I want to add something new to my aquarium. I have a FOWLR with two perculas, a yellow tang, a flame angel, and a green mandarine. Everybody is doing great and have been doing well for at least 5 months or more now!! Not bad for my first saltwater eh? OH btw... its a 75 gallon. So now I want to add some more color. I'm not ready to devulge into the corals. I'm considering getting some of the niftly fake stuff though. I guess my question is... If I were to add another fish or two, what kind would be a good addition if i wanted to add something that is bright green or better yet... bright blue??
Need some Color!
- Thread starter slovinator
- Start date
I usually go to my lfs, or an online fish store like liveaquaria.com and find 4 or 5 fish I like the looks of. Then research them to narrow them down. Then you can come back here and ask about them.
I really like my Green Chromis. They stay small and swim together so getting a group is a good idea. They are a brilliant green with bright blue accents under actinic lights. The blue is there under daylights but actinics really bring the blue out... Also they are easy to keep and not picky. However they will become territorial when older (but what fish isnt?)
Oh ya, they are cheap too...
Oh ya, they are cheap too...
Might wanna look up Blue Cromis, little more expensive but prettier and when in a school, superb. I have seen purple tangs kept with yellows also or maybe a Blue or Hippo tang, though these might need to be put in at same time as the yellow was. Theres also Blue Devil damsels, but they are awefully territorial or maybe look up some smaller wrasses.
Congrats on your first tank!
Congrats on your first tank!
I have looked into the green chromis before. Never seen blue chromis though. I'll look into those as well. I would LOVE to get a blue or hippo tang. I'm just worried I might start a bit of a fight. Wouldn't want that! I just might try it though. I know in good with a fish place so if things didn't work out I'm sure he would switch it out for me. Wrasses are a good Idea too! Thanks for all the info!
I disagree. I have a yellow and a blue tang in my 55 gal and has worked great. I would recommend introducing the blue tang first because they are less aggresive, but I think with some close watching you could add a blue tang to what you have, as long as they are about the same size. I think the Hippo is not only the prettiest, but less expensive and more hardy. I definitely would not go with a Powder Blue or other type yet. Of all my fish, no matter the price, my Hippo is my favorite and stands out well.
I do agree, a 75 gallon isn't large enough for more than one tang. Hippo tangs get BIG and should not be kept in a 75 gallon long term. Unless you're planning to upgrade the tank in the future, you'd be better off skipping that option, IMO. A purple tang is going to beat the snot out of a yellow tang if it's just the two of them in a 75 gallon tank. You'd have to get VERY lucky to avoid that as a consequence. Blue reef chromis would give you the color you want, without the risk of outgrowing the tank or becoming too belligerent.
The fact that you currently have 2 tangs in a 55 gallon amy does not mean it's a good solution long term, IMO. People regularly push the envelope in the fish world and get by, but all it takes is one more small thing out of balance to lose the fish. As a hobbyist, our goal should be to provide the optimal environment for the fish, since we insist in cramming them in little glass boxes. Just surviving can cause stress factors that will later on contribute to HLLE and other health issues. Tangs are big, cruising grazers that are stunning to see in a tank with enough room in it. They eat constantly, all day long to keep up with their metabilism. That means they are also producing large volumes of waste, which is then diluted by a smaller volume of water. It's eventually going to catch up.
Just my $.02 worth.
Barbie
The fact that you currently have 2 tangs in a 55 gallon amy does not mean it's a good solution long term, IMO. People regularly push the envelope in the fish world and get by, but all it takes is one more small thing out of balance to lose the fish. As a hobbyist, our goal should be to provide the optimal environment for the fish, since we insist in cramming them in little glass boxes. Just surviving can cause stress factors that will later on contribute to HLLE and other health issues. Tangs are big, cruising grazers that are stunning to see in a tank with enough room in it. They eat constantly, all day long to keep up with their metabilism. That means they are also producing large volumes of waste, which is then diluted by a smaller volume of water. It's eventually going to catch up.
Just my $.02 worth.
Barbie
