A well balanced fish community

[promotheus2070]

Hi guys ,

I was wondering what would be a ballanced community fish to add in my reefer 300 since its getting at it end cycle .
I am already sure of adding a couple occerlaris .
What could go good with it long term ?
Some species that would help turning the sand over and cleaning of rocks would be a surplus

My scape is verry narrow build so no bigger than a fully grown occelaris can get through the gaps so to be considered .

Picture for reference

 

[shakacuz]

if you're getting clownfish, add them last as they can be bullies if added first and become established. same goes for any "semi-aggressive" fish you may consider.

i'm a fan of smaller fish so you can take advantage of having more space for them, and for more fish.

this is what i would add if i were in your place:

• court jester goby
• goby/pistol shrimp pair
• jawfish or hawk fish(if hawkfish, add close to last. i would probably go pygmy hawkfish or longnose)
• possum, fairy, or flasher wrasse
• blenny (midas, tailspot, or bi-color)
• 2-3 active swimmers that can "school"

 

[Lavey29]

I have the same tank 3 years now and here is my stocking.

Rohmboid wrasse
Blue streak cleaner wrasse
6 line wrasse
Coral beauty
Springerie damsel
Orange anthia
Indigo dottyback
Purple fire fish
2x percula clowns
Mandarin
Midas blenny
2x fire shrimp
Coral banded shrimp
Serpent starfish
3x tuxedo urchins
2x emerald crabs
3x acropora crabs
Bunch of scarlet hermits and snails.

 

[promotheus2070]

I like all of them , ill trie to make a list of them and add it here , also any recomends to the smallest tang ?
If there is any suiteable .
Alqo i was looking to angelfish but since the tank is not the biggest and i would add corals that is not suiteable i guess ?

 

[littlefoxx]

I like all of them , ill trie to make a list of them and add it here , also any recomends to the smallest tang ?
If there is any suiteable .
Alqo i was looking to angelfish but since the tank is not the biggest and i would add corals that is not suiteable i guess ?

Is this a 60 gallon tank? If so too small for any tangs in my opinion.

 

[promotheus2070]

Total system of 80 gallons , including sump so i guess 66 gallons for tank itself .
So tangs of the list . A foxface also not suiteable since i cant give him big enough gaps between scape maybe only 2 entrys into the structure for him ...

 

[exnisstech]

I have the same tank. I have a yellow tang, copper band, two spot bristle tooth tang, six line, and tail spot blenny. The yellow tang wasn't planned but had to be pulled from another tank because of aggression. Every one has been getting along fine but I do have options to relocate if needed which allows me to push the boundaries more than others. I would keep a bristle tooth to help with algae control. My tanks with tangs always look better than those without.

 

[littlefoxx]

Total system of 80 gallons , including sump so i guess 66 gallons for tank itself .
So tangs of the list . A foxface also not suiteable since i cant give him big enough gaps between scape maybe only 2 entrys into the structure for him ...

Yeah foxface are huge fish too. Mines about 7 inches now, had him a few months when he was under an inch

 

[Lavey29]

I like all of them , ill trie to make a list of them and add it here , also any recomends to the smallest tang ?
If there is any suiteable .
Alqo i was looking to angelfish but since the tank is not the biggest and i would add corals that is not suiteable i guess ?

The XL300 DT is 65g which is like 50g with rocks and only 36 inches wide so even small tangs like bristletooth don't do well. I tried early on and the fish was completely stressed. Some people have had success but I feel it is limited and they probably have plans to upgrade in the near term

 

[promotheus2070]

Something like this ...

- pair of occelaris/premnas
- 1/2 wrasse
- mandarin
-dascyllus aruanus ( not sure yet if suitable )
-Nemateleotris Helfrichi or Salarias Ramosus
- some shrimp and snails

any opinions ?

Thanks in advance .

​

 

[Readywriter]

Something like this ...

- pair of occelaris/premnas
- 1/2 wrasse
- mandarin
-dascyllus aruanus ( not sure yet if suitable )
-Nemateleotris Helfrichi or Salarias Ramosus
- some shrimp and snails

any opinions ?

Thanks in advance .

