Tank Stocking Advice

K

khaavren

New member
I'm new to saltwater and have seen some very different suggestions on stocking levels so I'd love some feedback from people with more experience as I get to adding fish.

I have a 75-gallon 4-foot long with a 20 gallon sump, about 70 lbs rock and 2" sand. Tank's finished cycling and is about three months old; I'm hoping to stock a nice community tank with some of the least demanding softies or LPS.

One list I sketched out but worry is on the heavy side:
- Firefish
- Royal Gramma
- Small wrasse (e.g., possum wrasse)
- 3 chromis
- kole tang

Option 2 dumps the tang and tries a flame angel. I've read it's a crapshoot with corals so I'm leaning against it, but since it'd be the last fish in I can delay the decision . . .

Option 3 dumps the tang and adds blenny (bicolor or red sea mimic if I can find one) and a watchman goby.

Comments on compatibility, tank load or anything else that might set me up for failure?
 
I'd lean against an angel in a reef. I'm not a big fan of tangs in tanks smaller than 90, so I'd go with option 3

Other than that the list looks good, 'cept i'm not a big fan of chromis and would do anthias instead.
 
The flame angel I had a while back was a nipper, but that's not 100% the case. But I, too, like option 3, and would also give a vote for a midas blenny as they have a nice character to them. Oh, and I also agree I'd go with anthias over chromis anyday. Your three chromis will probably end up as one anyways, and anthias are cooler fish IMO. Looks good.
 
Blennies are nippers too mine loves to eat clam mantles and sps

Honestly in your tank a kole, tomini, or even a blue eye square tail tang would work. You could go with a flame angel they nip but I had one in my softie lps tank for awhile with a clam and he never bothered them, my current coral beauty is a sweetheart and doesn't bother anything he pecks a the rocks and glass

You could do a small group of wrasses, flashers and fairies. I would honestly trade the firefish for a purple firefish pair and ditch the gramma

You could also do some of the gobies in there

Or a longnose hawkfish
 
Thanks all.

What's the reasoning behind ditching the chromis? Is it that they're bland and boring or are there other issues?

Anthias seem to be consistently described as more challenging but 100% agree they look nicer.
 
I don't think that's on the heavy side at all. I would go with a Midas blenny. If you like chromis, try them but be sure to do a long qt with them. I agree with anthias over chromis if you can keep up with the multiple feedings a day. Are you against a pair of clowns? I always was until my husband insisted that we get a pair, now I love them. Which for some reason angers me that I love them, because it's such a generic addition to a sw tank hahaha. But regardless, I do love my clowns and doubt I will have a tank without them.
 
Yes, people chase 0 nitrates because they think it needs to be 0 an nothing could be further from the truth, even for SPS. In doing so they are starving their fish when they are also starving their corals :hammer:

I tell people all the time that have softies/leathers, LPS and even SPS corals that aren't doing well because "the water is too clean"!!!! You don't need a lot of nitrates or phosphates but you do need some. 5 nitrates and .025 phosphates is enough to satisfy the food needs of the corals that you're killing as well as the fish that are eating them... BECAUSE THEY'RE HUNGRY!!!! :hammer:

So like Mike said "STOP starving them"
All of this for trying not to have any algae. This can be accomplished by letting your sump lights stay on 24/7 and have chaeto as well as GHA and even Cyano growing in your sump. This helps to keep it out of the DT, it's working well in my tank.
 
I can also say that my Lawnmower Blenny nips at my SPS. He hasn't killed anything yet, which makes me believe he is not intentionally nipping at the coral, he is nibbling the algae off of it, who knows...
 
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