How much livestock?

EricBrian · 09/02/2006, 06:00 PM

I am preparing for building a 75 gallon reef tank and am wondering, how much livestock can I add? Is there a rule of thumb? Any help would be great.

Thanks
Eric

EricBrian · 09/03/2006, 06:30 AM

Ok, I guess my first post wasn't a taker.

So, how about this... I am going from two fishless tanks to a 75 gallon in which I want fish and critters.

I have, so far:

Powder Brown Tang
Yellow Tang
3 Blue Reef Chromis
2 Neon Blue (Cleaner) Goby
Bullet Goby
Neon Dottyback
Scooter Blenny

Red Feather Duster

6 Sexy Shrimp
2 Cleaner Shrimp
2 Peppermint Shrimp

Emerald Crab
Pom Pom Crab

Scarlet Hermits
Blue Hermits

2 - 3 Clams

1 Harlequin starfish

maddyfish · 09/03/2006, 06:48 AM

That would probably be it as far as fish go. My 75 has a yellow tang 2 clowns, 3 chromis, and a small damsel. Watch the tangs for aggression.

EricBrian · 09/03/2006, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by maddyfish
Watch the tangs for aggression.

Agression towards each other or towards the other fish.

And, the list above is my working wishlist.

Thanks.

EricBrian · 09/04/2006, 07:24 PM

Come on.... tons of you out there with opinions... Let me have them.

I forgot to mention that I will be adding my skimmer is H&S A110-F2000 and hopefully have around 100 lbs of LR. The sand bed I hope will be around 3 inches.

bertoni · 09/05/2006, 12:09 AM

I would ditch the powder brown, since it'd be better with a larger tank. The neon dottyback is aggressive, and I wouldn't mix it with the smaller fish or the shrimp. I'd probably stick to 5-6 fish, a few more if you're choosing small ones like the neon goby fish.

I'm not keen on stocking true crabs or hermit crabs because of their predatory nature. The porcelain crabs are supposed to be okay in that regard.

jamal-188 · 09/05/2006, 05:52 AM

I would be concerned about the dottyback and the shrimp, especially the sexy shrimp.

Fish look good though

LobsterOfJustice · 09/05/2006, 05:59 AM

I agree with the dottyback/sexy shrimp issue. I would ditch the blue hermits, stick with scarlet. Working with that fish list, I would add the dottyback 2nd to last and the tangs last. What exactly is a harlequin starfish? I would also add to the list of things to get: 20 Astrea snails, 20 cerith snails, 10 nassarius snails, a tiger tail cucumber, and an urchin (pincushion, tuxedo, or "short-spine"). I personally dont trust crabs, I wouldnt add the emerald, and I would think long and hard about the pom-pom.

jamal-188 · 09/05/2006, 06:10 AM

Agreed with the crabs...I swore I'd never own another crab after my issues with several emeralds picking on clams and other stuff.

I now have probably 15 scarlets that make up my cleaning crew along with some cerith snails.

EricBrian · 09/05/2006, 06:28 AM

Ok, blue hermits are out and so is the dottyback. I am also going to pass on the yellow tang. I think I only want one 'big' fish.

Here is a pic of a harlequin starfish:

Thanks for the counts on the snails too. But, in my 12 gallon tank my snails just reproduced and I have TONS of them. I think I am good on those. hehehehe

I will think about the urchin. I do like them.

I forgot to mention that I have a tiger conch (sand conch) already that will join the crew in the new big tank.

Thanks for all the input. It really does help.

EricBrian · 09/05/2006, 06:37 AM

Oh, and the pom pom is off the list, too. Gonna keep the emerald, though, since I already have him in my tank.

jamal-188 · 09/05/2006, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by EricBrian
Oh, and the pom pom is off the list, too. Gonna keep the emerald, though, since I already have him in my tank.

I'd just keep an eye on him to make sure he's not causing problems.

EricBrian · 09/05/2006, 06:42 AM

I will keep an eye on him. So far, he has been a good tank inhabitant.

Here is the updated list:

Powder Brown Tang
3 Blue Reef Chromis
2 Neon Blue (Cleaner) Goby
Bullet Goby
Scooter Dragonet/Blenny (already have)

Red Feather Duster

6 Sexy Shrimp (already have)
2 Cleaner Shrimp (already have 1)
2 Peppermint Shrimp (already have)

Emerald Crab (already have)

Scarlet Hermits (already have)

2 - 3 Clams (already have 2)

1 Harlequin starfish (already have)

1 Spiny Urchin

Assorted snails (already have)

stgla · 09/05/2006, 08:43 AM

EricBrian,

Have you read up on blue reef chromis? I am considering adding some to a 75g as well but not sure. They are nice looking in catalogues, but I don't know if they will be peaceful in groups the way their green counterparts are.

