120g Stocking List Suggestions

[reaper93]

Hi guys! I am in the process of creating a stocking list for a 120g that is currently in the process of being setup. I would love any of your guys opinions on it and anything you would add or remove

Large Fish
Tomini Tang
Foxface Rabbitfish
Copperband Butterfly?

Medium/Small Fish
Royal Gramma
Flame Hawkfish?
Yellow Watchman Goby
Wrasses
1x Melanurus Wrasse
1x fairy wrasse (not sure which)
1x mystery wrasse
1x carpenters/mccosker's flasher wrasse
Starry Blenny
Mandarin (later on)

Inverts
Pistol Shrimp
Bunch of snails/hermits
Emerald Crab
Tuxedo Urchin
Conch
Clam (Later on)

Corals
SPS/LPS focus with some softies

 

[fishski13]

Hi guys! I am in the process of creating a stocking list for a 120g that is currently in the process of being setup. I would love any of your guys opinions on it and anything you would add or remove

Large Fish
Tomini Tang
Foxface Rabbitfish
Copperband Butterfly?

Medium/Small Fish
Royal Gramma
Flame Hawkfish?
Yellow Watchman Goby
Wrasses
1x Melanurus Wrasse
1x fairy wrasse (not sure which)
1x mystery wrasse
1x carpenters/mccosker's flasher wrasse
Starry Blenny
Mandarin (later on)

Inverts
Pistol Shrimp
Bunch of snails/hermits
Emerald Crab
Tuxedo Urchin
Conch
Clam (Later on)

Corals
SPS/LPS focus with some softies

So I think you list seems pretty good for a 120 gallon. Got variety with fish. Just wanted to ask, is this your first tank? Asking just because the copperband butterfly is notorious for being hard to keep in the beginning due to not eating and stress.

Just some thought. I would personally add one more "large fish" into the mix. I personally like having the larger fish so they get be visible from where ever I am viewing the tank. Maybe another tang like the scopas or yellow.

With so many wrasses and fish in general, just make sure you find a balance between providing enough structure and hiding places for the fish as well as strategic positioned rock work for corals you want.

For the inverts, I would say just becareful with the emerald crab. I personally feel they have never done anything in my tanks to benefit them and the one I had in a tank with butterflies and tangs, would reach out with its claws trying to grab the fish while they swim by.

 

[i cant think]

Hi guys! I am in the process of creating a stocking list for a 120g that is currently in the process of being setup. I would love any of your guys opinions on it and anything you would add or remove

Large Fish
Tomini Tang
Foxface Rabbitfish
Copperband Butterfly?

Medium/Small Fish
Royal Gramma
Flame Hawkfish?
Yellow Watchman Goby
Wrasses
1x Melanurus Wrasse
1x fairy wrasse (not sure which)
1x mystery wrasse
1x carpenters/mccosker's flasher wrasse
Starry Blenny
Mandarin (later on)

Inverts
Pistol Shrimp
Bunch of snails/hermits
Emerald Crab
Tuxedo Urchin
Conch
Clam (Later on)

Corals
SPS/LPS focus with some softies

Is the tank a 4-5’ tank? If so, I wouldn’t do any more large fish and stick to the medium/small. Personally I find too many large fish to be an eye sore instead of looking like an actual reef as in the wild you wouldn’t see so many large fish in one area constantly. But I guess it depends what your aims is, natural or just something you want to enjoy or both.

Id remove the Mystery as they’re notoriously aggressive and the Flasher Wrasses aren’t too good with aggression against them. I’d replace the mystery with a rarer Flasher or Fairy Wrasse such as the Attenuatus Flasher or Rose Band Fairy.

The CBB is what I find to be easier than everyone else says they are and I have only ever had 2, 1 was successful and the other was murdered by a scopas tang (My other reason I stay in the lines of Ctenochaetus and not venture outside of that genus). If you do everything the “right way” then it should work, I personally got the fish from an LFS so I knew it was healthy and eating plus how long it had been in captivity.

 

[adittam]

CBB *could* work out fine, but if you don’t find one that you know is eating frozen food, you need to be prepared with the various types of live worm cultures ahead of time to get it to eat in captivity. They pretty much never eat dried pellet or flake food, frozen is an absolute best case scenario. Even then, they are very picky and timid eaters. It takes a lot of work to keep one well-fed long term.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

The copperband may not be reef safe and are a PITA to get eating. If you are willing to carefully get that fish weaned onto frozen and pellets while in QT, go for it, they are beautiful. If that sounds like too much work, don't get one.

If you want a fairy wrasse, make sure to read the wrasse complexes guide. Mixing a mystery with another fairy will only work if you pick the right genus for the second.

Hawkfish are cool, but can be aggressive and may eat all your shrimp and crabs. Add one late in the stocking process or start with a baby sized one. The longnose is another option that I prefer the patterning myself.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

The Wrasse Guy - Mixing Cirrhilabrus

Cirrhilabrus, the “Fairy Wrasses”, are one of the most elegant, active, and colorful reef fish. Their appeal in a reef tank is common to many, but not all have a well-rounded understanding of the compatibility amongst them. Enter the notion of “complexes”: groupings of very closely related species

www.thewrasseguy.com

 

[i cant think]

The Wrasse Guy - Mixing Cirrhilabrus

Cirrhilabrus, the “Fairy Wrasses”, are one of the most elegant, active, and colorful reef fish. Their appeal in a reef tank is common to many, but not all have a well-rounded understanding of the compatibility amongst them. Enter the notion of “complexes”: groupings of very closely related species

www.thewrasseguy.com

I will say that these are just guidelines that can be broken if done correctly. I have successfully broken essentially all of these guidelines however if you have no experience with wrasses it’s recommended to try stick in these guidelines.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

I will say that these are just guidelines that can be broken if done correctly. I have successfully broken essentially all of these guidelines however if you have no experience with wrasses it’s recommended to try stick in these guidelines.

How big was your tank when you did it though? Territory is at a premium in a 120g.

 

[i cant think]

How big was your tank when you did it though? Territory is at a premium in a 120g.

I’m managing to break many guidelines in my 4’x2’x18”(Usually rounded to 2’) tank. 6 Wrasses, 2 of the same species just different variants. All my old wrasses are in a post on the Wrasse Lovers Thread, the newest has his own post on that thread.

 

[vtecintegra]

I wouldn't put a fox face in a 120. And I would pass on the copper band. A 120 is like a pico compared to a section of reef. I stick with the small to medium fish (mine's 130g). I've got a pink streaked and yellow banded possum wrasse that are completely peaceful. Also a bangaii cardinal and yellow clown goby that are good community fish. My two flame hawks don't cause any problems. I had a long nose that got very aggressive though. My two grammas never come out of the rock, so they are kind of a let down, as are a bonded pair of firefish. They live in a cave and only come out to eat.

Know that some wrasses need a good sand bed to sleep in, and others don't.

That blenny and urchin need a good supply of algae available. I wouldn't put them in any tank that wasn't growing a lot algae.

Lots of stories about hermits being a nuisance so I only have snails. Same with the emerald.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

The 3 wrasses your gonna wanna wait a yr. You may not be successful even than.
If it was my list I'd scrap the flame hawkfish for a long nose hawfish.

The royal gramma id replace with another pseudo or dottyback.

Swap the yellow watchman goby for another.

Lastly they are breeding mandarins these days like crazy. Should be able to find one cb and already eating frozen or prepared foods.

This is me.
D

 

[i cant think]

I wouldn't put a fox face in a 120. And I would pass on the copper band. A 120 is like a pico compared to a section of reef. I stick with the small to medium fish (mine's 130g). I've got a pink streaked and yellow banded possum wrasse that are completely peaceful. Also a bangaii cardinal and yellow clown goby that are good community fish. My two flame hawks don't cause any problems. I had a long nose that got very aggressive though. My two grammas never come out of the rock, so they are kind of a let down, as are a bonded pair of firefish. They live in a cave and only come out to eat.

Foxfaces don’t swim as much as people say they do.

 

[reaper93]

So I think you list seems pretty good for a 120 gallon. Got variety with fish. Just wanted to ask, is this your first tank? Asking just because the copperband butterfly is notorious for being hard to keep in the beginning due to not eating and stress.

Just some thought. I would personally add one more "large fish" into the mix. I personally like having the larger fish so they get be visible from where ever I am viewing the tank. Maybe another tang like the scopas or yellow.

With so many wrasses and fish in general, just make sure you find a balance between providing enough structure and hiding places for the fish as well as strategic positioned rock work for corals you want.

For the inverts, I would say just becareful with the emerald crab. I personally feel they have never done anything in my tanks to benefit them and the one I had in a tank with butterflies and tangs, would reach out with its claws trying to grab the fish while they swim by.

This would be my first time with a tank with bigger fish like this. I have a 5g tank and I maintain some 55g tanks but they just have mainly damsels. That's why I'm still unsure on whether or not this is a fish I should add. Probably will add towards the end if at all.

Is that other large fish with the CBB as well or as a replacement?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[reaper93]

Is the tank a 4-5’ tank? If so, I wouldn’t do any more large fish and stick to the medium/small. Personally I find too many large fish to be an eye sore instead of looking like an actual reef as in the wild you wouldn’t see so many large fish in one area constantly. But I guess it depends what your aims is, natural or just something you want to enjoy or both.

Id remove the Mystery as they’re notoriously aggressive and the Flasher Wrasses aren’t too good with aggression against them. I’d replace the mystery with a rarer Flasher or Fairy Wrasse such as the Attenuatus Flasher or Rose Band Fairy.

The CBB is what I find to be easier than everyone else says they are and I have only ever had 2, 1 was successful and the other was murdered by a scopas tang (My other reason I stay in the lines of Ctenochaetus and not venture outside of that genus). If you do everything the “right way” then it should work, I personally got the fish from an LFS so I knew it was healthy and eating plus how long it had been in captivity.

It's a standard 4' 120g. I'll look into your wrasse suggestions. Thanks!

 

[reaper93]

The 3 wrasses your gonna wanna wait a yr. You may not be successful even than.
If it was my list I'd scrap the flame hawkfish for a long nose hawfish.

The royal gramma id replace with another pseudo or dottyback.

Swap the yellow watchman goby for another.

Lastly they are breeding mandarins these days like crazy. Should be able to find one cb and already eating frozen or prepared foods.

This is me.
D

Why wait a year on the wrasses? Just because of aggression? Also I already have the royal gramma so it's going to have to go in. Why swap the YWG?

 

[fishski13]

This would be my first time with a tank with bigger fish like this. I have a 5g tank and I maintain some 55g tanks but they just have mainly damsels. That's why I'm still unsure on whether or not this is a fish I should add. Probably will add towards the end if at all.

Is that other large fish with the CBB as well or as a replacement?

Thanks for your advice!

I personally would do it as a replacement. Like others said the copperband is very hard to get to eat and survive in the beginning as well as they may not be reef safe. With another tang like the scopas or yellow tang, your tank earns a great amount. Not only do they not grow too big and can live there entire lives in the 120, but also add value of grazing on live rock and eating any algae off of glass.

But its all about what you truly want. If you are decided on the CBB I would just make sure to get one that is 100% eating frozen as well used to the captive environment.

 

[reaper93]

I personally would do it as a replacement. Like others said the copperband is very hard to get to eat and survive in the beginning as well as they may not be reef safe. With another tang like the scopas or yellow tang, your tank earns a great amount. Not only do they not grow too big and can live there entire lives in the 120, but also add value of grazing on live rock and eating any algae off of glass.

But its all about what you truly want. If you are decided on the CBB I would just make sure to get one that is 100% eating frozen as well used to the captive environment.

I mainly wanted it because of its beauty and also because they eat aiptasia.... So that would leave the two tangs and foxface as my big fish?

 

[i cant think]

I personally would do it as a replacement. Like others said the copperband is very hard to get to eat and survive in the beginning as well as they may not be reef safe. With another tang like the scopas or yellow tang, your tank earns a great amount. Not only do they not grow too big and can live there entire lives in the 120, but also add value of grazing on live rock and eating any algae off of glass.

But its all about what you truly want. If you are decided on the CBB I would just make sure to get one that is 100% eating frozen as well used to the captive environment.

A note on zebrasomas… do you want aggressive? If not then stick inside the genus Ctenochaetus. Anywhere outside of that genus and you’ll be limiting yourself in terms of what wrasses you can have and what other peaceful fish you can have.

 

[reaper93]

A note on zebrasomas… do you want aggressive? If not then stick inside the genus Ctenochaetus. Anywhere outside of that genus and you’ll be limiting yourself in terms of what wrasses you can have and what other peaceful fish you can have.

So two tangs in Ctenochaetus genus instead of a yellow tang and a tomini + foxface

 

[fishski13]

So two tangs in Ctenochaetus genus instead of a yellow tang and a tomini + foxface

A tomini tang is a type of ctenochaetus genus. In that size tank it is advised not to have more than one tang from a certain genus. From what I have experienced, scopes tangs are not aggressive in fact one of the most timid and laid back fish I have owned. The yellow tang is most often peaceful as along as it’s with no other zerbrosoma tangs. The purple tangs is the most aggresive zerbrosoma tang.