60 Gallon Cube Stocking suggestions

[Michael Hagstette]

Hey y'all,
I am new to the saltwater hobby and was hoping for some stocking insights/suggestions for my soon to be setup 60 gallon rimless cube. I have a 15 Gallon sump which will have a refugeum and have Maxspect Gyre wavemakers. I have 70 lbs of live rock and plan on having an LPS/Softy Reef tank. I have some stocking ideas for fish and am looking for opinions/guidance. I realize I can not have all of the fish below. Do you think any of them are absolutely too big for a 60 gallon cube? Are any of them bad coral nippers? I do realize multiple Tangs will not get along together, but do any of these other fish not get along?

Thanks in advance for all of the help!

My list of possibilities:
2 black and white clown fish - Will definitely have
Mandarin Goby (I do know the feeding requirements of this fish)
Bristletooth tomini tang or 2 Spot Bristletooth tang
One spot foxface
Dracula goby
Orange Stripe Prawn Goby
Dusky Wrasse
Forktail Blenny
Midas Blenny
Cardinal Fish
Royal Gamma basslet
Zebra Barred dartfish

 

[Jesterrace]

Dracula Gobys are good, but for the price and the amount of activity you will see out of one you might as well go for a Hi-Fin.

 

[Michael Hagstette]

Dracula Gobys are good, but for the price and the amount of activity you will see out of one you might as well go for a Hi-Fin.

Okay thanks for the feedback. I love the looks of the Dracula Goby personally, but yeah you are right about the price gap. I will probably roll with the Hi-Fin that is a good idea. I just edited the post, accidentally forgot the tangs and rabbit fish I am interested in. Do you think any of them are too big or will work? Can I have one of the tangs and the foxface or do you think I am limited to only one of those bigger fish?

Thanks again!

 

[mattzang]

i think you want a longer tank even for the smaller tangs and foxfaces

i have a 50 cube and have two ocellaris clowns, a bangaii cardinal, and a midas blenny from your list, i'd definitely recommend them minus the cardinal. some people say midas can be a little rude, but mine has been fine. cardinal is ok, but he's just so inactive, kinda boring

if you want a mandarin you probably don't want a halichoeres wrasse since it'll mow down pods, maybe a flasher and or fairy wrasses instead?

 

[Michael Hagstette]

Yea you are probably right about the longer tank. Thanks for the insight about the cardinal. I'll probably mix them off my list then. I didnt realize the dusky ate pods. I'll have to think about that one and the goby then to see if it is all possible for them to coexist.... anything else in your 50 cube that you really love? Thank you for the help!

 

[mattzang]

Yea you are probably right about the longer tank. Thanks for the insight about the cardinal. I'll probably mix them off my list then. I didnt realize the dusky ate pods. I'll have to think about that one and the goby then to see if it is all possible for them to coexist.... anything else in your 50 cube that you really love? Thank you for the help!

i hate to talk you out of the cardinal, just something to think about. i read they're actually nocturnal so it kinda makes sense, he just doesn't do much swimming. he's mostly peaceful, though, and the shape does seem different than all of the missile shaped fish

i have probably too many fish in my tank, but they're: 2 clowns, 1 springer damsel, 1 midas blenny, 1 orchid dottyback, 1 red line wrasse, 1 yellow wrasse, 1 bangaii cardinal, and 1 lyretail anthias.

i had read that if you just have 1 anthias, they're ok in a 50, but idk, i really enjoy that fish and i think she's ok so i'm not giving her up, but i probably wouldn't advise someone to get one. maybe the smaller anthias would be ok?

