Stocking Suggestions for 120G??

[AlexHamilton]

I am trying to figure out what I will be stocking my 120g with,
I am having a hard time since I've had the aquarium up for two year previously but had it stocked with damsels clowns and invertebrates, and several softies and an anemone.
So I am pretty clueless about the compatibility and care levels of the vast majority of marine fish.
Anyways,

I am trying to have a "busy" aquarium. I want to have a good variety of fish and invertebrates, I am starting with a FOWLR with the exception of an anemone,
Eventually I will work my way to a mixed reef so I want to try to keep mostly reef safe fish. I am not too concerned with care levels as I was pretty successful with my previously setup.

It would be awesome if I could get some stocking lists or good suggestions on fish. All input is welcome!

Thanks!
-Alex

 

[fishhuman]

For a busy aquarium I would aim for some shi'a long fish and a lot of water column fish rather than ground dwelling my stock list for a busy aquarium like this would be

7 anthias( the easiest types to keep are lyretail, Bartlett, and dispar with dispars being the only one that will most likely shoal in a home aquarium)

1 tang( if the 120 is 4 feet long choose from the zebrasoma and ctenochaetus genus and if 6 feet than the smaller acanthurus become an option) my personal choice would be the yellow tang as they are always out and about

1 pair of clownfish

1 foxface rabbitfish

1 dwarf anglefish

1 damsel( choose the less aggresive types like figi damsels)

3 scissor tail dart fish( buy a group that is already a group)

This may be a little bit to many fish

 

[AlexHamilton]

This is a very good list! Thank you! My aquarium is a 48x24x24

That stocking list may be large. But my aquarium is heavily filtered, large protein skimmer, media reactor, filter socks, live sand, live rock etc..
I feel my aquarium could handle this list or something similar.
This give me a good start and something to work off.

 

[hobbzz]

What kind of skimmer?

 

[raulgoron]

1 yellow tang
1 powder blue tang
1 hippo tang
1 sailfin tang
5 green chromes
1 blenny
1 sniffer goby
2 clown fish

 

[pyithar]

1 yellow tang
1 powder blue tang
1 hippo tang
1 sailfin tang
5 green chromes
1 blenny
1 sniffer goby
2 clown fish

too many tangs in this list. powder blue, hippo, sailfin need longer tank. even yellow tang is on the borderline. kole tang, tomini tang will be ok. green chromes will kill each other till only one left. just my opinion though.

 

[kw22]

It is 4x2x2 foot?

If so:

2 bellus angelfish
1 lawnmower Blenny
2 or 3 clown gobies
1 yellow watchman goby
1 carpenters flasher wrasse
2 royal gramma

 

[AlexHamilton]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, this gives me a good list of potential fish to have. I will keep everyone updated and will be posting my tank build here in the next couple of weeks.

 

[kw22]

No problem

Looking forward to seeing how this tank turns out!If it has my stocking of course

 

[shesacharmer]

If you want a busy tank with a lot going on you might want to consider getting fish which don't grow to be quite so large. Look for fish which naturally live at different levels in your tank. Don't worry about pairing the fish. They really don't care about having a mate and if you choose one of each you can have more variety.

Here are some fish for you to consider:

Royal Gramma
Kaudern's Cardinal
PJ Cardinal
Black Axil Chromis
Blue Reef Chromis
Flame Angel (not always reef safe)
One Spot Foxface Rabbitfish
Firefish
Fairy Wrasse
Flasher Wrasse
Sailfin Blennie
Shrimp Goby

These options all get along with one another (no fighting) and they offer a huge diversity in color shape and size. Go to Liveaquaria. com to study the characteristics and their adult sizes as well as care requirements. Mostly, have fun choosing your new fish companions!

 

[fishhuman]

1 yellow tang
1 powder blue tang
1 hippo tang
1 sailfin tang
5 green chromes
1 blenny
1 sniffer goby
2 clown fish

This is bad advice
All of the tangs on this list grow to big for a 48 inch long tank
If you have more than one chromis they will kill each other
And sand SIFTER gobies do not do well in captivity becuase they eat organisms in the sandbed and once those organisms( which are beneficial and process ammonia) are gone it will starve

 

[Jetlinkin]

And sand SIFTER gobies do not do well in captivity becuase they eat organisms in the sandbed and once those organisms( which are beneficial and process ammonia) are gone it will starve

Your joking right? Sifter gobies are a great choice. They are beneficial to the sand bed and will not starve. There is more food in the sand bed then they can eat and I have seen mine eat pe mysis plenty of times when he wants a treat.

 

[hobbzz]

All of these suggestions would require a good skimmer, which you have not eluded to. If you have a coralife superskimmer, that won't cut it. You at least need something along the lines of a reef octopus, bubble magus, jns etc.

