290 Gallon Stocking Advise

[dusty16]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

The answer is: sometimes? Fish are like cats. Sometimes it works and you get a really mellow group, sometimes it doesn't because one dude wants to fight at the party. Hell, sometimes you mix the same species and that one dude kills off everyone else because he doesn't like their elbows. It's not common, but I've seen it enough times to say it's not a isolated. My advice, buy the more boisterous species (lyretail) after the Bartletts and try to get them smaller than said Bartletts.

lol. Never heard of fish being compared to cats. Interesting stuff. Thanks for the advice Albert. Any chance the fathead can be thrown into the mix?

[dusty16]

Originally Posted by rishu_pepper

Regarding anthias, Albert is spot on about their feeding regiment. If they feed pellets/flakes, you're in, but if not, you're gonna have a bad time.

Recently I lost a really beautiful specimen of a male squareback anthias, we were crushed, unreal colours; it was eating well at LFS and in the first few days, but eventually stopped and withered away. I also had a pair of lyretails about half a year ago doing the same thing. Only one female lyretail remains now, healthy as ever, but definitely make sure you get good ones that eat well.

Triggers are pretty cool, have you considered them?

I always thought triggers were cool but just thought they would be too aggressive or eat the corals. Which ones would be a good fit?

[dusty16]

Originally Posted by Piscez

Thanks a few things changed I think I should post some updated pics as I lost few fish, but regarding reef safe, my majestic ate my Zoa's but leaves the rest of my softies alone and I don't have any SPS so not an issue.

Orange spotted gobys are great for sand cleaning but a PITA to keep in the tank, big jumpers, even when I put a mesh on they would jump out of the hole where my auto feeder was. After losing 6 I gave up and now rely on conches and Cerith snails

Sorry to hear about the fish. I really like sps so cant have anything that nips at those all the time.

Would anything bother the goby? They have always seemed like easy targets for bigger fish.

[dusty16]

Originally Posted by ponokareefer

If you want something smaller you want to make sure it can stick up for itself. Starry blenny's are a fish with a lot of personality. Dartfish are pretty skittish.

My stocky anthias don't back down from my bigger fish unlike my lyretail's. Pictures don't due them justice for how colorful they are.

Chromis's are likely to kill each other off. There are some people that have been successful longer term but with multiple feedings/day. I've had my 5 for 10 months but that is not a success story yet.

Avoid damsels. They will be terrors.

Avoid damsels. Got it. Maybe ill pick up a couple chromis and see how it goes. As for stocky anthias I guess i would have to see one in person.

[albert_dao]

Originally Posted by dusty16

Avoid damsels. Got it. Maybe ill pick up a couple chromis and see how it goes. As for stocky anthias I guess i would have to see one in person.

I.... Dunno about that. Damsels are a pretty diverse group. There's a few really nice damsels you might want. For example, clownfish and many of the gorgeous and relatively peaceful Chrysiptera species.

[dusty16]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

I.... Dunno about that. Damsels are a pretty diverse group. There's a few really nice damsels you might want. For example, clownfish and many of the gorgeous and relatively peaceful Chrysiptera species.

So yellow tail, azure, blue, and talbot should be ok?

[rishu_pepper]

Originally Posted by dusty16

I always thought triggers were cool but just thought they would be too aggressive or eat the corals. Which ones would be a good fit?

The Xanthichthys genus (blue throats, crosshatch, sargassum, etc.) are known to be more docile and relatively reef safe. My limited experience with my blue throats is they are really shy but easy to get feeding. They haven't shown any aggression at all to other fish in the tank, big or small, and haven't touched coral and CUC. YMMV.

Also with the damsel topic, some damsels are definitely fine for a big tank like yours, my yellowtail just does his own thing. Some are meaner than others of course.

[ponokareefer]

Originally Posted by dusty16

I always thought triggers were cool but just thought they would be too aggressive or eat the corals. Which ones would be a good fit?

As was pointed out, the Xanthichthys genus of triggerfish are known to be more reef safe and more docile, for triggerfish. They can get quite large though. As they get quite large, they typically become more aggressive to the point of them bullying. My personal experience with a blue throat triggerfish was that initially at 2 inches in length, she was scared of her own shadow, but then at 6 inches in length, was eating parts of the tails off my tangs that were bigger and being very aggressive to any fish during feeding time. I had thought my experience was out of the norm but when I researched more, I found more people had difficulties with Xanthichthys triggers when they got large.

As was stated though, fish are like cats and each has its own personality.

[Piscez]

I had a stunning blue fading to purple pics never did it justice Niger trigger approx 5" nicest one I ever seen, and for the first 4 weeks was docile, then started to swim more aggressively and bump my other fish out of the way, then led to nipping the fins of all my other fish!! Back to J&L he went, shame

[rishu_pepper]

Originally Posted by Piscez

I had a stunning blue fading to purple pics never did it justice Niger trigger approx 5" nicest one I ever seen, and for the first 4 weeks was docile, then started to swim more aggressively and bump my other fish out of the way, then led to nipping the fins of all my other fish!! Back to J&L he went, shame

Heh, I think I saw that fish in JL. Feisty bugger! Would come ram the glass when I put my hand towards it. Beauty for sure.

I'd recommend a nice fairy wrasse collection; easy to feed and not really aggressive at all (unless same species).