Hi Reefers,
I would be happy for your advices about stocking.
I am planning in my new house (that should be built in 2-3 years) a big tank. I expect at least 800g DT (with corresponding sump and so). Few weeks ago I got an second handed Red Sea Reefer XL425 which should be a "training" tank for me to be ready for a big one. I cycled it and now I started with stocking... I am buying just frags and small fishes (babies)... I do not need a "wow effect" immediately, I am willing to wait until everything will grow itself. And all the animals from current tank will be moved to the big one in few years. I think (and I hope) it is not a mistake to think that given that I can stock the Reefer similarly to the big one (with small fish that get a new bigger home when they will grow up).
I have read tons of pages here and heard hundreds of hours of videos from youtube butI am still unsure.
My tank started easily with 5 frags (SPS, LPS, anemone), 3 shrimps, 4 snails and of course one pair of Nemos (I have a small daughter so what would one expect). All are doing fine and in few day I expect another mates coming.
So my plan is:
CUC (the counts are the basics, anything can be even multiplied anytime):
24x snails (different groups)
4x cleaning shrimp
2x Fire schrimp
2x Peppermint shrimp
2x Pom-pom crab
2-3x porcelain or guard crabs (Porcellanidae or Trapezia sp.)
1-2x starfish (which one?)
1-2x urchin (which one?)
Beneficial fish:
1x One-spot Foxface
1x watchman gobi + shrimp
1x Diamond gobi
?x wrasses (which one and how many? 2 is enough?)
2x blennies (I would choose by appearance, not sure yet which)
1x Blue Sapphire Damsel
1x Magnificent Foxface
Other (beauty) fish:
2x Nemos (already have)
1x Dori (coming in few days, I have a small daughter so what to expect)
1x pair of Mandarin fish (coming in few days)
... and others that would be pretty and will fit
I was not looking by LFS for good looking fishes yet, so I have no idea which would be interesting for me, I understand that it is more important to set up a stability in the reef to which help others then to buy "beauty fish", so I would rather fully stock a beneficial fish in advance.
Please, what do you think about it?
I would be happy for your advices about stocking.
I am planning in my new house (that should be built in 2-3 years) a big tank. I expect at least 800g DT (with corresponding sump and so). Few weeks ago I got an second handed Red Sea Reefer XL425 which should be a "training" tank for me to be ready for a big one. I cycled it and now I started with stocking... I am buying just frags and small fishes (babies)... I do not need a "wow effect" immediately, I am willing to wait until everything will grow itself. And all the animals from current tank will be moved to the big one in few years. I think (and I hope) it is not a mistake to think that given that I can stock the Reefer similarly to the big one (with small fish that get a new bigger home when they will grow up).
I have read tons of pages here and heard hundreds of hours of videos from youtube butI am still unsure.
My tank started easily with 5 frags (SPS, LPS, anemone), 3 shrimps, 4 snails and of course one pair of Nemos (I have a small daughter so what would one expect). All are doing fine and in few day I expect another mates coming.
So my plan is:
CUC (the counts are the basics, anything can be even multiplied anytime):
24x snails (different groups)
4x cleaning shrimp
2x Fire schrimp
2x Peppermint shrimp
2x Pom-pom crab
2-3x porcelain or guard crabs (Porcellanidae or Trapezia sp.)
1-2x starfish (which one?)
1-2x urchin (which one?)
Beneficial fish:
1x One-spot Foxface
1x watchman gobi + shrimp
1x Diamond gobi
?x wrasses (which one and how many? 2 is enough?)
2x blennies (I would choose by appearance, not sure yet which)
1x Blue Sapphire Damsel
1x Magnificent Foxface
Other (beauty) fish:
2x Nemos (already have)
1x Dori (coming in few days, I have a small daughter so what to expect)
1x pair of Mandarin fish (coming in few days)
... and others that would be pretty and will fit
I was not looking by LFS for good looking fishes yet, so I have no idea which would be interesting for me, I understand that it is more important to set up a stability in the reef to which help others then to buy "beauty fish", so I would rather fully stock a beneficial fish in advance.
Please, what do you think about it?