New to Salt

[Fishfreak_MA]

Hi guys.
I'm new to the salt side after 25 years or so of freshwater tanks. Mostly central and South American Chilids, African Cichlids and a brackish tank I had for my puffer. Anyway being new to marine is great and also a bit overwhelming.
I am trying to figure the best bet for my new 65 gallon reef. Below is my list of desired inhabitants. Obviously I won't be able to keep all the fish on the list. It's more of a my most wanted species list. I know the one spot Foxface will be a touch big for the tank but man do I want one. So take a look at the list and tell me what you add or subtract if this was your tank.

Fish

Royal Gramma Basslet
Scissortail Dart fish or Fire fish
One Spot Foxface
Black Cap Basslet
Harptail Blenny
Green Mandarin
Pacific Redstripe Hogfish
Scotts Fairy Wrasse
Whip Fin Fairy Wrasse
Bartletts Anthias
2 Picasso Clownfish

CUC

2-3 Peppermint Shrimp
1 Cleaner shrimp
10 Cerith Snails
15 Nassarius Snails
15 Banded Trochus Snails
25 Spiny Star Astraea
Eventually a starfish of some sort

Corals and other

Mix of mostly LPS and a couple soft corals
Mix of various Zoas or Polyp corals
1 feather duster
Possibly an anenome

 

[Dkuhlmann]

The Royal Gramma and the Black Cap will more than likely fight. As you said the one spot is a stretch so if you get it be prepared to relocate it if need be, maybe your lfs would take it back.

I would get 10 nassarius snails and 2 or 3 Tonga Nassarius, these are the big ones. I would cut your other numbers down on the snails by a third or so and get some scarlet legged hermits. These are great hermits do a wonderful job cleaning and don't kill snails and other hermits just for sport. All of my blue legged ones are in the sump. So I'd suggest about 6 or so of them. FYI when you put the scarlet legged hermits in your tank they will not move for several days. They even look dead LOL I freaked out when I saw it so I'm saving you the grief of that up front.

Do you have a sump?

 

[Sapelo]

Yep, your tank is too small for the foxface, for the Scott's fairy wrasse too, and questionable on the anthias (and keep in mind their need for extra feedings throughout the day).
You need a well-established tank and sump before thinking of a mandarin.
Also you have some jumpers on your list so make sure you've planned for a tight-fitting lid.

Welcome to the hobby -- be warned that it can be addictive!
Good luck!

 

[Fishfreak_MA]

Yeah I'm still really not sure how many snails to keep. There's lots of conflicting advice. I will cut the Nassarius to 10 on my plans. I really wasn't sure how many sifter type snails of need. The spiny star snails are fairly tiny hence the bigger number. If the one spot stays at 6 inches I think he'd be alright. My concern is if I end up with one who gets larger than average.
At this point I'm pretty on the fence about crabs. I've never seen a crab I trusted.
Also I only plan on one Basslet in the end. I just put both in case someone has positive or negative to say about either one.

I do have an eshopps sump and skimmer along with a 1050 gph pump that's moving around 650 gph with my head height.

Why is it the Scott's is recommended for 125 plus when it's such a small fish? And yes my tank is very covered. I've always had to have good covers with my past fish so it was just something I bought when I got the tank. It never occurred to me people would run open tops on the reef side.

Thank you both for the replys and to the guy who's reply was removed for some reason as well.

 

[Fishfreak_MA]

Also here is my current set up. Still cycling so no livestock yet.


2x's Hydor Koralia Evolution circulation pumps rated 1400 gph
KollerCraft TOM RP3 Overflow Box
Active Aqua, AAPW1000 1000-GPH Return pump
Eshopps Gen 3 sump Rs-100
Eshopps Gen 3 PSK-150 Protein Skimmer
Mars Aqua (eBay) 300w reef light
Aqueon 300w heater
65 pounds of live rock
3.5 inch sand bed

Once I get through the cycle I plan to add a media reactor with GFO and possibly one with carbon for for now just putting a bag of carbon in the filter sock. I'm also considering a small HOB refugium to help with feeding some of the more difficult fish I'd like to keep.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Like I said in my post I only trust the scarlet legged hermits. All of my blue legged hermits and my Emerald Crab are in the sump for killing other tank mates. I don't trust crabs either only the scarlet legged hermit

 

[Arkayne Reefer]

And while it's a great idea to have a plan for your cuc, Iprefer to use it as a guideline for the begining. When the cycle is done and you have algae add a quarter of the cuc and wait to make sureeverything gets along and they do theor job. Wait a week or two and add another quarter, rinse and repeat.

as for the hermit crabs, they are omnivores so if they don't have enough food or a big enough home on theor back they are gunna hunt. But I too consider Scarlets the safest