livestock wish list

[Cloby86]

I am setting up a new 110 gallon mixed reef and am trying to plan my livestock. I will quarantine and add slowly over the next year+. I am looking for advice, suggestions, comments or ideas on the following "proposed" fish. I realize this is a pretty heavy bio load, and will not force it. I have a 35 gallon sump, 150 pounds of extremely porous liverock, 3" live sand bed, and a oversized skimmer (I cant remember name or size, but its overkill.)

Cuc: (to start)
10 cerith sn
10 dwarf cerith sn
8 nassarius sn
5 trochus sn
5 scarlet hermit... with extra shells, I understand there are varying opinions.

5 peppermint shrimp
2 skunk cleaner shrimp

Fish:
5 black axil chromis -or- 5 green chromis
2 ocellaris clowns
1 flame angel
1 6 line wrasse
1 pink spotted watchman goby
1 azure damsel
1 chalk bass

I would also like a horseshoe crab and a sand sifting star, but I know I'm reaching here.

any tips on order to add, compatibility, etc would be appreciated. Please go easy on me. Thank you.

[scooter31707]

I am no expert, but IMO, you have a lot of semi-aggressive to aggressive fish there, most of them will become territorial like the flame angel, chalk bass, damsel, and the 6-line wrasse. I have also heard that chromis will kill each other off.

[Martini5788]

I worry about the 6 line and the inverts and aggression. I was also unaware that chalk bass were aggressive. Stsve(snorvich) also says that chromis are coming in with uronema( parasite) and the black axil chromis turn all black/dark grey when they mature and have heard they are difficult to keep alive

[Cujo13]

Originally Posted by Cloby86

I am setting up a new 110 gallon mixed reef and am trying to plan my livestock. I will quarantine and add slowly over the next year+. I am looking for advice, suggestions, comments or ideas on the following "proposed" fish. I realize this is a pretty heavy bio load, and will not force it. I have a 35 gallon sump, 150 pounds of extremely porous liverock, 3" live sand bed, and a oversized skimmer (I cant remember name or size, but its overkill.)

Cuc: (to start)
10 cerith sn
10 dwarf cerith sn
8 nassarius sn
5 trochus sn
5 scarlet hermit... with extra shells, I understand there are varying opinions.

5 peppermint shrimp
2 skunk cleaner shrimp

Fish:
5 black axil chromis -or- 5 green chromis
2 ocellaris clowns
1 flame angel
1 6 line wrasse
1 pink spotted watchman goby
1 azure damsel
1 chalk bass

I would also like a horseshoe crab and a sand sifting star, but I know I'm reaching here.

any tips on order to add, compatibility, etc would be appreciated. Please go easy on me. Thank you.

My opinion. Take it for what it is worth...oh about 2 cents

Okay:
Clowns, one Chromis with at least 4 week QT. , goby and chalk bass.

Not okay:
6 line- aggressive, flame not reef safe, damsel may turn aggressive when mature.

I believe your horseshoe and starfish would starve to death.

[Cujo13]

Hermits can/will kill the snails. Most peaceful fish first.

[Sk8r]

I have a fairly similar fish list. They're perfectly peaceful in a 100 gallon tank: crowd them and it would be a different story, but I see no problems. I have hermits and snails and have no problem with hermits doing them in, again, big enough tank, and I don't buy pointy snails, which suicide on the sand: they can't right themselves.

[Neebles]

Originally Posted by Cujo13

My opinion. Take it for what it is worth...oh about 2 cents

Okay:
Clowns, one Chromis with at least 4 week QT. , goby and chalk bass.

Not okay:
6 line- aggressive, flame not reef safe, damsel may turn aggressive when mature.

I believe your horseshoe and starfish would starve to death.

The only thing I don't necessarily agree with is the flame angel not being reef safe. I wouldn't say it's definitively not reef safe, but reef safe with caution. I have had a flame angel going on 10 months in my 75 and he has never nipped at any coral...my buddy has a 93g and his flame doesn't nip at his corals either. He has had his angel for years. Now could that change one day? Certainly. Have other people had issues with flames nipping corals? absolutely. However, from MY experience I would hesitate to say they are definitely not reef safe.

[Cujo13]

Originally Posted by Neebles

The only thing I don't necessarily agree with is the flame angel not being reef safe. I wouldn't say it's definitively not reef safe, but reef safe with caution. I have had a flame angel going on 10 months in my 75 and he has never nipped at any coral...my buddy has a 93g and his flame doesn't nip at his corals either. He has had his angel for years. Now could that change one day? Certainly. Have other people had issues with flames nipping corals? absolutely. However, from MY experience I would hesitate to say they are definitely not reef safe.

True. But I like to play on the side of extreme caution. IMO if a fish can have the potential to one day ruin what you work so hard to create, I prefer to pass. Maybe I was a little strong on the "not reef safe". Thanks for the correction. This stuff not be cheap, and at my age I think...into retirement funds or more tank stuff. Lord knows how fast time goes, unless your in a fallow period.

[Rustyprop]

A lot of great fish on your list. It is always difficult to narrow the list
Down.

[GilliganReef]

Hermits will only kill if they do not have a larger shell to move in to. If your planning on having hermits order or get shells that are slightly bigger and larger. I have 15-20 hermits in my tank and I have empty shell sizes ranging from .25in to 2 ins. Never had issue with hermits killing unless the snails/fish are dead.

[Cujo13]

Originally Posted by GilliganReef

Hermits will only kill if they do not have a larger shell to move in to. If your planning on having hermits order or get shells that are slightly bigger and larger. I have 15-20 hermits in my tank and I have empty shell sizes ranging from .25in to 2 ins. Never had issue with hermits killing unless the snails/fish are dead.

Not necessarily true. It is great that yours are not eating your snails, but hermits are also opportunistic feeders. Whether they acquire a taste for snails, need a larger shell or see an opportunity and take it. They can eat or kill snails and of course they did not kill them if they are already dead.