Stocking Suggestions : New 600+ Gallon System (Acrylic Safe)

[nuxx]

Well it's been over 3 years chasing a big tank, and I'm finally going to start filling up mine this week.

Already did a 2 week water test on the tank, plumbing, etc...

The tank is roughly 470 gallons (120x29x31") with a roughly 200 gallon 8 foot sump. Wanting to set up a mixed reef.

I have about 500 lbs of Marco Rock that was acid washed and has been curing at a macro farm for about 5 months. Should have pods and a little color now.

After the initial cycle, I'll probably add the CUC and start QTing the first fish to go in.

Here is my initial idea of a clean up crew, could you guys suggest what number of each I should get, if I should avoid any (not reef safe, NOT ACRYLIC SAFE, etc...) and any others I should add?

Clean Up Crew:
Nassarius Snails (Nassarius sp.)
Emerald Crabs (Mithraculus sculptus)
Mexican Turbo Snails (Turbo fluctuosa)
Sand Sifting Sea Stars (Astropecten polycanthus)
Serpent Sea Stars, Fancy Red (Ophiomyxa australis)
Linckia Sea Stars, Blue (Linckia laevigata)
Sea Cucumbers (Holothuria sp.)
Porcelain Crabs (Petrolisthes galathinus)

As for fish I'm not really sure what I want beside some showpiece fish. Would love to hear your suggestions about what I left off and what would make a great reef safe(ish) addition

First in the tank after QT to make sure everything is safe for other fish:
Spotted Cardinalfish (x2) (Sphaeramia nematoptera)

After those I'll move my existing livestock and QT two more tangs in their own QT tank:
Black Ice Clown (Existing)
Yellow Tang (Existing)
Yellow Bellied Blue Tang (Existing)
Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)
Black Tang (Zebrasoma rostratum)

At some near point after I'll add a:
Chevron Tang (Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis)

Near the end of my stocking I'd like to add:
Crosshatch Trigger (x2) (Xanthichthys mento)

At the very end I'll add the following at the same time:
Achilles Goldrim Tang Hybrid (Acanthurus Achilles)
Achilles Tang (Acanthurus achilles)
Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal)

I know the Sohal is iffy... but I've spoke to a few people with larger tanks that have kept a few Sohals and have had no issues with them. Just as risky adding a Purple, Powder Blue, etc... IMO

Other fish I'd like to add, but in no order:
Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon meleagris)
Christmas Wrasse (Halichoeres Claudia)
Hoeven's Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus)
Potter's Angelfish (Centropyge potteri)
Anthias (x3)
Red Mandarin (Synchiropus cf. splendidus)
Lawnmower Blenny (Salarias fasciatus)
Misc ORA Clownfish (x2)
Sleeper Head Goby (Valenciennea)

What do you guys think?
What am I missing?
Great additions I haven't thought of?

Thanks so much :love1:

 

[dave.m]

I would definitely add conchs to the clean-up crew. They are amazing at controlling algae and detritus, and they're too weird looking not to be considered a major source of entertainment.

And three anthias is not going to cut it. Plan on nine or ten to make an effective display. You have room for them in 470 gallons.

Dave.M

 

[nuxx]

I would definitely add conchs to the clean-up crew. They are amazing at controlling algae and detritus, and they're too weird looking not to be considered a major source of entertainment.

And three anthias is not going to cut it. Plan on nine or ten to make an effective display. You have room for them in 470 gallons.

Dave.M

Thanks Dave

Will Conchs be safe with Acrylic? Which variety would you suggest?

Yeah I think I had this list from my 240 >:0

3 wouldn't really make sense. Would you buy different varieties of Anthias?

BTW: Just moved the tank back into place and re-leveled, will start filling tomorrow

 

[dave.m]

Sometimes they're called tiger sand conchs and sometimes fighting conchs. As far as I know they're all peaceful despite the dopey names people give them.

