Stocking help

creep · 08/29/2006, 01:48 PM

First off, i am atleast a month away from putting anything in my tank, most likely two months before any livestock goes in there. But in the meantime i want to get my stocking list straightened out. Here is a list of what i would like to put in my 40 gal tank. Is this going to be too much to put in there, and also what order would you put these in?

Flame angel
Ocellerius clown
Mandarin Dragonet goby
Scooter blenny
Royal Gramma
Black Beauty Butterfly
purple pseudochromis
10 cerith snails
5 nassarius snails
10 nerite snails
1 queen conch
1 sand sifting starfish
10 turbo snails
10 blue leg hermit crabs
10 red leg hermit crabs
1 cleaner shrimp

The two that I really want to make sure are in there are the flame angel and the clown fish. Thanks for your help.

emerald chondro · 08/29/2006, 03:03 PM

I'd drop the mandarin..i dont know if a tank that size can handle its dietary needs and i think the butterfly's pushing it in a 40 but thats just me.

SDguy · 08/29/2006, 03:11 PM

Flame angel - Some might disagree, but I say OK in a 40. Add last.

Ocellaris clown - fine

Mandarin Dragonet goby - pass, difficult to feed

Scooter blenny - pass, see above. How about a pistol shrimp/goby pair instead?

Royal Gramma - fine

Black Beauty Butterfly - Not sure what species this is, but I don't think any butterfly would be good in a 40g

purple pseudochromis - probably will fight with your gramma, as they inhabit the same niche. How about a midas blenny instead?

10 cerith snails
5 nassarius snails
10 nerite snails - all fine, not sure you need this many though total.

1 queen conch - don't these get BIG?

1 sand sifting starfish - pass. Will probably starve.

10 turbo snails - they can get big, knock things over? How about trochus

10 blue leg hermit crabs - not a fan of hermits and not necessary IMO/E.

10 red leg hermit crabs - see above

1 cleaner shrimp - fine

HTH

KDodds · 08/29/2006, 03:50 PM

Those are a LOT of inverts for such a small tank. I'd cut the Ceriths down to half a dozen, and eliminate the Nerites, they're tideline snails and will go overboard anyway. Definitely eliminate the Queen Conch, but you might replace it with a Fighting Conch IF you have 2sq.ft. of open sand. I'd half the turbos, and at least half the hermits, maybe a third of what you propose. Shrimp is fine, but I'd eliminate the sea star if you're planning on a live sand bed.

For the fish, I have no idea what a "Black Beauty Butterfly" is, maybe Chaetodon melannotus? Tank's definitely too small for any Butterfly, tho. You definitely do NOT want competition between the Scooter and Mandarin Dragonets either. IMO and IME, the tank is too small for a Mandarin, so I'd go with the Scooter. I'd add either this or the Clown as my first and second fish. Purple Pseudochromis AND Royal Gramma? In such a small tank? IME, that's begging for disaster, I'd choose one or the other. On the Flame, I'd have to be one of those to say that the tank is too small. Instead, I'd go with the Flame Hawk for similar coloration and pick a smaller Centropyge like C. argi.

creep · 08/29/2006, 04:00 PM

thanks for the relies, i knew i probably wouldn't be able to add all of them. As for all the inverts, that was a list from a tank cleaner package designed for a 30. So i will take your advice and cut down on it. I wasn't sure about the butterfly. i didn't know much about it, but liked the way it looked. as for the purple psedochromis and royal gramma. i didn't know they would fight, just didn't think about them wanting to use the same spot, so i will probably just pick whichever is easier for me to get at my LFS. Thanks for the help, and any more feedback is welcomed. As i said before, i have nothing but time here, and want to make sure i am aiming for a list that is going to satisfy me, and the inhabitants at the same time. I will probably add the clown first since its my girlfriends favorite fish.

Ritten · 08/29/2006, 04:05 PM

creep, I have seen a few tanks with a orange and white clown and black and white clown that have paired up and look awesome. Do you have any interest in a yellow watchman goby? I don't know what you want for corals, but a green clown goby and yellow clown goby are fun to watch perched on corals.

SDguy · 08/29/2006, 05:41 PM

I would add the clown second to last (assuming the angel is a go). Clowns are related to damsels, after all

creep · 08/29/2006, 06:17 PM

i was actually looking at a yellow watchman goby earlier, i like their look. As for corals, i mostly just want zoas, and save the other corals for when i get a bigger tank, and get MH's or T5's.

creep · 08/30/2006, 01:35 PM

Ok here is an updated list of what I would like to keep.

Flame angel
2 Ocellerius clown
scooter blenny
Firefish (should i keep this in a pair)
Royal Gramma
6 cerith snails
5 nassarius snails
5 turbo snails
4 blue leg hermit crabs
4 red leg hermit crabs
1 cleaner shrimp

I would add the royal gramma first, then blenny, the firefish, then clowns, and flame angel last. I would add all my inverts before any of the fish. How does this sound? any and all suggestions are welcome. Though i know some will say that a 40 is too small for a flame, i have also seen many say that its fine.

creep · 08/30/2006, 03:14 PM

anyone?

Ritten · 08/30/2006, 04:27 PM

You really want the flame right?

If so, I would get rid of the scooter blenny and pick between the gramma and the firefish. Even leaving the angel, two clowns and one other fish, I think you're pushing it in a 40.

creep · 08/30/2006, 04:46 PM

yeah, the flame is my favorite fish out there. Thanks for your help.

