candeewolf
New member
Hi, I have a 55 gallon hex reef tank that has been up for about 5-6 months now and is about to enter big stocking stages. It has a sand bed of about 3-4 in all around and 60 lbs live rock. There is a built-in sump/refug in the back with a Rio 800 powerhead flowing back into the tank, a protein skimmer that came with the tank (works great), 2-65 watt actinic lights and 1-175 watt 14,000K MH. There is also a Koralia 2 (600gph) pump in the tank.
I currently have 3 chromis', 2 snails, 2 hermit crabs, a conch, and a red-spotted blenny. I just got the blenny about 4 days ago.
I have a pair of true perculas (~2in) waiting for me at my LFS but I am not sure whether or not to get a Sebae or BTA for them at the same time, before, or after I put them in the tank. From some sources, it seems Sebae Anemones are hard to take care of or might be too big for my tank. I like BTAs, but the only one they have available (until possibly next week) are the peach-colored regular ones (non-GBTA, non-RBTA). I’d prefer a GBTA, but I’m not sure whether the clownfish would prefer their anemone when introduced, or later, or whether it even matters at all. Would the True Perculas be more likely to host in the Sebae, or the BTA, as perculas don’t host either one naturally in the wild? Is a Sebae Anemone more aggressive and more likely to hurt my future LPS corals?
Stocking Options
My other questions have to do with stocking the tank. The 3 blue-green chromis’ have been in there for several months now, mostly because I just couldn’t stand watching an entirely empty tank for so long. I have sort of grown attached to them (being the only fish I had for months, and I hate taking fish back to the store, especially when they’ve done nothing wrong), but I think I can part with them if it means I could put something that I dearly want in their place.
I plan on putting the following in the tank:
2 Coral Banded Shrimp (mated pair)
2 Feather Dusters
2-3 Christmas Tree Worms
1 Blue Linckia Starfish
2 True Percula Clownfish
1 Anemone (species to be announced)
Many Corals (LPS)
My question is what other fish can I put in and not be overstocked? Other possible additions (obviously not all) I was thinking of involved the following:
1 of the following:
Green Clown Goby (Gobiodon atrangulatus)
Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas)
Flametail Blenny (Atrosalarias sp.)
Bicolor Blenny (Ecsenius bicolor)
Red Scooter Blenny (Synchiropus stellatus)
Firefish Goby (Nemateleotris magnifica)
Starry Blenny (Salarias ramosus)
Horned Blenny (Parablennius sp.)
Blue Tuxedo Urchin (Mespilia globulus)
1 of the following:
Yellow Knobby Cucumber (Colochirus robustus)
Velvet Nudibranch (Chelidonura varians)
Sea Hare (Aplysia punctata)
Lettuce Nudibranch (Tridachia crispata)
Tiger Tail Cucumber (Holothuria hilla)
Psychedelic Mandarinfish (Synchiropus picturatus)
1 of the following:
Blue Head Fairy Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura
Six Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon bipartitus)
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse, Male (Paracheilinus mccoskeri)
Banggai Cardinal (Pterapogon kauderni)
Yellow Stripe Clingfish (Diademichthys lineatus)
Flame Hawkfish (Neocirrhitus armatus)
Which of the Gobies/Blennies will not get along with my Red-Spotted Blenny? Could I possibly try to get another red-spotted blenny of the opposite sex and make a pair?
Will the Tuxedo Urchin take up that much space? Will he knock over a lot of LR? Could he damage corals?
Are any of the nudibranchs/cucumbers I listed safe for the reef? Do any of them release toxins into the tank when stressed or dying like sea apples?
Could the Mandarinfish get bothered by one of the gobies I listed, or my red-spotted blenny?
Are even any of those wrasses not okay for a peaceful hex tank of my size?
How aggressive do Flame Hawkfish get in a reef environment with many of the other organisms I have listed?
Sorry, I know it’s a long list…there’s just a lot of great-looking fish/inverts out there, and not much info on direct compatability.
Cycling
Also, as a final question, I recently realized that a piece of skinny plate live rock would go perfect as a shelf in the tank, but I am worried about it cycling the tank when I already have fish in there (and soon to have clowns). Are there any tips or ways I could minimize the effect of adding a new piece of live rock into the tank? It would only be 1 piece of rock.
My params have been stable for a long time now
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 0 ppm
Ammonia: 0-0.1 ppm
Salinity: 1.025
And my temp swings from 77 at its lowest (at night) to about 81 at its highest (in the day). Also, should I be running my actinic lights at the same time as my MH? Or can I only them on an hour before and for an hour after my MHs? Also, I have a black light for nighttime. Any fish/corals/inverts that look cool under black lights?
