40B stocking plan

djryan2000

New member
I'll be setting up a 40B reef, planning on having mainly SPS. I currently have a 20 gal with my (relatively unaggressive) neon dottyback, CBS, cleaner shrimp and clown. When I set up the 40B I'd move them over. Here's the stocking list I was considering


Clown pair (oscellaris)
Neon dottyback
Long nose hawk
Clown goby
2 Banggai cardinals
2-3 cleaner shrimp (added before the long nose hawk)
Coral banded shrimp

For nutrient control I'll have a 29 gal sump / refugium and run carbon and GFO.

As far as corals I'll have a plating montis and probably more of the "œeasy mode" SPS like birds nest and pocillopora. If all goes well I'll move up to try harder ones like acros.

Any input / advice is appreciated

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
I'd be concerned about the mix of Shrimps. I don't believe the CBS will tolerate other shrimps.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
That's a good stocking list.

The Hawk is a good size for a 40B, just add it last, and make sure you have several 'perches'. I had a Falco Hawk for 5 years in my tank, and he had 3 or 4 spots that he rotated between.
 
Definitely looking into getting a Hawk for my system.
[MENTION=175133]mann1139[/MENTION] What happened to your Falco Hawk? Did it bother any other fish, especially if they were new additions?
 
I'd drop the dottyback. The Coral Banded may, or may not, get the cleaner shrimp.

He already has that fish.

I have one with a pair of percula and a pair of Marine Betta in a 40B and he usually keeps a low profile.
The only thing I would not suggest is adding smaller shrimp to a Neon Dottyback. I have my guy under suspicion to have killed the pair of Stenopus zanzibaricus I had in that tank. They did fine with the Marine Bettas for years and a second Marine Betta pair is in my 100 gallon with a pair of Stenopus cyanoscelis and a large Lysmata debelius (Fire Shrimp) so I doubt they are responsible.
 
He already has that fish.

I have one with a pair of percula and a pair of Marine Betta in a 40B and he usually keeps a low profile.
The only thing I would not suggest is adding shrimp to a Neon Dottyback. I have my guy under suspicion to have killed the pair of Stenopus zanzibaricus I had in that tank. They did fine with the Marine Bettas for years and a second Marine Betta pair is in my 100 gallon with a pair of Stenopus cyanoscelis and a large Lysmata debelius (Fire Shrimp) so I doubt they are responsible.


Wow, I completely forgot about dottyback's aggression to shrimp. I purchased my cleaner shrimp a good 4 months after the dottyback completely ignorant to what should have happened and only learned a little while after that they're known shrimp killers. I relied too heavily on the knowledge of Petco employees. I got lucky.

Do you think based on that I shouldn't have a problem? My plan was to add the shrimp the same time as my current livestock to the tank but I'm unsure still how much of a dice roll that is. I didn't even consider that when I made the list


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If they got along so far you might be good. And I doubt he will pick on the Stenopus hispidus - they are much larger as the smaller Stenopus species I usually prefer.
Also, my Neon is a fully grown male. If yours is smaller and so far hasn't done anything against them then the shrimp might be OK
 
If they got along so far you might be good. And I doubt he will pick on the Stenopus hispidus - they are much larger as the smaller Stenopus species I usually prefer.
Also, my Neon is a fully grown male. If yours is smaller and so far hasn't done anything against them then the shrimp might be OK


Thank you for the input. As you predicted, the dottyback and CBS give each other no trouble in my tank. I'll definitely have an alternate plan ready for when I add the other cleaner shrimp in case there's a lot of aggression to them. Good thing you thought of that

Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I'd drop the dottyback. The Coral Banded may, or may not, get the cleaner shrimp.


I heard mixed reviews about them attacking cleaner shrimp. My LFS claimed the one I bought wouldn't because it was with the cleaners.

For the first time today I saw it dart at and try to get the cleaner shrimp. They usually pass by each other no problem but today he saw the cleaner and made a mad dash for him (the cleaner just swam away and it was over).

Looks like one of them will need a new home


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top