PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[deeAnnMG]

Forgive me if this question has already been asked and answered. I'm currently cycling a 65g. I know it’s crazy, but I'm already thinking about my next tank. I would love to have a couple tangs, and my 65 is way too small. I saw the sticky on tank sizes for tangs, but wonder how big a tank I need for multiples. In my dreams I see a yellow, a blue and a purple tang in my tank. Can anyone tell me, what are the smallest and best sized tanks to house those three?

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Fish Biscuit

Hi Steve,

This should be the last list for my 40 breeder. I don't like nice shoes & good beer if you believe that too Shoes is a whole different story

Pearly Jawfish - added first
Randall Goby (already have) - added 2- 4 weeks after jawfish established - rehoming tiger pistol, he's getting short w/ the goby & pops at it once in a while not a big deal, they do that. I would not worry about this at all.
Helfichi Firefish single or bonded pair if I can find one on DD I do see them on DD but infrequently
Gold Assessor
Possum Wrasse
Pink Streak Wrasse
Tailspot Blenny
Pair of Ocellaris clowns - added last if possible I personally would not do this but to each his own.

If I can't add the clowns, do I have room to add another small peaceful fish or just stick with the rest of the list? Thanks again!!

I would not do the clownfish, and would stick with the rest of the list.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by deeAnnMG

Forgive me if this question has already been asked and answered. I'm currently cycling a 65g. I know it’s crazy, but I'm already thinking about my next tank. I would love to have a couple tangs, and my 65 is way too small. I saw the sticky on tank sizes for tangs, but wonder how big a tank I need for multiples. In my dreams I see a yellow, a blue and a purple tang in my tank. Can anyone tell me, what are the smallest and best sized tanks to house those three?

Yellow and Purple are both zebrasoma so if the story stopped there, I would go with an 8 foot tank although in the beginning, a six foot tank would probably work. However either of these two, once established will be very unhappy with conspecific additions. If by blue you mean P. hepatus, we recommend a 240 gallon eight foot tank as a minimum. Tank length is very important for tangs whereas gallonage is nice but less critical.

[deeAnnMG]

Thanks for the quick reply Steve! So with the yellow and purple, I suppose it would be best to add them young, and at the same time to an 8 foot tank? And yes, I did mean the P. hepatus.

Well, that's my pie-in-the-sky dream. For my currant tank, I'll put a list together and run it by you before making any purchases. I want to be good to any little lives I bring into my home.

Thanks again.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by deeAnnMG

Thanks for the quick reply Steve! So with the yellow and purple, I suppose it would be best to add them young, and at the same time to an 8 foot tank? And yes, I did mean the P. hepatus. correct. If you want all three, adding them young to an 8 foot tank is the way to go. Once established, adding other tangs is much more difficult

Well, that's my pie-in-the-sky dream. For my currant tank, I'll put a list together and run it by you before making any purchases. I want to be good to any little lives I bring into my home. Always a pleasure to help. I have been doing this thread for over three years now and will always be happy to evaluate any stocking list

Thanks again.

[deeAnnMG]

Okay, here is the first... "draft" of my list. Keep in mind, I'm a total newbie. I'm about a week into cycling my 65g, and am not married to anything on the list, so there's plenty of time and willingness to make changes. Is this too many fish? Still room for more? Any suggestions as to order of addition? Also, how easy is it to find "mated pairs"?

1 Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis Fridmani)
1 Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
2 Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon Kauderni)
1 Yellowtail Damselfish (Chrysiptera parasema)
2 Canary Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus)
1 Six Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
1 (or Mated Pair) Neon Goby (Gobiosoma oceanops)
1 (or Mated Pair) Firefish Goby (Nemateleotris magnifica)
2 (Mated Pair) Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

[RAMMD]

Need some help with the stocking order to prevent any unwanted conflicts. I have owned all the fishat some point over the last 20 years but never in the same tank. The tank itself is a 220 gallon reef containing mostly easy to care for corals...jasmine polyps, various colony polyps, pipe organ, starburst polyp, blue sympodium, toadstools, lavender mushroom, green mushroom, spotted mushroom, candy cane, hammers, tooth, torch, and frogspawns. The water parameters have always been spot on....Typical clean up crew..fighting conch, bumblebee snails, nassarius snails and skunk cleaner shrimp.

The tank has 3 radion xr 30w pro led's, 4 vortech mp40 pumps, 60 g sump/fuge with all the typical accessories, 3-4" DSB, and roughly 400# of LR.

The fish I'm looking to add over the next few months include a flame angel, royal gramma, orchid dottyback, lamarcks angel, foxface, mystery wrasse, pair of ocellaris clowns, a white cheek tang and a desjardini tang. Your assistance on a stocking order, and time frame with which to add them would be appreciated. If anything on the list looks like a potential problem please let me know and I'll drop him from my list.