don't fear the damsel haters, just stick to the Chrysiptera group, they're more peaceful. my springer is at the bottom of the totem poll in my tank. rollands traceys azure talbot and yellowtail i think are all fairly peaceful

wrasses are super cool, but they both just cruise the tank all day hunting for pests and pods. there's no way i could have a mandarin with them around. i think i've seen people mention a 50 gallon rule for mandarins, basically 1 pod eater per 50 gallons. i don't think fairy or flasher wrasses eat many or any pods, so those would be ok. but avoid the sixline group and halichoeres if you want a mandarin

orchid dottyback is super cool, but limits things. i can't have other cave type fish with him around. he's not like really mean, but he'd probably pester gobies and basslets too much.

once you figure out some stuff you like, i'd post in this thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/n...-tank-post-here-and-well-help.200605/page-189

and see what the actual experts think. i got really great advice on here that you don't generally get from an LFS

 

[Jesterrace]

Yea you are probably right about the longer tank. Thanks for the insight about the cardinal. I'll probably mix them off my list then. I didnt realize the dusky ate pods. I'll have to think about that one and the goby then to see if it is all possible for them to coexist.... anything else in your 50 cube that you really love? Thank you for the help!

Dusky Wrasses also get big and can be a bit more assertive as they get older/well established. I agree about the tangs and foxface in a 60 cube. As a solution for a wrasse better suited to your tank, a lubbocks fairy wrasse might work. Not saying they won't eat pods they just don't constantly hunt them like the dusky will. Being much smaller it will be better suited to a tank of that size. I will say this though, if I had to pick between a Halicheres Wrasse and a Mandarin, I would pick the Halichoeres Wrasse every time. As cool as mandarins look in pictures and to an extent videos, they just don't bring a tank to life the way an H Wrasse will and are much more of a hassle to feed or keep. The wrasse will provide near constant visibility during the waking hours while the Mandarin will spend most of it's time crawling in and around the rockwork. The bottom line is that the wrasse is much more visible and easier to ensure it's getting properly fed.

 

[nereefpat]

Any tang or rabbitfish (foxface) will need a bigger tank.

All others that you mentioned are reasonable.

I would probably pick a smaller Halichoeres wrasse, like chrysus or red lined.

Many that you mentioned will need a lid to avoid carpet surfing.

 

[Michael Hagstette]

Thank you all for this feedback it is great. So I have nixed the tangs and foxface. I am assuming a yellow tang wont do well in this tank either?
I have tried to stick to fish that aren't listed as " jumpers" on live aquaria. I do realize they aren't the " end all, be all but that is where I narrowed down some fish.
In your opinions, is there really no such fish as a non-jumper? What fish left on my list are notorius jumpers? I love the look of the rimless, tank with no top and want to stick with it. But if y'all think it is unrealistic, I will add a screen top to it. I just don't like the look personally.

It is clear now that the dusky and mandarin won't make it together due to the pod population. I appreciate the advice on the manerisms of the mandarin. I am leaning towards knocking it off the list as well. The red lined wrasse is pretty and I like it alot, but is listed as a jumper on live aquaria.
My list is now:
2 black and white clown fish - Will definitely have
Mandarin Goby or Dusky Wrasse
Red Lined wrasse - Too big of a jumper for rimless?
Dracula goby or high-fin goby, or orange stripe prawn goby
- Is it possible to have 2 of these gobbies?
Forktail Blenny
Midas Blenny
Royal Gamma basslet
Zebra Barred dartfish

 

[Jesterrace]

Thank you all for this feedback it is great. So I have nixed the tangs and foxface. I am assuming a yellow tang wont do well in this tank either?
I have tried to stick to fish that aren't listed as " jumpers" on live aquaria. I do realize they aren't the " end all, be all but that is where I narrowed down some fish.
In your opinions, is there really no such fish as a non-jumper? What fish left on my list are notorius jumpers? I love the look of the rimless, tank with no top and want to stick with it. But if y'all think it is unrealistic, I will add a screen top to it. I just don't like the look personally.

