planning fish stocklist for my new tank: Go big or small?

[Len]

Most of my equipment, tank, and furniture are here and just needs assembling. I'll snap some pics soon

I'm still torn between whether to get a community of many small fish or a community of a few large fish. The former is a typical reef setup. The later concept will revolve around a Polleni grouper, which means I can only get bigger fish such as tangs, larger angels, and possibly larger fairy wrasses. What do you think? Someone sway me in one direction or the other please

 

[Anonymous]

I vote go big...why? Because it'd be different!

 

[Mihai]

Stay small! You can have a much greater variety and interactions between the species. You'll get bored quickly of a few large fish. It will look different to us but in a couple of month it will look "normal" to you .

M.

 

[Anonymous]

I like little fish better, you can have groups of them and get to see spawning and other cool behavior as they interact with each other.

I am so sick of my big fish, my hippo tang would be so outta here if I could catch him. All he does is eat and poop.

 

[Anonymous]

I am so sick of my big fish, my hippo tang would be so outta here if I could catch him. All he does is eat and poop.

Must be a guy fish huh? lol :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

I am so sick of my big fish, my hippo tang would be so outta here if I could catch him. All he does is eat and poop.

Must be a guy fish huh? lol :lol:

:lol:

 

[Anonymous]

I call the big fish personality fish. They aren't like a big hippo, more like a freshwater Oscar.

I think you should go 'big' Len, so we can see how it works!

 

[Anonymous]

Years ago I did an emperor snapper and a huma huma trigger, they gave me years of entertainment until they got too big, their personalities blew away my later little fish. Lordy I miss those guys...big eaters big poopers, they had to be manfish

 

[Anonymous]

For the look of it, little fish, for the personality, big fish.

I take it this is a second tank, rather than one to replace that amazing one you already have? If so, and your existing tank is mostly small fish, I'd be tempted to go for the large ones, to give you something you don't get now.

You always throw some small, feisty damsels into a big fish tank. They'd be able to hold their own and you'd have the best of both worlds.

 

[Anonymous]

I've done big fish tanks in the past, and I'm still quite fond of them. Big fish have a charisma about them, especially groupers. They are without a doubt my favorite family of fish!
Having said this, I would only do this in a reef aquarium at 200 gallons and larger. Just a waste, organics/dilution issue.
Also, there is something to be said for profiding small fish with a true, expansive environment to swim around it, and providing larger with a box that is just adequate.
This is why in my later years, I became a fan of smaller fish in the home aquarium. I'm going to set up a tank containing only groupers, some Epinephelus and Cephalopholis species, but it's going to be 8'x4'x30"


Jim

 

[Anonymous]

Buy another tank, then you can do both. :wink:
I vote little schooling fish.

Regards,
David Mohr

 

[Anonymous]

I would go with little schooling fish also.

 

[Anonymous]

A big a$$ panther grouper!! BIG BIG BIG!!!!

 

[Rob Top]

I've wanted to do a big fish set-up I love lion fish and would like to put a couple in my 240 reef, also to be set up soon. However my concern is clean-up crew. I know you can get turbos for a quarter a piece in bulk, but I don't have the cash for long term feedings like that. What will you do for clean-up crew if you go big?

 

[Len]

Man, it's split down the line

For small fish, I'd probably get about 12-15 specimens in my 52x28x28.
For big fish, I'd limit myself to 6-8 fish.

 

[Anonymous]

I have always had small fish in my 180, and I loooove it!

Not much of a reason, I know!

 

[Anonymous]

I miss my predator tank I had years ago.



BIG!

 

[Len]

FWIW, I don't plan on many predatory fish if I go big .... just the one grouper. The other fish will be tangs, medium-sized angels (genicanthus, regal, et al.) larger fairy wrasses, etc.

 

[Anonymous]

Mine were not all predators either. I had a lion, panther grouper, and a French Angel.

 

[npaden]

I vote for mostly small with a few big tangs or angels. A grouper doesn't belong in a reef tank IMO.

Hawkfish are small and entertaining and kinda like a grouper!

FWIW, Nathan