Fish Selection help

[OakRaid]

Hi .. Just thought I would look for some input. I have a 4 foot, 50 gal tank.
Running for about 6 months. Right now the tank has ...
2 Perc clowns, 1 Algae blenny, Xenia, Purple mushrooms, yellow polyps, Hairy mushrooms, Frog spawn, green polyps. (had a kenna tree but it melted away, don't know why?)
Would like to add a nice center piece fish. My favorite is a the powder blue tang, but know I can't have him in the 50. So looking for sugestions on a nice fish that would swim the water colum and not hide all the time. Also something that would have some what decent size as a center piece, or at least as big as I can considering the tank. This would be the final fish for the tank.
Also wanted to ask about my clown / Xenia interaction. The clown seems to want to host the xenia .. which causes the xenia to go in and out a lot (not completly but doesn't come out all the way anymore. Will the Xenia get used to the clown, or will this cause problems??
Thanks a lot for all those that respond (hopefully everyone!!)
Dave

 

[Mike612]

For a tank that size, I think I would recommend a species of dwarf angel. It might pick at the corals here and there, but it shouldn't do any real damage.
I suggest a Flame Angel or a Coral Beauty Angel. They are both very hardy, pretty reef safe compared to other angels, and pretty easy to feed. They might refuse food for the first day or two but that's nothing to worry about. It's common. Also just keep in mind that after you add either of these angels to the tank, you'll have problems adding any other fish so this should be your last fish. The angel will continuously harass any newcomers.
I would avoid the Lemonpeel Angel. It's just as easy to keep as the Coral Beauty and Flame, but in my experience it's also a lot more aggressive. Mine used to tear the fins off of my clownfish. I ended up removing him in the end. I haven't kept either of these species before, but I have heard that the Eibli and Half Black Angels are also pretty aggressive so you might want to avoid them too.
I don't know what to tell you about the clownfish relation to the xenia. I've heard both sides, that the clowns will either kill the coral and that the coral will adapt. Someone with more clownfish knowledge should chime in though and give you better info than I'm providing.

 

[mr_X]

i disagree with a coral beauty atleast. i had one in a 75 gallon that attacked everything else in the tank relentlessly. the only thing he didn't eat was coral. i'm sure he would have been by now if i didn't evict him.

i also do not recommend playing the odds with a known "coral nipper", unless you don't really care about your coral. i know people keep them successfully, but why chance it? i am tempted to get an angel or butterfly every time i enter the LFS, but i paid alot of money for my coral. i don't want a single polyp damaged.

what about one of the wrasses? there are many that are reef safe and extremely beautiful. a mystery wrasse is a little pricey, but you can score one of the fairy wrasses fairly cheaply. but then again, if it's your centerpiece fish..what's a hundred bucks or so
how about a rabbitfish? they don't get too big and are also a good algae grazer.

 

[Anonymous]

I suggest a Flame Angel or a Coral Beauty Angel. They are both very hardy, pretty reef safe compared to other angels,

With regard to dwarfs, that statement is only really appropriate with regard to the genus Centropyge.

 

[Mike612]

I disagree with the rabbitfish. Rabbitfish need bigger tanks in my opinion because they are very active swimmers. They also get to around the same size as some tangs (7+ inches) so it's not exactly fair to the rabbit. On top of that they aren't 100% reef safe either. They're known to pick at coral if they are deprived of food, but then again that's any fish.
In terms of dwarf angels, it is definately risky, but in my experience no angel actually inflicts significant damage to any one coral. It's in the same situation as the rabbitfish. If it's well fed it shouldn't pick at the reef. Lots of angels also happen to eat detritus and just algae off the rocks. Just shows that coral are not the only things that appeal to them.
X is right about the fairy wrasses though. They're pretty hardy, they don't pick at coral, some bigger ones might eat small crustaceans like shrimp that are introduced after them, but other than that there's no real concern when keeping them. They are a lot more likely to jump though compared to other fish so you have to make sure that the tank is covered.

 

[Anonymous]

In terms of dwarf angels, it is definately risky, but in my experience no angel actually inflicts significant damage to any one coral.

How much experience is that? How many tanks, how many angels?

Over many years I've seen angels absolutely demolish corals, especially certain soft varieties such as zooanthids or open brain types. Some angels are a guaranteed disaster in this regard, some are varying degrees of risk, others are relatively safe.

The argi complex are detrivores, and even exhibit coprophagy, and are much more reliably safe than say C. loriculus or potteri.

Also, rabittfish are a poor analogy to use with regard to angels. Rabbitfish are for the most part, out and out herbivores, and damage to corals is rare, although it does happen just as it does with acanthurids now and then. Most angels on the other hand have either highly eclectic diets which include sessile invertebrates. Apples to oranges here.

I will also take this opportunity correct what I (as my alter-ego) meant to type above with regard to dwarf angels. That is, with regard to what is safe compared to other angels, that statement is accurate only with regard to the C. argi, C. acanthops, etc. NOT the genus Centropyge as a whole, which is a typo on my part. Other Centropyge present a significant risk, the argi complex are almost always safe bets.

Jim