Tank size for the fish I want to keep?

Well, with the fish you mentioned... Nothing smaller then a 75g. I have a 55 gallon with only 4 fish in it. I tried to add some yellowfin/tail damsels a while back, but they were unwelcome immediately.. My Perc clown, and blue devil damsels completely destroyed them. These fish were adults and I gave them some children, so to speak. I've learned the hard way, but at least I didn't spend a fortune on fish to find out. Make sure the fish are compatible first. A tang needs a tank that is @least 75 g, because it will out grow anything smaller. Don't use the rule of thumb that a fish will only grow to the size of tank that it is in.. I had to transfer my yellow tang to a friends tank after a year because it wasn't doing so well in my 55g. He has a 180g, and the tang is doing great.

Also watch the load of fish, too many means alot of problems. I only have 4 now, but want to get a few more. I usually add 1 at a time and take regular readings to make sure my filtration/cleaning practices are good for my fish load, otherwise I need to do more. Change more water etc.

I am still a newbie myself, only had the tank for 3 years and lost those 2 damsels, but it's worth the waiting and planning, instead of losing money on dead fish.

I don't know if I helped you much, but I may have helped a few fish from being flushed or eaten by other tank mates. I always DO MY RESEARCH now, before introducing anything. Especially since nothing is cheap in SW tank.

Bob

Welcome to AC, bobhart! It's always great to see another "face" passing on their experiences.

Here's what little I can add. 1) Two perculas is better than 3. With three, you end up with a pair and one fish that is trying desperately to be invisible. 2) The trigger will eat your cleaning crew. Years ago, I had a niger trigger that left crabs and snails alone, but picasso triggers aren't that trustworthy.

the damsels might cause alot of agression, especially since clowns are in the same family, might be alot of fighting in the tank. i would say that a 75 might be ok for the species you listed, but base it on what you can afford. if your only doing FOWLR, its alot cheaper, but if you wanna do a reef tank, the price of liverock for a bigger tank is a lot of money.

I would say 100 minimum for that crew with a 125 being better. Regal Tangs (also known as Blue Hippos) require a minimum of 100 gallons when adult and a 4ft tank (75) for a Tang that reaches nearly a foot is rather small. A 6ft tank would be much better (125g). Since you are new to the whole saltwater thing I would definitely stay away from the Regal Angel, they are tough as are all Angels and I would get more experience especially with Angels before attempting one of these beauties. The Picasso will just about guarenteed go after the clean up crew. If you want a trigg to go with the tank I would go with a Blue Throat as they in general do not go after any of the other meals that other Triggs will go after. Granted Damsels and Clowns in general do not get along but in a 125g tank with a bunch of rock work it would work but I wouldn't try it in a 75. Anyway, hope this helps and good luck.

Personally, I would go with nothing smaller than a 125. Forget about keeping damsels though, they can get very nasty and territorial to other fish. Like stated above, triggers are also a very aggressive fish. Really, the only "easy-going" ones are Nigers and Blue Throats. Anything else are going to eat cleaning critters such as shrimp.

You absolutely want to stock your tank with live rock if you are considering doing the angels and tang (especially a blue, which can be difficult to keep in capitivity as it is.) Both are grazing fish and are going to want a well-stocked tank of live rock. You are also correct in that Regal Angels are difficult to keep. They tend to be on the less hardy side, and may not be a very good "beginners" angel. If you really want a show angel, consider maybe a Queen or Passer. Both are more on the hardy size, and will get just as big and beautiful as the less hardy Regal. (Plus, queens and passers are less expenive than Regals, usually).

Good luck with your tank, Adam! You are in for a very fun and enjoyable experience!

You size the tank for the demands of the most 'space intensive fish', not gallons per inchees. So really 125 because of the tang and the regal.