PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[StuartHB21]

I'm in the process of stocking my Red Sea Max 250 which has been running for over 2 months now. My goal is to stock Reef Safe fish that are colorful and at the same time have tank mates that are compatible. Want to eventually add some assorted corals.

My tank has approximately 50 lbs of Live Rock with hiding places.
I have turbo snails and an assortment of hermit crabs at the moment plus
a pair of clownfish and an orange spot goby.
Need suggestions as a stocking plan moving forward. Want colors

1. Royal Gramma Basset
2. Flame Dwarf Angel
3. Longnose Hawkfish? Would I have problem with my Orange Spot Goby? He is 2 inches long and has hiding places.
4. The pseudos and damels are too aggressive.

Advice please

Thanks

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by DMBFan

Thank you!

The "cat-eel" is a Striped Eel Catfish (Plotosus lineatus)

Probably not a good fish to try and keep. Your LFS gave bad advice on purchasing this.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by shawpanther23

This is a 245gal fowlr community tank with a 115 gal sump with 320 lbs of liverock and 180 lbs of livesand.
Would like to keep multiple Tangs if possible. I have listed a few that I like but am open to any advice or suggestions of others that may be more peaceful.

First of all you are going to need a robust quarantine protocol as some of these fish are highly susceptible to bringing in parasites. (My blog has one I would suggest). Next of all, in looking at your fish list, you are going to need to realize that your tank, while not small, is also not really large. Mixing tangs is very tricky because as they grow, their perception of their required territory also grows. When fish feel "cramped", they reduce the number of their roommates. There are some fish that simply require more room than you have even if they did not have fish occupying the same ecological niche.

Thank You
fish I have now:
1-mated pair of percula clownfish
1-one spot foxface

Intended Fish:
Hippo Tang as it grows, will get ornery with other tangs
Naso Tang requires a larger tank
Sailfin Tang
Mimic Tang
Powder Blue Tang
Majestic Angel Two large angels, pick two
Annularis Angel
Blue Ring Angel
Coral Beauty
Raccoon Butterfly all of these butterfly fish will work, but they need rigorous quarantine
Heniochus Butterfly
Threadfin Butterfly
Saddleback Butterfly
Pakistan Butterfly
Harliquin Tusk
Dog face puffer I would not do this one or the trigger due to aggression; niger triggers can be either fairly passive or highly aggressive
Niger Trigger

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by StuartHB21

I'm in the process of stocking my Red Sea Max 250 which has been running for over 2 months now. My goal is to stock Reef Safe fish that are colorful and at the same time have tank mates that are compatible. Want to eventually add some assorted corals.

My tank has approximately 50 lbs of Live Rock with hiding places.
I have turbo snails and an assortment of hermit crabs at the moment plus
a pair of clownfish and an orange spot goby.
Need suggestions as a stocking plan moving forward. Want colors

1. Royal Gramma Basset
2. Flame Dwarf Angel
3. Longnose Hawkfish? Would I have problem with my Orange Spot Goby? He is 2 inches long and has hiding places. long nose hawkfish will eat shrimp and small fish, but your two inch goby is large enough to be safe
4. The pseudos and damels are too aggressive. The only pseudochromis that may work is P. fridmani but I would avoid damsels and other pseudochromis

Advice please

Thanks

[LGB76]

I am trying to figure out my stock for my tank. 125 gallon tank with 55 gallon sump. 110 pounds of pukani and reefsaver rock from BRS.

I am fully aware that most of these fish minimum tank size is 125 gallons.

tangs
Yellow Tang
Powder Blue Tang
Powder Brown Tang

Butterfly
Longfin Banner
Copperband
Threadfin

Clown fish
2 tank bred Ocellaris

Dwarf Angel
Bio-Color
Flame Angel

the more aggerssive ones will be added very last. In over a years time.
I am fully aware that my tank will be stocked pretty high and have the equipment to compensate for it. It will be most FOWLR with very few corals as time goes along. I am also aware that some of these are not reef compatible and will be monitoring very carefully.

[LGB76]

err double post

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by LGB76

I am trying to figure out my stock for my tank. 125 gallon tank with 55 gallon sump. 110 pounds of pukani and reefsaver rock from BRS.

