PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[Zeus30]

I will start over. 90 gallon sumpless reef with:

2 clowns
Yellow Wrasse
Blue Tang (Dory)
2 cleaner shrimp
8-9 hermit crabs
6-9 snails

Looking to add more color/beneficial livestock. Recommendations?

 

[snorvich]

I will start over. 90 gallon sumpless reef with:

2 clowns
Yellow Wrasse
Blue Tang (Dory) requires a much larger tank; please see Reef Central's recommendation that can be found here.
2 cleaner shrimp
8-9 hermit crabs hermit crabs will kill snails for their shells; I would recommend more scavengers (CUC) but of a different kind e.g. fighting conch, etc.
6-9 snails

Looking to add more color/beneficial livestock. Recommendations?

As those who follow this thread know, I do not provide recommendations for a variety of reasons. I will be happy to review additional stocking lists for compatibility however.

 

[Ccarroll57]

New owner with 75g tank with sump.

Tank came with one scissortail dartfish and here are my thoughts on what else I want to stock the tank with

2 Ocellaris Clown
1 Foxface
2-3 Blue reef Chromis
1 Wrasse (not sure what type but reef safe for sure)
1 Flame Angelfish

Any issues with this plan? I plan to add coral too at some point but am going to wait until the tank is well established.

 

[snorvich]

New owner with 75g tank with sump.

Tank came with one scissortail dartfish and here are my thoughts on what else I want to stock the tank with

2 Ocellaris Clown
1 Foxface under some circumstances, not reef safe
2-3 Blue reef Chromis will likely become one chromis; moreover, chromis have not been coming in healthy in recent times.
1 Wrasse (not sure what type but reef safe for sure)
1 Flame Angelfish dwarf angels are not reef safe

Any issues with this plan? I plan to add coral too at some point but am going to wait until the tank is well established.

 

[Rando1122]

Sorry, I thought this was commentary on a preceding post. You have too many fish in this sized tank, and a trigger is not appropriate to this sized tank and will not be compatible with your invertebrates.

Snorvich,

You were right, directly after putting a larger CUC in my tank (3-Turbo Snails) the trigger went right to attacking them!


So, now the trigger went to a better and bigger home... (thanks Craigslist!)

Tank population in the 40B is:

2- Blue Damselfish
1- Clown
1- Scooter Blenny
1- Cleanershrimp
5- Narss snails
2- Blue Hermit Crabs
3- Turbo Snails

My question now is.... Would adding a Tang be too much? We really want a show fish, and without the Trigger our tank feels lonely.

If any at all, what would you recommend for additions that would keep the balance and the PEACE! ??

 

[snorvich]

Snorvich,

You were right, directly after putting a larger CUC in my tank (3-Turbo Snails) the trigger went right to attacking them!


So, now the trigger went to a better and bigger home... (thanks Craigslist!)

Tank population in the 40B is:

2- Blue Damselfish
1- Clown
1- Scooter Blenny
1- Cleanershrimp
5- Narss snails
2- Blue Hermit Crabs
3- Turbo Snails

My question now is.... Would adding a Tang be too much? We really want a show fish, and without the Trigger our tank feels lonely.

If any at all, what would you recommend for additions that would keep the balance and the PEACE! ??

No tang will do well in that sized tank. The least demanding tang requires a 75 gallon tank as a minimum. Unfortunately, showy fish either require larger tanks or extensive budgets. I never provide recommendations for a variety of reasons, but I am always happy to reanalyze compatibility of perspective stocking lists.

 

[squishyweasell]

Hi. Been lurking here for a couple of months. Finally decided to put up my fish list. It is in my fourth grade classroom so I am leaning toward low maintenance fish and corals.
I have 100 gallon tank
about 100 lbs of live rock
20 gallon sump
lots of flow
Bare bottom tank
2x 120 watt chinese LEDs
old top fathom skimmer with new pump
do weekly or biweekly 30 gallon w/c with ocean water
setup since sept 7

I currently have:
4 turbo snails
4 margarita snails
1 purple firefish
2 small oc. clownfish
kenya trees, 4 heads of frogspawn, small SPS frag, couple other small frags.

