# Are these fish compatible?



## karaim (Aug 28, 2008)

At first I was thinking of having a reef tank, but I am now looking towards the more aggressive fish and were wondering if they were compatible with each other and/or my tank size. I have a 125 gallon with live rock (about 100 pounds of live rock in the display and another 125 in the sump). I can move it around if necessary. Here is the fish list I was looking at. Some of these fish are very aggressive, while others are peaceful. I am not sure if the more peaceful fish will survive.

Koran Angelfish
Imperator Angelfish
Blue Tang (maybe too peaceful)??
Yellow Tang (maybe too peaceful)??
Niger Triggrfish
Ungulate Triggerfish
Banana Wrasse
Marina Betta
Yellow Goatfish (probably too big)??
Puffer (not sure which one yet)

Since I can't have inverts in this tank, is there a saltwater catfish of some sort that will clean up the bottom of my tank. I included the Yellow Goatfish in my list, but that one might be too huge.

Are there any other bright colored fish that I am missing?


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## karaim (Aug 28, 2008)

Just to clarify, I am not thinking of getting ALL of these fish - I realize the tank would be too crowded. I am just considering my choices among the fish listed above.


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## karaim (Aug 28, 2008)

I have settled on the following fish for my 125 gallon setup.

(2) Maroon or Clarkii Clownfish (max size - 6 inches)
(1) Koran Angelfish (max size 15 inches)
(1) Blue Tang (max size 12 inches)
(1) Niger Triggerfish (max size 12 inches)
(1) Banana Wrasse (max size 12 inches)
(1) Spiny Box Puffer (max size 12 inches) 

Any comments or suggestions?


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## It'sJames (Nov 15, 2007)

Seems like a lot of fish to me, at least if you're getting them anywhere near adult size. Even little baby fish can grow into big fish.


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## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

The only thing i have an issue with is possibly the puffer and Maroons. Puffers like to eat things that are smaller then it's mouth and don't try to do a reef after you get him please because it'll be just a waste of money.

The maroons, if you don't get them mated they can be very aggressive to eachother and other clowns. 

All the fish you are planning on getting are huge when they get older i do hope you are going to upgrade after a few, because those fish are going to demand it as a need.


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

karaim said:


> I have settled on the following fish for my 125 gallon setup.
> (2) Maroon or Clarkii Clownfish (max size - 6 inches)
> (1) Koran Angelfish (max size 15 inches)
> (1) Blue Tang (max size 12 inches)
> ...


 I missed this thread originally, and maybe its not to late...

The Spiny Box Puffer is almost impossible to keep in captivity. This fish should be left in the ocean.


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## karaim (Aug 28, 2008)

Kellsindell said:


> The only thing i have an issue with is possibly the puffer and Maroons. Puffers like to eat things that are smaller then it's mouth and don't try to do a reef after you get him please because it'll be just a waste of money.
> 
> The maroons, if you don't get them mated they can be very aggressive to eachother and other clowns.
> 
> All the fish you are planning on getting are huge when they get older i do hope you are going to upgrade after a few, because those fish are going to demand it as a need.


Thank you. I am not planning on keeping a reef. It'll just be the fish.

I was thinking of getting either a mated pair of maroons or just one. I settled on getting just one. I know that unless they are mated, they will fight.

My only concern was whether these fish would be compatible with each other.


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## karaim (Aug 28, 2008)

Pasfur said:


> I missed this thread originally, and maybe its not to late...
> 
> The Spiny Box Puffer is almost impossible to keep in captivity. This fish should be left in the ocean.


Thanks Pasfur. Is the dog face puffer easier to keep?


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## karaim (Aug 28, 2008)

One more question. Will a yellow goatfish be compatible with the adult fish? I want a bottom feeder that will eat all the crap at the bottom of the tank. I am not sure if the goatfish is too timid for the above fish.

If the goatfish is not a good choice, does anyone have any suggestions for a cleanup crew for a predatory tank?


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

The DogFace Puffer is a sturdy fish that lives well in captivity, provided you give it space to grow and lots of care. The biggest problem with this fish is its massive size. I would suggest a minimum tank size of 220 gallons. Additionally, their teeth grow non-stop and require special care. Many hobbyists actually provide dental care for this fish.

As to the goatfish, I think you are attempting to use a freshwater theory and apply it to a saltwater aquarium. The idea of bottom feeder in a saltwater aquarium is simply not necessary. 