I am fully aware that most of these fish minimum tank size is 125 gallons.

tangs
Yellow Tang
Powder Blue Tang
Powder Brown Tang

Butterfly
Longfin Banner
Copperband
Threadfin

Clown fish
2 tank bred Ocellaris

Dwarf Angel
Bio-Color
Flame Angel

the more aggerssive ones will be added very last. In over a years time.
I am fully aware that my tank will be stocked pretty high and have the equipment to compensate for it. It will be most FOWLR with very few corals as time goes along. I am also aware that some of these are not reef compatible and will be monitoring very carefully.

If your question is whether or not you are likely to be successful with those three tangs in a 125 gallon tank, my answer is that it would be highly unlikely long term. Superb equipment handles bioloading related issues but has no value on behavioral related issues associated with fish occupying the same ecological niche.

[LGB76]

Originally Posted by snorvich

If your question is whether or not you are likely to be successful with those three tangs in a 125 gallon tank, my answer is that it would be highly unlikely long term. Superb equipment handles bioloading related issues but has no value on behavioral related issues associated with fish occupying the same ecological niche.

Should I not purchase a tang period or just house 1 or 2 of them? What about the butterfly fish or others mentioned.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by LGB76

Should I not purchase a tang period or just house 1 or 2 of them? What about the butterfly fish or others mentioned.

One of those tangs should work. My least favorite would be the yellow tang as they can be very mean. The butterfly fish are a marginal behavioral issue but copperbands are a low probability success issue under the best of circumstances. With the fish you are looking at you will need to develop a rigorous quarantine protocol similar to the one I mention in my blog.

[AWDcameoLSX]

Right now I have a 6 line wrasse and 3 hermits. I was going to fallow with:

1: Kole tang and a couple more hermit crabs
2: Pair of clowns
3: Blue reef cromis (maybe 2 or a cardinal at the same time)
4: Foxface

That is pretty much as heavy as I want to go with livestock. Just want a double check if that will work out alright without the fish fighting one another. If I can get my pod population high enough I might get a mandarin goby. These where my additions by month. I will quarantine for 4 weeks at a time at a minimum. After the livestock is introduced it might be time for corals.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by AWDcameoLSX

Right now I have a 6 line wrasse and 3 hermits. I was going to fallow with:

1: Kole tang and a couple more hermit crabs
2: Pair of clowns
3: Blue reef cromis (maybe 2 or a cardinal at the same time) chromis have been coming in not healthy recently
4: Foxface

you have two fish that are grazers (kole tang and foxface) in a tank that is marginally sized for one let alone two. Two fish that occupy the exact same ecological niche will eventually feel cramped when their territory is too confined. Usually when that is the case, over time, they will reduce the number occupying that territory.

That is pretty much as heavy as I want to go with livestock. Just want a double check if that will work out alright without the fish fighting one another. If I can get my pod population high enough I might get a mandarin goby. a sixline in that sized tank will preclude a mandarin (dragonet not goby)


These where my additions by month. I will quarantine for 4 weeks at a time at a minimum. After the livestock is introduced it might be time for corals.

[kismetsh]

Potential stocking list for 29 gallon mixed reef

First I want to thank you Steve for the tremendous service you are doing for the hobby! What an amazing thread!

I have been away from the hobby for about 5 years (raising children mostly) and am in the planning stages for my return. My tank will be a standard 29 gallon with a 20L modified into a sump/refugium. 30-35 lbs of live rock in the DT and sand/rubble/chaeto in the fuge. I'm not planning to skim at this point but will leave room in the sump if it becomes necessary in the future. Lighting will be a Razor LED.

I love inverts and fish with interesting behavior (as a younger person I loved cichlids but don't think I can stomach that level of aggression anymore) LOL.

This is what I'm considering:

Inverts
Skunk cleaner shrimp (maybe 2)
Peppermint shrimp (maybe 2)
Sexy shrimp (2-3) **will this total # of shrimp cause problems in this size tank?
Porcelain crab
Various snails
Clam (after the tank is mature, if ever)

Corals
Mostly LPS, some zoas

Fish
1 shrimp goby with 1 or a pair of pistols (S. yasha or S. nematodes)
1 small wrasse (P. ataenia, W. tanakai or W. albofasciata)
1 Tail spot blenny (E. stigmatura)
1 tank bred Ocellaris clown
1 Royal gramma (G. loreto) or Gold assessor (A. flavissimus) or tank bred Orchid dottyback (P. fridmani)

The last group scares me as I have heard conflicting stories on the gramma and dottyback as to their aggression levels. The assessor seems a safer bet but availability varies.

Looking forward to your input!

