opinions/stocking order of my fish wish list

[mnman]

I have a 155 Gal bow front mixed reef that is cycling now! Wanted to get my fish list nailed down soon so that I can get the first ones in quarantine so we can possibly have a few fish in the display for Christmas. I welcome any suggestions and some help with stocking order.

Here is what I am thinking i no particular order:

1x Longhorn Cowfish
5x Blue/Green Chromis
1x Blue Tang
3x Spotted Cardinals
1x Red Mandrin
1x Bloched Anthias
2 Orange Spotted Goby
1 Scopas Tang
1x mated pair Ocellaris Clown

[acrab78]

Sounds like a good little list, wish I had a tank that big! I would add a lawnmower blenny and maybe even a dwarf lionfish for sure.... Maybe a cleaner wrasse too. Have fun good luck!

[mnman]

I was thinking a Dwarf Lionfish also but wont it be a problem with the smaller fish?

[byronjbacon]

Originally Posted by acrab78

Sounds like a good little list, wish I had a tank that big! I would add a lawnmower blenny and maybe even a dwarf lionfish for sure.... Maybe a cleaner wrasse too. Have fun good luck!

I think a lawnmower blenny would be aggressive to a red mandarin, and for a new tank there may not be enough cope pods to feed both.

I like the dwarf lionfish idea though. I loved mine. Once they're use to you feeding them they will follow your finger, which is very entertaining.

I love your list. I'd say that the gobies should come first because they'll dig out caves which fish may later take refuge in. Not to mention keep the sand bed white and clean.

[byronjbacon]

Originally Posted by mnman

I was thinking a Dwarf Lionfish also but wont it be a problem with the smaller fish?

My fuzzy dwarf lionfish never paid any mind to my chromis or my red Mandarin.

Also people LOVE clownfish. So if you're looking to entertain for Christmas they may be a good addition for that.

[ACBlinky]

You might want to remove the cowfish from the list -- they get BIG, and I think they're finicky, but I have no experience with them.

Chromis tend to fight and kill each other until only one remains; might want to just get one, unless you're okay with the possibility of them killing each other.

The scopas tang is another fish I wouldn't keep in a 155g; a foot long, touchy, probably best left for BIG tanks.

[mal7887]

Originally Posted by ACBlinky

Chromis tend to fight and kill each other until only one remains; might want to just get one, unless you're okay with the possibility of them killing each other.

Blue Chromis are some of the most docile in the Damsel family and do very well in shoals. Other Damsels fight and kill each other yes... but Not Chromis...


From LiveAquaria:
The Blue Green Reef Chromis is easy to care for, beautiful, and peaceful. In fact, Chromis viridis is one of the preferred marine reef fish amongst aquarists, regardless of their experience level. This member of the Pomacentridae family is most recognizable by its gorgeous light blue dorsal side that slowly fades into a majestic pale green belly. The Blue Green Reef Chromis is desirable not only for its beauty, but also for its peaceful demeanor (despite its designation as a true damselfish) and ability to be kept with almost all other community fish, invertebrates, and corals.
Native to reefs ranging from mid-depth to shallow lagoons of the Indo-Pacific and South Pacific, wild specimens prefer to school in large shoals amongst branching corals like Acropora. In the home aquarium, the Blue Green Reef Chromis does best in similar environments and will actively swim at all levels of the aquarium water column. In fact, small schools of the Blue Green Reef Chromis add a dazzling and dramatic shimmer of beauty to almost any well-established reef system.

Overall, the Blue Green Reef Chromis is very hardy and can live between 8 to 15 years in aquariums with excellent water quality. For best care, feed several times throughout the day with a varied diet of meaty foods, herbivore flakes, and frozen preparations. Vitamin-enriched foods may also help to preserve body colorations.

Some aquarists have successfully bred the Blue Green Reef Chromis in the home aquarium. Interestingly, the body color of mature males, ready to nest, changes to a muted yellow color. However, breeding success requires perfect water parameters in only the largest of non-predatory aquarium systems

[MellowReefer]

Have to comment on chromis. No matter what LA says, I have heard many people say that theirs killed each other. I had a little one in my trio and the others almost killed it and I ended up taking all but one back to the store. The one I have by itself is just fine and swims with my other fish and is very peaceful to other species. If you want to try them you might have good luck though, and do get at least 5 if not 7.

[mnman]

OK that's -2 for the Chromis. Should I scratch the Chromis and go with more Spotted Cardinals? I am thinking I will go with the Dwarf Lion though. Not many have commented on order, any suggestions there?

[MellowReefer]

I haven't heard of any reefs with cowfish or lionfish, so I would recommend doing a lot of research first if you're going to consider those. What about a foxface? They help with bubble algae and all types of algae.

Either the clownfish or the cardinals would be good first additions. They are hardy and not very aggressive. Go to LiveAquaria.com and read about the fish you want to get. You want to adds the ones that are rated "easy" first and save others like the Mandarin and Anthias for later when your tank is more established. you also want to add ones rated "peaceful" before ones rated "semi-aggressive" - add those last. I don't have tangs but you want to research their compatibility and they may need to be added at the same time or one before the other.

[MuffsAbby]

As for the order. Your first additions would be any of the clowns, cardinals, gobies, cowfish and chromis (if you still want them). I'm not suggesting you add all of these fish at the same time, of course. Just pick the one you want to add first, and then next and so forth, until you've added all of these. It doesn't much matter whether the cardinals go in before the chromis or vice versa...same can be said for the rest of these fish. They're all pretty peaceful.

Then add the anthias, then the mandarin (assuming you have sufficient pod population at that point). The tangs would come last.

I too had no luck with chromis, and I've read thread after thread from people who experienced chromis killing each other off. So, regardless of what liveaquaria says, you might reconsider the chromis. Perhaps add a few more anthias.

[mnman]

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. This is what the updated list looks like. Again in no particular order:

1x One Spot Foxface
5x Blue/Green Chromis
1x Blue Tang
3x Spotted Cardinals
1x Red Mandrin
1x Bloched Anthias
2x Orange Spotted Goby
1x Scopas Tang
1x mated pair Ocellaris Clown
1x Dwarf Lionfish

I have removed the Cowfish. My wife is insisting on some shoaling fish, many of you have suggested I go away from the Chromis. Does anyone have any other good shoaling fish?

[acrab78]

As far as the lion is concerned any fish that could fit in his mouth could end up in his mouth....
With a bigger tank it should be fine I would just try to find a smaller one if possible. And they are actually great reef fish just predators. They won't mess with any corals etc.

[mnman]

If I go with the Dwarf Lionfish should I stay away from Hermits in my cleanup crew?

[b_newman]

My favorite fish have always been anthias, but have never had enough to shoal or school. http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=267