Thanks so much for the help.
-Aaron
I currently have 3 chromis', 2 snails, 2 hermit crabs, a conch, and a red-spotted blenny. I just got the blenny about 4 days ago.
I have a pair of true perculas (~2in) waiting for me at my LFS but I am not sure whether or not to get a Sebae or BTA for them at the same time, before, or after I put them in the tank. From some sources, it seems Sebae Anemones are hard to take care of or might be too big for my tank. I like BTAs, but the only one they have available (until possibly next week) are the peach-colored regular ones (non-GBTA, non-RBTA). I’d prefer a GBTA, but I’m not sure whether the clownfish would prefer their anemone when introduced, or later, or whether it even matters at all. Would the True Perculas be more likely to host in the Sebae, or the BTA, as perculas don’t host either one naturally in the wild? Is a Sebae Anemone more aggressive and more likely to hurt my future LPS corals?
Stocking Options
My other questions have to do with stocking the tank. The 3 blue-green chromis’ have been in there for several months now, mostly because I just couldn’t stand watching an entirely empty tank for so long. I have sort of grown attached to them (being the only fish I had for months, and I hate taking fish back to the store, especially when they’ve done nothing wrong), but I think I can part with them if it means I could put something that I dearly want in their place.
I plan on putting the following in the tank:
2 Coral Banded Shrimp (mated pair)
2 Feather Dusters
2-3 Christmas Tree Worms
1 Blue Linckia Starfish
2 True Percula Clownfish
1 Anemone (species to be announced)
Many Corals (LPS)
My question is what other fish can I put in and not be overstocked? Other possible additions (obviously not all) I was thinking of involved the following:
1 of the following:
Green Clown Goby (Gobiodon atrangulatus)
Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas)
Flametail Blenny (Atrosalarias sp.)
Bicolor Blenny (Ecsenius bicolor)
Red Scooter Blenny (Synchiropus stellatus)
Firefish Goby (Nemateleotris magnifica)
Starry Blenny (Salarias ramosus)
Horned Blenny (Parablennius sp.)
Blue Tuxedo Urchin (Mespilia globulus)
1 of the following:
Yellow Knobby Cucumber (Colochirus robustus)
Velvet Nudibranch (Chelidonura varians)
Sea Hare (Aplysia punctata)
Lettuce Nudibranch (Tridachia crispata)
Tiger Tail Cucumber (Holothuria hilla)
Psychedelic Mandarinfish (Synchiropus picturatus)
1 of the following:
Blue Head Fairy Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura
Six Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon bipartitus)
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse, Male (Paracheilinus mccoskeri)
Banggai Cardinal (Pterapogon kauderni)
Yellow Stripe Clingfish (Diademichthys lineatus)
Flame Hawkfish (Neocirrhitus armatus)
Which of the Gobies/Blennies will not get along with my Red-Spotted Blenny? Could I possibly try to get another red-spotted blenny of the opposite sex and make a pair?
Will the Tuxedo Urchin take up that much space? Will he knock over a lot of LR? Could he damage corals?
Are any of the nudibranchs/cucumbers I listed safe for the reef? Do any of them release toxins into the tank when stressed or dying like sea apples?
Could the Mandarinfish get bothered by one of the gobies I listed, or my red-spotted blenny?
Are even any of those wrasses not okay for a peaceful hex tank of my size?
How aggressive do Flame Hawkfish get in a reef environment with many of the other organisms I have listed?
Sorry, I know it’s a long list…there’s just a lot of great-looking fish/inverts out there, and not much info on direct compatability.
Cycling
Also, as a final question, I recently realized that a piece of skinny plate live rock would go perfect as a shelf in the tank, but I am worried about it cycling the tank when I already have fish in there (and soon to have clowns). Are there any tips or ways I could minimize the effect of adding a new piece of live rock into the tank? It would only be 1 piece of rock.
My params have been stable for a long time now
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 0 ppm
Ammonia: 0-0.1 ppm
Salinity: 1.025
And my temp swings from 77 at its lowest (at night) to about 81 at its highest (in the day). Also, should I be running my actinic lights at the same time as my MH? Or can I only them on an hour before and for an hour after my MHs? Also, I have a black light for nighttime. Any fish/corals/inverts that look cool under black lights?
Thanks so much for the help.
-Aaron
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