187 Gallon Stocking

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fishfreak2009

in the fishroom
Jul 12, 2010
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Rochester, Michigan
Real Name
Ashton
So I've had my 187 gallon running for about 4 years now (had difficulties for the first 2 years). The tank has been doing weel for a while, with little nitrate (less than 5 ppm), no ammonia, and no nitrite. I have about 200 lbs. of live rock (it's a tall tank), Caulerpa prolifera on some of my sandbed, a 30 gallon refugium (grape caulerpa), and a 2 inch deep crushed coral/live sand bed (I mixed the 2). I also have a 50 gallon sump on the tank. By the way, I have damsels, but they are peaceful, not going after anything because they are in a school. I want some suggestions for tankmates. Here's the current stocklist:
1 Bicolor Angelfish (had him for 2 years now, eats flake from my hand!)
1 PJ Cardinal (had since day 1, he was sold as a damsel, all his cardinal friends were eaten by my old niger trigger)
5 Yellow tailed blue damsels (had about a month now)
3 Smithi Damsels (bought with the yellow tailed blues)
1 Royal Gramma (had over a year)
2 True Percula Clownfish (they've laid eggs before, and are 3 years old)
lots of hermits
lots of astraea snails
lots of Discosoma, ricordea, and Zoanthids.

I know I want to add:
1 Sailfin Tang
1 Yellow Tang (added at same time as sailfin)
1 Fairy Wrasse (probably Lubbock's)
2 Blue Throat Triggerfish (a mated pair)
1 Seagrass Filefish (had one before and he was amazing! Unfortunately, he jumped out. :cry:)

How does this sound?
 

greech

AC Moderators
May 13, 2009
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Tallahassee, FL
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Graham
You mentioned that this is a tall tank. What are the dimensions? 19 fish might be pushing it bioload wise and if you don't have a good footprint you might run into territorial issues. Have any pics of the tank?

I don't really see any compaitibility issues with the fish selection though.
 

fishfreak2009

in the fishroom
Jul 12, 2010
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Rochester, Michigan
Real Name
Ashton
Its 5 foot, by 2 foot, by whatever tall (I don't remember).
 

greech

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May 13, 2009
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Graham
I would slowly add the "must haves" on your list and go from there. You will know better than anyone if your system can handle the load. It sounds like a beautiful tank as it is. Good luck!
 

fishfreak2009

in the fishroom
Jul 12, 2010
91
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Rochester, Michigan
Real Name
Ashton
I love the potter's angel in your avatar. Do you think I could add a potter's angel with my bicolor? If they fight, I could always set up another tank for him (have a few smaller tanks laying around). There used to be a coral beauty in the tank as well and there were no problems until I added a lunar wrasse (petstore told me they'd be fine together :liar:). That stupid lunar wrasse killed 3 heniochus, a pearlscale butterfly, a purple tang, and the coral beauty in one night! Needless to say, he quickly went back to the store.

I thought I might say that any introduction is going to be a ways off though, because I have to get a job first, and before I buy any more fish, I'm going to redo the filter and build a 55 gallon refugium for the tank, as well as the current filtration. When I do redo the filter though, I'm going to temporarily move the fish to another tank. Do you think that when I add the old fish back to the tank would be a good time to add the Potter's angel?

Sorry for the long post. :lipssealedsmilie:

Edit: forgot to add that I'm not getting the sailfin tang, saw an adult the other day and decided that a 5 foot tank just isn't enough swimming space. Probably won't be adding the triggers either, because mom still remembers what happened with my niger trigger (he turned one night and started wiping out all tankmates). Now she thinks all triggers are evil.
 

greech

AC Moderators
May 13, 2009
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Tallahassee, FL
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Graham
In that size tank I would think two dwarfs will be fine. Potters are a little finiky about eating in the begining so competition for food might be a concern. I know suggesting not QTing a fish is not good practice but I do not think adding a potters to a sterile QT tank with no LR will work out well. If you have a small tank that you can add some rock to that would be best I think. Tant way it will be more comfortable, have some LR to graze on and you can ensure it is eating well before going into your DT. Having a perfectly clean tank with no algae is not good either. Not that my tank was filthy but I always had a little algae growing somewhere in the tank which made mine happy.

Unfortunately I lost mine for unknown reasons. Perfectly fine one morning and gone when I got home. Mine ate mysis like there was no tomorrow after about 3 days in the tank and was a model citizen. Alkways out and about and never bothered anything else in the tank. Simply a beautiful fish. Again, just buy your Potters from a trusted source and be sure it is eating well before you buy. I spent the extra and got mine from Live Aquaria's Divers Den and would do it again.
 

fishfreak2009

in the fishroom
Jul 12, 2010
91
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Rochester, Michigan
Real Name
Ashton
My quarantine is actually only a quazi quarantine tank. I actually use my refugium as a quarantine tank. Plus the store I get my fish from is very knowledgable, they quarantine the fish, and they offer a 14 day guarantee. The store name is choiceaquariums. They have a website, choiceaquariums.com, and they are both cheaper shipping and actual price than liveaquaria. Plus, I can choose local pickup and can see the fish I'm getting. If I don't like it or it doesn't eat I can decline and they cancel the order. Very nice guys to deal with as well.

I cleaned the tank tonight, by the way. 45 gallon water change. I was very suprised when I found an instant ocean beach towel in the bottom of my salt bucket. :screwy: It's very nice though.

Another side note, it looks like I'll be redoing the sump sooner rather than later because I'm going to be tearing down my 55 gallon paludarium to turn it into the refugium/sump. To be frank, that particular paludarium isn't the greatest looking and it was just a conglamoration animals from smaller tanks anyway.
 
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