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[formsix]

Hi Steve! I love my tank (thanks again for your earlier help!) and think I have the hang of how to stock, but really like that I can run things by you before adding any new additions. And right now my issue is that I'm not sure how close to capacity I am.

Tank is ~75 gallons (48x22x16) with a 40b sump.

Current inhabitants:
Royal Gramma
Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse (female, but may be just starting to transition)
2 Ocellaris Clowns (paired)
Carberryi Anthias (love this fish!!)
Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon negrosensis, female)
Starry Blenny

Potential additions:
Diamond Goby (Valenciennea puellaris) -- could a pair work in this size tank?
Midas Blenny
Second Female Leopard Wrasse.... possibly a Kuiter's if I can find one. Or a tamarin wrasse. Not actively looking, but if I happened to see a healthy specimen at a local fish store... Oh, and my current leopard eats pods of course, and frozen food readily. I don't think she's put too much of a dent in my overall pod population yet, and I'm adding more rock rubble to my sump to increase pod production, but I wouldn't add another leopard until I'm sure it would get a fair share of pods in the DT.

I think for sure I can add one valencienna goby, as I have no sand-dwelling fish. Just not sure how close to capacity I am for any other fish. Thanks!!

 

[sealtea116]

I have a 29 gallon saltwater tank with a aqua clear 70 filter 40 pounds of live rock and 30 pounds of live sand i have so frags of coral and im looking to get some fish. I am new to this hobby and i would like to start the quarantine stage for a fish so in 4 weeks i can put it into my tank. What is best to start with and should i wait till corals are fully grown.

Thanks

 

[snorvich]

Hi Steve! I love my tank (thanks again for your earlier help!) and think I have the hang of how to stock, but really like that I can run things by you before adding any new additions. And right now my issue is that I'm not sure how close to capacity I am.

Tank is ~75 gallons (48x22x16) with a 40b sump.

Current inhabitants:
Royal Gramma
Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse (female, but may be just starting to transition)
2 Ocellaris Clowns (paired)
Carberryi Anthias (love this fish!!)
Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon negrosensis, female)
Starry Blenny

Potential additions:
Diamond Goby (Valenciennea puellaris) -- could a pair work in this size tank? One is fine, be sure to pair with alpheus randal pistol shrimp
Midas Blenny no
Second Female Leopard Wrasse.... possibly a Kuiter's if I can find one. Or a tamarin wrasse.

a second copepod grazer in this sized tank would be really pushing it to the detriment of one or both

Not actively looking, but if I happened to see a healthy specimen at a local fish store... Oh, and my current leopard eats pods of course, and frozen food readily. I don't think she's put too much of a dent in my overall pod population yet, and I'm adding more rock rubble to my sump to increase pod production, but I wouldn't add another leopard until I'm sure it would get a fair share of pods in the DT.

I think for sure I can add one valencienna goby, as I have no sand-dwelling fish. Just not sure how close to capacity I am for any other fish. Thanks!!

"capacity" is determined by many things including the number of fish in the same ecological niche, behavioral issues caused by territorial imperatives, and bioload. You have "room" for a couple of smallish well behaved fish as long as you do not add to the copepod grazing ecological niche.

 

[snorvich]

I have a 29 gallon saltwater tank with a aqua clear 70 filter 40 pounds of live rock and 30 pounds of live sand i have so frags of coral and im looking to get some fish. I am new to this hobby and i would like to start the quarantine stage for a fish so in 4 weeks i can put it into my tank. What is best to start with and should i wait till corals are fully grown.

Thanks

[welcome]

While I do not provide recommendations for a variety of reasons, I am always happy to review stocking plans for compatibility with each other and the environment you are providing.

 

[rishu_pepper]

To continue on the last list, here are some updates:

current livestock:

2x blue chromi
lawnmower blenny
cinnamon clown (removed)
tomato clown (stayed for now)
grey eyed moray eel 2'
sea urchin 6"
cleaner shrimp
fire red shrimp
bunch of hermit crabs

just added:

a few astreas and tophats
anemone shrimp

Wife wants:

a goby/shrimp pair, perhaps something like orange spotted goby + tiger pistol shrimp (will they pair?)
bicolor blenny
flame angel (this will be the last addition)

Me considering:

Richmond's wrasse
hooded fairy wrasse
labouti wrasse
Christmas wrasse
bird wrasse
blue throat trigger (male)

*I will not buy so many wrasses, maximum of two?

Feel free to critique/smash :hammer: my list

 

[snorvich]

To continue on the last list, here are some updates:

current livestock:

2x blue chromi
lawnmower blenny
cinnamon clown (removed)
tomato clown (stayed for now)
grey eyed moray eel 2'
sea urchin 6"
cleaner shrimp
fire red shrimp
bunch of hermit crabs

just added:

a few astreas and tophats
anemone shrimp

Wife wants:

a goby/shrimp pair, perhaps something like orange spotted goby + tiger pistol shrimp (will they pair?) should be fine; they will pair
bicolor blenny I would not add a second blenny
flame angel (this will be the last addition)fine

Me considering:

Richmond's wrasse Halichoeres are peaceful but not invert safe
hooded fairy wrasse
labouti wrasse
Christmas wrasse Halichoeres are peaceful but not invert safe
bird wrasse no
blue throat trigger (male) not invert safe

*I will not buy so many wrasses, maximum of two?

