Is my tank overstocked?

[sushiboss]

Hey there reefers

After many trials and tribulations I’ve ended up with in my tank

1 yellow tang (3.5-4”)
1 tomini orange fin tang (2.5-3”)
1 sailfin (2.5-3”)
1 possum wrasse
1 pintail wrasse
1 flame hawk
1 starry blenny
1 yellow watchman goby +pistol shrimp pair
1 magnificent foxface (3-4”)
2 clown fish
Loads of urchins hermits and snails

Tank is a 4ft 150g with plenty of rockwork and hiding places.

Tank boss is my yellow and the new tangs and foxface are new arrivals currently in the tank but sectioned off about 20% of the tank for their safety in the first few days for aggression concerns; although the new fish seem to be able to cross over to the yellow tangs side freely back and forth and the yellow tang mainly bullies the foxface which I’m a bit concerned with but it’s been relatively peaceful all things considered. Only added the new fish due to low to no phosphate and slim nitrates on average.

Is the tank overstocked? Perhaps long term I may have to upgrade or say goodbye to the sailfin?

8 alk
1550 mag
450 calcium
.1 phosphate (dosing to this on average once a week with brightwell neo phos and checking with the Hanna ulr phosphate checker)
7.8 ph roughly during light cycle

Thanks in advance

 

[NonstopSoda]

I think that tank list is perfectly fine for the size that you have, I do agree with having to say goodbye to the sailfin once he reaches maturity because they can get gigantic.

 

[Gribbles]

Does 150g include the sump? What are the dimensions?

 

[sushiboss]

Does 150g include the sump? What are the dimensions?

4-2-2 ft

It includes the sump. I should have mentioned that. Apologies

 

[sushiboss]

Does 150g include the sump? What are the dimensions?

I think that tank list is perfectly fine for the size that you have, I do agree with having to say goodbye to the sailfin once he reaches maturity because they can get gigantic.

Yeah I didn’t necessarily want the sail fin but I needed to add stock to the tank and I’ve had setbacks in the past for numerous errors on my end.

Lost a bunch to ich about 4-6 months ago.

I also did not want to add a single tang to a tank with a tang that’s already used to being the boss.

If im being honest about the tangs sizes I’d say the sailfin is by far the smallest tang and I’d err on the side of 2” max.

Eats like a hog so I’m assuming in roughly 2-3 years I will have to say goodbye to this beautiful fish

 

[Doctorgori]

A lil tight perhaps, I get torn on these stocking questions

You could argue from a metabolic point of view the tank is doable but whether it’s optimal for the fish or not is sorta opinion

 

[sushiboss]

Yeah I didn’t necessarily want the sail fin but I needed to add stock to the tank and I’ve had setbacks in the past for numerous errors on my end.

Lost a bunch to ich about 4-6 months ago.

I also did not want to add a single tantank with a tang that’s already used to being the boss.

If im being honest about the tangs sizes I’d say the sailfin is by far the smallest tang and I’d err on the side of 2” max.

Eats like a hog so I’m assuming in roughly 2-3 years I will have to say goodbye to this beautiful fish

A lil tight perhaps, I get torn on these stocking questions

You could argue from a metabolic point of view the tank is doable but whether it’s optimal for the fish or not is sorta opinion

A lil tight perhaps, I get torn on these stocking questions

You could argue from a metabolic point of view the tank is doable but whether it’s optimal for the fish or not is sorta opinion

What would you cut down the line besides the sail fin?

 

[Uncle99]

Hey there reefers

After many trials and tribulations I’ve ended up with in my tank

1 yellow tang (3.5-4”)
1 tomini orange fin tang (2.5-3”)
1 sailfin (2.5-3”)
1 possum wrasse
1 pintail wrasse
1 flame hawk
1 starry blenny
1 yellow watchman goby +pistol shrimp pair
1 magnificent foxface (3-4”)
2 clown fish
Loads of urchins hermits and snails

Tank is a 4ft 150g with plenty of rockwork and hiding places.

Tank boss is my yellow and the new tangs and foxface are new arrivals currently in the tank but sectioned off about 20% of the tank for their safety in the first few days for aggression concerns; although the new fish seem to be able to cross over to the yellow tangs side freely back and forth and the yellow tang mainly bullies the foxface which I’m a bit concerned with but it’s been relatively peaceful all things considered. Only added the new fish due to low to no phosphate and slim nitrates on average.

Is the tank overstocked? Perhaps long term I may have to upgrade or say goodbye to the sailfin?

8 alk
1550 mag
450 calcium
.1 phosphate (dosing to this on average once a week with brightwell neo phos and checking with the Hanna ulr phosphate checker)
7.8 ph roughly during light cycle

Thanks in advance

Nicely stocked.
not overstocked.

 

[alindell]

I might be overstocked at yellow, powder blue tang, blue hippo tang, flame angel, regal angel, goldflake angel, leopard wrasse, coris wrasse, cleaner wrasse and 3 clownfish in a 5 foot 130

 

[sushiboss]

Nicely stocked.
not overstocked.

Thanks man. Definitely not my ideal setup. I tried going for a wrasse community but I made so many mistakes in the beginning.

Ideally only wanted a tang or two and like 10 wrasses but my wrasses seemed to never make it. Likely user error. Not sure. Lost 5-6 yellow corries wrasses handful of differing fairy wrasses etc.

Still have a couple wrasses but not at all planned for the current stocking.

