PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[snorvich]

Can I have another wrasses with my sixline wrasse? Also, can I add a blue cromis with my blue green cromis?

Sixline wrasses do not like other wrasses, especially fairy and flasher wrasses. In very large tanks, it might work, in smaller tanks probably not. Chromis have been coming in with Uronema like symptoms for nearly two years. Chromis will reduce their number to one more often than not.

 

[Meffnet]

Wow, thank you for info... So, right now I have a 72 gal bow front w/ 4 blue green cromis, and my six line wrasse, 8 small hermit crabs, an emerald crab, and 3 turbo snails... Can I add more fish? Will my wrasse hurt my crabs? I was also told the hermits will kill snails???? Ugh, soooooo much to learn.

 

[Fire.is.fun]

Hey Steve,
I'm in the process of researching fish for restocking after my fatal ich breakout. Anyway my Lfs had had a long nose hawkfish and a valentini puffer living with a few more social fish for a couple of months now and I've been interested in them for a while. I know they eat shrimp and other inverts but I figured a few hermit crabs would we worth having them. I do have a pepermint, cleaner and coral banded shrimp in my 120gal reef tank but they are big enough that you could probably eat them. I also can get a hold of really cheap swimming crab meat that includes the shell so the puffer can grind down its teeth while it eats. My tank has a wide variety of lps and sps corels and a lot of live rock for them to hide in and perch on.
Thank you for your input and help.

 

[snorvich]

Wow, thank you for info... So, right now I have a 72 gal bow front w/ 4 blue green cromis, and my six line wrasse, 8 small hermit crabs, an emerald crab, and 3 turbo snails... Can I add more fish? Will my wrasse hurt my crabs? I was also told the hermits will kill snails???? Ugh, soooooo much to learn.

Well, the 4 chromis will likely over time become 1 chromis. Your crabs will kill your snails. Depends on fish, the six line will preclude many fish going forward.

 

[snorvich]

Hey Steve,
I'm in the process of researching fish for restocking after my fatal ich breakout. Anyway my Lfs had had a long nose hawkfish and a valentini puffer living with a few more social fish for a couple of months now and I've been interested in them for a while. I know they eat shrimp and other inverts but I figured a few hermit crabs would we worth having them. I do have a pepermint, cleaner and coral banded shrimp in my 120gal reef tank but they are big enough that you could probably eat them. I also can get a hold of really cheap swimming crab meat that includes the shell so the puffer can grind down its teeth while it eats. My tank has a wide variety of lps and sps corels and a lot of live rock for them to hide in and perch on.
Thank you for your input and help.

Sorry, my advise would not be to include those fish in that environment.

 

[bkvreef]

Wow, great thread.
I am in the beginning of setting up a 220, 72 x 24 x 30
mixed reef with clams.

Here is a preliminary idea of my stocking list:
2 percula clowns
Algae blenny
Mandarin (much later)
Yellow tang
Achilles tang
Would like one more tang (like powder blues but concerned about compatibility).
4 bangaii

 

[snorvich]

Wow, great thread.
I am in the beginning of setting up a 220, 72 x 24 x 30
mixed reef with clams.

Here is a preliminary idea of my stocking list:
2 percula clowns
Algae blenny
Mandarin (much later)
Yellow tang
Achilles tang
Would like one more tang (like powder blues but concerned about compatibility).
4 bangaii

Only two Bangaii per tank except possibly in very long tanks; but even then it is a roll of the dice for more than a male + female bonded pair. Any zebrasoma tang such as the yellow will be the binding constraint on the addition of additional tangs. This can be mitigated by have it the last fish added.

 

[bkvreef]

I didn't realize only two bangaii. Thanks!
How do you get a pair? Will they pair up on their own? How do you know male and female apart?
If only every fish were like clowns:hmm3:

 

[snorvich]

I didn't realize only two bangaii. Thanks!
How do you get a pair? Will they pair up on their own? How do you know male and female apart?
If only every fish were like clowns:hmm3:

I added additional commentary to my previous post about tang addition. Well clowns are a large subject unto themselves. Under most circumstances, only two clowns of the same species can coexist, especially after there is a resident female. For Bangaii cardinals, people tend to try for male plus female pairs by looking at a group to see which two hang out together. There may be morphological differences, but if so, my eyes are not good enough to differentiate them.