Thanks, RAMMD

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by deeAnnMG

Okay, here is the first... "draft" of my list. Keep in mind, I'm a total newbie. I'm about a week into cycling my 65g, and am not married to anything on the list, so there's plenty of time and willingness to make changes. Is this too many fish? Still room for more? Any suggestions as to order of addition? Also, how easy is it to find "mated pairs"?

1 Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis Fridmani) While less aggressive than other pseudochromis, may impact firefish
1 Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
2 Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon Kauderni) should be tank raised, for two, must be a male plus female
1 Yellowtail Damselfish (Chrysiptera parasema)
2 Canary Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus) One is fine, two a bit much in this sized tank
1 Six Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) aggressive, will cause problems with tank mates, I would skip
1 (or Mated Pair) Neon Goby (Gobiosoma oceanops) one is fine, but they are short lived
1 (or Mated Pair) Firefish Goby (Nemateleotris magnifica) introduce early; a mated pair is difficult to find, and if not bonded, only one will survive long term
2 (Mated Pair) Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) introduce as juveniles

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by RAMMD

Need some help with the stocking order to prevent any unwanted conflicts. I have owned all the fishat some point over the last 20 years but never in the same tank. The tank itself is a 220 gallon reef containing mostly easy to care for corals...jasmine polyps, various colony polyps, pipe organ, starburst polyp, blue sympodium, toadstools, lavender mushroom, green mushroom, spotted mushroom, candy cane, hammers, tooth, torch, and frogspawns. The water parameters have always been spot on....Typical clean up crew..fighting conch, bumblebee snails, nassarius snails and skunk cleaner shrimp.

The tank has 3 radion xr 30w pro led's, 4 vortech mp40 pumps, 60 g sump/fuge with all the typical accessories, 3-4" DSB, and roughly 400# of LR.

The fish I'm looking to add over the next few months include a

flame angel,
royal gramma,
orchid dottyback,
lamarcks angel,
foxface,
mystery wrasse, introduce towards the end, as it may conflict with the dottyback
pair of ocellaris clowns,
a white cheek tang and
a desjardini tang. must be last fish added


Your assistance on a stocking order, and time frame with which to add them would be appreciated. If anything on the list looks like a potential problem please let me know and I'll drop him from my list.

the order above is pretty good

Thanks, RAMMD

[jws0318]

Hi Steve,

standard 4x2x2, 120g mixed reef, currently have:

female watanabi angel
black leopard wrasse
melanarus wrasse
carberryi anthias
blue green reef chromis x 3

planning to add:

radiant wrasse
kole yellow eye tang
sunburst anthias


Do you think i could also add a mimic lemonpeel tang at the same time as the Kole, or am i pushing it with 2 tangs?

Thanks as always

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by jws0318

Hi Steve,

standard 4x2x2, 120g mixed reef, currently have:

female watanabi angel
black leopard wrasse
melanarus wrasse
carberryi anthias
blue green reef chromis x 3

planning to add:

radiant wrasse
kole yellow eye tang
sunburst anthias


Do you think i could also add a mimic lemonpeel tang at the same time as the Kole, or am i pushing it with 2 tangs?

Marginal in a four foot tank, but it may or may not work; a six foot tank is preferred.

Thanks as always

[jws0318]

thank you - marginal doesn't excite me too much - think i will stick with just 1.

[Aleiva16]

Hello all,

I have a 65g tank with 75lbs dry rock and 40lbs live sand. I have 20g long sump with bubble magus curve 5 skimmer and fuge with nothing in it yet (looking to put one of my rocks in there and some cheato). My tank is in its 2nd week of cycle with a whole bottle of stabilizer bacteria in it and a raw shrimp that looks like a cotton ball at the moment. According to my API tests I have 8.2 ph .25 ammonia .25 nitrite 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate. 1.025 salinity and tank maintains about 78 degrees for the last whole week

Only algae that I have noticed is in the sump between the baffles...yellow algae.

Starter fish will be some chromis.

I have a little nephew so I am looking in getting a clown fish and royal blue tang...I also want a yellow watchman goby

Can you guys please help me in what other type of fish I can get and looking into getting corals too so please help with them too? if you have any feedback on my setup please feel free?

Thank you

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Aleiva16

Hello all,

I have a 65g tank with 75lbs dry rock and 40lbs live sand. I have 20g long sump with bubble magus curve 5 skimmer and fuge with nothing in it yet (looking to put one of my rocks in there and some cheato). My tank is in its 2nd week of cycle with a whole bottle of stabilizer bacteria in it and a raw shrimp that looks like a cotton ball at the moment. According to my API tests I have 8.2 ph .25 ammonia .25 nitrite 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate. 1.025 salinity and tank maintains about 78 degrees for the last whole week

Only algae that I have noticed is in the sump between the baffles...yellow algae.