08/29/2006, 01:48 PM	#1
creep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Cypress, Ca Posts: 379	Stocking help First off, i am atleast a month away from putting anything in my tank, most likely two months before any livestock goes in there. But in the meantime i want to get my stocking list straightened out. Here is a list of what i would like to put in my 40 gal tank. Is this going to be too much to put in there, and also what order would you put these in? Flame angel Ocellerius clown Mandarin Dragonet goby Scooter blenny Royal Gramma Black Beauty Butterfly purple pseudochromis 10 cerith snails 5 nassarius snails 10 nerite snails 1 queen conch 1 sand sifting starfish 10 turbo snails 10 blue leg hermit crabs 10 red leg hermit crabs 1 cleaner shrimp The two that I really want to make sure are in there are the flame angel and the clown fish. Thanks for your help.

08/29/2006, 03:11 PM	#3
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	Re: Stocking help Flame angel - Some might disagree, but I say OK in a 40. Add last. Ocellaris clown - fine Mandarin Dragonet goby - pass, difficult to feed Scooter blenny - pass, see above. How about a pistol shrimp/goby pair instead? Royal Gramma - fine Black Beauty Butterfly - Not sure what species this is, but I don't think any butterfly would be good in a 40g purple pseudochromis - probably will fight with your gramma, as they inhabit the same niche. How about a midas blenny instead? 10 cerith snails 5 nassarius snails 10 nerite snails - all fine, not sure you need this many though total. 1 queen conch - don't these get BIG? 1 sand sifting starfish - pass. Will probably starve. 10 turbo snails - they can get big, knock things over? How about trochus 10 blue leg hermit crabs - not a fan of hermits and not necessary IMO/E. 10 red leg hermit crabs - see above 1 cleaner shrimp - fine HTH __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

08/29/2006, 03:50 PM	#4
KDodds Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Suffern, NY Posts: 2,731	Those are a LOT of inverts for such a small tank. I'd cut the Ceriths down to half a dozen, and eliminate the Nerites, they're tideline snails and will go overboard anyway. Definitely eliminate the Queen Conch, but you might replace it with a Fighting Conch IF you have 2sq.ft. of open sand. I'd half the turbos, and at least half the hermits, maybe a third of what you propose. Shrimp is fine, but I'd eliminate the sea star if you're planning on a live sand bed. For the fish, I have no idea what a "Black Beauty Butterfly" is, maybe Chaetodon melannotus? Tank's definitely too small for any Butterfly, tho. You definitely do NOT want competition between the Scooter and Mandarin Dragonets either. IMO and IME, the tank is too small for a Mandarin, so I'd go with the Scooter. I'd add either this or the Clown as my first and second fish. Purple Pseudochromis AND Royal Gramma? In such a small tank? IME, that's begging for disaster, I'd choose one or the other. On the Flame, I'd have to be one of those to say that the tank is too small. Instead, I'd go with the Flame Hawk for similar coloration and pick a smaller Centropyge like C. argi. __________________ The sum of my knowledge is great, the sum of my ignorance greater still Kieron Dodds Administrator Inside Aquatics Current Tank Info: 450 Reef/180 FOWLR/125 ARLC/40 Seahorse/12 Planted/12 Planted

08/29/2006, 05:41 PM	#7
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	I would add the clown second to last (assuming the angel is a go). Clowns are related to damsels, after all __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

08/29/2006, 03:03 PM	#2
emerald chondro Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 311	I'd drop the mandarin..i dont know if a tank that size can handle its dietary needs and i think the butterfly's pushing it in a 40 but thats just me.

08/29/2006, 04:00 PM	#5
creep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Cypress, Ca Posts: 379	thanks for the relies, i knew i probably wouldn't be able to add all of them. As for all the inverts, that was a list from a tank cleaner package designed for a 30. So i will take your advice and cut down on it. I wasn't sure about the butterfly. i didn't know much about it, but liked the way it looked. as for the purple psedochromis and royal gramma. i didn't know they would fight, just didn't think about them wanting to use the same spot, so i will probably just pick whichever is easier for me to get at my LFS. Thanks for the help, and any more feedback is welcomed. As i said before, i have nothing but time here, and want to make sure i am aiming for a list that is going to satisfy me, and the inhabitants at the same time. I will probably add the clown first since its my girlfriends favorite fish.

08/29/2006, 04:05 PM	#6
Ritten Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,164	creep, I have seen a few tanks with a orange and white clown and black and white clown that have paired up and look awesome. Do you have any interest in a yellow watchman goby? I don't know what you want for corals, but a green clown goby and yellow clown goby are fun to watch perched on corals.

08/29/2006, 06:17 PM	#8
creep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Cypress, Ca Posts: 379	i was actually looking at a yellow watchman goby earlier, i like their look. As for corals, i mostly just want zoas, and save the other corals for when i get a bigger tank, and get MH's or T5's.

08/30/2006, 01:35 PM	#9
creep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Cypress, Ca Posts: 379	Ok here is an updated list of what I would like to keep. Flame angel 2 Ocellerius clown scooter blenny Firefish (should i keep this in a pair) Royal Gramma 6 cerith snails 5 nassarius snails 5 turbo snails 4 blue leg hermit crabs 4 red leg hermit crabs 1 cleaner shrimp I would add the royal gramma first, then blenny, the firefish, then clowns, and flame angel last. I would add all my inverts before any of the fish. How does this sound? any and all suggestions are welcome. Though i know some will say that a 40 is too small for a flame, i have also seen many say that its fine.

08/30/2006, 03:14 PM	#10
creep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Cypress, Ca Posts: 379	anyone?

08/30/2006, 04:27 PM	#11
Ritten Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,164	You really want the flame right? If so, I would get rid of the scooter blenny and pick between the gramma and the firefish. Even leaving the angel, two clowns and one other fish, I think you're pushing it in a 40.

08/30/2006, 04:46 PM	#12
creep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Cypress, Ca Posts: 379	yeah, the flame is my favorite fish out there. Thanks for your help.