What's next?

[groan]

The tank redo has been running now for a month. I'm just getting through the standard new tank diatom attack and I'm ready to think of what's next.

My population has dropped down to 2 small black clowns and a watchman goby. everyone is doing well (except that my once yellow goby is now white, but seems quite content).

I'd like to get another swimmer in there.
75 gallon  4 ft tank with 20 more gallons below in a sump.

I was considering one of the little hippo tangs.
I guess I just need inspiration.

Oh, I have a $50 budget

so if you have any q's ask away.
I will be keeping softies and sps in the tank so whatever is suggested needs to be reef safe.

[Rybren]

I had been thinking of a Hippo for my 75G as well, but from what I've read, they're very prone to ich and can be hard to acclimate to a tank.  I'm now starting to research other fish instead.

[groan]

ya, i do have 2 cleaner shrimp and i hear they are very good at thier job of ich treatment.

oh, i have a topless tank so noting that would potentially jump. (i guess anything can jump. i had a mandarin jump once!)

maybe a nice school of chromis...maybe try the kole tang again except i dont have any algae anymore...

ok, back to the research

[FocusFin]

I had been thinking of a Hippo for my 75G as well, but from what I've read, they're very prone to ich and can be hard to acclimate to a tank.  I'm now starting to research other fish instead.

Hippos are difficult to introduce into an established tank for sure. You almost have to resign yourself to the fact that it will have ich at some point, but all is not lost. While they are prone to ich outbreaks they get rid of it just as quickly. To date none of my other fish have ever shown signs of it despite my tang showing spots every few weeks. Hippos have terrific personalities and the two that I've had instantly bonded with my clowns.

Others to consider:

Banghai Cardinalfish - because they are such easy fish to keep. They're suitable for any size tank really and are good tank mates.

Cherub Angel - genereally reef safe and are very pretty. Get along with everybody except maybe other angels.

Yellow Tang - much easier to keep and less prone to ich. They really light up a tank and also make excellent tank mates and get along fine with other types of Tangs.

I too am considering a group of 5 or 6 Blue Chromis, the only drawback is that you have to periodically replenish your school as they apparently kill each other off over time, fortunately they cost less than $10.00.

[groan]

Do you ever need to treat the ich or does it gk away faster than you can treat it?

[FocusFin]

I never treat it, I soak the food in garlic juice from the grocery store and the spots go away in a few days.

The garlic's supposed to boost the fish's immunity not necessarily rid it of the ich, still...it seems to work.

Edit: I quarantined this fish for nearly two months before putting him in my display and within a few days he showed spots. I freaked thinking he was going to infect my whole tank. No biggie they went away after a few days, nobody else has ever shown signs.

[RoxyDog]

I'm going to play tang police and say that a hippo tang doesn't belong in a 75gal.  I know, you can sell it when it gets too big, but that's not a good choice either, IMO.  If you're going to upgrade for sure then it's not so much and issue.  Go with a smaller tang if you want one.  And a dwarf angel of some kind!

[groan]

I thought 4 ft tanks were the minimum. lots of swimming room. im not going to load it up with rocks.
Anyways, I may not get one. Too high-maintenance

[salvini55]

I have a hippo in my 75. I bought it in my rebel aquarium days when I just had to break the rules    I also agree with the above posts regarding ich. My hippo didnt have ich for a month and a half after I added it. He caught it when I added my mandarin, very shy little bugger, must have gotten super stressed when I added him to the tank. Either way, what Im trying to say is that the hippo tang was the only fish that caught Ich from the mandarin. He is alive and kicking, tries to eat everything I put in the tank. I also treat with garlic soaked food once a week maybe and it gets rid of the spots then they come back a few weeks later aswell. A never ending cycle 

[beertech]

How about a Naso Tang?  Nice coloration once they are mature, very good Algae grazers, great temperment, reef safe, very hardy etc..
Whichever you decide, try to plan in advance. If you intro some fish in the wrong order it can be a disaster.  I had a Powder blue in my 6 ft reef, then added a Naso. Even though the powder blue is smaller, he immediatly beat the crap out of the Naso.  If i didn't manage to remove the Powder blue, I'm sure the Naso would be dead.  Now I know you have to take into account the temperament of each fish and try to add them in proper pecking order. I'm going to leave the Powder blue in isolation in my sump for a while to allow the Naso to become established in the display.  Then, when I re-intro the powder blue, he will be the "new guy" and hopefully not bully the Naso.  
Also, It really helps to have a quarantine available in case you need it for Ich treatment or even just a "time out" !  

[mikerobart]

Yeah I think 4ft is pretty borderline for a hippo and not what I'd call lots of swimming room. In public aquariums or the wild you can see a hippo tang do 10 feet or so in the blink of an eye. Even with a 6ft tank people who keep them successfully often have to remove them... this fish can grow to be a foot long.

[RossW]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=739380

[FocusFin]

Ross, please refrain from linking to others sites  Just kidding.

I think it comes down to common sense. A mature Tang probably doesn't belong in a 4 foot tank so at some point the Tang has to be sold to JD or you must upgrade to a 5 or 6 foot tank which is what I am planning to do.

[RossW]

The list from RC suggests the following are OK in a 4' tank.

Acanthurus coeruleus, Atlantic Blue Tang, 75 gal (285l).
Acanthurus japonicus, Powder Brown Tang, 75 gal (285l).
Acanthurus nigricans, Whitecheek Surgeonfish, 75 gal (285l).
Acanthurus pyroferus, Mimic Surgeonfish, 75 gal (285l).
Acanthurus tristegus, Convict Surgeonfish, 75 gal (285l).
Acanthurus tristis, Indian Mimic Surgeonfish, 75 gal (285l).
Ctenochaetus strigosus, Kole's Tang, 75 gal (285l).
Zebrasoma flavescens, Yellow Tang, 75 gal (285l).
Zebrasoma scopas, Brown Tang, 75 gal (285l).

[redbelly]

Nice link Ross
I think that list should be a sticky here.

I would agree that a 75g is much too small fo a hippo tang.

[veron]

almost any tang is not a good fit for a 75g. maybe a kole or convict thats about it.
also, many ask this question with adding that you will have other fish in there as well. Its not just about tank size but bioload. I can't believe that link is from RC. theres only 2 tangs on there that might work if theres no other fish.
once you have all your rock and corals growing in a 75g you'll be suprized how much room you don't have.

[dan2x38]

What about a Powder Blue Tang? What I've read on most sites they do not reach max. size in aquaria same as most any fish. That keeps them 6"-8" wouldn't it? Not counting tail.

[mikerobart]

Notoriously prone to Ick and still big. I'd go with a kole, convict, scopas, yellow, maybe purple.

[RoxyDog]

No Powder Blue Tang either and I'd not even put in a purple.  I've never owned them b/c my tanks were too small (even my 77gal IMO).  It's kind of like putting a border collie in a 1 bedroom apartment.  You CAN do it, but you really shouldn't.  Then again lots of people do...

[groan]

i'm considering a kole and/or a yellow. Maybe the naso. I love them all!!!
Would they get along?
Now remember I am working off of a tank that is more or less 4 weeks old and NO algae to speak of (first time in about 2 years!)
I suppose as long as i provide greenery for the kole and yellow they will be OK. Not eveyone that keeps a kole has algae.

My current tank load is as I said, 2 very small black clowns and a watchman goby. Several snails and crabs, a couple of cleaner shrimp and a small orange starfish. Even my coral load is tiny. a softball siced hammer coral, a couple 6 head candy canes and a small torch that barely extends.