 

[littlefoxx]

Yeah I didn’t necessarily want the sail fin but I needed to add stock to the tank and I’ve had setbacks in the past for numerous errors on my end.

Lost a bunch to ich about 4-6 months ago.

I also did not want to add a single tang to a tank with a tang that’s already used to being the boss.

If im being honest about the tangs sizes I’d say the sailfin is by far the smallest tang and I’d err on the side of 2” max.

Eats like a hog so I’m assuming in roughly 2-3 years I will have to say goodbye to this beautiful fish

I have a six month old sailfin I got from a local reefer. He got his under an inch and it grew to 7 inches in 6 months outgrowing his 160 gallon tank, so 2-3 years is probably not anywhere close to how long the sailfin could be in the tank if it grows anywhere as fast as what the one I have did.

 

[sushiboss]

I have a six month old sailfin I got from a local reefer. He got his under an inch and it grew to 7 inches in 6 months outgrowing his 160 gallon tank, so 2-3 years is probably not anywhere close to how long the sailfin could be in the tank if it grows anywhere as fast as what the one I have did.

I assumed he would have to be rehomed at some point of course.

Mostly I placed him in there to shake up the hierarchy due to a dominant yellow tang already existing in the tank.

If I get to enjoy it for a year or two it would be lovely.

I’ve been shopping at the same lfs for years and they have a sailfin tang that’s barely 4.5” in an 80 frag that’s been in that tank for roughly 2 years roughly.

I figured I’d get approximately 2 years max to enjoy it and then it’ll go back to lfs I got it from. I don’t typically feed heavy but with new arrivals I feed double the amount I normally would on any other given day. Fatten them up ease aggression get them eating etc.

Just start them off well.

Time will tell but I figured I would have to part with it.

 

[littlefoxx]

I assumed he would have to be rehomed at some point of course.

Mostly I placed him in there to shake up the hierarchy due to a dominant yellow tang already existing in the tank.

If I get to enjoy it for a year or two it would be lovely.

I’ve been shopping at the same lfs for years and they have a sailfin tang that’s barely 4.5” in an 80 frag that’s been in that tank for roughly 2 years roughly.

I figured I’d get approximately 2 years max to enjoy it and then it’ll go back to lfs I got it from. I don’t typically feed heavy but with new arrivals I feed double the amount I normally would on any other given day. Fatten them up ease aggression get them eating etc.

Just start them off well.

Time will tell but I figured I would have to part with it.

Just be prepared for it to grow super fast is all I was saying lol some people have fish grow like a weed and others not as fast! The guy said he didnt expect the sailfin to grow as fast as it did. I didnt either, thought the fish was at least a year old when I saw him. But nope! Dude just had a growth spurt I guess! Beautiful fish though, I highly recommend upgrading to a big tank if you can, I love my sailfin!

 

[LPS Bum]

Technically all our tanks are overstocked. But I think your system is just fine.

If your fish have enough room to swim and enough rock and caves to hide, and your filtration can keep up with the bio load, you’re good to go.

 

[sushiboss]

Just be prepared for it to grow super fast is all I was saying lol some people have fish grow like a weed and others not as fast! The guy said he didnt expect the sailfin to grow as fast as it did. I didnt either, thought the fish was at least a year old when I saw him. But nope! Dude just had a growth spurt I guess! Beautiful fish though, I highly recommend upgrading to a big tank if you can, I love my sailfin!

What size tank do you have?

 

[littlefoxx]

What size tank do you have?

300 gallon

 

[Tamberav]

I tried a sailfin, one of the few tangs I just love the look of. Grew so flippin fast, bigger than the one in your LFS tank in less than a year. Makes me think they don’t feed it enough in there but idk. Maybe males vs females grow at different rates, no idea!

I wouldn’t try again until I have 300g or bigger, maybe a 8 footer.

Stock looks okay otherwise.

 

[crabgrass]

Tank boss is my yellow and the new tangs and foxface are new arrivals currently in the tank but sectioned off about 20% of the tank for their safety in the first few days for aggression concerns; although the new fish seem to be able to cross over to the yellow tangs side freely back and forth and the yellow tang mainly bullies the foxface which I’m a bit concerned with but it’s been relatively peaceful all things considered.

Interesting story. I had a Kole tang, juvilile yellow and foxface. Kole was the boss and had a vendetta against the foxface. Kole has a hole/hisinf it stayed in and foxface had to sleep out in the open.

After about six month, Kole “disappeared”. Yellow tang and Foxface assumed the old Kole hole/hiding spot immediately. A few days later we found the Kole skull.

Our assumption is the foxface had enough and went into full peacemaker mode and took it out. Again - zero evidence, but the chain of events was suspicious

 

[littlefoxx]

I tried a sailfin, one of the few tangs I just love the look of. Grew so flippin fast, bigger than the one in your LFS tank in less than a year. Makes me think they don’t feed it enough in there but idk. Maybe males vs females grow at different rates, no idea!

I wouldn’t try again until I have 300g or bigger, maybe a 8 footer.

Stock looks okay otherwise.

I kinda think they dont feed it enough. Mine is constantly eating nori all the time in between feedings

 

[Dbichler]

I kinda think they dont feed it enough. Mine is constantly eating nori all the time in between feedings

I feed mine like crazy in my 210 and in the first 2 years it went from 2”-6” and hasn’t gotten any bigger or just slightly bigger in the last 3 years. @Tamberav might be right with the sex hypothesis.