Would like to add:
4x peppermint shrimp
1x clown goby
1x royal Gramma Basslet
3x Kaudern's Cardinal
1x yellow tang (This is right on the cusp of the recommended tank size. Will I have problems? Should I go Bristletooth Toimini Tang instead?)
1x Yellow Pyramid Butterfly

1x green mandarin (for next school year after I get a refugium setup. I know I need a copeopod producing refugium, but do I need substrate in DT?)

How is my order and bioload? Thanks ahead of time. You are a great service to this hobby.

 

[snorvich]

Hi. Been lurking here for a couple of months. Finally decided to put up my fish list. It is in my fourth grade classroom so I am leaning toward low maintenance fish and corals.
I have 100 gallon tank
about 100 lbs of live rock
20 gallon sump
lots of flow
Bare bottom tank
2x 120 watt chinese LEDs
old top fathom skimmer with new pump
do weekly or biweekly 30 gallon w/c with ocean water
setup since sept 7

I currently have:
4 turbo snails
4 margarita snails
1 purple firefish
2 small oc. clownfish
kenya trees, 4 heads of frogspawn, small SPS frag, couple other small frags.

Would like to add:
4x peppermint shrimp
1x clown goby
1x royal Gramma Basslet
3x Kaudern's Cardinal Are you trying to create a mating pair for breeding demonstration? Only a male plus female can coexist, but sexing them is tricky. Also be sure you get tank bred as wild caught often have acclimation issues.
1x yellow tang (This is right on the cusp of the recommended tank size. Will I have problems? Should I go Bristletooth Toimini Tang instead?) The bristle tooth family is less aggressive which is relevant if you are sure you want the yellow pyramid butterfly
1x Yellow Pyramid Butterfly must be introduced and stable before any tang.

1x green mandarin (for next school year after I get a refugium setup. I know I need a copeopod producing refugium, but do I need substrate in DT?) A substate is desirable but not essential. Live rock is essential coupled with the refugium and live rock rubble on the bottom provides sanctuary within the display tank

How is my order and bioload?

bioload is fine, order is fine except tangs must be last introduced.

Thanks ahead of time. you are most welcome. Check back with any compatibility questions


You are a great service to this hobby.

 

[houncer]

Hi everyone, I just joined here and am very new to the hobby. My water has been cycling for a few weeks now and chemical testing looks pretty good.



I have a 75 gallon tank and about 50 pounds of live rock and another 25 pounds of dead rock.
I have an Eshopps RS-100 sump
1.5" of sand/gravel on the bottom
2X Aqueon 200W submersible heaters in the sump
2X Simplicity Fluidized Bed Chemical Reactors (1 for carbon & 1 for phosphate removal media)
48" Marineland Reef Capable LED
Marineland Advanced in sump protein skimmer
Aqueon 950 gph circulation pump in tank

Just two days ago I added 25 margarita snails & 20 red leg hermit crabs. There has been one 3-Stripe Damsel in for 2 weeks.

I would (eventually) like to add:
2 Clowns
4 Blue/Green Chromis
1 Bicolor Blenny
1 Kole Tang
2 Porcelain Crabs
2 Cleaner Shrimp

Then maybe a year from now start adding some anemone, other invertibrates and some "easy" coral.

I appreciate your thoughts, thanks in advance!

 

[snorvich]

Hi everyone, I just joined here and am very new to the hobby. My water has been cycling for a few weeks now and chemical testing looks pretty good.



I have a 75 gallon tank and about 50 pounds of live rock and another 25 pounds of dead rock.
I have an Eshopps RS-100 sump
1.5" of sand/gravel on the bottom
2X Aqueon 200W submersible heaters in the sump
2X Simplicity Fluidized Bed Chemical Reactors (1 for carbon & 1 for phosphate removal media)
48" Marineland Reef Capable LED
Marineland Advanced in sump protein skimmer
Aqueon 950 gph circulation pump in tank

Just two days ago I added 25 margarita snails & 20 red leg hermit crabs. There has been one 3-Stripe Damsel in for 2 weeks.

That is not a good way to cycle a tank since the damsel would have to be removed for longer term behavioral success. Tanks do not need fish to cycle.