EricBrian · 09/05/2006, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by stgla
Have you read up on blue reef chromis? I am considering adding some to a 75g as well but not sure. They are nice looking in catalogues, but I don't know if they will be peaceful in groups the way their green counterparts are.

I've always only heard good stuff. Never that they are aggressive. What makes you think that they might be?

Thanks

stgla · 09/05/2006, 08:59 AM

They stay in groups when young, but as they grow, they compete for dominance and kill each other off, leaving you with one or two survivors.

Do a search for chromis cyanea. HEre is one thread to get you started.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...chromis+cyanea

EricBrian · 09/05/2006, 11:07 AM

Cool. I'll try to find more later.

Thanks

bertoni · 09/05/2006, 12:52 PM

Looks good to me! I did some checking on the powder brown, and it is small-tank tang, after all. I do agree that the Chromis might become problematic.

EricBrian · 09/05/2006, 01:20 PM

THanks Jonathan.

About the Chromis, do you know if there is a similar small fish as beautiful blue and schools?

Thanks

yoboyjdizz · 09/05/2006, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bertoni
Looks good to me! I did some checking on the powder brown, and it is small-tank tang, after all. I do agree that the Chromis might become problematic.

I wouldn't keep a powder brown in that size tank.. There one of the more delicate tangs and need far more room to swim and graze. They can get very aggresive as they age and espically in a smaller tank. Don't add any fish after it, mainly because it won't let you. Most sites advertise it as ok in a 75 but they also recomend a naso is ok for a 125. The yellow or kole tang would be a far better choice imo...

LobsterOfJustice · 09/05/2006, 01:30 PM

That starfish should be fine, it looks like a color variation of a serpent star. Just remember they are oppourtunistic and need plenty of food. I had a serpent star that ate a whole snail, and when I traded him to a club member it ate a royal gramma.

EricBrian · 09/05/2006, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LobsterOfJustice
That starfish should be fine, it looks like a color variation of a serpent star. Just remember they are oppourtunistic and need plenty of food. I had a serpent star that ate a whole snail, and when I traded him to a club member it ate a royal gramma.

Wow... I wish mine would eat some of the gazillion snails I have in my tank. :-)

bertoni · 09/05/2006, 03:49 PM

I don't know of a suitable blue schooling fish, really. You might be able to fit a harem of blue Assessor fish in that tank, although it might not be large enough, and Assessor fish are not easy to find. Scott Michael's books might help there. I'll take a look if no one chimes in here.

EricBrian · 09/05/2006, 05:17 PM

Well, if not a blue ones.... how about brightly colored ones suitable for a 75 gal tank?

bertoni · 09/06/2006, 12:29 AM

I'd look into some flasher wrasses.

09/02/2006, 06:00 PM	#1
EricBrian Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: DC Posts: 679	How much livestock? I am preparing for building a 75 gallon reef tank and am wondering, how much livestock can I add? Is there a rule of thumb? Any help would be great. Thanks Eric

09/03/2006, 06:30 AM	#2
EricBrian Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: DC Posts: 679	Ok, I guess my first post wasn't a taker. So, how about this... I am going from two fishless tanks to a 75 gallon in which I want fish and critters. I have, so far: Powder Brown Tang Yellow Tang 3 Blue Reef Chromis 2 Neon Blue (Cleaner) Goby Bullet Goby Neon Dottyback Scooter Blenny Red Feather Duster 6 Sexy Shrimp 2 Cleaner Shrimp 2 Peppermint Shrimp Emerald Crab Pom Pom Crab Scarlet Hermits Blue Hermits 2 - 3 Clams 1 Harlequin starfish Last edited by EricBrian; 09/03/2006 at 06:52 AM.

09/03/2006, 06:48 AM	#3
maddyfish Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 330	That would probably be it as far as fish go. My 75 has a yellow tang 2 clowns, 3 chromis, and a small damsel. Watch the tangs for aggression. __________________ If an expert says it cannot be done, get another expert- David Ben-Gurion Current Tank Info: 75 mixed simple tank 2.5 pico and 20 gallon QUARANTINE

