reefgeek84 Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 I have read many posts about people who do not care about having many fish in their tank, they are wanting to coral. I thought the same thing after I had all my fish wiped out but a lawnmower blenny. I was like, I have my coral and that is all I really need, I will get fish later or for clean up purposes...but after having a pretty baron tank for a while, I added a fish or two and that was good for awhile, but I want alot more fish now. Plus that is what guests look for in the tank, not the coral. I know that this hobby is for the person who owns the tank and it is that way for me, but I also want guests to enjoy the tank as well. So I was curious where other people stand on the importance of fish in their tanks and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tidalsculpin Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Fish are good, important. Yet, the challenge of corals is why I wanted to build a reef. Also, biodiversity and representing some creatures in a biotope is also what I am after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefboy Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 IMO a reef isnt a reef without a stable population of fish now i know some may go overboard or add the wronge types that would hender there tank rather then benefit it.But i believe there a important part of the pyrimid of animals i keep.They feed your corals through waste production and also help to keep tank clean depending on species some better then others, thats ware knowing the fish your adding and what benefits or nonbenefits they bring and create a balance.I think ware most folks mess up with fish is they tend to get a pretty good population of fish before they have corals because fish are safe to add fairly soon ware as corals have to wait for tank to mature and most hate a empty tank lol and theres really no balance of nutrient exportation which then turns to algae problems before they even get started. So i always add a few small fish to start then get a healthy population of corals because they are nutreint takers then start adding the fish slowly to get my final population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 I'm with Jody for the most part. I think fish are vital to the tank and definately add something active to look at. But they must work for you, not against you. I do not want to have problems with the fish i will be adding so i'm taking everything slow. My plan is to slowely build up the LR in my tank to get the look i want. But before i get the reef built, i want to have my fish population established. By going about it this way, i feel i can add the fish on my list in a certain order. If one of them turns out to be trouble, i should be able to catch it easier with less LR in there. Once all my fish are cohabitating peacefully i'll finish my rockwork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefboy Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 well ive had fish turn rogue for no reason months later hope this works for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Fish are part of a natural reef setting, plus they add the comedy and character to your tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 well ive had fish turn rogue for no reason months later hope this works for you. Yah theres always that chance. But at least i will be able to handle any initial probs easily (i hope) lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 I dont like a ton of fish......if i didnt want them to poop i would have even less than i already do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 I have a small number of fish in my tank, 5. I would like to add 1 or 2 more, which would give me 7. Doesn't sound like alot in a 100 but 2 of them will be large when they reach adulthood and they are active. So I don't want to cramp them by adding to much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pledosophy Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 I have a seahorse tank with softies, and a reef tank with fish. JMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mbeef61 Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 i love my fish....i used to have a few but they would get skiddish when people came over and they would ask where are all the fish in the fish tank.....so now i have 17 in my 100....2 schools of dither fish to make the others come out and feel secure...just takes a huge skimmer to back it up. 1 naso tang 1 sailfin tang 1 foxface 1 bangii cardinal 1 royal gramma 1 longnose hawk 5 lyretail anthias....4 female 1 male 6 blue chromis. i wouldnt take any out and it takes alot for me to add another for fear of disrupting paradise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H20cooled Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 I think fish are important for the overall health of your tank and corals, I have better color now with more fish. I go with the LOTS of fish and a HUGE skimmer method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robz Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 The 125gal. I just got has a nice ballance of fish. I would not have bought the tank if not for the fish he had in it. A Sailfin who is without a doubt the boss of the tank (threaten) . A very nice Purple Tang who is his biatch(scary) . A yellow Tank who likes to watch(naughty) . A Copperband who keeps all the evil Aptasia at bay(enforcer) . A Coral Beauty who is dead sexy(flower) . A Marine Beta who is downright the tightest fish in the tank(kneel) . And a real ugly mated pair of Pajima Cardinals:eek: :eek:. I call the ugly and uglier! But they breed often and the male spits his babys out as food for the possy! Oh ya a single Perc Clown who is a loner(sad) . I feel it is a great ballance and selection of fish, and I would not have this tank if not for them..http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v349/ranran/mickeys%20stuff/Mickeysstuff003.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v349/ranran/mickeys%20stuff/Mickeysstuff008.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v349/ranran/mickeys%20stuff/Mickeysstuff007.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcsdlszr Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 We have quite a few fish in our 120 which also houses most of our corals. We love watching the interaction and it keeps the kids entertained too. Each fish seems to have a personality although I will be looking to have a bbq soon involving a coral beauty the other half brought home one day. Beautiful fish, it just has a taste for things it shouldn't be going near..........we're going to fix that(plotting) . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robz Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I have seen my Beauty nipping on the good stuff too. I love that fish though. I just try to look the other way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bemo Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 I think your fish add to the personallity of the tank. Corals are awesome and beautiful, but without fish I can't see staring at my tank for hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 I am kinda the opposite of Bemo. I had NOTHING but water and a powerhead in my tank just 4 weeks ago. I still sat and watched the waves. When I added a little sand and a piece of raw squid, my wife thought I was crazy for watching the squid decompose. Now that I have some live rock and a couple of micro-hermits I am watching the hermits crawl all over the rock, pick off stuff, and I can do this for hours... It seems the only other thing that I do that relaxes me is reading about other people's tanks. (does not even come close to sitting in front of my own tank) It is a nice way to unwind at the end of the day. I can hardly wait for a frogspawn, or a bubble, or *someday* an anemone and clownfish pair. Let's just get through the cycle first, get some good lights, and I'll be good to go. My wife thinks that the tank needs a tang (tank is too small), and about 34 different fish. I'll just have to keep telling her no :( 3 small fish in a 25-30 gal is plenty. dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted March 14, 2007 Author Share Posted March 14, 2007 I am kinda the opposite of Bemo. I had NOTHING but water and a powerhead in my tank just 4 weeks ago. I still sat and watched the waves. When I added a little sand and a piece of raw squid, my wife thought I was crazy for watching the squid decompose. Now that I have some live rock and a couple of micro-hermits I am watching the hermits crawl all over the rock, pick off stuff, and I can do this for hours... It seems the only other thing that I do that relaxes me is reading about other people's tanks. (does not even come close to sitting in front of my own tank) It is a nice way to unwind at the end of the day. I can hardly wait for a frogspawn, or a bubble, or *someday* an anemone and clownfish pair. Let's just get through the cycle first, get some good lights, and I'll be good to go. My wife thinks that the tank needs a tang (tank is too small), and about 34 different fish. I'll just have to keep telling her no :( 3 small fish in a 25-30 gal is plenty. dsoz That is when you tell her, that if she wants more fish you need a bigger tank (clap) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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