Stocking Questions For First FOWLR

CuttleKid

CuttleKid

New member
I have been an avid reefer since I was 13 but know I want to move onto a bigger system. I love diving and I want to be able to have a piece of reef in my home without the expense of the corals, just focus on the beauty of marine tropicals. My dad and I are the aquarium guys in the house, so with his help we are looking to setup and start a FOWLR tank for Christmas.

I just want to do this right and keep my fish and treat them the same as my other pets. I don't want to overstock the tank, or keep fish that wont coexist peacefully.

Here is a link to the tank we are looking at

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3730+23829&pcatid=23829

I have searched through the threads and I hope I have come up with an acceptable stock list

Here it is

1 Harlequin Tuskfish
1 Large angel (can't decide between a queen angel and an emperor just yet)
1 Bird Wrasse
1 Golden Puffer
1 Zebra Moray
3 Lyretail Anthias


Is this too many fish?
Do any of you see any potential problems in the long run?
How would you stock this tank?

Any thoughts and input would be greatly appreciated.


Thank You
 
We are thinking of getting the 300 gallon.
I think you may have misunderstood me. I am just getting out of reef keeping and this tank is going to be a FOWLR
 
BlueTrig- he doesn't want to do a reef, that is why he is posting in the FOWLR section.

CuttleKid- I'm assuming your looking at the 300DD? Honestly, that stock list looks perfectly fine. On the large angel, go with whatever one you personally like. I like the looks of the emperor but there is something in the queen i like more than the emperor. I like tangs, so if I were to stock that tank i would have 3 yellow tangs, 2 naso tangs, a purple tang, a powder blue and a lieutenant. HTH
 
The shark and ray require a much different tank setup, internally, than a FOWLR. The shark/ray need a softer, finer grain sand and NOT much rockwork that they can bump into/scratch themselves on. The 8 fish you have listed above will all need 'their' own hiding place among the rockwork...the bigger the fish, the bigger the hiding/resting spot will need to be..meaning more rockwork. Could it be done? Yes, but not ideal. Good luck! The 300DD is a wicked tank to see in person....amazing.
 
what are your *must have* fish? we can help you build a compatible stock list around them.

what are the dimensions of the 300? I didn't see the footprint on the link

I think you should start out stocking lightly. I like your original list, not sure if the lyretail anthias would be compatible with that group.

I disagree with palmer373 - naso tang would outgrow the tank, and the other tangs are too many, IMO.

Personally, I like the imperator angel, I have kept them for years, wonderful fish.

The way I'd stock the tank, assuming it is at least 6 feet long:

White spotted filefish, Cantherhines macrocerus my all time favorite fish - the intelligence and looks of a trigger without the mean

One Large angel - emperor, blue face, queen, blue or chrysurus (I like the emperor best)

The angel and the file fish would be the show fish in the tank - tusk too.

queenandfile.jpg


white-spotted-filefish.jpg
- this is what it looks like when in a different mood - colors change quickly

Also, an Australian harlequin tuskfish, one of my other all time favorites

Mimic tang (aka chocolate tang) - beautiful finnage, subtly beautiful as an adult, flashy yellow as a juv. Better behaved than the average tang, and stays moderate sized.

YellowMimic.JPG


zebra moray - I had mine >12 years, just lost him this year. Mr. Magoo was a great fish, never bothered anything that wasn't a crustacean or a mollusk

Puffer - I'm partial to dogface puffers. They stay a reasonable size and are very mellow, nice fish. I used to have a golden (guinea) puffer and found it kind of OCD and a little aggressive.

You can find cool, rare color morphs like Solomon Island dalmation dogface puffer

Dalmation_Puffer.jpg


or a more solid black color morph

239377.jpg


or a yellow color morph

IMG_2313.jpg


If you like a huge, but mellowish puffer, try a stars and stripes

stars_andstripes_pufferfish.jpg


Try wetwebmedia.com for species research. Also any book by Scott Michael, especially Reef Fishes volume 1.
 
Last edited:
we have similar taste in fish, I think. I just sold my 210, I will vicariously enjoy your new set-up. good luck!
 
On the dimensions, I think you meant 72/36/36.5

I have the 150... really cool tank, but you may want to check them out in person if you can. The fit and finish on mine isn't awesome... one of the sheets was applied crooked, so that it sticks out slightly. Also, the hinges on the hood aren't great. Mine rusted out after a year. Just some friendly pointers.

Sounds like a pretty awesome project you've got going.
 
Since the tank is "only" 6' I wouldn't get a ton of the bigger tangs. There is no reason you can't get a few though. I have always really enjoyed the mimic tangs (as Lisa suggested) and they are probably the most mellow acanthurus. You could probably get 2/3 of the following as well: zebrasoma, bristle toothed type, (kole, chevron, etc.) or a pacific blue tang (dory).

Whatever large angel you decide on I would add it last since it will end up being your dominant fish.

The zebra eel is a great choice for a community tank - I really enjoy mine.
 
Can I make one suggestion.. Look at contacting Miracles and getting them to build you a tank. The 300DD has a super low stand and you will not fit crap in it as well as needing to sit on the floor to even see in the tank. Miracles built me the same size tank with and entire right side external overflow (so you can do a beananimal drain), 2 sides starfire, and best of all a 38 inch (I think its 38 off the top of my head) high stand. I have tons of room inside the sump area and i love the tank. All for about the same money.

I will never buy a non-wide tank again. The 36" width makes the tank awesome
 
Like mentioned..... for the money I think you could get something better for the same or possibly less money. IF you have the room I highly suggest getting a 8 ft tank, 8x3x2.5 tall would make the fish a lot happeir with the extra 2ft of length. For a little more you could get a 10ft tank.... the 12 footers go way up in price :(

Angel- if you go a bit bigger you could have multiple lg angels. I had a emperor & queen for years in a old 150g (co-worker killed tank on vacation) & they were both 10-12in long, zero issues. Also had a pair in a 260g with no issues..... purchased a sohal tang which carried flukes & neither angel made it through the meds. If I had to choose 1... not sure which way I would go, the jaw popping of emperors is so cool sounding.... but they both look awesom!!!

Eel... zebra moray is also what I would do. awesome colors.... personality etc.....

puffer ... I like the ugly ones the best, porcupine's & spiny box however they seem to get picked on by the big angels. I had a mappa for a few months who was really cool, but my angels kept him away from the food. Also.... a local shop had a amazing 12+in blue/queen hybrid, he had his jaw accidentally removed when he was going after the same food a 12+in puffer was going after. Not a pretty sight :(

Do go as big as you can..... it's totally worth it in the long run! I also think you can add a few tangs, Naso-yellow-hep-powder blue/brown or achilles- & a few others would work.
 
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