Most "waste" in saltwater is in the form of disolved organics in the water column. These organics do not settle on the bottom of the aquarium, but rather remain suspended until they are removed by the protein skimmer or become processed biologically. This can be visibly seen when looking at the amount of waste that accumulates in the protein skimmer daily, as compared to the minimal amount that builds up on the filter pads of your mechanical filter.

Some waste will naturally settle, such as decaying algae, foods, and solid fish waste, but this is minimal. It is even more unlikely in a fish only system, which when set up properly will have very strong mechanical filtration. The density of saltwater is very effective at keeping larger particles suspended in the water column until removed by the mechanical filter.

This concept can be disucussed in much further detail. In fact, this may be the biggest difference in freshwater theory vs. saltwater theory. In freshwater systems, the bottom feeders "eat" the waste, but in a closed system this waste is simply recycled back into the aquarium. In contrast, the protein skimmer on a saltwater system will actually remove the organic waste from the water. It is not biologically processed, and is not recycled into the water column.


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## e36bmwtuner (Nov 23, 2008)

Imo forget the undulate trigger and go with all the others. Also foget the spiny box puffer; i've heard multiple times they dont fare well in captivity. I currently have a 110 gallon tank with an 8 inch sohal tang and a 4 inch purple tang, a 7 inch majestic angel, a 6 inch bird wrasse, a 2 inch damsel of some sort, a royal gramma, and a 4-5 inch butterfly (again im not sure which, but it is one of the more rare indo-pacific ones. mostly brown with some lighter tan.). 

Thats my $.02,
Ricki W


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## karaim (Aug 28, 2008)

e36bmwtuner said:


> Imo forget the undulate trigger and go with all the others. Also foget the spiny box puffer; i've heard multiple times they dont fare well in captivity. I currently have a 110 gallon tank with an 8 inch sohal tang and a 4 inch purple tang, a 7 inch majestic angel, a 6 inch bird wrasse, a 2 inch damsel of some sort, a royal gramma, and a 4-5 inch butterfly (again im not sure which, but it is one of the more rare indo-pacific ones. mostly brown with some lighter tan.).
> 
> Thats my $.02,
> Ricki W


Thanks bmwtuner. 

Are the 2 tangs ok together? They're not fighting? I would love to get 2 tangs (the hippo and the yellow tang) but I've read tangs tend to fight.


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## e36bmwtuner (Nov 23, 2008)

Karaim: 

There should be some agression between the two tangs, but they will soon figure out who is dominant and the other will accept his position as "the underling," if you will. I have done a sohal and a lavander tang, both the same size, in a 120 gallon tank with a good outcome in the end. At first I thought they would kill each other. After 24hrs of lights off and covered with a bed sheet, they managed to sort out that the sohal was going to be "the boss."

Glad I could help!
Ricki


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

To elaborate on the Tang question.

The biggest issue comes when you try to mix 2 Tangs of the same Genus in an aquarium. Acanthurus tangs and Zebrasoma tangs tend to mix well together, especially if the Acanthurus is larger in size. There are othe Genus of tang, but they are less common, with the exception of the Kohl Tang, which is much less aggressive.

The Zebrasoma's all have a similar body shape to the Yellow Tang, so you can recognize them easily. The Purple Tang, Sailfin Tang, and Scopas Tang are good examples. Zebrasomas are much better suited for mid sized aquariums, say 75 gallons and larger. They are also the best choice for a reef setup, being rather effective at eating hair algae. Finally, they become very terrirorial in an aquarium and are best added last to a community tank. For larger aquariums, adding multiple Zebrasoma Tangs at the same time is usually successful.

The Acanthur Genus are much longer in body shape, such as the Powder Blue, Powder Brown, and Sohal. The Blue Hippo has a Genus of its own, but it behaves like an Acanthurus after it adapts. The Acanthurus need much more swimming room and you should be prepared for a 220 gallon tank or larger as they grow. Because of their size, the Acanthurus tend to adjust well to more aggressive displays that include Triggers, Puffers, and Large Angelfish species. Keeping multiple Acanthurus Tangs in an aquarium is very difficult, unless the aquarium is extremely large in size, say 400 gallons or more.

For the record, the Acanthurus tangs have an interesting behavior. They often lay on their side, on the bottom of the aquarium, for several days after being added to an aquarium. No reason to panic. This is common. They also exhibit this behavior in the morning when the light is first turned on.


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## aquadude (Dec 2, 2008)

You could get that yellow goat fish it is made for a 125 gallon aquarium but it is a hard for it's care level and it is peaceful.


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