Mixed species exhibit ideas

You can have more than one pair of bulbuls in big aviaries.
You could have more mousebirds too (if you want).
A blue turaco species could also be added, if you want
 
Van Beal said:
I'm trying to plan out a Great Barrier Reef aquarium section, and I'm just curious as to what mixes could be made from the following list of species:
Eyestrip Surgeonfish Acanthurus dussumieri
Clown Surgeonfish Acanthurus lineatus
Whitecheek Surgeonfish Acanthurus nigricans
Bristle-tail Filefish Acreichthys tomentosus
Fire Clownfish Amphiprion melanopus
Ocellaris Clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris
Blue-striped Orange Tamarin Anampses femininus
Black-spotted Puffer Arothron nigropunctatus
Moon Jelly Aurelia aurita
Clown Triggerfish Balistoides conspicillum
Titan Triggerfish Balistoides viridiscens
Lyre-tail Hogfish Bodianus anthioides
Blacktip Reef Shark Carcharinus melanopterus
Sandbar Shark Carcharinus plumbeus
Bicolor Angelfish Centropyge bicolor
Flame Angel Centropyge loricula
Miniatus Grouper Cephalopholis miniatus
Black Butterflyfish Chaetodon flavirostris
Conspicuous Angelfish Chaetodontoplus conspicillatus
Humphead Wrasse Cheilinus undulatus
Copperband Butterflyfish Chelmon rostratus
Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas
Brown-banded Bamboo Shark Chiloscyllium punctatum
Barrier Reef Chromis Chromis nitida
Pacific Sea Nettle Chrysaora fuscescens
Coral Hawkfish Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus
Banded Pipefish Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus
Slender Shark-sucker Echeneis naucrate
Snowflake Moray Echidna nebulosa
Tasselled Wobbegong Eucrossorhinus dasypogon
Dragon Goby Gobioides broussonnetii
Zebra Moray Gymnomuraena zebra
Epaulette Shark Hemiscyllium ocellatum
Potbellied Seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis
Peacock Mantis Shrimp Odontodactylus scyllarus
Ornate Wobbegong Orectolobus ornatus
Weedy Sea Dragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus
Giant Clam Tridacna gigas
Moorish Idol Zanclus cornutus

Any species that could be added to any of the mixes that might be suggested would also be great to know about. Thanks!
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Peaceful Communal Tank Idea:
  • Occelaris Clownfish OR Fire Clownfish
  • Barrier Reef Clownfish
  • Blue-striped Orange Tamarin Wrasse
  • Bristle-tail Filefish
  • Coral Hawkfish (might eat shrimp)
  • Flame Angelfish
  • Bicolor Angelfish
  • Zebra Moray
  • Copperband Butterflyfishh (sensitive)
  • Additional: Royal Gramma, blennies, dartfish, cleaner shrimp, emerald crabs, snails
Predator Lagoon Tank:
  • Minaitus Grouper (eats small fish)
  • Black-spotted Puffer
  • Snowflake Moray
  • Lyre-tail hogfish (risky)
  • Dragon Goby
  • Zebra Moray
  • Epaulette Shark
  • Brown-banded Bamboo Shark
Wobbegongs tend to need large tanks. There could be a large coral reef tank with blacktip reef shark, green sea turtle, humphead wrasse, etc. too. Triggerfish are highly aggressive and unpredictable. Conspicuous angelfish are rare, aggressive, and expensive. Moorish idol are extremely difficult to keep long-term

The following species aren't recommended mixed species as they are sensitive:
  • Pot-bellied Seahorse
  • Weedy Sea Dragon
  • Banded Pipefish
  • Moon Jelly
  • Pacific Sea Nettle
  • Peacock Mantis Shrimp
 
MOG2012 said:
Predator Lagoon Tank:
  • Minaitus Grouper (eats small fish)
  • Black-spotted Puffer
  • Snowflake Moray
  • Lyre-tail hogfish (risky)
  • Dragon Goby
  • Zebra Moray
  • Epaulette Shark
  • Brown-banded Bamboo Shark
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Is the hogfish labelled as risky due to their size, or is there another factor regarding them?
MOG2012 said:
Wobbegongs tend to need large tanks. There could be a large coral reef tank with blacktip reef shark, green sea turtle, humphead wrasse, etc. too.
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Could the wobbegongs (either the ornate or tasselled) be mixed into the large coral reef with the reef shark, turtle, wrasse, and some other species (eg, sharksucker, sandbar shark)?
 
Van Beal said:
Is the hogfish labelled as risky due to their size, or is there another factor regarding them?
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They are semi-aggressive and become increasingly territorial as they are mature. Additionally, they might harass the smaller animals like the dragon goby or might get bullied by the grouper. The hogfish are fast, aggressive feeders and also are known to dig and overturn rocks.
Van Beal said:
Could the wobbegongs (either the ornate or tasselled) be mixed into the large coral reef with the reef shark, turtle, wrasse, and some other species (eg, sharksucker, sandbar shark)?
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It's very risky. Wobbegongs might eat the shark suckers, juvenile wrasses, smaller reef sharks, and other fish. Additionally, the blacktips might stress the wobbegong. The sea turtles are curious too which might lead the wobbegong to bite defensively.
 
