Suggestions for adding fish to three reef tanks

[sniceley]

I have some ideas but I would love to hear from some other experienced reefers. I have a maintenance business and a relatively newly acquired client who wants to add more fish to his tank. I finally got the chemistry back stable and the corals all doing well so it is time. There are 3 tanks total, but two systems.

First system

100 gallon extra tall custom reef. Dimensions 36x18x40 or so. Mixed corals with lots of zooanthids, leathers, mushrooms, etc. Current fish stock
Pair of black ocellaris
Six line wrasse
Small foxface
Single large green chromis

My ideas
Another 6-10 green chromis
Small yellow tang
Small kole tang
Goby and shrimp pair
Pair of neon gobies
A few cleaner shrimp
Orchid dotty back

Second system is made of two 4 ft diameter half cylinders both 36 inches deep. Mixture of sps, lps, large leathers, red sea Xenia, with mushrooms, zooanthids, sponges on both sides.

Current stock Section 1
Yellow tang medium
Regal tang medium large
Tassled filefish
Single Jumbo green chromis
Rbta anemone

My ideas
12 jumbo green chromis
Desjardin tang
Orange shoulder tang
Yellow coris wrasse
Royal gramma
Coral banded shrimp pair
Flame angel? Or other centropyge
Pair of clowns (fancy percs or ocellaris or others that will house in rbta)


Current stock section 2
Regal tang medium large
Powder blue medium
Blue eyed kole tang medium
Sailfin tang medium
Proven Pair tassled file fish (didn't try to raise but have laid multiple clutches of viable eggs)
Pair ocellaris clowns
Trio or quad blue headed wrasse (1m:2 or 3f)
6 cardinals (flame or other longer bodied)

My ideas
5 lyretail anthias (1m:4f)
6 blue chromis
Trio of fairy wrasses
Cleaner shrimp (red and skunk)
Sleeper gobies pair
6 PJ cardinals


I would also consider some mixed semi aggressive damsels.

Biggest considerations are that it is a clients tank so I can give feeding instructions but they may not feed as much as anthias need. They had a blotched anthias in the 100 gallon but it died before I reacquired the account, likely from lack of diligent feeding. It was a 3 year captive.

I am ordering these wholesale and will be quarantining them in my newly cycled 200 gallon quarantine system composed of two 40b and six 20 highs. All have along filters and plumbed together with wet dry sump. Set up so I can isolate any single system if needed for medication needs.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[breederforlife]

You ve already done quite a lot of work. Most fish selections are fine but for the first tank be carefull of the sixline it might and probably will harass the dottyback.

And regarding the blue green chromis, i wouldn't add more. In some tanks they just don't get along and after a few months only a few remain. It depends on the fish but otherwise looks good

 

[Marshall O]

For the first system, I would not do the Yellow Tang. Even a Bristletooth Tang is borderline. You essentially have a really tall 40 breeder, which no one would suggest putting a Tang in. Smaller fish that swim in the water column is definitely the way to go in that tank vs. larger fish IMO.

 

[sniceley]

The six line was added to take care of a planaria issue when I first started maintaining the tank. It seems to be pretty peaceful as six lines go so far, but I see your point. I haven't had an orchid in while, but they always seem so happy in dimly lit systems with a more blue/purple spectrum such as this tank.

I haven't had the issues with green chromis like this in the past. There is some attrition over time, but it seems to take years as long as the school is sizable to start with.

I understand the issue with the tang in a small tank. I can always move it when the time comes and replace it with a smaller individual. That client has the three reef tanks, but another client in the same complex has a 6000 gallon fish only that can house anything that outgrows one of the reefs. I like tangs for the constant movement, algae control, and general attractiveness for the clients.

More comments definitely welcome.

 

[Jersh]

Looking through all of the "is a flame angel reef safe" post, I've noticed that the coral they are most likely to eat are zooanthids.

 

[sniceley]

I have reservations about any dwarf angel. Just trying to mix up the colors and add variety. Probably best to leave them out.

 

[Dmorty217]

Skip the chromis, they will slowly kill one another off and there are countless threads on here talking about this. The Desjaradini will fight with any zebrasoma tang that is currently in the tank and vice versa. Also the orange shoulder will get far too big for a tank that is only 4ft long. Look into a swallow tail pair or Bellus pair or harem

 

[fishhuman]

This client all ready has a well stocked tank especially like Marshall pointed out his fist tank is really a tall 40 breeder. But for the second two tanks maybe some anthias or basslets

 

[sniceley]

What about groups of fairy wrasses for the two bigger tanks? I have limited experience with them but seem a good alternative to anthias if my fear is underfeeding. Also my fear was confirmed some with an African cichlid tank at the same clients office. I asked one of the employees to start feeding it once in the morning for me. I noticed they hadn't been growing well compared to others from the same batch I had at my house and figured they may have been under fed. They noticeably grew in one week and the nitrates jumped by 20 where they were typically pretty stable at around 10. So yes, feeding is an issue apparently.

Have a friend raising 4 batches of ocellaris eggs now too. Midnight x black, white x regular, stubby x stubby, and regular x regular. Might get a bunch from him when they are ready and get a nice group going for some variation and movement in the tank without clowns.

Also looking at Talbot's and azure damsels as a possibility. Client wants movement, color, and a busy tank. I know it means more work for me but gotta keep the client happy. Any thoughts?