PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[stealthspy589]

- 55 Gallon 4'x12"x20"
- 50-60lb's of base rock.
- 3-4 inch Sand Bed
- Reef Octopus BH 2000 Hang-on back Skimmer.
- Lots of crevices and a few caves, couple shelfs. Generally eye appealing with lots of hiding spaces basically.


My goal is a diversity of colorful fish, peaceful, moderately easy care FOWLR. Later on I might add a few soft corals but that will be much later after the tank matures.


FISH:
2x False Percula Clownfish
1x Green Chromis (Altered, didn't want them dying)
1x Yellow Watchman Goby
1x Banggai Cardinal Fish
1x Blue Neon Gobby
1x Royal Gramma
Last post you said NO Blue Hippo. I'm trying to have colorful/peaceful. What medium-large sized blue fish can I add to the mix? I have all small and medium sized fish.

INVERTS
1x Bubbletip Anemone (introduced with Clowns later after mature tank.)
1x Pink Tip Hatian Anemone (introduced with Anemoned Crabs & ^^^)
10x Dwarf White Leg Hermits (W/ extra shells)
2x Boxing/Pom Pom Crabs
1x Candy Stripe Pistol Shrimp (To go with Watchman)
2x Anemone Crab (to go with Hatian)


Will Snails be okay in this tank? Such as Astrea Snails, or is my team strong enough?

I understand there's no guarantee with anemone bonding, I'd still love to try

One thing I'm not sure about is do I cycle Inverts? I know you don't with anemones but what about crabs and snails, or is just only the acclimation period then in the display?

The last thing I was wondering is around what order should I add the fish, the inverts I'll lay out slowly so i don't overload the bottom feeders.
I was thinking few dw. Hermits, then a month later Banggai, then Watchman & Pistol, then chromis then Neon gob & gramma, then the clowns and BTA, then the large fish as the last fish whatever it ends up being.

Sorry it's long... Thanks!

 

[snorvich]

- 55 Gallon 4'x12"x20"
- 50-60lb's of base rock.
- 3-4 inch Sand Bed
- Reef Octopus BH 2000 Hang-on back Skimmer.
- Lots of crevices and a few caves, couple shelfs. Generally eye appealing with lots of hiding spaces basically.


My goal is a diversity of colorful fish, peaceful, moderately easy care FOWLR. Later on I might add a few soft corals but that will be much later after the tank matures.


FISH:
2x False Percula Clownfish
1x Green Chromis (Altered, didn't want them dying)
1x Yellow Watchman Goby
1x Banggai Cardinal Fish
1x Blue Neon Gobby
1x Royal Gramma
Last post you said NO Blue Hippo. I'm trying to have colorful/peaceful. What medium-large sized blue fish can I add to the mix? I have all small and medium sized fish.

In this sized tank, you should not really have "medium sized" fish as it will make your tank look really small. Sorry, I wish I could satisfy your need for "blue" but the blue fish that would work biologically, such as damsels, are very aggressive and would cause a different kind of problem.

INVERTS
1x Bubbletip Anemone (introduced with Clowns later after mature tank.)
1x Pink Tip Hatian Anemone (introduced with Anemoned Crabs & ^^^) while this thread is only about marine fish copatibility, I would rethink having two anemones, one of which will move around
10x Dwarf White Leg Hermits (W/ extra shells)
2x Boxing/Pom Pom Crabs
1x Candy Stripe Pistol Shrimp (To go with Watchman)
2x Anemone Crab (to go with Hatian)


Will Snails be okay in this tank? Such as Astrea Snails, or is my team strong enough? hermits will kill snails ovr time for their shells

I understand there's no guarantee with anemone bonding, I'd still love to try

One thing I'm not sure about is do I cycle Inverts? I know you don't with anemones but what about crabs and snails, or is just only the acclimation period then in the display?

once the tank is cycled, CUC can be added after acclimation

The last thing I was wondering is around what order should I add the fish, the inverts I'll lay out slowly so i don't overload the bottom feeders. most aggressive last, most passive first with the first two on the list being most aggressive
I was thinking few dw. Hermits, then a month later Banggai, then Watchman & Pistol, then chromis then Neon gob & gramma, then the clowns and BTA, then the large fish as the last fish whatever it ends up being.

Sorry it's long... Thanks!

 

[Badlands25]

Snorvich what about a kole tang in the 93 cube? Gonna go with a different type of clown haven't decided yet though.

 

[snorvich]

Snorvich what about a kole tang in the 93 cube? Gonna go with a different type of clown haven't decided yet though.

Can you provide entire stocking plan? My memory is not good enough to remember all of the potential tanks and stocking plans. Thanks.