MOG2012 said:
West African Estuaries:
  • Atlantic Tarpon
  • Crevalle Jack
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Would this mix work? What else should be added?
  • Atlantic Bumper Chloroscombrus chrysurus
  • Atlantic Crevalle Jack Caranx hippos
  • African Moony Monodactylus sebae
  • Atlantic Tarpon Megalops atlanticus
  • Sea Mullet Mugil cephalus
 
MOG2012 said:
Peaceful Communal Tank Idea:
  • Occelaris Clownfish OR Fire Clownfish
  • Barrier Reef Clownfish
  • Blue-striped Orange Tamarin Wrasse
  • Bristle-tail Filefish
  • Coral Hawkfish (might eat shrimp)
  • Flame Angelfish
  • Bicolor Angelfish
  • Zebra Moray
  • Copperband Butterflyfishh (sensitive)
  • Additional: Royal Gramma, blennies, dartfish, cleaner shrimp, emerald crabs, snails
Predator Lagoon Tank:
  • Minaitus Grouper (eats small fish)
  • Black-spotted Puffer
  • Snowflake Moray
  • Lyre-tail hogfish (risky)
  • Dragon Goby
  • Zebra Moray
  • Epaulette Shark
  • Brown-banded Bamboo Shark
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So if I decided to do the two big tanks you suggested, and a third:
  • Blacktip Reef Shark
  • Green Sea Turtle
  • Humphead Wrasse
  • Slender Shark-sucker
Assuming I'd be keeping the wobbegong species separate, would it be more reasonable to replace the Sandbar Shark and one of the wobbegong species with something that would work in the larger reef tank or the turtle tank, and then have a couple solitary tanks for the smaller/more fragile species? And could the Giant Clam be utilized in any of the big mixed tanks?
 
Van Beal said:
So if I decided to do the two big tanks you suggested, and a third:
  • Blacktip Reef Shark
  • Green Sea Turtle
  • Humphead Wrasse
  • Slender Shark-sucker
Assuming I'd be keeping the wobbegong species separate, would it be more reasonable to replace the Sandbar Shark and one of the wobbegong species with something that would work in the larger reef tank or the turtle tank, and then have a couple solitary tanks for the smaller/more fragile species? And could the Giant Clam be utilized in any of the big mixed tanks?
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Dragon Goby is too delicate for the earlier mix after rethinking it. Giant clams would work here. Blacktip reef sharks would be the best shark unless the tank is massive. Wobbegongs and sandbar should be replaced. Other species that would work are large angelfish, spotted sweet lips, large rabbitfish, and unicorn tang.
 
MOG2012 said:
Dragon Goby is too delicate for the earlier mix after rethinking it. Giant clams would work here. Blacktip reef sharks would be the best shark unless the tank is massive. Wobbegongs and sandbar should be replaced. Other species that would work are large angelfish, spotted sweet lips, large rabbitfish, and unicorn tang.
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Could I move the dragon goby into the peaceful reef tank you suggested? Also, upon finalizing the species lists for each tank, I'll repost for some finalized advice.
 
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So... for the final Barrier Reef display tanks:
  • Peaceful Reef Tank - Ocellaris/Fire Clownfish, Barrier Reef Chromis, Blue-striped Orange Tamarin, Bristle-tail Filefish, Coral Hawkfish, Flame Angelfish, Bicolor Angelfish, Dragon Goby, Copperband Butterflyfish, Regal Tang, Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp

  • Predator Lagoon Tank - Miniatus Grouper, Blackspotted Puffer, Snowflake Moray, Zebra Moray, Epaulette Shark, Brown-banded Bamboo Shark

  • Reef Tank #2 - Blacktip Reef Shark, Green Sea Turtle, Humphead Wrasse, Slender Shark-sucker, Giant Clam, Foxface Rabbitfish, Unicorn Tang

  • Solitary Tanks - Ornate Wobbegong; Banded Pipefish; Peacock Mantis Shrimp; Pot-bellied Seahorse; Weedy Sea Dragon; Clown Triggerfish; Painted Frogfish; Bluespotted Cornetfish; Poison Goby
Any modifications to the mixed tanks?
 
Van Beal said:
Peaceful Reef Tank - Ocellaris/Fire Clownfish, Barrier Reef Chromis, Blue-striped Orange Tamarin, Bristle-tail Filefish, Coral Hawkfish, Flame Angelfish, Bicolor Angelfish, Dragon Goby, Copperband Butterflyfish, Regal Tang, Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp
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Hawkfish can eat the cleaner shrimp so there are two options you can choose, put the shrimp in a separate tank or introduce larger adults after the hawkfish with provided rock crannies (too tight for the hawkfish to enter). Dwarf angelfish are very territorial toward conspecifics so pick between the flame and bicolor. Bristle-tail filefish and copperband butterflyfish nip coral and clam mantles (if you have coral, that might be a problem).
Van Beal said:
Predator Lagoon Tank - Miniatus Grouper, Blackspotted Puffer, Snowflake Moray, Zebra Moray, Epaulette Shark, Brown-banded Bamboo Shark
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The puffers are known to be fin-and eye- nippers which would be bad with cat-sharks/bamboo sharks so they should be replaced with another species or be housed separately. Miniatus Groupers will eat anything that fits in it's mouth so tank mates have to be bigger than it's mouth-gape.
Van Beal said:
Reef Tank #2 - Blacktip Reef Shark, Green Sea Turtle, Humphead Wrasse, Slender Shark-sucker, Giant Clam, Foxface Rabbitfish, Unicorn Tang
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Giant clams have been known to be crushed or nipped in the wild by wrasses and turtles so they should be in a protected coral bommie or be removed.
 
Would a mix of Pig-nosed Turtles, Southern Green Python, and Red-finned Rainbowfish work in a paludarium?
 
@MOG2012 , given that the turtles can get relatively big as far as freshwater turtles go; a decently large paludarium with adequate space will be necessary for the wellbeing of all three species.
 
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