!

I like that mentality

 

[Paul Sands]

With the goal of keeping a mandating, you’ll want to stay away from any wrasse and probably dottybacks as well. They’ll outcompete the mandarins for pods.

I’d suggest culturing Tisbe pods now. If you have experience with reef tanks, there is no reason to wait 1 year for the mandarins. You could populate your tank with pods in about three weeks of culturing a few bottles of pods. I’d actually advocate for the mandarins early so that you can train them on frozen food without competition from other fish.

 

[OutsideBrian]

If your looking for a fish that will back up into the rocks and hide them look at the Midas blenny.

 

[WMR]

I’d start with the least aggressive fish first, gobies(dartfish)if your going to add them, then start building from there. I wouldn’t add a puffer

 

[vetteguy53081]

A trio if firefish gobies will offer active fish and color as well as hardiness and Low cost. A word of caution though- they can be jumpers so keep tank covered

 

[Hemmdog]

@Philipgonzales3 ’s valentini ate his brand new scoly within an hour. I wouldn’t get any puffer in a reef tank after that.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Any puffer in a reef tank will be a Huge mistake

 

[S_OS]

Not a puffer but how about a boxfish!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not a puffer but how about a boxfish!

A boxfish in a N E W tank ??? They rarely survive (starvation) in an established tank what says new.

 

[PhreeByrd]

I agree with avoiding wrasses, as they will be huge competition for food with mandarins. I also agree with getting a hardy, peaceful fish to help get the tank established. Most rabbitfish are excellent neighbors and are primarily herbivores. Some, like the foxface, can get quite large, so keep that in mind. Dwarf angels are usually reef safe and most are easy to keep. Hawkfish are very interesting fish and do well when they aren't having to compete too much for food. Clowns and damsels are extremely hardy and are not extreme hunters like wrasses, but they usually do become aggressive as they mature. I've never had issues with them bothering fish that tend to stay near the bottom of the tank, though, as mandarins do. I would not add any tang as a first fish.

Quarantining new fish is good practice, even for the first fish to be homed in the display tank. I also believe it's good practice to have your LFS hold a fish for you for at least a week before you take it home. You really want to avoid taking home a fish that's just been transported halfway around the world and is highly stressed from that experience.

And yes, unless you can train them to accept frozen foods, mandarins require an ungodly amount of live pods, so you need to prepare for that well ahead of time, and commit to the reality that you may need to take extraordinary measures like culturing them yourself in order to keep mandarins alive. Unless you have really deep pockets, you probably cannot buy enough bottled copepods to keep even a single mandarin alive long-term.

 

[Westside Guy]

Simply put, everyone loves a clown!