That being said I would agree with shesacharmer about the variety. Get fish that occupy all areas of the tank. That will also aid in avoiding aggression. I have always preferred a large number of small fish versus a small number of large fish. I only have three tangs in my 300, but 32 fish total, as an example. I would also look for things you don't see every day. If you look at your tank and see it filled with fish you see in every single tank, you're more likely to get bored with it. I would recommend these:

- Anthias: dispar, ignitus, or resplendent. I don't recommend bartlett because they are very aggressive with each other, and often kill each other off. I also don't recommend lyretail as they rarely hang out together, and the males can be aggressive with females, especially if there are only a few. The aggressiveness can also intimidate more peaceful fish, even though it's not directed towards them. Antias need at least two feeding a day, maybe more to begin with, as their stomachs are very small, and they are very active.
- I would also do a single fathead anthias
- Splendid dottyback. This is one of the least aggressive dottybacks, and are generally not a problem.
- Pair of clowns, not maroons as they are very aggressive
- Small tang or two. Tomini, lavender (my favorite of this type), or something small like that
- Wrasses: Very few reef safe wrasses are aggressive towards other fish. Any flasher would be fine, or multiple ones. Most fairies except pylei and scotts as they are aggressive.
- Flame hawk as long as you don't plan on shrimp
- Midas blenny

 

[3dees]

I have the same tank with mostly softies and a couple of lps.
one spot foxface
banggai cardinal
coral beauty
melanurus wrasse
candy cane wrasse
pair of black clowns
yellow tail damsel
algae blennie
pair of zebra stripped darts
scissortail dart
flame hawkfish
small sixline wrasse, last fish added
so far everything is good.

 

[AlexHamilton]

All of these suggestions would require a good skimmer, which you have not eluded to. If you have a coralife superskimmer, that won't cut it. You at least need something along the lines of a reef octopus, bubble magus, jns etc.

That being said I would agree with shesacharmer about the variety. Get fish that occupy all areas of the tank. That will also aid in avoiding aggression. I have always preferred a large number of small fish versus a small number of large fish. I only have three tangs in my 300, but 32 fish total, as an example. I would also look for things you don't see every day. If you look at your tank and see it filled with fish you see in every single tank, you're more likely to get bored with it. I would recommend these:

- Anthias: dispar, ignitus, or resplendent. I don't recommend bartlett because they are very aggressive with each other, and often kill each other off. I also don't recommend lyretail as they rarely hang out together, and the males can be aggressive with females, especially if there are only a few. The aggressiveness can also intimidate more peaceful fish, even though it's not directed towards them. Antias need at least two feeding a day, maybe more to begin with, as their stomachs are very small, and they are very active.
- I would also do a single fathead anthias
- Splendid dottyback. This is one of the least aggressive dottybacks, and are generally not a problem.
- Pair of clowns, not maroons as they are very aggressive
- Small tang or two. Tomini, lavender (my favorite of this type), or something small like that
- Wrasses: Very few reef safe wrasses are aggressive towards other fish. Any flasher would be fine, or multiple ones. Most fairies except pylei and scotts as they are aggressive.
- Flame hawk as long as you don't plan on shrimp
- Midas blenny

Sorry about that, My skimmer is a reef octopus 150INT I had one previously and loved it. So I bought a brand new one. I still also have the old which works fine.

And thank you for the very detailed list. I have alot to choose from now.
Time to start doing my research.

 

[kw22]

Sand sifting gobies do fine once you feed them like 4-6 times a day....

 

[m0nkie]

here's my list so far... this is list mostly reef safe and clam/invert safe (questionable foxface)

-2 designer clowns
-1 firefish
-1 Yellow watchman goby
-1 mccosker's flasher wrasse
-1 royal gramma
-1 one spot foxface

soon:
-1 fathead anthias
-1 chromis
-1 mandarin (depend on pods population)

 

[hobbzz]

You're welcome. That skimmer will do fine. Advanced Aquarist online did a good article on gobies, including sand sifting ones.

 

[AlexHamilton]

here's my list so far... this is list mostly reef safe and clam/invert safe (questionable foxface)

-2 designer clowns
-1 firefish
-1 Yellow watchman goby
-1 mccosker's flasher wrasse
-1 royal gramma
-1 one spot foxface

soon:
-1 fathead anthias
-1 chromis
-1 mandarin (depend on pods population)

This is a good list, is this what you currently have in your 100g?
Invert safe would be good for me too as I want to have some inverts.

 

[fishhuman]

Your joking right? Sifter gobies are a great choice. They are beneficial to the sand bed and will not starve. There is more food in the sand bed then they can eat and I have seen mine eat pe mysis plenty of times when he wants a treat.

Many different gobies are listed as sand sifters the ones I meant are the sleeper gobies these rarely do well in captivity and DO deplete the sandbed