Opinions on 72 gal Stocking Plan

Synthgp · Jan 11, 2024

Hi all:

I am in the midst of cycling my tank, and have been pulling together a stocking plan for the tank. I would love to get your thoughts on this stocking plan and the order of entry into the tank:

Fish Stocking Plan:

1x Blue Eye Tang
3x Banggai Cardinal (Banner or Kaudern’s fish)
1x Indian Vagabond Butterflyfish
1x orange spotted goby
2x ORA® Captive-Bred Caramel Clownfish. Or Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
1x Evansi Anthias
1x Tailspot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura)
1x Bicolor Dottyback
1x Firefish (Goby) (Nemateleotris magnifica)
1x Blue Green Chromis

Cleanup Crew Plan - I would prefer to keep this limited to what is really needed. Again, thoughts on this would be appreciated

Nassarius Snails
Scarlet Hermit Crabs
Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata boggessi eats aphasia)
Fire Shrimp (clean fish of parasites)
Turbo Snails for algae

davidcalgary29 · Jan 11, 2024

That's a lot of fish for 72g.

Is this going to be a FOWLR?

I'd reconsider the butterfly and anthias. That butterfly can get pretty big, and will probably limit you to softies if you want to cultivate any coral. If you want something with a similar profile but won't go for the coral, you could do worse than a dwarf white spotted filefish. And anthias need frequent feeding throughout the day.

I'd also ditch the cardinals, as they're not very engaging, and choose a captive-bred orchid or springeri dottyback pair over the lone bicolor. I've found that dottybacks do much better as pairs, and squabble with each other instead of other fish.

Firefish are timid, and tend to be jumpers. Do you plan to have a lid on your tank?

Few people have had success keeping chromis on a long-term basis.

I haven't yet seen a clownfish that wasn't a biter -- of human hands. Every time I see someone put their hands in the tank, and get attacked for it, I vow never to go down that route.

Sorry -- didn't mean to be a killjoy with this response.

Synthgp · Jan 13, 2024

davidcalgary29 said:
That's a lot of fish for 72g. Is this going to be a FOWLR?

I'd reconsider the butterfly and anthias. That butterfly can get pretty big, and will probably limit you to softies if you want to cultivate any coral. If you want something with a similar profile but won't go for the coral, you could do worse than a dwarf white spotted filefish. And anthias need frequent feeding throughout the day.

I'd also ditch the cardinals, as they're not very engaging, and choose a captive-bred orchid or springeri dottyback pair over the lone bicolor. I've found that dottybacks do much better as pairs, and squabble with each other instead of other fish.

Firefish are timid, and tend to be jumpers. Do you plan to have a lid on your tank?

Few people have had success keeping chromis on a long-term basis.

I haven't yet seen a clownfish that wasn't a biter -- of human hands. Every time I see someone put their hands in the tank, and get attacked for it, I vow never to go down that route.

Sorry -- didn't mean to be a killjoy with this response.

@davidcalgary29 Not at all! This is all new to me, so not vested yet in a plan.

Really like the idea of Orchid Dottybacks (I thought they were all bullies)!

The kids at pretty vested in having a Nemo like clownfish - are there any that are considered to me less aggressive? Or are we just setting ourself up for trouble?

Anything else that you would consider adding?

I will need to invest in a lid for this mixed reef tank.

Keep the recommendations coming!

Here is the list following your insight:

1x Blue Eye Tang
2x Captive-Bred Orchid Dottyback
1x orange spotted goby
2x ORA® Captive-Bred Caramel Clownfish. Or Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
1x Evansi Anthias
1x Tailspot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura)
1x Firefish (Goby) (Nemateleotris magnifica)

Cleanup Crew Plan

3x Nassarius Snails
3x Scarlet Hermit Crabs
1x Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata boggessi eats aphasia)
1x Fire Shrimp (clean fish of parasites)
3x Turbo Snails for algae

davidcalgary29 · Jan 13, 2024

Orchid dottybacks have a terrible reputuation, but I've never had a problem with them, and that probably because I keep them in pairs and buy captive-bred specimens. I've kept five different dottyback species, but these are my favourite. They're also spectacularly beautiful and stand out in an aquarium as they weave through the rockwork.

Skunk clowns are really the only clowns I'd keep, but they're kind of dumb -- I really don't know what other word to use for them -- and will think that the oddest things are trying to host them. My pair were obsessed with a patch of green hair algae (until that was taken care of my an urchin) and, later, a powerhead.

If you want a personal fish that will act like a dog, I'd consider a dwarf angel or, if you don't like coral, a butterflyfish. Dwarf angels alone make aquarium keeping worthwhile.

N11morales · Apr 29, 2024

Synthgp said:
@davidcalgary29 Not at all! This is all new to me, so not vested yet in a plan.

Really like the idea of Orchid Dottybacks (I thought they were all bullies)!

The kids at pretty vested in having a Nemo like clownfish - are there any that are considered to me less aggressive? Or are we just setting ourself up for trouble?