As for anthias, that is very much up to you. I personally prefer a group as they will shoal. If getting a shoal get all young females. The toughest will turn into a male and browbeat the rest to stay female. If you get more than one male be prepared for bodies floating about the tank next morning.

Dave.M

 

[sfsuphysics]

For me fish selection is a bit of a personal affair, what one person likes another might not. Also budget might differ from one to the other. For instance no way I would go with a black tang, too expensive for my tastes plus it always reminds me a scopas tang yeah they're all in the same sub group of tangs and a scopas is significantly lighter but still the colors don't really draw me towards it plus I like vibrant colored fish not dark shadows, my purple tang likes to sit right at the back of the tank next to the overflow under a rock overhang and it's almost invisible except for the yellow tail. Also the yellow tang would make me worry about getting a black tang, I've heard a fair share of horror stories about the $500 yellow tang and the like, would hate to find a beat up black or purple tang at the hands of a much "cheaper" fish. I currently have a yellow and purple in separate tanks getting ready to go to a larger one and I'm really dreading that moment. The chevron is a much more mellow fish too, so I'd probably put that guy in first over the other tangs listed if possible, and you couldn't pay me to put a Sohal in my tank

As for other fish, anthias are nice, I'm a fan of the lyretail variant, get a half dozen or so females that are super bright orange with blue eyes, and one of them will turn a stunning deep red color eventually. There's a few nice cardinal fish I wouldn't mind having a small group of. Don't know why but a Midas blenny is always on my list of fish to have. If you plan on having a lid/top/net to the tank having a handful of female flasher wrasses with a single male could be a fun thing to have.

Cleanup crew I'm also a picky person on. I don't think you should add a clean up crew until you have stuff that needs to be cleaned up. Otherwise you'll have a clean up crew all fighting for similar food non-existent food sources, a bunch will die and then you may need a clean up crew to deal with that Presuming sand bed by the list you have, I would probably not go with a sand sifting star, the nassarius a sea cucumbers should be more than sufficient for the sand bed. I wouldn't put linckia in a "clean up crew" either, if you want a pretty colored starfish sure, but I don't know if I'd classify it as "clean up", ditto to a lesser extend with serpent stars. I'm not a big fan of crabs at all for any clean up crew, they tend to be opportunistic predators, yeah they might eat algae one day, if they get some left over food they'll eat it, if there's a small fish it can capture, dinner time.

 

[nuxx]

Well put Mike

Fish like Gem Tangs are out of the budget for me. I'm willing to try a Black. Hopefully putting the Yellow, Purple and Black in together and at smaller sizes will help with any aggression.

Starting to think a school of Anthias will be nice.

What's a good number of Cardinals to put in? Wife was asking if 3 would be good.

I'll look more into a small group of Flashers as well.

I'll wait to see some signs of CUC before tossing them in. What are your thoughts about QT for CUC?

Yes Stars are more for looks

 

[sfsuphysics]

Cardinals... eh... well I would go with more than 2 personally, this isn't a 37 gallon all in one cube you're putting them in. And I hate to say mimic nature other wise...

As a QT of the CUC, I probably wouldn't, while yeah it is possible for some cross contamination of pathogens, but if you stick them in a QT you're basically going to starve them (most QTs don't have much in the way of "dirty stuff" that they like to eat).

 

[nuxx]

Cardinals... eh... well I would go with more than 2 personally, this isn't a 37 gallon all in one cube you're putting them in. And I hate to say mimic nature other wise...



As a QT of the CUC, I probably wouldn't, while yeah it is possible for some cross contamination of pathogens, but if you stick them in a QT you're basically going to starve them (most QTs don't have much in the way of "dirty stuff" that they like to eat).

HAHAHA... yeah I think that might be a little bit much

Do you know if they have issues with pairing/male-females etc...?

Never thought of a CUC like that in regards to QT. That makes perfect sense

 

[sfsuphysics]

Don't know about the male/female bit, perhaps ask in the fish subforum?