 

[bkvreef]

I added additional commentary to my previous post about tang addition. Well clowns are a large subject unto themselves. Under most circumstances, only two clowns of the same species can coexist, especially after there is a resident female. For Bangaii cardinals, people tend to try for male plus female pairs by looking at a group to see which two hang out together. There may be morphological differences, but if so, my eyes are not good enough to differentiate them.

Thanks again.
With the clowns I only plan on getting a single pair. I was wishing other fish would be able to pair up as easily as clowns do.

 

[2FunKids]

Intended purchase

Intended purchase

Hi, I have a 110g mixed reef tank, 48L x 24d x 22h (, 40g sump with DSB refugium. I have 2" special grade base and approx 75 lbs of live rock. I am running bio pellets, GFO, GAC and a filter sock. Calcium and Alk usage is approx 20ml/day via BRS dosing pumps 5x at night.

although I am not committed, I put my name on a Diamond (yellow spotted) Golby, Leopard Wrass and small Yellow tang. I have one fish (Blue/green chromis) in the tank now after a long Fallow period to rid the tank of any problems. I did this because I purchased a used setup to get started. the tank is fully cycled and has no algae issues. I am planning on doing quarantine on all three in a 15 gallon q tank with a small pie plate of gravel for the wrass. Are these good choices? MY LFS agreed to keep them one week with copper and his supplier runs one week of copper as well. Based on this, is it still a good idea to quarantine with copper and prazi pro even though they have already been on copper for 2 weeks?

for inverts, I have one fighting conch, and two peppermint shrimp.
For corals, I mixed LPS and SPS

Thanks for the recommendations

Hi Steve, do you have any Basic recommendations on a fish stocking program for a general reef for beginners. For example what fish to start out with and what to add when given most of us like beautiful, interesting, and fun fish. Kind of a "what would you do if you had a tank to stock". Thanks Steve and best regards, we all really appreciate you helping us out.

 

[johnike]

Steve, are multiple Possum Wrasses compatible in a largish tank?
Like one each of a white banded, yellow banded, and a Tanaka.

 

[snorvich]

Hi, I have a 110g mixed reef tank, 48L x 24d x 22h (, 40g sump with DSB refugium. I have 2" special grade base and approx 75 lbs of live rock. I am running bio pellets, GFO, GAC and a filter sock. Calcium and Alk usage is approx 20ml/day via BRS dosing pumps 5x at night.

although I am not committed, I put my name on a Diamond (yellow spotted) Golby, Leopard Wrass and small Yellow tang.

A yellow tang is NOT a good fish to add because zebrasoma tangs once established, make it very difficult to add many fish over time. The goby is fine. The leopard wrasse should not be added to a newish tank as they are an expert level fish and graze on copepods in addition to some kinds of frozen food.

I have one fish (Blue/green chromis) in the tank now after a long Fallow period to rid the tank of any problems. I did this because I purchased a used setup to get started. the tank is fully cycled and has no algae issues. I am planning on doing quarantine on all three in a 15 gallon q tank with a small pie plate of gravel for the wrass.

Blue green chromis have been presenting uronema like symptoms and have no been coming in healthy. Leopard wrasses need sand not gravel. They can hurt their mouth diving into gravel using substrate that is course.

Are these good choices? MY LFS agreed to keep them one week with copper and his supplier runs one week of copper as well.

The longer an LFS keeps a fish, the more likely it is to have parasites; always, quarantine all fish with very few exceptions.

Based on this, is it still a good idea to quarantine with copper and prazi pro even though they have already been on copper for 2 weeks?

in my blog is a suggested quarantine protocol involving tank transfer and prazipro. Non-therapeutic dosage of copper is not a good idea as it can conceal velvet. However fish treatment and prophylactic treatment is outside the scope of this thread which is limited to marine fish compatibility.

for inverts, I have one fighting conch, and two peppermint shrimp.
For corals, I mixed LPS and SPS

Thanks for the recommendations

Hi Steve, do you have any Basic recommendations on a fish stocking program for a general reef for beginners. For example what fish to start out with and what to add when given most of us like beautiful, interesting, and fun fish. Kind of a "what would you do if you had a tank to stock".

