Tank stocking

[coral reeftank]

Hey gang, I just wanted to see how other stickheads and sps dominated reeftanks are stocked.

Are your established systems heavily loaded or on the lighter side?
For me, I have in a 140 gallon
5 tangs
6 clownfish
5 leopard wrasse
Royal gramma
Neon goby
Yellow coris
2 pink streak wrasse
Allen’s damsel

I’d love to start a discussion and see how other tanks are stocked and the relation to the health of their corals.
Feel free to show off your systems and post pics!

 

[blaxsun]

I've got ~50 fish in my 160-gallon, which for me is about right (most would consider it overstocked, though).

 

[Cichlid Dad]

My 90
1 Clarkii (tank boss)
1 one spot foxface
1 algae Blenny
1 hawk fish
1 yellow tail damsel
1 green chromas
1 luner wrasse
My aptaisia fixing tank
2 clowns
1 copperband
1 yellow clown Goby
5 peppermint shrimp
1 cleaner shrimp

I don't know if you would call that just right, or sparse

 

[Gareth elliott]

Dimensions besides gallons are important on a tank when decide on stocking. Many adult tangs require at least 6 feet to swim comfortably.

Next thats a lot of territorial fish in a small box. 3 pairs of clownfish may have fighting matches.

Leopard wrasses change sex, you are attempting a harem with one of the more difficult species of wrasse to keep. Then adding a yellow wrasse to boot.

Thats a lot of tangs in a 140 gallon.

The pink streak wrasse is very timid it will either never be seen or not survive with the aggressive tank mates above.

 

[coral reeftank]

Dimensions besides gallons are important on a tank when decide on stocking. Many adult tangs require at least 6 feet to swim comfortably.

Next thats a lot of territorial fish in a small box. 3 pairs of clownfish may have fighting matches.

Leopard wrasses change sex, you are attempting a harem with one of the more difficult species of wrasse to keep. Then adding a yellow wrasse to boot.

Thats a lot of tangs in a 140 gallon.

The pink streak wrasse is very timid it will either never be seen or not survive with the aggressive tank mates above.

On paper, sure. But in reality, given intensive care and scrutiny it is possible.

Finding juveniles and cohabiting tangs at an early age is crucial to minimize any aggression, along with proper aquascape, tunnels and caves for the fish to hide.

The clowns actually formed a harem, with one big dominant clown and 5 small males/subfemales. Again, these were introduced at the same time.

Leopard’s in my experience do well after their initial transit and transition to aquarium life well. They are rarely aggressive to anything, unless they are flashing. My 2 blue stars, 2 choatis and moyer leopard often travel around together as a pack when they hunt. Very cool behavior to observe! Then they disband and meet up again later.

And on the point of the pink streaks, mine must outliers because they are always out in my system and no one picks on them. They pop in and out of the rockwork. It’s like playing whack a mole.


I agree that this tank if it was haphazardly stocked would’ve been a disaster, but I believe that proper preparation and a fundamental understanding of the organism’s behavior and ecological niche that you can properly stock any system.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Three fish in 65 gallons. Probably going to bring the total to about 6-8.

 

[coral reeftank]

Also, it would be interesting to see phosphate and nitrate levels of these systems as well!

 

[Nemo&Friends]

I have a long 125 g with 14 fish total.
7 green chromis
2 ocellaris clowns
1 4 line stripped damsel
1 fox face rabbit fish
1 hippo tang
1 Eibli angel
1 six line wrasse.
That tank is very lively especially with the chromis who are constantly moving, spawning and fighting. I have them for over 6 years.
The oldest fish the damsel is at least 12 years, the younger fish (hippo and six line are almost 4 years old).
I am not interested in corals, so it is FOWLR.

 

[Uncle99]

Just 10 in 180 mixed. It’s an exclusive club.
Like corals more anyways.
Great question

 

[SpSDrew]

160 gallon:
-yellow tang
-gem tang
- 2x scopes tangs
- regal tang
- 2 royal gramma
- 2 springeri damsels
- Melanurus wrasse

Nitrate >20 (aim for 25-30)
Phosphate >0.06 ( aim for 0.1)

 

[littlefoxx]

Hey gang, I just wanted to see how other stickheads and sps dominated reeftanks are stocked.

Are your established systems heavily loaded or on the lighter side?
For me, I have in a 140 gallon
5 tangs
6 clownfish
5 leopard wrasse
Royal gramma
Neon goby
Yellow coris
2 pink streak wrasse
Allen’s damsel

I’d love to start a discussion and see how other tanks are stocked and the relation to the health of their corals.
Feel free to show off your systems and post pics!

125 six foot:
4 tangs
Regal angel
5 anthias
2 triggers
2 clowns
Saddleback butterfly fish
2 blennies
Mandarin dragonet
Dottyback
3 cleaner wrasse
Yellowfin dwarf angel

In my 70:
2 maroon clowns
2 firefish
Marine betta
Dwarf fuzzy lion
Golden dwarf angel
Melanarus wrasse
4 chromis
Mandarin dragonet!

 

[shakacuz]

5 in a 40b. used to be 6, but i lost my yellow wrasse due to what i assume is age?

tomini tang
2 fire fish gobies
midas blenny
yellow head jawfish

no3 = undetectable but i can still grow algae (chaeto and some GHA on pumps)
po4 = 0 - 0.03

my main source of nutrient export is my chaeto and 2 clams (i don’t run a skimmer anymore)

i want to replace the tomini with a court jester goby since i got the tang because i was going to upgrade to a 75. not anymore

i want to replace my yellow wrasse with either a blue flasher wrasse or yellow banded possums wrasse, or just another yellow wrasse.

then, i’d like to add a blotchy anthias as my center piece fish.

 

[coral reeftank]

I've got ~50 fish in my 160-gallon, which for me is about right (most would consider it overstocked, though).

Wow! What type of fish? And what are you doing for nutrient export?

 

[blaxsun]

Wow! What type of fish? And what are you doing for nutrient export?

Tangs, parrotfish, angelfish, chromis, anthias, dottybacks... you name it (I have a link to the full list on page one my build thread). Nothing special for nutrient export other than a fleece roller, ozone and a massive cleanup crew.

 

[TX_Punisher]

Heavy in, heavy out. High fishload helps accomplish this. This is the way.

50 fish in a 750xxl is astonishing. At most I had 20. Time to restock.

 

[zoasaholic]

Red sea 170 ~ 45g No skimmer N03~10 ppm 10g wc every 2 weeks
1 small purple tang
5 green chromis
1 6 line wrass
3 yellow belly demsel
1 cleaning shrimps
2 fire shrimp