Starter fish will be some chromis. starter fish is very old style since you are not cycling the tank with fish and a group of chromis will become one or at most two over time. You do not need starter fish, you need to plan your stocking plan for the tank

I have a little nephew so I am looking in getting a clown fish and royal blue tang...I also want a yellow watchman goby

P. hepatus (Dori) needs an 8 foot 240 gallon tank

Can you guys please help me in what other type of fish I can get and looking into getting corals too so please help with them too? if you have any feedback on my setup please feel free?

First of all, this thread is only answered by Reef Central Staff; for general commentary, start your own thread in New to the Hobby. As those who follow this thread know, I do not provide recommendations. I am, however, always willing to analyze any stocking plan for compatibility with each other and with the environment you are providing.

Thank you

[apolloreef]

29g nano setup eventually to include beginner corals. 22lbs of live rock with a hob diy fuge (aquaclear 70) with rubble and chaeto.

-clownfish pair (true or false perc)
-bangaii cardinal (maybe m f pair)
-small reef safe wrasse
-purple fire fish or royal gramma
-smaller variety of shrimp goby or clown goby

-possibly a small species of blenny

+reef cleaners CUC

(could sub in another goby or Midas blenny. Other Subs were a dwarf angel species)

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by apolloreef

29g nano setup eventually to include beginner corals. 22lbs of live rock with a hob diy fuge (aquaclear 70) with rubble and chaeto.

In this sized tank, especially with a pair of A. ocellaris or A. percula, this stocking list should be ok, albeit a bit crowded once the clownfish sexually mature, bond, and mate.

-clownfish pair (true or false perc)
-bangaii cardinal (maybe m f pair)
-small reef safe wrasse
-purple fire fish or royal gramma
-smaller variety of shrimp goby or clown goby

-possibly a small species of blenny

+reef cleaners CUC

(could sub in another goby or Midas blenny. Other Subs were a dwarf angel species)

[Fish Biscuit]

Originally Posted by Fish Biscuit View Post
Hi Steve,

This should be the last list for my 40 breeder. I don't like nice shoes & good beer if you believe that too Shoes is a whole different story

Pearly Jawfish - added first
Randall Goby (already have) - added 2- 4 weeks after jawfish established - rehoming tiger pistol, he's getting short w/ the goby & pops at it once in a while not a big deal, they do that. I would not worry about this at all.
Helfichi Firefish single or bonded pair if I can find one on DD I do see them on DD but infrequently
Gold Assessor
Possum Wrasse
Pink Streak Wrasse
Tailspot Blenny
Pair of Ocellaris clowns - added last if possible I personally would not do this but to each his own.

If I can't add the clowns, do I have room to add another small peaceful fish or just stick with the rest of the list? Thanks again!!

I would not do the clownfish, and would stick with the rest of the list.

Thanks Steve, I thought I might be pushing it with the pair of clowns. I will skip them. I'll keep the pistol, I think it bothers me more than it bothers the goby

Is there room for one more small peaceful fish or just stick with the list above? I'll most likely go with a single Helfrichi since I've heard of some DD pairs turning on each other down the road.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Fish Biscuit

Thanks Steve, I thought I might be pushing it with the pair of clowns. I will skip them. I'll keep the pistol, I think it bothers me more than it bothers the goby

Is there room for one more small peaceful fish or just stick with the list above? I'll most likely go with a single Helfrichi since I've heard of some DD pairs turning on each other down the road.

Hey Michelle,

Pairing firefish is always a roll of the dice with the odds being against you. Behavioral issues will be the binding constraint on adding a small fish since bioload is rarely an issue. Look for one that does not inhabit the same ecological niche as one in the existing plan.

[Devynn]

I'm new to the site, and to fishkeeping in general. I have three tanks, all freshwater, and I've been looking into converting the largest one (16 gallons) into saltwater. I've been researching for a few hours now on saltwater tanks and clownfish, and have found conflicting opinions on sand, rocks, coral, and other things. Being new to the saltwater scene, I'm clueless! So, basically, I'm wondering what I should do to my tank and what I need if I just want to keep a pair of clownfish?

The tank, as I said, is 16 gallons, and has a filter and heater in it. It presently has fine sand in it, used for freshwater, so I was also curious if I could use that same sand in a saltwater tank?

On that note, I'm also trying my best to stay on a budget (preferably under $200). I realize that this may not be possible, but if anyone has any tips on budget fishkeeping it would be greatly appreciated.

I'm also curious as to what kind of 'cleaners' like shrimp and crabs would be best in this tank?

Thank you all in advance!

