Stocking Ideas for SPS/LPS Tank

[Itchy Trigger]

Tank is 90g. Been running a little over a year. Many well developed LPS, and a bunch of new SPS frags (doing well after a few weeks). Two AI Hydras for light, two VorTech MP40wQDs for water movement (in addition to the return pump from the sump). Lifereef skimmer. Dosing two part, levels all good...

There are currently no fish in the tank. I've been feeding the corals reef chili and cyclopeeze a few times a week.

I'd like to stock rather lightly, and here are a few fish I like and am considering:

1. Indigo Hamlet
2. Starry Blenny (hoping he'll start noshing on some of the macro algae that keeps cropping up in a few spots)
3. Bristletooth Tang (or possibly a yellow, which I could then move to my 330g FOWLR once he gets big)
4. Longnose Hawkfish
5. Striped Squirrelfish

I don't have to have all of these, and would love to get some suggestions for what else to mix in there. I don't want too many fish in there, but I'd like the tank to have some activity. I know the hamlet and squirrelfish may hide a bit and the hawkfish is kind of likely to just perch in one place... Which is one of the reasons I'm posting here. Perhaps there are better choices for me... Would love to read some suggestions.

 

[TangingOut]

There are a lot of nice wrasses in the halichoeres family. Very cool personalities, active swimmers, and as a bonus a form of pest control.

 

[Daniel62]

I like the smaller tangs as well, you will love the longnose hawkfish. I also really like the midas blenny as well

 

[Itchy Trigger]

Cool idea on the Halichoeres wrasse - will check those out for sure. And yeah, the longnose hawkfish seems like a really cool little fish.

Maybe something like this for stocklist?

1. Indigo Hamlet
2. Bartlett’s Anthias (a single male)
3. Starry Blenny
4. Bristletooth Tang
5. Longnose Hawkfish
6. Some sort of Halichoeres Wrasse

 

[SecretiveFish]

That looks like a good stocking list and some of my thoughts.

1. Indigo Hamlet - I love mine. Hamlets are probably my favorite family of fish.
2. Bartlett's Anthias (a single male)
3. Starry Blenny - These guys are just plain fun. IME, they don't eat macro algae but are great for eating film type algae.
4. Bristletooth Tang - I currently have a Tomini who I like quite a bit. He is active and also eats film algae. You MAY have some fighting with a combtooth blenny and a bristletooth tang. When I had a Kole Tang and a lawnmower blenny in the 150g, the Kole tang would aggressively go after the blenny upon sight. No physical damage was done to the blenny.
5. Longnose Hawkfish - Hawkfish are probably my second favorite family of fish. Mine is fine with snails, hermit crabs, and emerald crabs.
6. Some sort of Halichoeres Wrasse - These guys are beautiful, but some are cleanup crew decimators. It really depends on the fish.

 

[Itchy Trigger]

Thanks, SecretiveFish! Yeah, I figured there might be some friction between the blenny and the tang, but hopefully as in your case, it wouldn't result in any damage. I'll be sure to add the blenny first. If there are problems with the tang, I could always put it in my bigger tank and replace with a foxface.

Of the Halichoeres, I'm liking the look of the Christmas wrasse, and will keep fingers crossed it doesn't kill the beneficial inverts - three hermits and a handful of trochus and nassarius snails.

 

[brett559]

+1 on the halichoeres wrasses. The melanarus wrasse I had was my favorite fish. When our aiptasia came back and I wanted to add some peppermint shrimp, I sold him to another reefer. He was awesome - always hunting, cruising around. He'll rid your tank of little worms, but mine just destroyed every shrimp I had. So if you don't need to keep shrimp there, give one of them a try. Melanarus, Vrolik's, Christmas - all super cool.

I liked my longnose hawk as well. He could just sit there on rock looking around. Very aggressive eater and he never bothered any snails. He did however manage to find the 1/8" space between my lid and the side of my tank and jumped one night. To this day I am amazed that he was able to find a way out. So I was sad to see him go - really fun, cool fish. I prefer longnose to the flame hawk.

I've never kept a starry blenny, but my midas is awesome. Always out swimming around, very active and colorful.

 

[Itchy Trigger]

Cool. Will try one out for sure!