What to add

[Bloop]

Any suggestions on what I may add to my 75-gallon reef aquarium? I’m a beginner, but since I have an established tank maybe that gives me points towards intermediate.

Currently I have mated clowns in a big bubble-tip anemone. I have a hippo tang and a blue damsel. I have a large shrimp, a brittle star, several snails, and lots of tiny utilitarian like hermit crabs, peppermint shrimp, blue crabs…

What would be good to add and why? What wouldn’t be a good idea?

Some thoughts:
- Copperband butterfly (aiptasia)
- Mandarin – cause it’s pretty
- Angelfish (Flame)

My son wants a chocolate chip star. I know that’s not reef safe but is there something else that looks cool.




Some background if you’re interested:

After trying to keep a 30-gallon saltwater tank habitable for 6 months I felt I had to upgrade. Clearly the little blue damsel in there could have lived in the back of my toilet because he tolerated my incompetence well.

I bought a 75-gallon bowfront on Craigslist list. It was pretty loaded with fish corals, and equipment. It was and running for over 3 years and while I’m fighting aiptasia and cyano-bacteria, I feel like I cheated my way into a great tank. Aside from peppermints and nudibranchs, I wasn’t about to add a dang thing but water changes.

Well, the UV sterilizer broke electrocuting the tank in its wake.

Of -COURSE- the clownfish and damsel survived. The hippo tang took a week to recover but he’s doing fine.

I lost the angelfish. The 5-bar mystery wrasse disappeared. I assume he’s dead and have been looking. My water remains perfect levels.

Well that sucks, but as a newbie to salt-water I’ve been obsessing over that high-maintenance guy and his fickle eating habits. I’ve been worried about him croaking for months and now its done and not by my hands.

I’d like to give everyone in the tank some peace for a while. But I do feel up to adding livestock.

 

[Hypertek99]

Need more info. How long has the 75 been up?? When you bought it did you reuse everything including the water?? Can you post some pics? How much live rock do you have in the tank. I would catch the damsel and give it away.

Copperband butterfly's are very picky eaters. Make sure it's eating first if you buy one or it will starve. They are also hit or miss with aiptasia. Manadarins need tons of pods. It sounds like your tank is not established enough to have one yet. Do you have a refugium?? If your going to keep a reef tank i wouldn't even consider an angelfish. Even though they are hit or miss on picking on corals but why take the chance?

 

[Bloop]

Need more info. How long has the 75 been up?? When you bought it did you reuse everything including the water?? Can you post some pics? How much live rock do you have in the tank. I would catch the damsel and give it away.

Thank you for your quick reply.

I've had the tank up just 2 months.

The tank had been running for over 3 years. I transported it all including every last bit of water. I did a water change 3 days later.

I think I have 75-80lbs of live rock. I have the original sand, but I "freshened" it with 20 lbs of sand. I think that makes about 70 lbs of sand.

Until the tank was fried about 10 days ago by the broken UV light, I had no troubles. My water levels have been good. I test almost daily and bring a water sample to the aquarium shop every 2 weeks.

I have the pic and I'm gonna figue out how to post it. I took it after setting it up. I've since cleaned up some of the pulsating xenia that didn't appereciate the transport.

 

[droblack]

CBB is a great fish but not for beginners.

 

[Bloop]

Oh, and I do have a 10 gallon sump.

 

[Jon Warner]

The Flame Angel is the best choice for your tank.

 

[zarro]

1

Hi all

 

[NewMelee]

Of those 3 I would have to agree that the flame angel is the best choice.

 

[knockout]

Flame Angel if you're not going to keep corals in the tank... there is a 50/50 chance he may nip at corals... both the Mandarin and the CBB are not a beginner fish as both are finicky eaters, CBB will readily eat Aptasia but when that runs out he may starve to death, same with the Mandarin, it needs a healthy population of copopods in your tank to feed on, you may already have one if they survived the move and the subsequent electrocution.

 

[Bloop]

Thanks all. It does seem as though a flame angel is easy to care for but sometimes hard on corals.

I have corals.

I miss having a wrasse. I think after I make a cover for my tank, I'll get one.

I'd love one of the faire wrasses, one of the more common ones.

Can anyone think of an "outgoing" fish. Wrasses are pretty shy.

I'm pretty sure there are enough copopods to keep a Mandarin happy

 

[knockout]

wrasses shy!!! maybe in the first few days or if there is another fish harassing them... otherwise IME they are one of the most outgoing fish and ready to eat at any the time.

 

[Bloop]

My wrasse was kind of shy compared to the other Nemoville critters.

Well I do have a little damsel but that precious thing would never harass others.

wrasses shy!!! maybe in the first few days or if there is another fish harassing them... otherwise IME they are one of the most outgoing fish and ready to eat at any the time.

 

[knockout]

Well I do have a little damsel but that precious thing would never harass others.

ahh yes... sweet little things they are

 

[steri]

I have a flame angel in my reef with no issues. (Well not "no" issues.)

IN my tank my flame angel (as well as my Rock Beauty Angel) eats zoas. They eat every zoa I put in my tank. However, every otehr kind of coral is perfectly fine in my tank. Just some FIY for you, but it's hit and miss on all angels.

 

[ahayes13]

i think a wrasse would be a great choice. they are not shy and are always out and about swimming and having a good ole' time
i have a mccoskers wrasse and they are affordably priced and a beautiful fish. they wont hurt anything in the tank and are nice and peaceful. any of the flasher wrasses or the like would be a great addition i think..