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- Feb 28, 2021
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- What state or country do you live in
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I have recently purchased a new-to-me Aqueon 220g FOWLR and as part of the preparations, am beginning to build out the stock list and would love your help. I will be offloading much of the existing coral & livestock and building it out as my own with more live rock. I have some must-have species listed below as well as a list of optional additions, but would love your opinions, favorites, and guidance based on my setup.
Build Details:
- Aqueon 220g
- Flow: return pump + 2x Hydor Koralia Evolution AC + Red Sea ReefWave 45 Gyro
- Reef Octopus Regal 200-S
- 9"x12" compartment of sump for macro algae refugium
- 150-200 lbs of live rock
- Apex A2 for monitoring
- As of now, 1-2 inches of sand, not a DSB, so I'm not sure which wrasses that rules out
Ideal Makeup:
- Top Priority: High-color spectrum of bright colored fish (looking for vibrant & balance across colors)
- 2nd Priority: High-activity fish (less interested in perching hawkfish or bottom-sitters)
- 3rd Priority: Balance of fish with setup filtration (LR, chaeto, Skimmer) for lighter water changes & overall maintenance
Livestock:
**Must Haves:**
- Queen Angel (I know this will eventually outgrow, but we will purchase small)
- Harlequin Tusk
- Hippo Tang
- Foxface (Lo or one-spot)
- Gold striped Maroon Clown + anemone
- Variety of toadstools / leathers /etc.
This already covers a good array of Blue, Yellow, Maroon, & Orange, but I want to continue to build out the rainbow with remaining fish. Here are my thoughts:
Green: Green Bird Wrasse (other green wrasses I've seen require deep sand to burrow - I believe)
Red/Orange/Pink: (may pick 2 from this list) Some selection of bright red/orange fairy wrasse (Ruby head / yellowband / etc.)
Purple: Lineatus or Lubbock's fairy wrasse
Black & White: Heniochus Butterfly or Marine Betta or Harlequin bass
If I pick 1 of each of the above, I should have most of the colors covered with 9 or 10 fish in the tank.
I have researched other stock lists for similar sized tanks and seen 20+ fish on those, but I know a lot of this also comes down to size of fish (& bioload produced), other filtration, and frequency of water changes, which I outlined above.
Questions:
- Are there any concerns or considerations with the list as it currently sits?
- Assuming the 9-10 fish above are selected, how many additional fish could be added comfortably to this setup?
- I have always loved the look of Clown Triggers & Clown Tangs, but have heard the horror stories about their personalities. Are either of these species options with my proposed setups?
- PLEASE post your recommendations for additions or swaps that will be compatible with the existing list, my setup, and preferred makeup
When the time comes, I'll get a full build thread going, but still in the planning phases now.

Build Details:
- Aqueon 220g
- Flow: return pump + 2x Hydor Koralia Evolution AC + Red Sea ReefWave 45 Gyro
- Reef Octopus Regal 200-S
- 9"x12" compartment of sump for macro algae refugium
- 150-200 lbs of live rock
- Apex A2 for monitoring
- As of now, 1-2 inches of sand, not a DSB, so I'm not sure which wrasses that rules out
Ideal Makeup:
- Top Priority: High-color spectrum of bright colored fish (looking for vibrant & balance across colors)
- 2nd Priority: High-activity fish (less interested in perching hawkfish or bottom-sitters)
- 3rd Priority: Balance of fish with setup filtration (LR, chaeto, Skimmer) for lighter water changes & overall maintenance
Livestock:
**Must Haves:**
- Queen Angel (I know this will eventually outgrow, but we will purchase small)
- Harlequin Tusk
- Hippo Tang
- Foxface (Lo or one-spot)
- Gold striped Maroon Clown + anemone
- Variety of toadstools / leathers /etc.
This already covers a good array of Blue, Yellow, Maroon, & Orange, but I want to continue to build out the rainbow with remaining fish. Here are my thoughts:
Green: Green Bird Wrasse (other green wrasses I've seen require deep sand to burrow - I believe)
Red/Orange/Pink: (may pick 2 from this list) Some selection of bright red/orange fairy wrasse (Ruby head / yellowband / etc.)
Purple: Lineatus or Lubbock's fairy wrasse
Black & White: Heniochus Butterfly or Marine Betta or Harlequin bass
If I pick 1 of each of the above, I should have most of the colors covered with 9 or 10 fish in the tank.
I have researched other stock lists for similar sized tanks and seen 20+ fish on those, but I know a lot of this also comes down to size of fish (& bioload produced), other filtration, and frequency of water changes, which I outlined above.
Questions:
- Are there any concerns or considerations with the list as it currently sits?
- Assuming the 9-10 fish above are selected, how many additional fish could be added comfortably to this setup?
- I have always loved the look of Clown Triggers & Clown Tangs, but have heard the horror stories about their personalities. Are either of these species options with my proposed setups?
- PLEASE post your recommendations for additions or swaps that will be compatible with the existing list, my setup, and preferred makeup
When the time comes, I'll get a full build thread going, but still in the planning phases now.

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