160 gallon stocklist

[BigMan87]

Im new to the aquarium world and my 160 gallon is cycled, so I'm ready to start adding fish. It's going to be a mixed reef, but I'm going to focus on LPS at first. Tank is 6" long and taller than it is deep (I forget measurements). This is the potential stocklist I've come up with (Constantly changing lol). The only must have is the PBT or Lavender Tang. I really like those.

Does this list look good and what order should I stock them?

(2) Ocellaris Clowns
(1) Orchid Dottyback
(1) Bicolor Blenny
(1) Purple Firefish
(1) Powder Brown Tang or Lavender
(1) Kole Eye Tang
(1) Whitetail Bristeltooth Tang
(1) Royal Gamma
(1) Scott's Fairy Wrasse
(1) Mandarin (maybe)
(1) Jawfish (maybe)

 

[Old Fritz]

start with the smaller and timid fish so the firefish and the bicolor first. then do clowns and royal gramma. After that orchid dotty back (side note they can get pretty fiesty). After that go for your wrasse. You should add your tangs last, and I would wait a while on a mandarin as they need an established colony of copepods to survive, unless you come across one that eats pellets

 

[eatbreakfast]

Just an fyi, scotts fairy wrasses lose their bright colors.

 

[BigMan87]

Just an fyi, scotts fairy wrasses lose their bright colors.

Good to know, thanks.

 

[davocean]

I'd skip the powder brown tang, and maybe the doty as well, but rest should be good

 

[nereefpat]

Scott's are also supposedly the most aggressive fairy.

I would choose the lavender over the powder brown. They are a little smaller, and a little less active/aggressive. Powders tend to pace and spaz in smaller tanks, in my experience.

The kole and while tail are close cousins, so there may be issues there.

Overall, I think the list is pretty good. Add tangs together and last, if possible. The other small fishes shouldn't present much problems.

 

[BigMan87]

I was told tangs should be in odd numbered groups. If I go with the lavender and the kole, what is another tang I could add?

 

[Jesterrace]

I would say 2 tangs for a tank that is taller than it is wide is plenty. You could look into one of the mimic tangs as they tend to be less aggressive (ie Half Black Mimic or Lemon Peel Mimic aka Chocolate Tang). Be aware that Firefish tend to be easily bullied (brightly colored cowards) and that in that tank they would be an easy target for an assertive fish. Also the Mandarin needs a well established copepod population (ie building them up over the course of 6 months or more). They need to feed almost constatly during the waking hours to survive.

 

[BigMan87]

I would say 2 tangs for a tank that is taller than it is wide is plenty. You could look into one of the mimic tangs as they tend to be less aggressive (ie Half Black Mimic or Lemon Peel Mimic aka Chocolate Tang). Be aware that Firefish tend to be easily bullied (brightly colored cowards) and that in that tank they would be an easy target for an assertive fish. Also the Mandarin needs a well established copepod population (ie building them up over the course of 6 months or more). They need to feed almost constatly during the waking hours to survive.

I know about the Mandarin. I'm looking at a year at least before I buy it. The budget I have tlsays I have to go slow. At one point I'll want to shift from fish to frags, lol.

So it should be alright to have 2 Tangs instead of 3? Like I said, I've always heard to have them in odd numbers to disperse aggression

 

[davocean]

I was told tangs should be in odd numbered groups. If I go with the lavender and the kole, what is another tang I could add?

I don't know where these odd even numbers of fish keep coming from, but people keep tangs in all numbers successfully, the only number that matters there is gallons/tank size for proper swim room.
If it were my tank I'd grab the lavendar, I have one myself in my 120g and love it, and maybe the kole too, or a tomini.
There is no need to reach for a specific or odd/even number.
The more tangs you add, the more chance of aggression, and more stress, unless you have a very large tank

 

[BigMan87]

I don't know where these odd even numbers of fish keep coming from, but people keep tangs in all numbers successfully, the only number that matters there is gallons/tank size for proper swim room.
If it were my tank I'd grab the lavendar, I have one myself in my 120g and love it, and maybe the kole too, or a tomini.
There is no need to reach for a specific or odd/even number.
The more tangs you add, the more chance of aggression, and more stress, unless you have a very large tank

Ok, sounds good. Thanks for your help.