​

Id say that list is good maybe a little on the conservative side, meaning you could easily add a bit more. With the idea of a pleasant community in mind.. If it was me Id ditch the damsel and replace it with a gramma. And Id go with both the dartfish and the blenny. Which wrasses did you have in mind? Depending on the wrasses Id say youd still easily have room for 1-2 more fish.

 

[promotheus2070]

Yeah I would have a reserve left over if i see something i realy like and can consider taking it home .

Why drop the damsel ? Due to agressive behaviour ? Or any other reasons ? For the wrasse i like
- Pseudocheilinus Hexataenia
- Cirrhilabrus Lubbocki
- Cirrhilabrus Aurantidorsalis
- Cirrhilabrus Lanceolatus
- Paracheilinus Cyaneus
- Halichoeres Leucoxanthus
- Cirrhilabrus Temminckii
- Cirrhilabrus Tonozukai
- Paracheilinus Mccoskeri

Some of the one's i like based on visual apereance , behaviour i need to do more research .

 

[Readywriter]

Yeah I would have a reserve left over if i see something i realy like and can consider taking it home .

Why drop the damsel ? Due to agressive behaviour ? Or any other reasons ? For the wrasse i like
- Pseudocheilinus Hexataenia
- Cirrhilabrus Lubbocki
- Cirrhilabrus Aurantidorsalis
- Cirrhilabrus Lanceolatus
- Paracheilinus Cyaneus
- Halichoeres Leucoxanthus
- Cirrhilabrus Temminckii
- Cirrhilabrus Tonozukai
- Paracheilinus Mccoskeri

Some of the one's i like based on visual apereance , behaviour i need to do more research .

That was just me personally I find damsels to be not all that interesting in both looks and behavior and the possibility of them being jerks kind of seals it for me. Grammas can be slightly boring, and aggression is possible, but Ive never regretted adding them to a community tank. They have a sort of way about them that makes them pleasant to watch.

 

[Lavey29]

That was just me personally I find damsels to be not all that interesting in both looks and behavior and the possibility of them being jerks kind of seals it for me. Grammas can be slightly boring, and aggression is possible, but Ive never regretted adding them to a community tank. They have a sort of way about them that makes them pleasant to watch.

I thought the same thing about damsels until I finally added a springerie. Bluest blue of any fish and a model citizen. Has his little coral cave house in the top of the tank and a wonderful little fish to watch.

 

[Readywriter]

I thought the same thing about damsels until I finally added a springerie. Bluest blue of any fish and a model citizen. Has his little coral cave house in the top of the tank and a wonderful little fish to watch.

Ive heard that about them but never actually seen one in person. My biggest memory of damsels is the time that my dad didnt want to listen to me about cycling and just ran out to petco and bought the 3 live fish they had in stock. Threw a bunch of preds in that tank hoping theyd eat them eventually and nope.

 

[Lavey29]

Ive heard that about them but never actually seen one in person. My biggest memory of damsels is the time that my dad didnt want to listen to me about cycling and just ran out to petco and bought the 3 live fish they had in stock. Threw a bunch of preds in that tank hoping theyd eat them eventually and nope.

My little guy stands his ground and as long as no one trespasses then he is chill. I admire his little guy spirit. Him and my 6 line stare at each other and I think for sure midget wrestling getting started but nope nothing.

 

[Readywriter]

My little guy stands his ground and as long as no one trespasses then he is chill. I admire his little guy spirit. Him and my 6 line stare at each other and I think for sure midget wrestling getting started but nope nothing.

Thats perfectly fine behavior in my book. The damsels Ive had were like marauding bandits.

 

[Sump Crab]

Azure damsel is both peaceful and beautiful. Here is mine, pics do not give his fluorescent blue justice.

 

[promotheus2070]

Could captive breeding towards wild caught have impact on behaviour ?
Maybe due to generations of more peacefull pairs giving us more docile damsel's ?

 

[promotheus2070]

Could captive breeding towards wild caught have impact on behaviour ?
Maybe due to generations of more peacefull pairs giving us more docile damsel's ?

In freshwater this has been done but with Kamfa's or flowerhorns , but in a diffrent way . They did it to make them more agresive instead of more tame down ... dont know if this is any difrent is salt water breeding ...