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06/18/2018, 03:49 PM | #1 |
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New 300 gallon reef tank fish
So I am setting up a new 300 gallon saltwater reef tank. I have added live rock, live sand and had it set up for several weeks now but I haven't added fish. I know several different types of fish I want to add eventually but the biggest tank I have ever had is a 100 gallon saltwater. Which fish do you think it would be best to start with? I am not looking for cycling fish but fish that will permanently remain in the tank. Thinking about territory and good first starts for a tank of this size.
Thanks for the suggestions. |
06/18/2018, 03:59 PM | #2 |
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You said you have a list - let's start with that. no reason to suggest redundancies or catastrophes.
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06/18/2018, 05:30 PM | #3 |
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sure, (these are just some I like, also open to suggestions)
Anthias Some form of clownfish sixline wrasse powder blue tang diamond goby school of green chromis fairy wrasse lunar wrasse flame angel Potentially Niger Trigger (I have had luck with them in reef tanks know that is not always the case) |
06/19/2018, 05:09 AM | #4 |
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What about large angels? You could start with either a small juvenile African Emperor Angel or a juvenile Regal Angel? On the Flame try getting a pair?
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06/19/2018, 11:10 AM | #5 |
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If it was me, I would leave the 6-line wrasse off the list. You could do 2-3 dwarf angels and get you couple large angels. And maybe add 2 more tangs to the mix.
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06/19/2018, 01:29 PM | #6 |
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I really like the idea of the emperor angel. I also can lose the 6 line wrasse I just like them because they are always out in the open. Any other fish that are good like that?
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06/20/2018, 06:43 AM | #7 |
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I would replace the Niger with a Bluethroat or Redtail Trigger. You can do some of the Hawkfish, foxface, and blennies just to name a few. majestic and/or regal angels are good candidates. You have a lot of options with that size tank. IMO, I would take the Chromis off the list too. Most of the time they kill each other off until they are down to 1.
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06/20/2018, 07:40 AM | #8 | |
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06/20/2018, 12:29 PM | #9 |
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A 300 gives you plenty of room for several schools of small fish, like gobies, blennies, grammas, dart fish, cardinals and more. Natural behaviors, schooling and spawning are the rewards.
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As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018 |
06/21/2018, 06:27 AM | #10 | |
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06/21/2018, 10:39 AM | #11 |
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Thanks for all the feedback guys, and yes a tank of that size gives me tons or room to work with. I guess I will eliminate the chromis and I do like the blue throat trigger too will look into that. Tank is up and ready to roll with live sand and live rock/base rock just have to complete the sump system!
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06/25/2018, 11:43 AM | #12 |
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On the chromis:
From what I have read the "only one" result is due to a school that is too few in size. Think 7 (or 9) was the magic number, above which a linear aggression hierarchy no longer existed, so the the bottom guy is no longer always the focus of everyone's attention until it dies. Pretty sure I saw it here somewhere, but schools greater than this number never dwindled.
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Back after a 13yr hiatus--much to my wife's dismay. Though she sure loves looking at the tank and feeding the fish! Current Tank Info: Reefer 450 seed tank for the retirement 315gal Reef Savvy build. |
06/30/2018, 09:33 AM | #13 |
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I would suggest a foxface. Great colors and very cool. Anthias are hard to keep, especially males in my experience. Our bartlett anthias girls did well, but we lost several lyretails. Firefish are also a small fish that adds some variation to a tank. Good luck!
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06/30/2018, 05:39 PM | #14 |
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I suggest adding a Blonde Naso Tang for sure! It's got lots of colors and it's just so beautiful to watch them swimming back and forth from one side of the aquarium to another. Most tangs will be happy in a 300 gallon aquarium, especially if you buy them at a small/medium size. I agree with eliminating the chromis as they would kill each other until there is one left.. Maybe you could even consider getting a few different kinds of wrasses as well.
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06/30/2018, 10:31 PM | #15 |
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Always add tangs last too. Start with some wrasse and anthias
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07/01/2018, 09:03 AM | #16 |
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Make sure you treat them well before introduce them in the big tank, less headache in the future.
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07/01/2018, 12:11 PM | #17 |
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I am in the process of a 300 too and I love angel fish. So I am going to dedicate the tank to SPS only. I know a lot of LPS are relatively safe with angels but I just don’t want to risk it. This is why I also set up a 150 for just LPS. Hope this helps.
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07/01/2018, 08:16 PM | #18 | |
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Quote:
I don't know much about angels but I thought a lot of them would eat the polyps off of SPS
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Joe and Jenny Current Tank Info: 180 reef |
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07/01/2018, 08:46 PM | #19 | |
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You are right. My hope is with a big tank filled with corals, a nip here and there won’t do too much damage. The reader has I have done tells me SPS is the best bet with angels. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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07/01/2018, 10:46 PM | #20 |
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No such thing as a Chromi “school” 7 or 9 or 11 will lead to 11. They are damsals. You have a good list. If you plan to add more than 1 tang add them at the same time. Otherwise, add your list slowly (to build denitrification) and all will he well.
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Steve ---------------------------------- Current Tank Info: 2 separate 250G bowfront rimless ELOS tanks plumbed to 260G sump, 220G refugium, 220G frag, BK DeLuxe 300, 400W MH x4, closed loops, 3/4hp chiller x2, Phos reactor, Kalk reactor, Charcoal reactor, Ca reactor, 60G surge tanks, & a huge elec bill |
07/02/2018, 04:27 PM | #21 |
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Never kept one but the lunar wrasse and other wrasse from the same genus have a bad reputation for being aggressive. If you want a large wrasse I've had good luck with bird wrasses (except they eat too fast making it difficult to feed other fish adequately) and a triple fin Maori.
Myles
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07/02/2018, 05:46 PM | #22 |
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Start with fish that hug the rocks.
Next round, do fish that tend to stay in one area of the water column. Wrap it up with fish which can't sit still and use the whole tank. |
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