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Devynn

I'm new to the site, and to fishkeeping in general. I have three tanks, all freshwater, and I've been looking into converting the largest one (16 gallons) into saltwater. I've been researching for a few hours now on saltwater tanks and clownfish, and have found conflicting opinions on sand, rocks, coral, and other things. Being new to the saltwater scene, I'm clueless! So, basically, I'm wondering what I should do to my tank and what I need if I just want to keep a pair of clownfish?

The tank, as I said, is 16 gallons, and has a filter and heater in it. It presently has fine sand in it, used for freshwater, so I was also curious if I could use that same sand in a saltwater tank?

On that note, I'm also trying my best to stay on a budget (preferably under $200). I realize that this may not be possible, but if anyone has any tips on budget fishkeeping it would be greatly appreciated.

I'm also curious as to what kind of 'cleaners' like shrimp and crabs would be best in this tank?

Thank you all in advance!

This thread is about marine fish compatiblity. For general questions such as you are interested in asking, start a separate thread in New to the Hobby. Thanks.


To Reef Central

[Devynn]

Oh, I see, thank you!

[Kyle918]

75 gallon, 48" x 18" x 20", rimless with 20 sump / refugium. I want to upgrade to a larger 30 gallon sump to have more space for the refugium to better suit my fish intentions. Other information is in the signature. I plan to have a LPS/soft coral reef tank.

I currently have two juvenile black ice clownfish doing very well in a 10 gallon QT. I plan to QT everything for 8 weeks.

My not so solid possible fish purchases, not in any particular order as below. I may also pick up another 10 gallon for QT purposes and maybe stagger some fish 4 weeks apart.

The two clownfish from above, hopefully mated by then
Wrasse of some sort. I love the MsCoskers Flasher Wrasse and 6 line Wrasse
Ignitus Anthias - I've heard multiple is better than one or two
1 Blue/Green Chromis - I know they fight so one is enough to enjoy the unique color palette
Pistol Shrimp / Goby pair
Kole Tang
Lawnmower Blenny
Longnose Hawkfish
Mandarin Dragonet

I know that is stuffed for a 75 gallon and that I cannot have all of the above which I am ok with. I want a good mix of swimming styles, IE, water and bottom dwellers and a good range of personality types and symbiotic relationships. I also plan to purchase all these fish small and maybe years down the road, upgrade the tank as we all know that will eventually happen

Thanks!!

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Kyle918

75 gallon, 48" x 18" x 20", rimless with 20 sump / refugium. I want to upgrade to a larger 30 gallon sump to have more space for the refugium to better suit my fish intentions. Other information is in the signature. I plan to have a LPS/soft coral reef tank.

I currently have two juvenile black ice clownfish doing very well in a 10 gallon QT. I plan to QT everything for 8 weeks.

My not so solid possible fish purchases, not in any particular order as below. I may also pick up another 10 gallon for QT purposes and maybe stagger some fish 4 weeks apart.

The two clownfish from above, hopefully mated by then Bonding comes first, mating after that; over all it takes about 18 months on average from juvenile to first mating
Wrasse of some sort. I love the MsCoskers Flasher Wrasse and 6 line Wrasse which are mutually exclusive with the 6 line being aggressive and precluding some tank mates including, in this sized tank, any dragonet
Ignitus Anthias - I've heard multiple is better than one or two It is IF you have a larger tank, but in a 75 gallon tank, only one is preferred
1 Blue/Green Chromis - I know they fight so one is enough to enjoy the unique color palette
Pistol Shrimp / Goby pair
Kole Tang
Lawnmower Blenny
Longnose Hawkfish not shrimp safe, but a great fish
Mandarin Dragonet ok, but marginally so in this sized tank ONLY if no six line wrasse

I know that is stuffed for a 75 gallon and that I cannot have all of the above which I am ok with. I want a good mix of swimming styles, IE, water and bottom dwellers and a good range of personality types and symbiotic relationships. I also plan to purchase all these fish small and maybe years down the road, upgrade the tank as we all know that will eventually happen

Thanks!!

[Kyle918]

That is what I meant, bonded. They are showing dominance and submissive behaviors already too.

I will side with just the MsCoskers Flasher Wrasse then. In regards to the hawkfish, do you mean shrimp in general or just smaller shrimp? Some shrimp are pretty large from what I've seen at the LFS. Will he still go after larger ones?

Thanks for your help!

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Kyle918

That is what I meant, bonded. They are showing dominance and submissive behaviors already too.

That is the beginning of the bonding behavior; you should be about 1-3 months from mating given proper feeding and a suitable environment.

I will side with just the MsCoskers Flasher Wrasse then. In regards to the hawkfish, do you mean shrimp in general or just smaller shrimp? Some shrimp are pretty large from what I've seen at the LFS. Will he still go after larger ones?

Well large ones such as coral banded shrimp can take fish so that is not a great idea; however small shrimp including large cleaner shrimp are at risk

Thanks for your help!

Always a pleasure.