I would (eventually) like to add:
2 Clowns
4 Blue/Green Chromis chromis groups winnow down to become only one and recently chromis have been coming in less than healthy
1 Bicolor Blenny
1 Kole Tang
2 Porcelain Crabs
2 Cleaner Shrimp

Then maybe a year from now start adding some anemone, other invertibrates and some "easy" coral.

I appreciate your thoughts, thanks in advance!

otherwise the list is fine

 

[houncer]

That is not a good way to cycle a tank since the damsel would have to be removed for longer term behavioral success. Tanks do not need fish to cycle.

Thanks for the quick reply!

The owner of the store where I bought my live rock insisted that I take the damsel (he didn't charge me for it) and chuckled when I told him I had a cocktail shrimp in the tank. I didn't know what that was all about.

So I will have to get rid of the damsel? Even though he was a free fish it seems rather heartless and cruel to just throw him away. Any suggestions?

 

[snorvich]

Thanks for the quick reply!

The owner of the store where I bought my live rock insisted that I take the damsel (he didn't charge me for it) and chuckled when I told him I had a cocktail shrimp in the tank. I didn't know what that was all about.

So I will have to get rid of the damsel? Even though he was a free fish it seems rather heartless and cruel to just throw him away. Any suggestions?

That is one of the many reasons you do not use fish to cycle a tank, what do you do with them afterwards. More importantly, ammonia burns the gills of fish used in this way, which is cruel. Give him back to the owner of the LFS and chuckle when you do so. The table shrimp (ideally in a pair of pantyhose for removal afterwards) would have been much better.

 

[legent]

Hi fellow reefers,

I have a 3 month old 40 gallon tank with liverock, 3 inch fine sandbed (2.5feet by 1.5 feet) with LED lighting (mazzarra razor), a mce300 skimmer and mp10 wavemaker. No other methods of filtration.

Currently I have all kinds of corals soft, LPS, SPS and they are growing pretty well. If the SPS are growing I assume my tank parameters is pretty good.

I already have a pair of clowns from the previous 10 gallon, 1 coral beauty and a six line wrasse. I have a maxima clam, 7 narsiccus snails, astrea snails, 1 fire shrimp, 1 blue leg hermit.

I am intending to get 1 or 2 more fishes. Which ones do the long time reefers recommend? Budget is not an issue. I am looking for variety in the shape and behaviour of the fish.

Was looking at a yellow eye kole tang but was very hesistant about it. Any other good advice?

 

[snorvich]

Hi fellow reefers,

I have a 3 month old 40 gallon tank with liverock, 3 inch fine sandbed (2.5feet by 1.5 feet) with LED lighting (mazzarra razor), a mce300 skimmer and mp10 wavemaker. No other methods of filtration.

Currently I have all kinds of corals soft, LPS, SPS and they are growing pretty well. If the SPS are growing I assume my tank parameters is pretty good.

I already have a pair of clowns from the previous 10 gallon, 1 coral beauty and a six line wrasse. I have a maxima clam, 7 narsiccus snails, astrea snails, 1 fire shrimp, 1 blue leg hermit.

I am intending to get 1 or 2 more fishes. Which ones do the long time reefers recommend? Budget is not an issue. I am looking for variety in the shape and behaviour of the fish.

Was looking at a yellow eye kole tang but was very hesistant about it. Any other good advice?

This is an expert thread answered by Reef Central Staff, in this case me and is not a general discussion thread. The six line wrasse will limit what other fish you can consider because of their aggressive behavior. Depending on the species of clownfish, you have, they may also limit tank mates once they mature. Some species of clownfish such as GSM can essentially try to own about fifty gallons of tank space once they are mature while more docile clownfish will want to own about 25 gallons of tank space once they are sexually mature. Tangs require much larger tanks than you have. Please see Reef Central's recommendations which can be found here. . As those who follow this thread know, I do not provide recommendations for a variety of reasons. If you want more general discussion of fish, the Reef Fish forum is for you.

