Stocking advice for 150.

[MondoBongo]

Planning for my impending upgrade to my 150 is in full swing, and so it's time to start thinking about expanding my stocking list.

the system is going to be a 150 gallon (72x18x29) that has a shared sump with a 35 cube (20x20x20). the cube is going to be more or less a display refugium, with macro and live rock, and some soft corals. the sump will also be housing about a 20 gallon fuge for sand, chaeto, and rock rubble.

current stock list is as follows:

in holding tank for the cube:
Bluestripe Pipefish (Doryrhamphus excisus) x1
Court Jester Goby (Amblygobius rainfordi) x1
Harlequin Shrimp (Hymenocera elegans) x1

in my 75:
Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) x1
Percula Clownfish (Amphiprion percula) x2
Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus) x1
Sailfin/Algae Blenny (Salarias fasciatus) x1

to the 35 cube, i am considering adding:
Green Clown Goby (Gobiodon atrangulatus) x1
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+2124+159&pcatid=159

Yellowstriped Cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus cyanosoma) x1
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+2124+1431&pcatid=1431

and possibly a shrimp/goby pair, but i am bit leery of a pistol shrimp near my pipefish and harlequin. not sure if that is a valid concern, or not?

to the 150, in addition to the current stock, i would like to add:
Pajama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera) x5 (or fewer if appropriate, i am not familiar with ideal stocking numbers, but LA suggested a small school would be acceptable)
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+26+85&pcatid=85

Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus carpenteri) x1
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1378+329&pcatid=329

and i am considering two of the following (not sure which two yet):

One Spot Foxface (Siganus unimaculatus) x1
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1465+2704&pcatid=2704

Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) x1
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+25+212&pcatid=212

Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) x1
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+43+330&pcatid=330

Orangeshoulder Tang (Acanthurus olivaceus) x1
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+43+363&pcatid=363

i understand that the blue tang, and the orange shoulder tang, both get fairly large. but with the suggested tank size being a 180 for them, i feel like i'm in the ballpark. my main concern is aggression from my yellow tang. i'm not opposed to other (read as smaller) tangs, but want to stay away from Ctenochaetus spp. because i had a Yellow Eyed Kole Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus) who harassed the heck out of my lawnmower blenny, and was ultimately killed by my Yellow.

i keep a mixed reef, LPS and SPS, some gorgs, and a few clams. i plan on adding a few more clams in the future, and definitely expanding the LPS/SPS. so while i love the CBB, i am a bit wary.

any thoughts/suggestions/concerns are appreciated.

 

[Dmorty217]

Orange shoulders are very mellow as far as large Acanthurus tangs go so you should be fine there

 

[MondoBongo]

Thanks Dmorty. I'm still split on large tangs, but they're quite nice ones.

 

[brett559]

I sold my yellow tang to a reefer with a large tank (I have a 90g), as it was getting very aggressive. Before I removed him, he did okay with my small blue tang. My blue tang is growing slowly, and I understand one day he will have to re-homed. I've had him about 6 months and he's not much bigger.

I tried a CBB with my yellow tang still in the tank. That did not go well. The yellow harassed him so badly, the CBB never left the corner of the tank. Thankfully, I was able to get the CBB out easily and my LFS took him back. The similar shape and color between the yellow and CBB simply did not work. After removing the yellow, I got another, larger CBB, and he has done great. He eats mysis (albeit slowly and deliberate - we spot feed him) and cleaned up my aiptasia problem. I added a purple tang at the same time as the CBB and there has been no aggression. If you added the yellow and CBB together, that could work. I will say adding a CBB to an established yellow was a disaster for me.

My CBB hasn't touched anything other than aiptasia.

I wasn't a fan of the foxface, however. I inherited a large fox and he spent most of the day looking brown and sort of ugly. He ate like a pig and didn't bother anyone or any corals, he just wasn't much to look at. I sold him to a reefer with a larger tank, hopefully he's happier in there. I'd much rather have either tang you're considering or the CBB over a foxface.

 

[MondoBongo]

Thanks Brett. I'll admit having the foxface with the potential stinging issue doesn't exactly fill me confidence. Ha.

I think when I migrate to the new tank I'm going to make my yellow the last one in the pool.

 

[Dmorty217]

Foxfaces are great algae eaters and you would have little chance of getting stung by one. They will get all camo looking when they are stressed or scared so that will be your first indication to maybe keep a eye on him. They certainly wont seek you out to sting you. I have had mine for over 2 years and never had a problem even when my rock was rearranged and i couldnt see but 2" in the tank