If that were possible, I would have written one. Sorry, but marine fish compatibility is both an art and science.

Thanks Steve and best regards, we all really appreciate you helping us out.

Always a pleasure

 

[snorvich]

Steve, are multiple Possum Wrasses compatible in a largish tank?
Like one each of a white banded, yellow banded, and a Tanaka.

In a largish tank, with "non minimalistic" rock scaping, yes. Best in mature tanks. They appreciate gentle tank mates and I would be careful with some basslets.

 

[johnike]

Thank you, well established 240 with a nice maze of rock and plenty of gentle tankmates on the list.
Biggest fish in the tank are a Halichoeres leucoxanthus, and a Salarias ramosus, with a tiny Pseudochromis porphyreus.

 

[snorvich]

Thank you, well established 240 with a nice maze of rock and plenty of gentle tankmates on the list.
Biggest fish in the tank are a Halichoeres leucoxanthus, and a Salarias ramosus, with a tiny Pseudochromis porphyreus.

The only concern would be the Pseudochromis porphyreus, which is on the aggressive side, but in your tank, may not be an issue. They are territorial but have a fairly limited territory. Maze work is critical for the Wetmorellas. Think about their natural habitat which is deepish, 60-90 feet in wall like settings.

 

[bellowme]

My 75 gallon wish list

My 75 gallon wish list

I am getting ready to start a 75 gallon reef tank. I have a large wish list that I'm sure will be whittled down as I get closer to the stocking time. This list is in no particular order.

1 Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loriculus)
1 Anthias (not sure which one)
1 Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto)
1 Purple Dottyback (Pseudochromis porphyreus)
2 Blennies (not sure which ones)
1 Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
2 Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
2 Black & White Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris var.)
2 Blue Velvet Damselfish (Paraglyphidodon oxyodon)
1 Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica)
1 Clown Goby, Brown (Gobiodon spp.)
1 Orange Spotted Goby (Amblyeleotris guttata)
1 Red Scooter Dragonet (Synchiropus stellatus)
1 Saddle Valentini Puffer (Canthigaster valentini)
1 Wrasse (not sure which one)
1 Kole Yellow Eye Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus)
2 Garden Eel (Taenioconger hassi)

This is only a wish list. Please let me know what I need to remove from this list.

Thanks

 

[snorvich]

I am getting ready to start a 75 gallon reef tank. I have a large wish list that I'm sure will be whittled down as I get closer to the stocking time. This list is in no particular order.

1 Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loriculus) not reef safe, primarily to meaty LPS corals
1 Anthias (not sure which one) one would be ok, but they need to be fed multiple times per day, resplendent or carberryi would be best
1 Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto)
1 Purple Dottyback (Pseudochromis porphyreus) aggressive, especially in this sized tank
2 Blennies (not sure which ones) only one blenny
1 Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) difficult, not reef safe, Australian variety is best chance
2 Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
2 Black & White Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris var.)
2 Blue Velvet Damselfish (Paraglyphidodon oxyodon) no, aggressive
1 Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica) should be introduced early
1 Clown Goby, Brown (Gobiodon spp.)
1 Orange Spotted Goby (Amblyeleotris guttata)
1 Red Scooter Dragonet (Synchiropus stellatus) eats copepods, no compatible with ca copperband
1 Saddle Valentini Puffer (Canthigaster valentini) no aggressive
1 Wrasse (not sure which one)
1 Kole Yellow Eye Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus)
2 Garden Eel (Taenioconger hassi) very difficult, expert only

This is only a wish list. Please let me know what I need to remove from this list.

Thanks

Clearly too many fish for this sized tank. If you provide a smaller list, I can indicate bioload suitability.

 

[johnike]

The only concern would be the Pseudochromis porphyreus, which is on the aggressive side, but in your tank, may not be an issue. They are territorial but have a fairly limited territory. Maze work is critical for the Wetmorellas. Think about their natural habitat which is deepish, 60-90 feet in wall like settings.

And thank you again.

 

[Dale Cooper]

Gobies:

Would a Pink Diamond Watchman be compatible with a Tangaroa Goby (Ctenogobiops tangaroai) in a 90 gallon? If so, would I add them at the same time?

Thanks.