Stocking list

[jmsilhy]

I want to confirm if this is a sound plan or I should consider any changes:

Main display is a Planet 48x20x21 (85 g) plus a trigger 36 sump.

First part of CUC is in main tank already, some scarlet hermits, a few blue legged ones. Assorted snails (Nassarius, turbos and cerith), one tiger conch and one white sand starfish. I have a CBS that I'm going to rehome soon.

Plenty of hiding places in rocks, close to 80 lb of live rock in dt. Aragonite sand (coarse) 1-3 inches deep.

Only fish in there now are a couple of clowns (tank bred) and a yellow watchman goby. Couple of mushrooms too.

My goal is to have a softie and lps system with some zoas, shrooms, a hammer, a torch, and overall easy corals.

My qt has a spotted yellow eye tang (Ctenochaetus truncatus) starting qt period. I want to add a friend for him because he seems nervous, I was thinking of a royal gramma any potential issues on this?

After that, my wishlist is:
A blenny (bicolor or Orange spotted)
One McCosker's flasher wrasse (Paracheilinus mccoskeri)
Maybe after a few months a mandarin.
Flame angel last in.

Any opinions welcome, I'm looking for some interesting activity and good colorful options.

Thanks!!

 

[jmsilhy]

Just a quick update for anyone interested, I added the Royal Gramma to the QT and it's been great so far, he and the tang now seem to be best buddies, and they're swimming together and look calmer and eating well. Also keeping the room lights (no tank light) down helped.

Any comments on the rest of my list? (As reminder:
A blenny (bicolor or Orange spotted)
One McCosker’s flasher wrasse (Paracheilinus mccoskeri)
Maybe after a few months a mandarin.
Flame angel last in.)

Thanks!

 

[Sk8r]

I'd also recommend the starry blenny (changes coat pattern (black-white brown with specklesm) almost as fast a cuttlefish. Very personable but requires glass film algae and some algae on rocks. The tailspot, funny face, brown, orange stripe, very cute. About 1.5" long. I've never dealt with the bicolor or orange spotted. Butcombtoohh blennies are obsessed with noshing on rock and occasionally hiding in the shadow of rock or coral, and living peacably. I have had both starry and tailspot simultaneousl: dunno how they'd get along with the lawnmower blenny, which is 4" and pushy. Fangtoothed blennies can harass fish, and I don't know which are bad, but the yellow one is quite popular and I have heard no negatives about it.

 

[MondoBongo]

heads up about the algae blenny, they might not play well with your kole tang. i had a yellow eyed kole for a while, and a lawnmower blenny. the kole was a sweetheart to everyone but that blenny.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

I don't recommend a mandarin, unless you are prepared to accommodate their long-term feeding needs, which are very challenging. The order of introduction is important for community harmony. Ideally, the smallest, least aggressive fish go in first, which would be the blenny and wrasse. Now you'll have to see IF the tang and the gramma will be cool to the newcomers. Because the gramma is similar in size, shape and diet to the wrasse, you could have issues there.

I agree the flame angel should go in last. Also, I applaud your making a fish list!

It seems like there will be room for a few more fish. Adding a couple more grammas would give you a mini-harem. I've kept a harem of seven in a 180. Very entertaining to watch their natural, spawning behaviors. Plus they get so caught up in each other, they tend to leave others alone. Maybe a male-female pair of the flashers would work as well. You'd definitely get more flashing behavior.

 

[jmsilhy]

Thanks for the replies! I'm also very open to other suggestions, maybe I'm missing some other kind of fish that could go well.

Michael, I can slip in the wrasse/s (1-2) before the tang/gramma if I leave those two in the QT and do TTM to the wrasses. Would this be better for harmony?

And I'll research a lot about the mandarin before deciding, I had heard the complexity of feeding them in the past, but I though a well established tank with pods and stuff would suffice. That's the reason I would wait months if not longer for that one.

Thanks!

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Yes, that would help to get the flasher in before the tang and gramma. Good thinking! Giving your tank a year to mature would help with the mandarin for sure.

 

[jmsilhy]

Do you think a Sunburst Anthias would be fine in this tank too? I still have the tang and gramma in QT, haven't been able to get the wrasse pair (and a good lid) yet, so I thought I'd go ahead with ttm a tailspot blenny and the sunburst that I can get.

Thanks!

 

[Michael Hoaster]

I have no idea on the anthias. I've never had any luck with any anthias. Has anyone?

 

[Zionas]

x1 Bicolor Blenny

x1 Squaretail Bristletooth Tang

x1 Royal Gramma

x1 McCosker’s Flasher Wrasse

x1 Flame Angelfish

x2 Ocellaris Clownfish

x1 Small Halichoeres species (Yellow Wrasse, Melanurus etc.- I heard yellows are the safest with inverts)

x1 another smaller Fairy or Flasher Wrasse


Or you could do a couple of Pajama / Yellow Striped Cardinals if you don’t mind a very static fish.

You could even fit in something like a Marine Betta if you have the patience to feed it.

If you’re willing to risk corals somewhat, maybe even a relatively reef safe butterfly from the Roaps subgenus. They’re expensive though. I’m talking about the Mitratus, Declivis, Tinker’s, and Burgess. They all get to 5-6”.

 

[jmsilhy]

Thanks guys. Due to availability right now I have in ttm a purple firefish and a carpenter wrasse. I want to put those in before the tang/royal and afterwards the flame. I'm still trying to get a tailspot because one of my kids loves it, and I believe all of these are pacific as long as the flame goes in last, correct?