Need help with stocking...

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

OK, so I'm finally at the point where I need to be making some decisions on exactly what I want to put in my tank other than a clean-up crew. Would you guys mind helping me to make sure that I have the right picks for a tank my size and make sure than no one eats anyone else, LOL? I would appreciate it!

My tank is a 75-gal FOWLR, but I am thinking of going reef after I have had a little more practice at this, so I don't want to add any fish that are bad for a reef setup either. I will probably be very shrimp happy and plan to have several of those as well as at least a blue starfish, so nothing that likes a little crunch to their food either! Here's what I'm thinking:

1 Yellow Tang (already in the tank)

1 or 2 percula clownfish (my 2-yr old's must-have. Surprise, surprise)

1 Scott's Fairy Wrasse (this is my must-have!)

I would love to add a flasher Wrasse, but afraid they won't be compatible with the Fairy. Maybe a Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse? Any other wrasse that would go with a Scott's Fairy or am I hoping for too much here? Banana Wrasse?

1 Lyretail or squarespot anthias (will the squarespot handle reef lighting?)

2 Zebra Dart Gobies

1 Pinktail Trigger


Have I maxed out? Is there room for more of do I need to trim a bit? Have I invited anyone over for dinner? OK, now's your chance, shoot me down!!!

 

[Great Lakes]

Looks good till the trigger. I am not wholly familiar with this particular one, but most get fairly large, and can be a bane to corals down the road.

GL

 

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

You know what, the more I think about it, I don't think the trigger will work here. It is actually a reef-safe trigger, the exception to the rule, but from what I can gather they go well with either non-agressive fish their same size or agressive smaller fish and all of the rest of my fish are smaller AND non-aggressive, so maybe a no-go on the trigger. I love the gray look of those, anyone have a suggestion for a fish that looks sort of like those that would go well with my others? Thanks, you guys are the best!

 

[Navarre]

Try a male Bluethroat trigger. It doenst grow large and is not aggressive at all. I have recomended them to all my friend that want reef setups with triggers and they are thouroughly impressed with its behaviour. About 6 inches is the size they grow to in captivity.

I dont have a Squarespot Anthias but i have a shoal of Lyretail ANthias and they are under 400w halides. They have plenty of liverock for shleter should they want it but they swim on open water alot and it doesnt bother them.

Be careful with anthias though, they can be trouble for feeding and require more care on this than most other fish.

I would say you can get away with a little more than this as long as its not done in 1 go. how about checkingout the following fish...

Hektors Goby
Dot Dash Blenny
Any Dwarf angel but look at Flame Angels or Coral beautys
Royal Gramma

 

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

How about the second wrasse? Is it possible to put in a second wrasse when my first is a Scott's Fairy or will they not get along?

 

[Navarre]

Very risky to be honest. I have several wrasse in my tank but i will be the first to admit that its not a happy bunch of wrasse in there at the moment )

I have a silty wrasse that doesnt give my 6 line wrasses a hard time at al.. completely ignores them.... However if it so much as catches a glimps of my Banana wrasse then it will do anything in its power to attack it (Problem is i cannot get the banana out as its under the reefrack )

I have 2 6 line wrasses that get along fine.... All reports say do not keep 2 together but they are no trouble at al. they do have the odd bicker now and then but nothing serious and its more a question of re-establishing pecking order than anything more sinister.

My poor banana wrasse doesnt bother anyone and is totally peaceful yet its houneded constantly by my silty. I might have to get red of my silty wrase which is unfortunate as i had it since it was a baby and it does a fantastic job of managing bristleworm populations.

Before adding a 2nd wrasse to the system make sure you do alot of homework on each species first. They can seemingly live together for months with no aggression and then BAM! all out war.. (this is what happened to my silty/banana)

 

[leon]

hopefully i should be getting my blue throat at the end of this week!

 

[Navarre]

Im sure you wont be dissapointed!

 

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

OK, a few more questions. By the way, thanks so much for the replies so far!

Question 1 - What order should these guys go in? I hope I haven't screwed up too bad by putting the yellow tang in first, but he seems to be the only one that is readily available right now locally. If I have to quarantine him for a while, I'll do that, but would like to avoid that if at all possible. Here's the line-up again, for ease:

1 Yellow Tang (already in the tank)

1 or 2 percula clownfish

1 Scott's Fairy Wrasse

2nd Wrasse (questionable)

1 Lyretail or squarespot anthias

2 Zebra Dart Gobies

1 bluethroat Trigger

1 Coral Beauty Angel

Question 2 - Was also thinking about a flounder, since Navarre said I had a little more room, but totally haven't researched them yet and don't know if they are reef-safe, crustacean-safe or anything. What's the verdict on these guys? My gut says they probably eat shrimp.

Question 3 - Is a bluethroat trigger the same thing as a blue chin trigger???

Question 4 - Where do starfish fit in as far as what order and when they go in? Linkia specifically

As always, you guys are the BOMB!!!! B)

 

[hyrookin]

I would say the anthias first, as they are not aggressive, then the gobies,
then coral beauty and clowns, then wrasse, and, I hate to say it, but the
tang should be about the last to go in, they can become extremely territorial
if alone in tank too long.

 

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

I knew you were going to say that about the tang. and I knew that I was right and the LFS store was wrong about that one. First lesson for going with my instincts.

 

[Navarre]

I agree, the tang last of all Just to give you an idea how they can be... I have a Purple tang (basically a yellow tang with a different paint job) and i added an asfur angel after the tang was well established. THe fight was horrendous! I hav enever seen my tang turn into such a homicidal maniac before! its usually so docile and peaceful! For the first time i saw it open its scalpels and ty gutting the asfur! I tried to seperate them and the tang was so intenet on killing the asfur that it totally ignored the net coming in to catch it. (at least it was easy to catch.


I put the tang in the sump for a week and allowed the asfur to settle in. After a week i returned the tang and it did chase the asfur for about an hour but after that it settled down and now they are the best of buddies and hang out together all the time. Tangs are really tempermental and unfortunately they have the weaponry to back it up too.
Make sure that any fish you add is totally different in shape and different colours. My mistake was the asfur and tang are both purple with yellow.

My Emperir Tang is now named "Ming the Merciless"


Yes the BLuethroat is the same as a bluechin. Try and get a male as they are far more colourful. Bright blue throats with gorgeous yellow fins. The females have a dull throat with no yellow fins.


Dont add a linkia starfish IMP. They can be very senstvie to water changes etc. I would advise that you get a Sandsifter starfish instead. far more robust and great to watch (as long as you dont have a deep sand bed)

 

[ostrow]

I wonder about overstocking here, particularly if you go reef. The tang, the two clowns, after that you have left in a 75 USG maybe 8" of fish. A coulple of wrasses or gobies would max you out pretty well there.

I am overstocked and it is a problem. I ditched the blenny altogether after losing a few.

Many report the yellow tangs can get super aggressive as they get older. I keep trying Atlantic Blues but they seem fragile. Have thought of punting ot Yellow but am wary.

 

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

Where does the trigger fit in with the order that he goes in the tank? Before the tang?

 

[Navarre]

I never found the trigger to be aggressive at all. It can easily defend itself from ost fish and most fish know what kinda damage it can deal out should they wanna try it on so most of the time tehre is little trouble.