 

[MJNTWise]

Ok this is my wish least....My biggest question is in what order do I buy them in?
Clown fish...2 of them…Will pick what kind when the time comes.
Blenny …midas blennies…just one
Blenny…Molly Miller Blenny/ or algae blenny/ or Starry Bleeny
Goby….One of the watchman ones.
Dragonets….Spotted mandarin
Dottyback….Blue eye royal
Blue Reef Chromis
Zebra Barred Dartfish

Thanks

 

[snorvich]

Ok this is my wish least....My biggest question is in what order do I buy them in?
Clown fish...2 of them"¦Will pick what kind when the time comes.

kind makes a difference. Highly aggressive ones will want to control your entire tank once sexually mature whereas more docile ones will want to control about 25 gallons

Blenny "¦midas blennies"¦just one
Blenny"¦Molly Miller Blenny/ or algae blenny/ or Starry Bleeny

one is fine

Goby"¦.One of the watchman ones.
Dragonets"¦.Spotted mandarin without special efforts your tank is not sufficient for maintaining one
Dottyback"¦.Blue eye royal highly aggressive, will limit other tank mate selection
Blue Reef Chromis
Zebra Barred Dartfish

Thanks

the general order should be least aggressive first, most aggressive last

 

[MJNTWise]

Thanks....As far as the Clowns I going to get a pair that least aggressive...

 

[snorvich]

Thanks....As far as the Clowns I going to get a pair that least aggressive...

Those would be either A. percula or A. ocellaris or one of the phenotypic morphs that are so popular

 

[SalB]

43L Reef Aquarium with Live Sand and Live Rock: Filter, T5 Lighting, Heater, Powerhead and maybe a Skimmer?

Corals: Hammers, Torch, Popyls, Frogspawn and Mushrooms

Invertebrates: (1) Skunk Cleaner Shrimp and (2-3) Snails

Fish: (2) Ocellaris Clownfish

Is this a good plan?

 

[byronjbacon]

I'm not new to the hobby, but I do like this post so I figured that I'd participate. I just broke down my 29 gallon, for a cross country move. Very soon I'll be setting up a 65 gallon acrylic 36" long aquarium. The aquascape with be a valley set up of LR, with perhaps a small bridge of GSP connecting the two sides near the back. Also, about a 3" sandbed of reef sand. I have a homemade Sump with a skimmer and a very LARGE refugium. I plan for the refugium to have some LR rubble, and chaeto. Along with Emerald Crabs to keep the Chaeto growth down once established. I'll also put some shaving brush plant in there to help promote pod growth. I will keep some maidens hair and Mermaids fan in the main display, in areas that I feel are in need of some "additional natural filtration". Now on to the livestock itself. For the most part I will be adding them in order of least aggressive to most.

Fish (Not in this order);
Centerpiece - Radiata Lionfish
Fu Manchu Lionfish
One Sopt Foxface
Pair of Firefish
5 -6 Blue/ Green Chromis
Longnose Hawkfish
Horned Blenny
Catalina Blenny? (Wife wants one, I'm not sure if it will do well)
kCoral Beauty? (May decide on a different Anglefish)
Pair of Oscillares Clowns
Pair of Banggai Cardinals
Copperband Butterflyfish? (Not sure if I want him because I want Clams more)
Royal Starfish
Electric Scallop later on down the road
Cleaner Shrimp
Coral Banded Shrimp
a few Conches
a few Nassarius Snails (I've grown to hate Turbo "The Dozers" Snails)
I started off wanting a Snowflake Eel, but now I'm not sure that I want to take the chance of it killing off other creatures. But I would get it last and as a juvenile.

Coral and Anemone;
Maxima Clam
Derasa Clam
Squamosa Clam
Duncan
Xenia
Frogspawn
GSP
Various Zoas (depends on the color contrast needed at the time)
Various Feather Dusters
Red Sea Fan
Bluberry Sea Fan
Orange Ricordia Mushroom
Bubble Coral
Mini Maxi Carpet Anemone
Bulb Anemone

I do appreciate any feedback (unless it's just snide and rude), I'm really excited going forward. As I'm waiting to get in to a new place I'm spending pretty much all of my free time on forums and other websites doing research and adjusting my plan. I don't want to make as many mistakes as I did when I started this hobby.