It is clear now that the dusky and mandarin won't make it together due to the pod population. I appreciate the advice on the manerisms of the mandarin. I am leaning towards knocking it off the list as well. The red lined wrasse is pretty and I like it alot, but is listed as a jumper on live aquaria.
My list is now:
2 black and white clown fish - Will definitely have
Mandarin Goby or Dusky Wrasse
Red Lined wrasse - Too big of a jumper for rimless?
Dracula goby or high-fin goby, or orange stripe prawn goby
- Is it possible to have 2 of these gobbies?
Forktail Blenny
Midas Blenny
Royal Gamma basslet
Zebra Barred dartfish

Definitely a No on the Yellow Tang. They get bigger and are generally more aggressive. I had one that wasn't half grown that tried to take over my 4 foot long 90 gallon gallon after only 1 month in the tank. Took a chunk out of my Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel and hit it repeatedly with it's tail scalpel.

As for jumper vs non-jumper IT IS A DEFINITE MYTH. The correct terminology is more prone vs less prone. Some fish are more prone to jump than others (ie Wrasses, Gobies, Dartfish), but ultimately all fish can and will jump at some point. A tank without a cover of some form is an accident waiting to happen as many have found out to their dismay. So, yes the uncovered tank is not possible unless you want to periodically see your fish dead on the floor/carpet.

 

[Michael Hagstette]

Definitely a No on the Yellow Tang. They get bigger and are generally more aggressive. I had one that wasn't half grown that tried to take over my 4 foot long 90 gallon gallon after only 1 month in the tank. Took a chunk out of my Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel and hit it repeatedly with it's tail scalpel.

As for jumper vs non-jumper IT IS A DEFINITE MYTH. The correct terminology is more prone vs less prone. Some fish are more prone to jump than others (ie Wrasses, Gobies, Dartfish), but ultimately all fish can and will jump at some point. A tank without a cover of some form is an accident waiting to happen as many have found out to their dismay. So, yes the uncovered tank is not possible unless you want to periodically see your fish dead on the floor/carpet.

Note taken definitely a no to the yellow tang. Thanks for that. Okay, so I guess now I need to convince my wife that I need a cover. Haha. Any ideas for some sleek screens? I'm sure there is a thread I can follow just for ideas for that. Haha

 

[mattzang]

yeah, a screen top is a must imo. i scared my clownfish one time and she hopped out right in front of me. the screen top isn't as fun as topless (that's what he said), but dried up clownfish isn't good either. i bought the kit from brs, but honestly, just buy the screen netting and make your own with stuff from home depot or lowes. i made mine really poorly (i'm not a DIYer), but now i'm thinking of getting a reef breeders light so i'll be forced to make a new screen top

https://aquarium.bulkreefsupply.com/search?w=screen top&asug=

i think your list should be:

2 black and white clown fish - Will definitely have
Mandarin Goby or Dusky Wrasse or red line wrasse (red line is a halichoeres just like the dusky)
Dracula goby or high-fin goby, or orange stripe prawn goby
- Is it possible to have 2 of these gobbies?
Forktail Blenny
Midas Blenny
Royal Gamma basslet
Zebra Barred dartfish

idk anything about gobies, i don't have any. they're really small and i just prefer more open water swimmer type fish

dusky gets pretty big i think, maybe try the smaller halichoeres if you go that route. i really like my yellow and red line, christmas wrasse (claudia variety), radiant wrasse (beautiful but a little more expensive), and timor wrasse all look pretty cool imo and are smallerish. be super careful of christmas wrasse tho. there's one from hawaii called ornatassimus which is really pretty too, but apparently quite mean and gets larger.

the two blennies i think is best to do the fanged one first, then the midas later. i had a midas already and was advised to not try adding a fanged one. a good question for the thread i linked before

wrasse threads to read: fairy & all reef safe wrasses
i'd check those out to see if you like some of them, then you can still do the mandarin down the road.

 

[Michael Hagstette]

Sweet I am really loving some of those wrasse and the screen top really opens up the door. Love that topless pun btw. Lol. Thanks for your recommended list! I appreciate the threads and the insight on the midas blenny