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by kismetsh

Potential stocking list for 29 gallon mixed reef

First I want to thank you Steve for the tremendous service you are doing for the hobby! What an amazing thread!

My pleasure. I think I have literally done thousands of these by now, the vast majority of which were fun.

I have been away from the hobby for about 5 years (raising children mostly) and am in the planning stages for my return. My tank will be a standard 29 gallon with a 20L modified into a sump/refugium. 30-35 lbs of live rock in the DT and sand/rubble/chaeto in the fuge. I'm not planning to skim at this point but will leave room in the sump if it becomes necessary in the future. Lighting will be a Razor LED.

I love inverts and fish with interesting behavior (as a younger person I loved cichlids but don't think I can stomach that level of aggression anymore) LOL.

This is what I'm considering:

Inverts
Skunk cleaner shrimp (maybe 2)
Peppermint shrimp (maybe 2)
Sexy shrimp (2-3) **will this total # of shrimp cause problems in this size tank?

No, not at all. Shrimp do not really contribute to bioload

Porcelain crab
Various snails avoid hermits
Clam (after the tank is mature, if ever) depends on lighting

Corals
Mostly LPS, some zoas

Fish
1 shrimp goby with 1 or a pair of pistols (S. yasha or S. nematodes) a pair of pistol shrimp is fun
1 small wrasse (P. ataenia, W. tanakai or W. albofasciata) I would probably opt for one of the latter two, but all are excellent with similar behavior
1 Tail spot blenny (E. stigmatura)
1 tank bred Ocellaris clown
1 Royal gramma (G. loreto) or Gold assessor (A. flavissimus) or tank bred Orchid dottyback (P. fridmani)

The assessor is preferable, but the gold color ones are not commonly available. I am nervous about dottybacks in general but P. fridmani is the least aggressive by far

The last group scares me as I have heard conflicting stories on the gramma and dottyback as to their aggression levels. The assessor seems a safer bet but availability varies.

Looking forward to your input!

Feel free to check back with any additional questions. Items I do not annotate are fine as they are.

[kismetsh]

Originally Posted by snorvich

Feel free to check back with any additional questions. Items I do not annotate are fine as they are.

Thank you!

I'm assuming that if I get a gramma or orchid it should be introduced last. Is the assessor mild enough that he could be introduced at any point in the stocking order? If so that may give me enough flexibility to jump on one if it becomes available.

[luker80]

Hey guys.

I will have a 25g tank with a 20g sump. The sump will be devided with a refug.

I would like to have 2 clowns but I don't know what else I could put in there with them. Possibly a Royalgamma and some type of goby?

What do you think? Keep in mind, in about a year, I'll add some type of host for my clown fish. Probably a bubble tip.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by kismetsh

Thank you!

I'm assuming that if I get a gramma or orchid it should be introduced last.

correct

Is the assessor mild enough that he could be introduced at any point in the stocking order? If so that may give me enough flexibility to jump on one if it becomes available.

gold assessors are slightly less aggressive than blue assessors but either could be acquired at any point in your process.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by luker80

Hey guys.

Actually only Reef Central staff answer this thread

I will have a 25g tank with a 20g sump. The sump will be devided with a refug.

I would like to have 2 clowns but I don't know what else I could put in there with them. Possibly a Royalgamma and some type of goby?

All clowns are not created equal, some species are less aggressive; a bonded mated pair will want to control about 25 gallons of tank space minimum, depending on species

What do you think? Keep in mind, in about a year, I'll add some type of host for my clown fish. Probably a bubble tip.

Be sure the anemone you select is a match to the clowns you wish to keep. All clownfish will not associate with all anemones. Clownfish by Joyce Wilkersen will give you details on matching.

[Dbondaruk]

I got a 40g reed tank with 1 carpenters wrasse/1 royal gramma/
planning on getting a pair of osc clowns/ i want to purchase a coral beauty tommarow???
i know it is a 50-50 chance of nipping corals. tha tank will be eventually a 120g in like 8 months...has sump/lot of rock


also snorvich what reccomendations for fish would you have for my 40g??? i took my six line wrasse out that was fun

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Dbondaruk

I got a 40g reed tank with 1 carpenters wrasse/1 royal gramma/
planning on getting a pair of osc clowns/ i want to purchase a coral beauty tommarow???
i know it is a 50-50 chance of nipping corals. tha tank will be eventually a 120g in like 8 months...has sump/lot of rock

We at Reef Central always feel you should purchase fish for the tank you have. None of the fish you are talking about will be unavailable when/if you upgrade. Dwarf angels are a roll of the dice and I wish the odds were really 50/50. For meaty LPS, it is closer to 100%

also snorvich what reccomendations for fish would you have for my 40g??? i took my six line wrasse out that was fun

Taking out a sixline wrasse is nontrivial but it would have killed your flasher wrasse long term. As those who follow this thread know, I do not provide recommendations for a variety of reasons but am always happy to reassess the compatibility of any stocking plan.

