Marine Stocking

[stang1]

We are getting a marine tank next week and as we are new to it I'd like a few pointers on how many fish we can stock.
We hadn't planned on getting one so soon but it was too good to turn down. It's a Rena Panorama 100 and I believe it is about 40UK/47Us gallons.
Obviously we are going to be doing a lot of research but we are curious as to what to stock it with. The fish we want are:
2 Clownfish
Blue Streak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica)
Goby (unsure on which one)
Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
Jewelled Rockskipper (Salarias fasciatus)
Blenny (unsure on which one)
Also like the Pajama Cardinalfish but understand these may be a shoaling fish?
Cleaning crew like Hermit Crabs and Shrimps.

Any help or suggestions on how many and the best combination will be greatly appreciated.

 

[SkiFletch]

Not a bad fish list, a couple of thoughts. Cleaner wrasses are not a good idea in small tanks. They almoast solely eat parasites off of their fellow fish and can quickly clean their tankmates so well that they are left with no food. SOME (10-20%) of individual cleaner wrasses can be weaned on to frozen foods, but why take the risk? Better to keep them where they belong in really big tanks.

Royal Grammas can be aggressive so it would be best to add that fish last.

Pajama cardinals can do just fine on their own or in a small shoal. I know someone whose had a single pajama in his tank for 10 years.

Never heard of a jeweled rockskipper, guess its time for me to learn something new

 

[Miss Wiggle]

we have a pair of pyjama cardinals and they're doing just great

 

[stang1]

Thanks for the replies.
The tank won't be set up for a couple of weeks because I want to make sure I research it properly and get it right! Now that we are getting a marine tank though, I really want to get a good idea of stocking. We are collecting the tank next week when we've finished decorating the dining area so I'll post pictures.
I'm going to leave the Royal Gramma as I'd prefer to get fish that aren't aggressive. So would this stocking be ok?

2 Clownfish
Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica)
Goby (unsure on which one)
Jewelled Rockskipper (Salarias fasciatus)
Blenny (unsure on which one)
2 x Pajama Cardinals
Hermit Crabs and Shrimp (not sure how many we would need?)

Would we be overstocked with these?
Also how much live rock would we need?

Sorry for all the questions but we really want to get it right. The fella at the lfs who's selling us it will help us out but I'd like to get member's help and opinions too!

Ski, the Jewelled Rockskipper is also known as the Lawnmower Blenny apparently.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

i think it sounds ok to me

for clean up crew - crabs shrimps, snails etc

your supposed to need 1 per gallon... but i think things like larger crabs, shrimps etc will count for more than 1!

 

[stang1]

Thanks Miss Wiggle.
We were looking at Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp, Banded Boxing Shrimp and small Hermit Crabs. We don't want anything that gets too big!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Thanks Miss Wiggle.
We were looking at Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp, Banded Boxing Shrimp and small Hermit Crabs. We don't want anything that gets too big!

cool, just aim for somewhere near the number of gallons of your tank and you should be alright.

 

[stang1]

Is it normal to feel like a kid at Christmas knowing your getting a marine tank?
My better half went to pay the final amount on our 5ft Rena tank when we were offered the marine tank for £300. It's perfect because it'll match in with the 5ft tank and we really wanted to set up a marine one but decided to leave it until next year.
The 5ft one will be for Plecos and Barbs which I was already excited about but now.....

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Is it normal to feel like a kid at Christmas knowing your getting a marine tank?
My better half went to pay the final amount on our 5ft Rena tank when we were offered the marine tank for £300. It's perfect because it'll match in with the 5ft tank and we really wanted to set up a marine one but decided to leave it until next year.
The 5ft one will be for Plecos and Barbs which I was already excited about but now.....

ha ha yeah i know the feeling, i get dead giddy about everything for the marine tank

 

[boshank23]

i would read up about the roya grammars, if i remember rightly they are best kept in 3's 1 male 2 females. if its a good LFS you get them from they will help you sex the males as there is no real diffrence in colouration, if you have 2 males in a tank they will spar.

also not sure on the compatibility of the scarlet shrimp and the boxer shrimp, the boxers are pretty nasty and could kill the scarlet shrimp. they are also known to eat bristle worms, not so good for your hands if you touch 1 but they are great for eating waste from your rocks (bristle worms that is)

 

[stang1]

i would read up about the roya grammars, if i remember rightly they are best kept in 3's 1 male 2 females. if its a good LFS you get them from they will help you sex the males as there is no real diffrence in colouration, if you have 2 males in a tank they will spar.

also not sure on the compatibility of the scarlet shrimp and the boxer shrimp, the boxers are pretty nasty and could kill the scarlet shrimp. they are also known to eat bristle worms, not so good for your hands if you touch 1 but they are great for eating waste from your rocks (bristle worms that is)

Sorry, should have mentioned that we wanted either one or the other on the Shrimps, just not sure which one!
We actually picked the tank up tonight but not setting it up straight away.
There was a seperate Arcadia Luminaire T5 lighting x 4 hood that came with it but we don't know if it's necessary or if we just need the lighting that comes fitted in the hood?

 

[stang1]

Sorry to be a pain but what would be the best cleaning crew to put in our tank?

 

[SkiFletch]

Well my favorites are:

Cerith Snails
Nassarius Snails
Trochus Snails
Mexican Turbo Snails (big)
Dwarf Brittlestars
Mexican Red Leg Hermits (aka scarlet reef hermits)

I'm not a fan of plain turbos or astreas as both have high mortality rates in reef aquaria. I also dont really like blue-leg or any other hermits except for the red legs cause the other varieties tend to be exceptionally aggressive towards each other and snails.

 

[stang1]

Thanks Skifletch.
Quite pleased you said Mexican Red Leg Hermits as my partner and I both really like them!
Anyone have any ideas on the lighting? We really aren't sure whether we need the Arcadia Luminaire lighting or not.
Many thanks.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Thanks Skifletch.
Quite pleased you said Mexican Red Leg Hermits as my partner and I both really like them!
Anyone have any ideas on the lighting? We really aren't sure whether we need the Arcadia Luminaire lighting or not.
Many thanks.

lighting's gonna depends on weather you want corals in the future and what sort your going to want. if none then standard fishtank tubes are alright, if you just want softies then t5's are fine... if you get into hard coral territory you may want to get a proper metal halide.