Stocking question for 2 tanks, different goal

[Magik]

Hello,

I am getting back to the hobby, have 2 RSM 250 (65 gallons), with somewhat different goals:

1. First, I have RBT + pair of clowns, couple corals, a clam. It is better positioned to observe corals and small fish, so I want to add fire fish there, an ornamental shrimp (or a pair), lawnmower/algae blenny, couple other small/mice to watch fish? I wonder if Kole/bristle tooth tang will be ok? substrate is gravel.

2. Second, pure "for fun/kids" tank. I have some low maintenance softies there and made a mistake of setting it up near to the Southern window - it always gets some algae . Currently, softies and an urchin, that surprisingly is doing a decent job of algae control. I was thinking here fish I would not put in my display tank, but would love otherwise: diamond goby (great personality, but my last one kept doing "sand storms" and irritated corals). I was also thinking a jawfish - is it possible to have a diamond goby & a jawfish in 65G? I was also thinking a small snow flake eel and maybe flame hawkfish? would not like eel in my "clean coral" tank, since they poop too much. Would eel swallow/bully jawfish or diamond gobby? I would do deep sand bed in this tank, or at least 3" for either diamond goby or jawfish. I know hawkfish would be a bad idea with shrimps - but with jawfish or diamond goby?

I am also planning in the future - about 1h from now - to combine my tanks into ~650L and keep one 65G as a quarantine. In a combined tank, which would be about ~170G - can I have sand bed and gravel bed areas? Any chance that "dilution" would solve some incompatibility problems?

TLDR: I have 2 x 65 gallon tanks and have/would like to have:

Tank 1 (clean coral tank with more demanding corals and small fish, focus: cleanliness/look)

2 occ clowns
1 firefish (will add)
1 lawnmower blenny (will add)
? 1 small Kole/bristle tooth tang (thinking about)
? midas blenny or a colorful goby (thinking about)

Have also RBTA, clam and some corals there, will add more LPS and couple very easy SPS

Tank 2 (softie tank with interesting to watch fish)

Currently just urchin, keeping LR clean

Thinking

1 diamond goby and/or yellowhead jawfish (will at >3" sand bed, 5-6" on one side, plus substrate for jaw fish to build its den)

1 flame hawk

1 small tang? (Kole/bristletooh)
Maybe 1 small snowflake eel?
Banggai pair ?

Also will I ever be able to combine these tanks?

 

[MondoBongo]

bristletooth tangs don't mix well with lawnmower blennies. mine would chase my poor lawnmower any time he caught him out in the open.

 

[Oldreeferman]

You can cover the window glass with metallic film that allows you to see thu out but not in & it would stop the Suns rays from penetrating & causing algae and it can be easily removed at anytime later. Its the hi grade product used on autos comes in a roll at the local auto parts stores.

 

[Magik]

bristletooth tangs don't mix well with lawnmower blennies. mine would chase my poor lawnmower any time he caught him out in the open.

Good to know. What tangs that can be kept as juveniles in 70G are not likely to bother a lawnmower? In the past, I had once a large lawnmower and a baby yellow tang, and they got along very well, but now with Hawaii ban yellowtangs are difficult to get.

 

[Magik]

You can cover the window glass with metallic film that allows you to see thu out but not in & it would stop the Suns rays from penetrating & causing algae and it can be easily removed at anytime later. Its the hi grade product used on autos comes in a roll at the local auto parts stores.

Thanks! It never occured to me that I can do anything other than move the tank to other position. I am leaning toward combining these two DT into one bigger and further from the windows, but in 1-2 years time and there is a lot of clean up to do in the tanks in the mean time

 

[MondoBongo]

Good to know. What tangs that can be kept as juveniles in 70G are not likely to bother a lawnmower? In the past, I had once a large lawnmower and a baby yellow tang, and they got along very well, but now with Hawaii ban yellowtangs are difficult to get.

my honest opinion? i wouldn't keep a tang in a tank that small. just doesn't work well for them.

even when i had my 160 setup, my yellow tang made short work of the 6ft sprint from one side to the other.

 

[Sk8r]

No for the jawfish and diamond goby. it would not be a happy tank.

 

[Magik]

No for the jawfish and diamond goby. it would not be a happy tank.

Why not? I was not planning to add both, just one (depending on what LFS has).

 

[Sk8r]

THe jawfish depends on having a stable sandbed for its one permanent (semi) burrow. A diamond goby doesn;t so much tunnel or burrow as grab mouthfuls and spit them everywhere. The jawfish would fight to protect its home.