Anything else that you would consider adding?

I will need to invest in a lid for this mixed reef tank.

Keep the recommendations coming!

Here is the list following your insight:

1x Blue Eye Tang
2x Captive-Bred Orchid Dottyback
1x orange spotted goby
2x ORA® Captive-Bred Caramel Clownfish. Or Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
1x Evansi Anthias
1x Tailspot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura)
1x Firefish (Goby) (Nemateleotris magnifica)

Cleanup Crew Plan

3x Nassarius Snails
3x Scarlet Hermit Crabs
1x Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata boggessi eats aphasia)
1x Fire Shrimp (clean fish of parasites)
3x Turbo Snails for algae

You will be perfectly fine with clowns in ur tank... Just do know like he said they may go for fingers (doesnt really hurt just startles you). They get pretty territorial if they start to let something host them like an anemone. That being said I have 2 clowns in my 80G with a big chicago sunburst anemone... and if frags fall over i put my hands in the tank and rarely go after me. Unless i get too close to their anemone (they are just protecting their home)

I would recommend some wrasses a really great utility fish and awesome to watch. I personally like my melanurus, yellow coris, as well as some fairy/flasher wrasses.

I would research a bit on different wrasses. only one i would stay away from even though its pretty is a 6 line. super mean fish ive seen them attack even huge tangs.

Malum Argenteum · Apr 29, 2024

Flasher wrasses aren't hardy enough for me to recommend them, and not all the fairies are that much better. The melanurus is a great one, IME.

Dwarf angels are a great option, except the few pygmy species (too aggressive) and the flame (gets ick). I've had coral beauties and currently a rusty (had some pygmies, too, but not my favorite).

A nice alternative to the dottybacks might be a royal gramma. Interesting, somewhat personable, beautiful, and hardy.

Skunk cleaner shrimp are better cleaners than fire shrimp, and cheaper and more bold. Keep a pair for some occasional breeding and education on simultaneous hermaphroditism.

littlefoxx · Apr 29, 2024

Synthgp said:
@davidcalgary29 Not at all! This is all new to me, so not vested yet in a plan.

Really like the idea of Orchid Dottybacks (I thought they were all bullies)!

The kids at pretty vested in having a Nemo like clownfish - are there any that are considered to me less aggressive? Or are we just setting ourself up for trouble?

Anything else that you would consider adding?

I will need to invest in a lid for this mixed reef tank.

Keep the recommendations coming!

Here is the list following your insight:

1x Blue Eye Tang
2x Captive-Bred Orchid Dottyback
1x orange spotted goby
2x ORA® Captive-Bred Caramel Clownfish. Or Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
1x Evansi Anthias
1x Tailspot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura)
1x Firefish (Goby) (Nemateleotris magnifica)

Cleanup Crew Plan

3x Nassarius Snails
3x Scarlet Hermit Crabs
1x Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata boggessi eats aphasia)
1x Fire Shrimp (clean fish of parasites)
3x Turbo Snails for algae

Anthias are schooling fish. 5 (4 females one male) is the minimum I would have of them to keep them happy

Synthgp · Tuesday at 2:25 PM

Thanks for all the feedback!

Since the post was written, I have already onboarded: 3 ocellaris clowns, 3 royal grammas, and 1 firefish. I received more fish than I expected.

Letting the tank stabilize again before additional fish.

Malum Argenteum · Tuesday at 2:34 PM

Three royal grammas? Curious how that works out. Pretty sure my one in a 90g would not be cool with sharing the space.

Same comment about three clowns, too, I guess. Why three?

nickijon · Tuesday at 2:39 PM

I would skip the chromis. We had 4 blue-green chromis. The damage they caused over 2 years were: 2 dead among themselves, dead/bullied blennies and gobies, and a dead/bullied wrasse. The remaining 2 are thriving and healthy, but I'm now trying to get them out of the community and into isolation for being continually mean. Ours have not been good community fish.

Synthgp · Tuesday at 3:42 PM

Malum Argenteum said:
Three royal grammas? Curious how that works out. Pretty sure my one in a 90g would not be cool with sharing the space.

Same comment about three clowns, too, I guess. Why three?

so the original plan was for two of the clowns and two of the grammas; an extra of each was sent when I received my order.

The grammas are generally behaving, with each splitting the tank. The two bigger ones giving the little one a hard time on occasion.

The first two clowns were already paired. The third one was significantly smaller and is a bit of a loaner, but has expressed his fealty to the female…

Synthgp · Tuesday at 4:16 PM

nickijon said:
I would skip the chromis. We had 4 blue-green chromis. The damage they caused over 2 years were: 2 dead among themselves, dead/bullied blennies and gobies, and a dead/bullied wrasse. The remaining 2 are thriving and healthy, but I'm now trying to get them out of the community and into isolation for being continually mean. Ours have not been good community fish.

Yikes! No chromis in the plan for me now.