 

[Badlands25]

Lol sorry. Mandarin, potters angel, wrasse ( reef safe ) was going with 2 maroon clowns but you advised against ( in a 93 cube )

 

[snorvich]

Lol sorry. Mandarin, potters angel, wrasse ( reef safe ) was going with 2 maroon clowns but you advised against ( in a 93 cube )

Yes, a Kole tang would work. The pair of Maroon clowns would definitely not work.

 

[lrs183]

Hey Snorvich, this is a pretty passive stocking question but I'd like a reliable answer on it and I think the best bet is to get it from you on here.

My tank is 21G (not sure of what its actual visible gallon amount is as this includes its built in pump/skimmer area). The tank has 1 orange spot goby (not to be mistook for the diamond goby that gets up to 6 inches), 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 black with white stripe ocellaris clownfish and 1 black ice clownfish. Along with a small CUC being 1 turbo snail and 5 other basic cleaner snails.

I have always been fascinated with the goby/pistol shrimp pair. What kind of havoc will this likely bring upon the tank if I were to do it? What's the least aggressive pistol out there and what's the general chance that the pair may not work period and it even kill my goby?

Sorry for the lengthy question, just trying to get you all of the info. This isn't a must have, but it seems to be that final frontier stock piece that I keep researching on occasion. All is fine in paradise right now and I'd rather not ruin that if I don't have to.

Thank you

 

[snorvich]

Hey Snorvich, this is a pretty passive stocking question but I'd like a reliable answer on it and I think the best bet is to get it from you on here.

My tank is 21G (not sure of what its actual visible gallon amount is as this includes its built in pump/skimmer area). The tank has 1 orange spot goby (not to be mistook for the diamond goby that gets up to 6 inches), 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 black with white stripe ocellaris clownfish and 1 black ice clownfish. Along with a small CUC being 1 turbo snail and 5 other basic cleaner snails.

The pair of clownfish, once bonded, sexually mature and mating will want to control about 25 gallons of tank space. However, they will likely tolerate your goby since he/she is a sand dweller.

I have always been fascinated with the goby/pistol shrimp pair. What kind of havoc will this likely bring upon the tank if I were to do it? What's the least aggressive pistol out there and what's the general chance that the pair may not work period and it even kill my goby? Since your goby is a commensal prawn goby, it will pair up with any commensal type pistol shrimp. Most common, and least problematic, is the Alpheus randalli pistol shrimp. Don't worry, if you add one, it will find the goby. Be sure you have sand with rock rubble or gravel intermixed so there will be structural integrity of the burrowing which can be very extensive.

Sorry for the lengthy question, just trying to get you all of the info. This isn't a must have, but it seems to be that final frontier stock piece that I keep researching on occasion. All is fine in paradise right now and I'd rather not ruin that if I don't have to.

By the way, while the cleaner shrimp is a good clean up crew member, you have no fish that will allow cleaning behavior.

Thank you

 

[lrs183]

I greatly appreciate the fast response, Snorvich.

Hopefully the clowns and the goby continue doing well for the long haul. They're the only three fish that will be in the tank so the hope is when introduced together young, they'll kind of set their territories and be alright. But that's just wishful thinking.

The sand I got I noticed isn't just a fine sand (I feel bad for not knowing my specific sand type, noob of me). It looks like it has maybe very small crushed up pieces of shell, very tiny crushed rock (or coral) and so forth mixed in with sand. White in color. The live rock, which only has one true piece of rock actually performing a balancing act, is pushed into the sand but not making complete contact with the glass. I know for a more stacking intensive design it would be crucial to have it down to the glass but, it's pretty much just all of the rocks sitting on the sand kind of leaned on one another slightly.

Is that going to be fine for them to do their major undertakings? Or do I need to start looking into getting these rocks more stable at the glass level? Sorry for this question, I know it's not directly fish compatibility related.

 

[snorvich]

I greatly appreciate the fast response, Snorvich.

Hopefully the clowns and the goby continue doing well for the long haul. They're the only three fish that will be in the tank so the hope is when introduced together young, they'll kind of set their territories and be alright. But that's just wishful thinking.

The sand I got I noticed isn't just a fine sand (I feel bad for not knowing my specific sand type, noob of me). It looks like it has maybe very small crushed up pieces of shell, very tiny crushed rock (or coral) and so forth mixed in with sand. White in color. The live rock, which only has one true piece of rock actually performing a balancing act, is pushed into the sand but not making complete contact with the glass. I know for a more stacking intensive design it would be crucial to have it down to the glass but, it's pretty much just all of the rocks sitting on the sand kind of leaned on one another slightly.