09/05/2006, 12:09 AM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I would ditch the powder brown, since it'd be better with a larger tank. The neon dottyback is aggressive, and I wouldn't mix it with the smaller fish or the shrimp. I'd probably stick to 5-6 fish, a few more if you're choosing small ones like the neon goby fish. I'm not keen on stocking true crabs or hermit crabs because of their predatory nature. The porcelain crabs are supposed to be okay in that regard. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/05/2006, 05:59 AM	#8
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	I agree with the dottyback/sexy shrimp issue. I would ditch the blue hermits, stick with scarlet. Working with that fish list, I would add the dottyback 2nd to last and the tangs last. What exactly is a harlequin starfish? I would also add to the list of things to get: 20 Astrea snails, 20 cerith snails, 10 nassarius snails, a tiger tail cucumber, and an urchin (pincushion, tuxedo, or "short-spine"). I personally dont trust crabs, I wouldnt add the emerald, and I would think long and hard about the pom-pom. __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

09/04/2006, 07:24 PM	#5
EricBrian Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: DC Posts: 679	Come on.... tons of you out there with opinions... Let me have them. I forgot to mention that I will be adding my skimmer is H&S A110-F2000 and hopefully have around 100 lbs of LR. The sand bed I hope will be around 3 inches.

09/05/2006, 05:52 AM	#7
jamal-188 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: PA Posts: 1,480	I would be concerned about the dottyback and the shrimp, especially the sexy shrimp. Fish look good though

09/05/2006, 06:10 AM	#9
jamal-188 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: PA Posts: 1,480	Agreed with the crabs...I swore I'd never own another crab after my issues with several emeralds picking on clams and other stuff. I now have probably 15 scarlets that make up my cleaning crew along with some cerith snails.

09/05/2006, 06:28 AM	#10
EricBrian Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: DC Posts: 679	Ok, blue hermits are out and so is the dottyback. I am also going to pass on the yellow tang. I think I only want one 'big' fish. Here is a pic of a harlequin starfish: Thanks for the counts on the snails too. But, in my 12 gallon tank my snails just reproduced and I have TONS of them. I think I am good on those. hehehehe I will think about the urchin. I do like them. I forgot to mention that I have a tiger conch (sand conch) already that will join the crew in the new big tank. Thanks for all the input. It really does help.

09/05/2006, 06:37 AM	#11
EricBrian Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: DC Posts: 679	Oh, and the pom pom is off the list, too. Gonna keep the emerald, though, since I already have him in my tank.

09/05/2006, 06:42 AM	#13
EricBrian Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: DC Posts: 679	I will keep an eye on him. So far, he has been a good tank inhabitant. Here is the updated list: Powder Brown Tang 3 Blue Reef Chromis 2 Neon Blue (Cleaner) Goby Bullet Goby Scooter Dragonet/Blenny (already have) Red Feather Duster 6 Sexy Shrimp (already have) 2 Cleaner Shrimp (already have 1) 2 Peppermint Shrimp (already have) Emerald Crab (already have) Scarlet Hermits (already have) 2 - 3 Clams (already have 2) 1 Harlequin starfish (already have) 1 Spiny Urchin Assorted snails (already have)

09/05/2006, 08:43 AM	#14
stgla Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 353	EricBrian, Have you read up on blue reef chromis? I am considering adding some to a 75g as well but not sure. They are nice looking in catalogues, but I don't know if they will be peaceful in groups the way their green counterparts are.

09/05/2006, 08:59 AM	#16
stgla Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 353	They stay in groups when young, but as they grow, they compete for dominance and kill each other off, leaving you with one or two survivors. Do a search for chromis cyanea. HEre is one thread to get you started. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...chromis+cyanea

09/05/2006, 11:07 AM	#17
EricBrian Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: DC Posts: 679	Cool. I'll try to find more later. Thanks

09/05/2006, 12:52 PM	#18
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Looks good to me! I did some checking on the powder brown, and it is small-tank tang, after all. I do agree that the Chromis might become problematic. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/05/2006, 01:20 PM	#19
EricBrian Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: DC Posts: 679	THanks Jonathan. About the Chromis, do you know if there is a similar small fish as beautiful blue and schools? Thanks

09/05/2006, 01:30 PM	#21
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	That starfish should be fine, it looks like a color variation of a serpent star. Just remember they are oppourtunistic and need plenty of food. I had a serpent star that ate a whole snail, and when I traded him to a club member it ate a royal gramma. __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

09/05/2006, 03:49 PM	#23
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I don't know of a suitable blue schooling fish, really. You might be able to fit a harem of blue Assessor fish in that tank, although it might not be large enough, and Assessor fish are not easy to find. Scott Michael's books might help there. I'll take a look if no one chimes in here. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/05/2006, 05:17 PM	#24
EricBrian Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: DC Posts: 679	Well, if not a blue ones.... how about brightly colored ones suitable for a 75 gal tank?

09/06/2006, 12:29 AM	#25
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I'd look into some flasher wrasses. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni