100 Gallon 4x2x1.5 Reef Safe stocking

[PigDaddyF15E]

I know...yet another stocking advice. I've poured through this forum and there are some "common" answers but alot of people have a slightly different requirement so I'm going to ask for your opinions. I put them in a list...but ideas on how to rearrange/reorder/add/delete based on order you should put them in. General thoughts on time between going the next step?

100 Gallon 4 wide. 2 deep. 18 inches tall. Tank. (picture below) 2 x AP9X lights. Cycled with Dr. Tims just under a month ago.

We are looking for "reef safe" and peaceful by nature. I don't want to be chasing a fish out of that scape!!

Eventually we'd like to get into some of the more "advanced" coral and a clam or two. so with that "endstate" in mind....

Currently have one ocellaris.

1. Stage one CUC (some hermits/nassarius for waste/food cleanup) (algae crew when we get to that point)
2. Goby/Pistol pair. Maybe even 2 pair if it's enough space?
3. Beginner Coral (xenia/gsp/birnest)
4. Angel? Genicanthus/Flame/Coral Beauty. I've always like the Flame...so that's high on my list. I know it's not 100% reef safe. I think it would be near impossible to catch....but...
5. Tang? I like the yellow...but I remember the prices 20 years ago. I've seen several views. some seem to think that 4 ft is about the min/under...others seem to have several in that space.
6. Wrasse? Multiple?
7. Cardinal
8. Firefish
9. 2 Cleaner Shrimp (kids have always liked watching them).

1

 

[blaxsun]

I have 30 fish currently in my 160-gallon display. At least 3 are not considered reef safe (or reef safe with caution), and 6 aren't supposed to get along (but they do). So take my comments with a grain of salt...

* Dwarf angels are going to be hit-and-miss, and which corals they nibble on can and does vary. My coral beauty is 100% reef safe (so far); my midnight will destroy any brain, acan or blasto within minutes of going in the tank. The two co-exist peacefully, but you may find 2 dwarfs in a 100-gallon problematic.
* I have 4 damsels (1 azure, 3 blue devil) that all get along. Zero issues. Azure is the most peaceful, but I've heard they are the biggest jerks (not true in my experience, as I had a yellow belly that was a complete a**hat).
* Yellow tangs are overrated. It's an $80 fish and I'm not about to shell out $500 for one (or $250 for the captive bred anorexic ones).
* Fish I like: dottybacks, royal gramma, midas blenny, flame hawkfish, green chromis, any kind of anthias, sailfin tang, cleaner wrasse, melanurus wrasse, sixline wrasse. A lot of my fish are "working fish" and not just for eye candy.
* Cardinals are also nice (but a bit boring).

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

Agree with you on the Yellow Tangs. I like the color...but not for that much money.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

I'm thinking the next purchase might be:

Royal Gramma, Firefish, and a few hermits/nassarius to start a cleanup crew then add more later

a few weeks later:

Pistol Shrimp (randal) and a yellow watchman goby

 

[i cant think]

I know...yet another stocking advice. I've poured through this forum and there are some "common" answers but alot of people have a slightly different requirement so I'm going to ask for your opinions. I put them in a list...but ideas on how to rearrange/reorder/add/delete based on order you should put them in. General thoughts on time between going the next step?

100 Gallon 4 wide. 2 deep. 18 inches tall. Tank. (picture below) 2 x AP9X lights. Cycled with Dr. Tims just under a month ago.

We are looking for "reef safe" and peaceful by nature. I don't want to be chasing a fish out of that scape!!

Eventually we'd like to get into some of the more "advanced" coral and a clam or two. so with that "endstate" in mind....

Currently have one ocellaris.

1. Stage one CUC (some hermits/nassarius for waste/food cleanup) (algae crew when we get to that point)
2. Goby/Pistol pair. Maybe even 2 pair if it's enough space?
3. Beginner Coral (xenia/gsp/birnest)
4. Angel? Genicanthus/Flame/Coral Beauty. I've always like the Flame...so that's high on my list. I know it's not 100% reef safe. I think it would be near impossible to catch....but...
5. Tang? I like the yellow...but I remember the prices 20 years ago. I've seen several views. some seem to think that 4 ft is about the min/under...others seem to have several in that space.
6. Wrasse? Multiple?
7. Cardinal
8. Firefish
9. 2 Cleaner Shrimp (kids have always liked watching them).