[cmabrey75]

I have a 75 with a 40 gallon sump with a refugium, the sump holds around 30 gallons. Right now I have a pair of onyx clowns, fox face, variose snails and hermits. Tank has been up and running for around 4 months.

Here'sy list of what I want to add and in this order:

Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani)
White Tail Bristletooth Tang (Ctenochaetus flavicauda)
Flame Hawkfish (Neocirrhitus armatus)
Green Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus) after tank has been running for a year or longer

Also maybe a pistol shrimp and goby pair.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by cmabrey75

I have a 75 with a 40 gallon sump with a refugium, the sump holds around 30 gallons. Right now I have a pair of onyx clowns, fox face, variose snails and hermits. Tank has been up and running for around 4 months.

Here'sy list of what I want to add and in this order:

Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani)
White Tail Bristletooth Tang (Ctenochaetus flavicauda) You have one grazer already in a marginally sized tank and adding a second one is not wise
Flame Hawkfish (Neocirrhitus armatus) not shrimp safe
Green Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus) after tank has been running for a year or longer

Also maybe a pistol shrimp and goby pair.

other than ones annotated, all else is fine

[cmabrey75]

Originally Posted by snorvich

other than ones annotated, all else is fine

Ok thanks,

I will replace the flame hawk with a midas blenny.

Can you recommend a fish to replace the bristle tooth tang?

Thanks

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by cmabrey75

Ok thanks,

I will replace the flame hawk with a midas blenny.

Can you recommend a fish to replace the bristle tooth tang?

You want a fish of moderate size that is not a grazer of algae; I will be happy to reevaluate any potential stocking plan

Thanks

[jerkyjunky]

So I have a 4'x2'x2' DT, with a 4'x18"x18" sump. Approx 180g of water, 180lb live rock. Sump has a sectioned off 20g-ish area for a refugium. Currently I have 2x Green Chromi and 2x Firefish. Would I have any problems getting the following:

Display:
1x Scopas tang
1x One spot foxface
2-3x Green Chromi (additional)
1x Blenny (4-5" probably horse or lawnmower)
2-3x Carpenter Flasher Wresse (MF-MFF)
2x Ocellaris Clownfish
2x Cleaner Shrimp
2x Fire Shrimp
3x Nassarius Snails

Refuge:
1x Yellow Watchman Goby
1x Pistol Shrimp
2x Trochus Snail

Would that all get along? Is it too much fish for my setup or is there still some room for more? Also was hoping for some other fish that would go well in the refuge, but haven't found any good ideas yet. Thoughts?

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by jerkyjunky

So I have a 4'x2'x2' DT, which is a 120 gallons with a 4'x18"x18" sump. Approx 180g of water, 180lb live rock. Sump has a sectioned off 20g-ish area for a refugium. Currently I have 2x Green Chromi and 2x Firefish. two firefish may become only one eventually unless they are a male plus female


Would I have any problems getting the following:

Display:
1x Scopas tang
1x One spot foxface
2-3x Green Chromi (additional) chromis will winnow down their number until there is at most one, or possibly a pair. Also, chromis have been coming in less than healthy recently
1x Blenny (4-5" probably horse or lawnmower)
2-3x Carpenter Flasher Wresse (MF-MFF)
2x Ocellaris Clownfish
2x Cleaner Shrimp
2x Fire Shrimp
3x Nassarius Snails

Refuge:
1x Yellow Watchman Goby I would not put fish in a refugium
1x Pistol Shrimp
2x Trochus Snail

Would that all get along? yes, except as noted


Is it too much fish for my setup or is there still some room for more?

It is impossible to answer how many fish, if any could be added, but small non-aggressive fish could be added but it would depend on the behavioral interaction with tank mates

Also was hoping for some other fish that would go well in the refuge, but haven't found any good ideas yet. Thoughts?

I recommend not putting fish in a refugium