Stocking list, what order to add?

[ladyshark]

I have a 125 gal reef tank which will be LPS and mushrooms--right now its mostly sponge and mushrooms, with inverts, incluidng CUC, serpent stars and rock flower nems--I got the LR from tampa bay saltwater, and I hear frequent clicking, so suspect there is at least one mantis shrimp, which I have not spotted yet.

I plan to add small colorful reef safe fish, but I want to avoid shy fish that hide a lot.

Damsels--multiple, such as blue sapphire, rollands, two-stripe, starcki, tracey's -- not sure about how or if to mix these

Flame Hawkfish

Sixline Wrasse

I have a small blue tang that I will be moving from my FO tank.

My question is, what order do I add these? I have read that the six line should be added last, but the damsels are also aggressive, so would like some input--or are these fish too aggresive to be together?

Thanks for your thoughts

 

[ladyshark]

Change of possible list

Forget the hawkfish

add pseudochromis and dottyback

 

[hobbzz]

Personally I would never add any damsels to any tank, unless they were in a fish only with much larger aggressive fish like angels. Is this your total list or are you still deciding on things you haven't listed yet?

 

[Dmorty217]

I would leave damsels out of the tank too, they will get very aggressive with age and size. Look at anthias and a dwarf angel or two if colorful is what you are after. The sixline needs to be added last along with your "small blue tang" (not sure what species)

 

[ladyshark]

I think you two are right, I may be asking for trouble with aggression.

I am looking for color and activity, and safety for my inverts.

So, will research anthias and reef safe wrasses.

Thanks for your input

 

[hobbzz]

Lyretail, dispar, and Bartletts are popular. Although Bartletts usually turn against each other. I have 7 lyretail and 3 dispar. If I would have known the dispar were so much more colorful than they are in pictures, I might have done all dispar. My male lyretail makes my male dispar hide all day and I never see him. The dispar stick together much more than the lyretail do.

Midas blenny is another favorite of mine. Lot of personality. Black combtooth blenny, sunburst anthias, fairy and flasher wrasses. All good choices.

 

[ladyshark]

Would you recommend purchasing 2-3 female and one male, or simply getting a group of females and letting them decide which becomes male (Dispar)

As I read about anthias and reef wrasses, I think these are much better choices.

I know chromis are in the damsel family, but thought about adding some green chromis and blue reef chromis--I have read about how these fight each other, but also that some have had success keeping groups of these

 

[ViktorVaughn]

If you're looking for colorful, active fish for your reef tank, I don't think you can find any that fit the bill better than fairy and flasher wrasses. I have a lubbock's fairy wrasse and carpenter's flasher in my tank that are both very colorful and never stop swimming. They each utilize every square inch of the tank and always swim through narrow gaps in the rockwork and through acropora branches. Super agile and fast swimmers, I would definitely recommend having your tank covered though as I hear mine bouncing off my screen top at least once a week.

 

[hobbzz]

I've had limited success with blue-green chromis. I'm currently down to three and very likely won't be getting any more. With the dispars that would be a personal choice. I had a group of 3 female lyretails, and in a year none of them changed. However I have been told that is not common. So when I get this group, I purchased a male right off the bat. I've actually been contemplating pulling the male lyretail out, hoping the new one might not bother my male dispar...

 

[Dmorty217]

Chromis will slowly kill one another off so I would ditch them too

 

[ladyshark]

Dispar and Ignatus are available from LA but they don't specify male/female. I will call to see if i can order them by gender (either one, one male two female)

Also I have my eye on the McCoskers on LA--looks a lot like Carpenters

You all have persuaded me to go with antias/wrasse mix

 

[ViktorVaughn]

Yeah the McCoskers is awesome, I was actually wanting one but my fish store only had the carpenters. Worked out though because he is one of my favorites now.

 

[dinger28]

Psedochromis are very aggressive imo. Definitely not the damsels and 100% different kinds of wrasses. Eye popping and have great personality!

 

[Dmorty217]

+1^ the dottyback and pseudo are very similar in body shape and appearance. They won't fair well together and they are aggressive once established (all saltwater fish are for the most part) but more so than anthias for sure