1

So, to me YTs are not worth it because they’re just a plain yellow fish for 125+ bucks. I mean you can get a Canary wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus NOT a true coris) for 30 bucks and it’s the same as a YT but more personality. If you want a utilitarian fish like the YTs then you can try a Ctenochaetus tang or a Foxface (Not the ones that are just rabbitfish) such as Siganus magnificus or Siganus uspi. A tang better suited to 4’ tanks is C. binotatus - mine doesn’t spasm as much as trunctatus or the true kole.
Angels are always hit and miss, you say dwarf but actually, in terms of angels the genera that are classed as dwarf angels are:
- Genicanthus,
- Centropyge,
- Paracentropyge.
There’s a thread around here with different angels Estimated Captive Size, all from the largest to the smallest.
Wrasse wise, I say go for it but many will say avoid the larger Halichoeres and any wrasse from the scottorum complex. I disagree with the scottorum but but the larger halis I am slowly agreeing with haha, this is my jades second warning. Multiples are possible trust me! I would only do trios with the Anampses and Macropharyngodon genera though. It seems fairies and flashers and halis tend to always become male in captivity, even when in trips with one male two female. I would stick to males of separate species (Not genus). Cardinals seem to die quite fast in captivity, I think it’s mainly because most are the kauderns cardinals and if I remember correctly the reason I have avoided them is because they have a disease that tends to spread around them and only them.
A fire fish will be alright, just add it in before the tang (To me foxfaces are peaceful giants so if you go that route there shouldn’t be a need to worry).

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

Added a Royal Gramma, 2 x Firefish, GSP, and some pulsing Xenia.

Gonna monitor for a couple of weeks and see how things are doing before I think about adding more stock.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

Looking to add a few more fish to the tank. Here is the current stocking list.

2 Firefish
3 Cardinals
1 Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse
2 Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 YWG (Currently in QT...not because he's got problems...he's just so small he gets sucked onto the MP40's or ends up down the drain in the sump)

2 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Pistol Shrimp

I'd like to add an angel of some sort. Debated a CB, Flame, or Genicanthus. I know the CB and Flame aren't 100% reef safe...but I'm willing to give it a try

I'd like to have a tang as well...I was thinking a two spot bristletooth (Ctenochaetus binotatus)

Considering a Foxface...used to have one 20 years ago. I could use the help with algae.

 

[i cant think]

Looking to add a few more fish to the tank. Here is the current stocking list.

2 Firefish
3 Cardinals
1 Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse
2 Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 YWG (Currently in QT...not because he's got problems...he's just so small he gets sucked onto the MP40's or ends up down the drain in the sump)

2 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Pistol Shrimp

I'd like to add an angel of some sort. Debated a CB, Flame, or Genicanthus. I know the CB and Flame aren't 100% reef safe...but I'm willing to give it a try

I'd like to have a tang as well...I was thinking a two spot bristletooth (Ctenochaetus binotatus)

Considering a Foxface...used to have one 20 years ago. I could use the help with algae.

I would do a Genicanthus and then the foxface and binotatus. I have all three of these in my 4’x2’x18” tank and I find the foxface doesn’t swim as much as people expect them to. The Genicanthus species are also often much prettier, especially if you can find a female Caudovittatus or Semifasciatus. There’s also much more variety with Genicanthus we see in the hobby, yes they’re rarer than Centropyge but I rarely see others that own a Genicanthus species.
As for the tang, I find this guy is smaller and much less aggressive. I have added many fish into the tank after adding the tang (Actually the tang was I believe the 4th or 5th fish to go in out of 20+ - including deaths). I now have 13 possibly 14 fish and the majority of them are peaceful species that I added after the tang. The only real issues I had was when I added the Genicanthus, the tang did get a bit defensive but even that was minimal aggression.

 

[Shibaken3]

Angel and tang are last to add. Any blenny?

 

[Dave1993]

goldflake angel expensive though

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

I'd consider a blenny...but with the small YWG...I was worried a blenny might bully the YWG.

 

[i cant think]

I'd consider a blenny...but with the small YWG...I was worried a blenny might bully the YWG.

I have a linear blenny in with my YWG. The YWG is much smaller than the blenny however the tank is large enough to give both of them their own territories.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

(If/when I order...I'm ordering from DrReefsQuarantinedfish...had a great experience with them on my last order)

My wife likes the Yellow Eye Spotted Kole Tang. I'm leaning towards the Two Spot Bristletooth.

Considered a Foxface...but holding off as I've seen some posts on them nipping at Zoas...and we really like our zoas.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

In the end we ordered a Wantanabei Angel (female), a yellow eye spotted Kole Tang, and a lawnmower blenny.

Ordered from DrReefsQuarntinedFish