Is that going to be fine for them to do their major undertakings? Or do I need to start looking into getting these rocks more stable at the glass level? Sorry for this question, I know it's not directly fish compatibility related.

Sand type should be fine. I would be slightly happier if the rock when all the way to the glass bottom, but it should be fine.

 

[melvinakshay]

I really want to add a Queen angel or an emperor to my 150G tank. I know its not the recommended size but I'm sure they will take years before they outgrow the tank. I do have a fowlr tank.

Wish List

Queen Angelfish (juvi) or Emperor Angelfish(juvi)
Moorish Idol (not sure if compatible with the copperband ?)
Foxface
Achilles Tang (If on sale)

Current Stock
6inch Purple Tang (redefines terror)
6inch Hippo Tang
3.5 inch Copperbanded butterfly
pair of clowns

 

[snorvich]

I really want to add a Queen angel or an emperor to my 150G tank. I know its not the recommended size but I'm sure they will take years before they outgrow the tank. I do have a fowlr tank.

Wish List

Queen Angelfish (juvi) or Emperor Angelfish(juvi)
Moorish Idol (not sure if compatible with the copperband ?)
Foxface
Achilles Tang (If on sale)

Current Stock
6inch Purple Tang (redefines terror)
6inch Hippo Tang
3.5 inch Copperbanded butterfly
pair of clowns

You are unlikely to successfully add any of your desired fish with the existing stocking list. Reef Central believes that you should only purchase fish that you can support with the tank you have.

 

[melvinakshay]

You are unlikely to successfully add any of your desired fish with the existing stocking list. Reef Central believes that you should only purchase fish that you can support with the tank you have.

even the foxface ?

I know the moorish is a hard to keep fish but I thought that it would be similar in requirements to the Copperband so I could have a chance ?

The purple tang is just a very mean fish - I usually use a tank divider for about a week and by then the tang gets used to seeing the other new fish. That's how I added the butterfly.

 

[snorvich]

even the foxface ?

I know the moorish is a hard to keep fish but I thought that it would be similar in requirements to the Copperband so I could have a chance ?

The purple tang is just a very mean fish - I usually use a tank divider for about a week and by then the tang gets used to seeing the other new fish. That's how I added the butterfly.

Well, neither large angel for a variety of reasons. You have multiple grazers in a medium sized tank and a foxface would be an additional grazer. If you had an 8 foot tank, more would be possible although perhaps undesirable. It is unclear whether the purple will at some point feel "crowded" and at that point will reduce that crowded feeling by taking out fish occupying the same ecological niche. And as the P. hepatus grows, it will become mean to conspecifics as well since it also needs an 8 foot or larger tank. Sorry.

 

[Elimav]

I currently have 2 clownfish, 2 Banggai, 1 longspine cardinal, 1 McKosker's flasher wrasse, one purple firefish, a Tomini tang, and a sailfin blenny in my 80 gallon reef tank. Can I safely add a jawfish (pearly or BSJ) and a green mandarin.
Thanks for the help!

 

[snorvich]

I currently have 2 clownfish, 2 Banggai, 1 longspine cardinal, 1 McKosker's flasher wrasse, one purple firefish, a Tomini tang, and a sailfin blenny in my 80 gallon reef tank. Can I safely add a jawfish (pearly or BSJ) and a green mandarin.
Thanks for the help!

BSJ require cooler temperature; a pearly jawfish should be fine assuming appropriate substrate. A green mandarin after the tank is 9 months mature should be fine.

 

[zamboni200000]

Am I ready for a Mandarin?

Am I ready for a Mandarin?

Hello,
I have a 50g breeder.... stocked with a clownfish, a royal gramma, and 3 firefish. 2 Peppermint shrimp & 1 electric blue leg hermit crab. The tank has been up since October. Do any of my fish eat copepods? IE will they compete with a mandarin if I got one? Thanks!
Danny

 

[snorvich]

Hello,
I have a 50g breeder.... stocked with a clownfish, a royal gramma, and 3 firefish. 2 Peppermint shrimp & 1 electric blue leg hermit crab. The tank has been up since October. Do any of my fish eat copepods? IE will they compete with a mandarin if I got one? Thanks!
Danny

clownfish will. What species of clownfish? Over time your three firefish will become one firefish.

 

[zamboni200000]

Ocellaris, tank bred!.... So i should be good to get a mandarin?

 

[snorvich]

Ocellaris, tank bred!.... So i should be good to get a mandarin?

quite honestly, it is marginal at best. If you add a producing refugium to the setup, it improves the odds. Without it, the odds are against.