need advice on my stocking list

[avandss]

finally put a list together (i will probably change it based on availability) and as i discover new species i will add them

any input would be appreciated, ( i really like exotic looking fish, like the cowfish)

Snails:
5x cerith
5x nerith
5x nassarus
1x fighting conch
5x turbo
5x margarita ( these multiply like no tomorrow)

Shrimp
2x Cleaner shrimp
2x Blood Shrimp
4x Peppermint shrimp
1x candy stripped pistol shrimp

crabs:
5x zebra
10x red scarlett
5x emerald

Star Fish:
1x Sand sifting starfish.
1x burgundy linkia starfish

Sea Urchin:
1x Tuxedo

Tang’s
1x Naso Tang
1x Achillies Tang
1x Hippo (regal) Tang
1x Yellow Tang

Trigger’s
2x Blue Throat Trigger Pair

General Fish List:
1x ocellaris clownfish pair
4x Pyramide Butterflyfish
1x Cowfish
7x anthias Bartlett
5x blue reef chromis
2x Swiss guard basslet
1x Purple firefish pair
1x Yasha goby pair
1x Mandarin Pair
1x Bicolor blenny pair

 

[avandss]

forgot to mention, tank is a 265 gallon

build link - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2334713

(look towards the end of the buil thread for my rockscape)

 

[Dmorty217]

I think your pushing it with the Achilles, Naso, and Hippo. Get them all small and make sure you have plenty of flow and swimming area

 

[ca1ore]

My observations:

1. I think you may be light on the CUC. Check out reefcleaners and look at the suggestions for larger tanks. I typically go for the 150 gallon tank crew with hermits.
2. Sand sifting star is generally a bad idea. Kills off all the beneficial sand living organisms and then dies.
3. Personally I hate urchins -essentially small bulldozers.
4. Bartletts are nice, but they do have a habit of turning into multiple males and fighting. Be prepared for that. In a 265, personally I'd go with bimacs or lyretails.
5. Pyramids are nice too, I have them, but I had a tough time getting them through QT (lost half).
6. I think you'd be OK with the Tangs, I have five in my tank (with a sixth in QT). Key is to be rigorous about QT and recognize that the Achilles, particularly, is a very tough fish to keep needs tons of flow like Dmorty says, and needs lots of TLC and a helping of good luck to get it through.

Gook luck mate!

 

[fishhuman]

Id say no to sand sifter and cowfish but i think the tangs can be done, what are the dimensions. Also i in the other hand love urchins my pink rose urchin has eaten more algea than all 50 of my cerith snails if i were you i would keep it on your list

 

[avandss]

Very good points, i know the repercussions of having the star, as stupid as it can be i just really want one, i will drop it down to one linkia instead of 2

i will readjust my CUC, i guess i was way off

as for the bartletts, i already got them along with the clowns june 8th! had i known i would of changed types!

thank you for the feedback

My observations:

1. I think you may be light on the CUC. Check out reefcleaners and look at the suggestions for larger tanks. I typically go for the 150 gallon tank crew with hermits.
2. Sand sifting star is generally a bad idea. Kills off all the beneficial sand living organisms and then dies.
3. Personally I hate urchins -essentially small bulldozers.
4. Bartletts are nice, but they do have a habit of turning into multiple males and fighting. Be prepared for that. In a 265, personally I'd go with bimacs or lyretails.
5. Pyramids are nice too, I have them, but I had a tough time getting them through QT (lost half).
6. I think you'd be OK with the Tangs, I have five in my tank (with a sixth in QT). Key is to be rigorous about QT and recognize that the Achilles, particularly, is a very tough fish to keep needs tons of flow like Dmorty says, and needs lots of TLC and a helping of good luck to get it through.

Gook luck mate!

 

[avandss]

Id say no to sand sifter and cowfish but i think the tangs can be done, what are the dimensions. Also i in the other hand love urchins my pink rose urchin has eaten more algea than all 50 of my cerith snails if i were you i would keep it on your list

dimensions are 84 long 30 height 24 depth, what are the reasons for the cowfish? (apart for the toxic releasing little time bomb myth)

i know the urchin is a bulldozer, but just like the star fish i really want them! i cant think of the ocean without thinking starfish and urchins!

 

[ca1ore]

Bartletts are fine, and are really quite easy to keep and will pretty much eat anything. I have three in my 265, along with five bimacs. But they are really chippy, and I have had two turn into males. If I had it all to do over I'd just have gone with 8 bimacs.

 

[Lenweideman]

My guess for the need to know the dinensions, is the fact that you want several tangs ( great selection btw) the need lots of horizontal free swimming space. But I am not the expert

 

[fishhuman]

Well, i would like the dimensions because it sets the limit for all the tangs you want, you see if the tank was 30 wide and 24 high then your fish would have more room to manuever themselves. I still belive you can acheive the stocklist you want( even with all the tangs) you just need good skimming, however some people may tell you that naso tangs need 8+ feet of space. I am not an expert on cowfish but if the timebomb thing is just a myth like you stated then by all means get one. Also i was not sure you understood my piont about the sea urchins, it seems you thought that i was trying to dissuade you from getting one while i was actually trying to do just the oppisite. I love sea urchins and my urchin, pencil, is my most treasured CUC member he has such a big personality for a creature with a miniscule brain. As for the starfish i feel that if you want one get it but just acknowledge that it is not a CUC member its just a display invert like an anemone.:wave:

 

[avandss]

Thank you for your input, as for the skimmer i got the RO SRO5000, should almost be overkill for my system, and i have great flow in the tank

the star is purely a display invert, it will probably be one of my favourite tank members, i am very fascinated by them

only concern with the cowfish is the sudden mood to eat sps tips, however it is such a stunning little fish to look at.

good cowfish thread
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2052567

Well, i would like the dimensions because it sets the limit for all the tangs you want, you see if the tank was 30 wide and 24 high then your fish would have more room to manuever themselves. I still belive you can acheive the stocklist you want( even with all the tangs) you just need good skimming, however some people may tell you that naso tangs need 8+ feet of space. I am not an expert on cowfish but if the timebomb thing is just a myth like you stated then by all means get one. Also i was not sure you understood my piont about the sea urchins, it seems you thought that i was trying to dissuade you from getting one while i was actually trying to do just the oppisite. I love sea urchins and my urchin, pencil, is my most treasured CUC member he has such a big personality for a creature with a miniscule brain. As for the starfish i feel that if you want one get it but just acknowledge that it is not a CUC member its just a display invert like an anemone.:wave:

 

[fishhuman]

Also if you don't already have one for the achilles you will need a surge machine

 

[avandss]

Whats a surge machine? Never heard of that

 

[airplanes1016]

Your AT will require lots of flow. Your cowfish wont tolerate that well.

 

[avandss]

Is a surge machine a wave maker?

I almost have to much flow, however I can see how this will be a problem with the cowfish, my feeding cycle will turn down the flow to 50%, still enough for the food to stay in suspense

Do you think with my rockwork the cowfish will have enough low flow spots? How bad is it for them?

 

[ca1ore]

Unless you have so much flow that you're literally tearing the coral tissues from their skeletons, I'd not be overly concerned. 265 is a big tank, and even more power heads than you need will still result in plenty of lower flow areas as a consequence of the rockwork.

FWIW, though I do not have a cow fish in my tank, the combination of one MP60 on one end, a MP40 on the other end and one on the back has provided plenty of flow for my Achilles. Imagine the corresponding jebao pumps would suffice equally.