Stocking suggestions

[Captainfester]

So my 90 mixed reef fish tank is more like a 90 rock and coral tank. Soon it will be time to stock it.

Following most of the stock rules... Size-wise and such what would u put I'm the tank.

Realizing also I'm not looking to sound thousands on fish. I can't seem to make up my mind.

 

[staninct]

I like small, active, colorful fish. Think of your stocking like photography; everything needs to be framed and in good focus. You'll want some fish that hang out on the rockwork (hawkfish, blennies, etc), some bottom dwellers (gobies, blennies, etc) and some fish that swim in and out of the rockwork and hang out in the water column. I had a flame angel that I absolutely adored, it was definitely the first thing people saw when they looked at my tank, but have heard mixed reviews about them nipping. I never had an issue though. With a tank that size, you could do a small group of schooling fish, which is also a cool alternative. Don't go with big fish - they only grow bigger and really pick on smaller fish. Plus you can't have as many as you can small fish! Good luck and post some pics of what you stock it with!

 

[BubbaBoBobBrain]

+1 on the smaller fish. If you want fish you will see all the time get 7 our 8 green chromis, perhaps some firefish. Everyone loves clowns, there is your opportunity for those midnight clowns you were talking about. Mandarin gobies are beautiful small fish. An algae benny will keep your sand bed clean. I have a coral beauty angel in my tank and it has never even taken a second look at my coral. Several different types of anthias you could chose from as long as you aren't afraid to feed them 3-4 times a day. Royal gramma and bicolor pseudochromis are nice, although you already have a pseudo. Good luck with stocking the tank, and be sure to post some pics when its ready.

 

[Captainfester]

yes bob im thinking...

3 firefish. i love them
midnight or stormtrooper clown pair... hopefully breeding one day
flame angel
watchmen goby as the pistol shrimp is already in the tank.
royal gramma
might be moving the algae blenny from the nanocube to the 90 gallon
also i like the bangai cardinals so probably a pair.


i like the chromis but my wife finds them boring. she wants a powder brown but im staying away from tangs all together

 

[BubbaBoBobBrain]

I like the goby and shrimp combo myself. Good luck brotha let me know how out goes.

 

[Reefir]

try to find fish with a purpose , algea grazers , pest eater . etc , something to help you do chores , if only you can find dogs and cats that will do chores for u when ur not home , haha . i wouldnt put a yellow tang or similar because it cleans algea . you need a bigger tank for fish like that .:twitch:

 

[erbgo]

I have a yellow tang in a 56 it is just fine

 

[Pallobi]

I have a yellow tang in a 56 it is just fine

"just fine" is a very open ended term, if thats the proper way to say it... of course i am NOT saying you dont take care of him, or he wont survive in there... and granted, I keep a purple tang in a 75g, and though he is very healthy, strong and his body is extremely well colored, fat and flawless, to say he is fine in my 75 is jus silly, he is clearly cramped and unable to do his thing... these fish really need to be able to "stretch their legs" and swim over a reasonable distance... I am working on getting him a new home as soon as i can, which is to get my 180 up and running in the near future... him and the much smaller purple tang, that is in the 65g fowlr/fuge i have as well... by absolutely no means would i say my tangs are "fine"... they are definately not fine, in a 3 or 4 foot tank, let alone the 2' tanks they came from... but for the moment, its an improvement from the conditions they were both in...

 

[erbgo]

well Neal if you think about it no fish wants to be in a box they would all rather have room to run Tangs are no different than any other fish so when I say just fine it is just about as good as any caged animal can be

 

[Pallobi]

well Neal if you think about it no fish wants to be in a box they would all rather have room to run Tangs are no different than any other fish so when I say just fine it is just about as good as any caged animal can be

I absolutely agree... this hobby has quite the degree of selfishness on all of our's part... ideally, they should all be left in the ocean, but our own desires, have made that basically an impossiblity... all we can do at this point, is take the best care of them we can, and strive for them to thrive, and not jus survive...

as I always say, though folks dont always see eye to eye on everything, there is one thing we all have in common, and its a LOVE for this great, albeit selfish, hobby...

 

[Reefir]

not a good pic but this was my fish selection .

<a href="http://s953.photobucket.com/albums/ae18/Reefir/Snapbucket/?action=view&current=5b6adda8-a59b-4428-bf69-3755c3beb569.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae18/Reefir/Snapbucket/5b6adda8-a59b-4428-bf69-3755c3beb569.jpg" border="0" alt="Snapbucket"></a>

 

[erbgo]

nice and all out and about congrats

 

[Pallobi]

not a good pic but this was my fish selection .

<a href="http://s953.photobucket.com/albums/ae18/Reefir/Snapbucket/?action=view&current=5b6adda8-a59b-4428-bf69-3755c3beb569.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae18/Reefir/Snapbucket/5b6adda8-a59b-4428-bf69-3755c3beb569.jpg" border="0" alt="Snapbucket"></a>

i dont think thats a bad pic at all bud... very nice shot... fish look great!

 

[tyler91913]

I've got the exact same crew, minus the royal gramma. I'll be looking for a new home for the hippo tang soon--he came with the tank when I bought it this summer.

not a good pic but this was my fish selection .

<a href="http://s953.photobucket.com/albums/ae18/Reefir/Snapbucket/?action=view&current=5b6adda8-a59b-4428-bf69-3755c3beb569.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae18/Reefir/Snapbucket/5b6adda8-a59b-4428-bf69-3755c3beb569.jpg" border="0" alt="Snapbucket"></a>

 

[renogaw]

royal gramma: shrimp and crustacean eaters (plus, i've never gotten one to survive through quarantine)

clowns: get something that won't be too aggressive, add at the same time though

yellow watchman goby was a great fish, or a pink/blue spotted goby was a GREAT colorful fish but a little aggressive

six line wrasse, keeps the pod population down though

kole tang (was a little crowded, but i "rescued" it and it was always great, but needed more swimming room) was great for eating the glass algae. can substitute with a tomani since they stay smaller and love algae.

Yellow tailed blue damsel. Absolutely awesome fish. Add last, and it swam with the tang, no aggression, beautiful fish.

coral beauty. mine never nipped, but there are reports of them doing so (since, like the fire angel they are angels...)

and, since you shouldn't be adding all these fish at the same time, and should be quarantining each new fish for over 3 weeks to avoid ICH in your system, you can spread the purchases over the next few months

 

[Marc11]

I have been paying very close attention to this thread. I also am thinking about adding fish to my 90 reef tank. I currently have a pair of clowns, cleaner shrimp, and psychedelic mandarin. However, i do not have a quarantine tank. Just added the clowns and mandarin and had no problems. Any suggestions on both what to add and how to add it. My 4 concerns are to keep pod numbers high for mandarine, no nipping on corals from any new fish, to add some color (fish) to the tank, and not to harm or kill any fish in the process.