Stocking Ideas 220 Gallon Mixed

[brianbrainstein]

Hey everybody, this is my first saltwater aquarium and I'm about 3 months in. I have a 220 gallon tank and a sump filled with 30 gallons of water. I'm really excited about the jump to a mixed reef tank from my cichlid tank. Here is an iPhone picture:

I started the tank by moving 150lbs of established reef rock in and 50lbs of base, so I didn't see much of a cycle. Water parameters are as follows with no significant trends over the past two months: Nitrates 2.5 ppm, Phosphates 0, pH 8.4 (API kit so it may be +-.2), Alk 9, Calcium 440, Mg 1300.

Current livestock:
1m3f lyretail anthias
Extreme Black Ice Clown
Foxface
Sailfin Tang
Mellenarus Wrasse
Yellow Flanked Fairy Wrasse
Pink Spotted Watchman Goby
Gold Head Sleeper Goby

Coral:
Frogspawn
Hammer
Acans
Kenya Tree
Star polyp
Assorted mushrooms
Unknown leather from a rock
Toadstool leather
Goniopora

Various inverts in the cleanup crew.

The tank is huge and I have some room to add more friends. What do you all think?

Some of my fish prospects are: kole tang, regal tang, blonde naso tang, flasher Wrasse (can I have more than one? Maybe a harem or multiple males of different kinds?), other anthias (are there other groups of anthias that would get along with my lyretails, or should I just get more females if I want to expand the group?), potentially a shoal of chromis (I don't care much for the green chromis, but I do like the sunsets), royal gramma.

Obviously not all of the above, but tell me what you think. I love my anthias and my Wrasse, but don't want to over do it on these species.

As for corals, I'm thinking about adding some zoas soon. I like the soft corals better for now-something about watching them sway. The coral will be a long journey to fill the tank.


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[timnem70]

Whoa, slow it down. That's a lot of livestock for a 3 month old tank. Wait a few more month's for the inevitable algael blooms and other issues. Your parameters are really good but that's a ton of money man to roll the dice like that. Anyone else think so or am I crazy?

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[brianbrainstein]

Whoa, slow it down. That's a lot of livestock for a 3 month old tank. Wait a few more month's for the inevitable algael blooms and other issues. Your parameters are really good but that's a ton of money man to roll the dice like that. Anyone else think so or am I crazy?

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Also likely sound advice. I did go through one algae bloom which was not a fun time. I wasn't running DI on my RO system which I think caused it. All and any feedback is accepted, including the logic of slowing down.


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[timnem70]

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[timnem70]

It looks great. Must be doing something right

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[scooter31707]

Tank looks good. My advice, avoid the Regal and Naso Tang, as they require a 8ft tank. Kole Tang and a Mimic Tang would be a great addition to the Sailfin, if he always anymore tangs. They can be very aggressive with other Tangs. I would look more at the Flasher Wrasses and maybe a Midas Blenny. Also Chromis are known to kill each other off, until there is 1 left.

 

[RedStangGA]

If this helps, this is my planned stock list for my 220. Hopefully you'll get some ideas. Sorry for the formatting. Copy and pasted from excel.

Percula Clownfish Amphiprion percula 2
Orange Back Fairy Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis 1
Exquisit Fairy Cirrhilabrus exquisitus 1
Labout's Fairy Cirrhilabrus laboutei 1
GoldenRhomboidalis Fairy Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis 1
Girdled Fairy Cirrhilabrus balteatus 1
McCosker's Flasher Paracheilinus mccoskeri 1
Carpenter's Flasher Paracheilinus carpenteri 1
Radiant Wrasse Halichoeres iridis 1
Yellow Coris Halichoeres chrysus 1
Red-lined Wrasse Halichoeres biocellatus 1
Leopard Wrasse Macropharyngodon meleagris 1
Potter's Angelfish Centropyge potteri 1
Tail Spot Blenny Ecsenius stigmatura 1
Engineer Goby Pholidichthys leucotaenia 1
Lyretail Anthias Pseudanthias squamipinnis 6
Carberryi Anthias Nemanthias carberryi 4
Exquisite Firefish Nemateleotris exquisita 1
Pajama Cardinal Fish Sphaeramia nematoptera 3
Purple Tang Zebrasoma xanthurum 2

 

[brianbrainstein]

If this helps, this is my planned stock list for my 220. Hopefully you'll get some ideas. Sorry for the formatting. Copy and pasted from excel.



Percula Clownfish Amphiprion percula 2

Orange Back Fairy Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis1

Exquisit Fairy Cirrhilabrus exquisitus1

Labout's Fairy Cirrhilabrus laboutei 1

GoldenRhomboidalis FairyCirrhilabrus rhomboidalis1

Girdled Fairy Cirrhilabrus balteatus 1

McCosker's Flasher Paracheilinus mccoskeri1

Carpenter's Flasher Paracheilinus carpenteri1

Radiant Wrasse Halichoeres iridis 1

Yellow Coris Halichoeres chrysus 1

Red-lined Wrasse Halichoeres biocellatus1

Leopard Wrasse Macropharyngodon meleagris1

Potter's Angelfish Centropyge potteri 1

Tail Spot Blenny Ecsenius stigmatura 1

Engineer Goby Pholidichthys leucotaenia1

Lyretail Anthias Pseudanthias squamipinnis6

Carberryi Anthias Nemanthias carberryi 4

Exquisite Firefish Nemateleotris exquisita1

Pajama Cardinal Fish Sphaeramia nematoptera3

Purple Tang Zebrasoma xanthurum2

Very nice list. Do you see an issue with keeping multiple flashers? Or do they generally ignore each other in a large tank?


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[anthonys51]

i have 2 flashers and 2 fairies in a 265. they all get along. so shouldn't be an issue. they might dance with each other once in a while, but nothing serious

 

[RedStangGA]

Very nice list. Do you see an issue with keeping multiple flashers? Or do they generally ignore each other in a large tank?


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I chose my list carefully, or at least I tried lol! I was looking primarily for peaceful, or at least not outright aggressive, fish. None of those should be an issue together and might actually help them keep their color or encourage them to display a little as Anthony pointed out.

 

[anthonys51]

oh in case you didnt know if you have wrasses you will need a cover for your tank. they will jump

 

[RedStangGA]

oh in case you didnt know if you have wrasses you will need a cover for your tank. they will jump

Very true. My orange back is hitting my cover all the time.

 

[brianbrainstein]

I have a glass too, so I'm not worried about the jumping. I didn't know that wrasse were so compatible with each other. That's good news, I really enjoy the two I have now.


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[mattgumaer]

With things like more anthias and tangs, they may become harder to add over time. Once the existing tang and anthias decide what is their territory, they may kill new additions. If you're thinking about more tangs or anthias, you may not want to wait too long to add them.

Matt

 

[brianbrainstein]

I've decided against adding more anthias, I think 4 is enough [emoji3]

I think I'm going to steal from RedStangGAs list of Wrasse, and I went with a Atlantic Blue Tang for my last "big" fish. Thanks for all of the feedback people. I'll post some updated pictures once I get through QT


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