stock list for 72 gallon

[ugluk]

I have had some deaths and some jumpers in my tank the last few months and am looking to restock the tank. I currently have:

Ocelluris clown
B & W clown
purple dottyback

While the bio-load is down I am trying to work on some issues I am having with the tank like algae and creating a copepod population. There are a bunch of fish I would like to add but I am thinking that this may be to much for the tank. What I want to add:

Kole Tang
Diamond Goby
neon goby
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
Lyretail Anthia

To me this just seems like to many fish, especially with the Tang. Though I really enjoy tangs as they to me are the showfish of my aquarium. Maybe I could get rid of one of the clowns or the dottyback if I could ever catch him. I need the diamond goby for my sand and the neon is my favorite so I will no doubt get him (plus small bio-load). So is this to much for my 72? If not what order would you put the new fish in?

[reeferstace]

I think you should figure out what is causing your fish death before you start restocking your tank.

Your stocklist looks OK if the tank is a 4'. Anything shorter and you should ditch the tang.

[ugluk]

Only one death was due to disease. Every other death was either fish on fish or jumpers. I dont think it is a problem.

[SecretiveFish]

Not sure how experienced you are with aquariums so here is my two cents:

- That purple dottyback may not allow newcomers to the tank in that he will harrass/kill any new additions. You may need to get him out in a hurry.
- If you have not added a tank cover, you are going to lose more fish especially the Diamond Goby and the McCosker's Flasher Wrasse. If you have not added a lid, add one.
- If you do not know, Anthias require several feedings a day. I can not provide this care which is why I have never kept them. Can you?

Whatever your stocking preferences, I would keep 7 fish total and add them in the following order: Diamond Goby and Neon Goby, then the McCosker's Flasher Wrasse, and then the Kole tang. This is assuming your purple dottyback agrees with sharing his space with the newcomers!

[ugluk]

I have been trying to take the dottyback out but he just wont be caught. I guess I am going to have to give in and take the tank apart to get him out. I do have a tank cover, eggcrate, though I have lost a couple of fish to jumping. Do you recomend me not keeping them with the eggcrate cover? I can not provide several feedings a day for the Anthia but I thought that with a good pod population that would supplement its feeding. I have done some research on the Lyretail and have read many accounts of them living with only one feeding per day.

[SecretiveFish]

The eggcrate probably will not keep the diamond goby in. That is what I have on one of my tanks, and when I had two diamond gobies in one night between the two of them they ended up on the floor 3 times. I ended up having to put weights on the eggcrate to keep them in. They were shooting up from the bottom knocking the eggcrate up and which allowed them to land splat on the floor.

Maybe ask about the anthias on the reef fish forum? Like I mentioned, I have not kept them before.

[ugluk]

Yea, I bought one diamond goby before and he was on the carpet by the next morning. As a matter of fact I had one die on me at the fish store because while the guy was bringing him from the tank to the bag the goby shot up and smashed its head against the employees hand. Are there any other gobies that can clean the sand and are not jumpers?

[RiffRaff]

I've never had a diamond goby jump out personally. But I've had a kole tang the beat up all my fish an bully them around

[ugluk]

Really? I thought tangs were peaceful fish. I had a yellow tang for years who was a model citizen.

[RiffRaff]

My kole started getting aggressive after about 4 months of being in the tank. But I got a yellow tang recently and he's nice as could be

[ugluk]

Hmmm....I love the look of the Kole tang but I have had experience with them before where they were doing fine and then out of nowhere they would die. I've noticed others have had the same experience. Couple that with the aggression (has anyone else experienced this) and I might have to go back to the yellow tang.

[SecretiveFish]

My Kole tang picks fights with the lawnmower blenny but that is about it. He did harass the new addition of a indigo hamlet for a few weeks but has since stopped. I recently added a clownfish pair to 'his' tank without any problem. The tang does not even seem to notice the clownfish are there. I guess it depends on the individual fish.

As far as sand cleaning, all gobies are know jumpers, and as a result the only tank I still have a goby in has a glass lid. Have you considered Nassarius snails instead for keeping your sandbed clean or a Holothuria edulis (pink and black sea cucumber)?

[ugluk]

I agree with the individual fish. Thats what keeps this hobby so interesting.

I have tried Nassarius but they dont do that great a job or at least I can never keep a large number alive enough to do a great job. I still have 2 or 3 alive somewhere which I think is very good because I havent bought new snails in years. The sea cucumber sounds like a good idea and I remember I researched it before and did not get them. I did a quicky google search and found this:

Pink and Black Sea Cucumbers are often referred to as edible. We don’t’ know about eating these guys but they are great for keeping the top ½” or so of sediment detritus and algae free and must be kept in aquariums with deep sand beds. Acting like a vacuum cleaner, the cucumbers appear to consume sand and drop it out the back end. What they are actually doing is filtering out small detritus particles and bacteria which it finds quite tasty. Most Sea Cucumbers are somewhat reclusive and can be seen more frequently after lights out in the aquarium. However the Pink and Black Cucumber doesn’t care and will be seen wandering around day or night keeping your sandbed sparkling white. They reproduce by means of asexual fission where they will break into two cucumbers.

If you have a lot of algae build up or a dirty sandbed, it is often worth the possible risk of having a cucumber in the aquarium. In an established and well balanced aquarium, a healthy specimen, when acclimated properly, will offer years of hassle free service and be a welcome clean up crew member.

What is the risk of having a cucumber?

[SecretiveFish]

Not sure if I can post links but here http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/1/inverts .

Cucumber can nuke tanks although sand sifting cucumbers are much less likely to do this and how often this has actually happened is suspect. Dramatic stories never seem to die on the internet! To me the risk was worth it. I have had a Holothuria edulis for a few months and it is awesome! It is quite visible all the time, cleans that sand well, and is just fun to watch.

[ugluk]

It sounds good. How come you only had it a few months? Why dont you have one now?

[SecretiveFish]

I mis-typed. I got the cucumber a few months ago, and he is currently rooting around in my 40. He is a very cool pet that I hope is around along time, so cool in fact that if anything starting picking on him the offender would be gotten rid of!

[ugluk]

Sounds good, now to see where I can find one. Thanks.

[ugluk]

update:

Got rid of the dottyback and now I am thinking of a stocklist like this:

Ocelluris & BW Clown currently in tank
Yellow watchman goby
Neon goby
pair of Lyretail Anthias
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
Purple Tang

Along with the cucumber 2 cleaner shrimp a fire shrimp and various cuc of blue hermits and some snails. Not sure about the purple tang as I have read that they should be in a larger tank but I have also read many posts that say they will be OK in a 75 gallon tank. Plus the price I will probably be replacing that with a kole tang. Whats others opinion on bio-load and compatibility? Would getting a trio of anthias be pushing it?