Feel free to critique/smash :hammer: my list

flasher wrasses would be ok and invert safe. I prefer not to really give definitive assessments with that eel in the tank. That is simply too unpredictable a circumstance.

 

[rishu_pepper]

flasher wrasses would be ok and invert safe. I prefer not to really give definitive assessments with that eel in the tank. That is simply too unpredictable a circumstance.

By "not invert safe", do you mean the specified species will attack/eat the shrimps in the tank?

 

[snorvich]

By "not invert safe", do you mean the specified species will attack/eat the shrimps in the tank?

Correct, although not only shrimp

 

[rishu_pepper]

Correct, although not only shrimp

Are there any reef safe triggers that I can keep? Or should I just move on and look at other fish?

 

[snorvich]

Are there any reef safe triggers that I can keep? Or should I just move on and look at other fish?

there are not.

 

[iced98lx]

Steve, thank you again for providing this service.

Getting my 180 running, looking at stocking options. Mixed Reef, lots of open water in the aquascape. My want list includes:

Black Oc. Clown pair (Currently in BioCube, so must move with me)
3/5/7 Anthias (unsure of genus, looking at Pseudanthias dispar 6 females 1 male perhaps)
Shrimp/Goby Combination (YWG / Pistol Shrimp)
Banggai Cardinalfish (3-4?)
Yellow or Black Tang
Purple Tang

Thanks!

 

[rishu_pepper]

there are not.

Ah that settles it.

On the other hand, are there any similar, yet reef-safe fish that are comparable to triggers?

 

[snorvich]

Steve, thank you again for providing this service.

Getting my 180 running, looking at stocking options. Mixed Reef, lots of open water in the aquascape. My want list includes:

Black Oc. Clown pair (Currently in BioCube, so must move with me)
3/5/7 Anthias (unsure of genus, looking at Pseudanthias dispar 6 females 1 male perhaps)
Shrimp/Goby Combination (YWG / Pistol Shrimp)
Banggai Cardinalfish (3-4?) Only a tank bred male plus female. In a six foot tank, you might get away with two pairs but it is not a guaranteed thing
Yellow or Black Tang two zebrasoma tangs should ideally be introduced concurrently; yellow, black, and purple are all zebrasoma
Purple Tang

Thanks!

Always a pleasure

 

[snorvich]

Ah that settles it.

On the other hand, are there any similar, yet reef-safe fish that are comparable to triggers?

I would need to understand what you mean by "comparable".

 

[rishu_pepper]

I would need to understand what you mean by "comparable".

Hmm. Similar appearance, personality/nature? I looked at triggers in the first place because of their unique appearance and their personality seems nice (correct me if I am wrong).

 

[snorvich]

Hmm. Similar appearance, personality/nature? I looked at triggers in the first place because of their unique appearance and their personality seems nice (correct me if I am wrong).

All triggers are aggressive. Some triggers are incredibly aggressive. None are reef safe. There is no similar species type. And your tank is not really large enough for large fish.

 

[rishu_pepper]

All triggers are aggressive. Some triggers are incredibly aggressive. None are reef safe. There is no similar species type. And your tank is not really large enough for large fish.

Fair enough. I'll look elsewhere Thanks for your advice, Steve, you potentially saved me hundreds of dollars and hours of trouble.

 

[Itchy Trigger]

Will be setting up a 90g in the early part of 2015 and toying around with stock ideas. Would like to keep a Russell's lionfish as the focal point, and a few other fish as well. I plan to keep mostly LPS, coral-wise, and will leave a lot of open space. Here's a proposed stock list:

1. Russell's Lionfish
2. Bicolor Goatfish
3. Bristletooth Tang
4. possibly a snowflake eel

i know the key is finding fish that will be big enough not to be eaten by the lionfish, but also mellow enough to not pick on it. In a 90g tank that rules out most fish, but these are some of the only ones that seem like they might work. Or will they?

 

[snorvich]

Will be setting up a 90g in the early part of 2015 and toying around with stock ideas. Would like to keep a Russell's lionfish as the focal point, and a few other fish as well. I plan to keep mostly LPS, coral-wise, and will leave a lot of open space. Here's a proposed stock list:

1. Russell's Lionfish
2. Bicolor Goatfish
3. Bristletooth Tang
4. possibly a snowflake eel

i know the key is finding fish that will be big enough not to be eaten by the lionfish, but also mellow enough to not pick on it. In a 90g tank that rules out most fish, but these are some of the only ones that seem like they might work. Or will they?

I do not normally provide analysis on aggressive fish community tanks where one or more inhabitant can consume its tank mates. The lionfish will be able to consume the tang at some point.

 

[Itchy Trigger]

I do not normally provide analysis on aggressive fish community tanks where one or more inhabitant can consume its tank mates. The lionfish will be able to consume the tang at some point.

Ah, ok. No worries, will post in the aggressive fish section. Thanks!