65 Gallon Stock 36" tank

DarrenCar · Mar 7, 2019

Just looking for some stocking thoughts for beginner setup. I have a basic idea but would like to hear any suggestions. I would like diverse color if possible and peaceful. I know I need to stay away from Tangs due to tank size and damsels due to aggression (except maybe chromis?). Beside the clowns that will be purely eye candy I want the fish to serve an ultimate purpose Sift the sand, graze the rocks etc.. I believe I can keep about 6 or 7 small breed fish in the tank safely.
I know I want,
2 Ocellaris clowns
1 Dwarf Angel (not a flame though)(Possibly Lemonpeel)
Other than that I am not sure Possibly a Blenny and an goby? I read these species can be jumpers though. Maybe a wrasse?
I would like to hear your stocking suggestions and the reasons for them please.
Thanks
Darren

Octane13 · Mar 7, 2019

What about a flameback or Pygmy (Cherub) Angelfish. If your set on angels they are nice to look at and stay small.

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+16+446&pcatid=446
https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+2730+455&pcatid=455

dugthefish · Mar 7, 2019

Definitely consider a blenny. I have a redlip, besides constantly grazing algae off the rocks and glass, his personality is amazing. Bold and almost fearless.

Octane13 · Mar 7, 2019

dugthefish said:
Definitely consider a blenny. I have a redlip, besides constantly grazing algae off the rocks and glass, his personality is amazing. Bold and almost fearless.

+1 I had a bi-color and it was extremely fun to watch, until it started munching corals. I have a molly miller now and its personality more than makes up for its lack of color in the tank.

Jesterrace · Mar 7, 2019

DarrenCar said:
Just looking for some stocking thoughts for beginner setup. I have a basic idea but would like to hear any suggestions. I would like diverse color if possible and peaceful. I know I need to stay away from Tangs due to tank size and damsels due to aggression (except maybe chromis?). Beside the clowns that will be purely eye candy I want the fish to serve an ultimate purpose Sift the sand, graze the rocks etc.. I believe I can keep about 6 or 7 small breed fish in the tank safely.
I know I want,
2 Ocellaris clowns
1 Dwarf Angel (not a flame though)(Possibly Lemonpeel)
Other than that I am not sure Possibly a Blenny and an goby? I read these species can be jumpers though. Maybe a wrasse?
I would like to hear your stocking suggestions and the reasons for them please.
Thanks
Darren

Are you doing Corals? If so then definitely nix the Lemonpeel as it's one of the worst Dwarf Angels for coral munching. That and with a 36 inch tank I would definitely stick to a pygmy angel and the Cherubfish in particular (Flamebacks tend to be more aggressive).

Blenny and Goby mix depends on which ones you are mixing. The sand sifting gobies and the more algae eating blennies tend to have a very similar shape and the blenny is more likely to take exception to that. Personally my favorite blennies tend to be the ones with venomous fangs, simply because their colors are so striking:

https://aquarium-fish.liveaquaria.com/search?w=harptail blenny

https://aquarium-fish.liveaquaria.com/search?w=black striped blenny

https://aquarium-fish.liveaquaria.com/search?w=Forktail Blenny

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product...tive-bred-ora?pcatid=3498&c=15+1500+5141+3498

Wrasses are a MUST IMHO. At least one per tank is my personal rule. :D As long as you stick to the smaller generally peaceful varieties (with the exception of the Lubbock's or Tricolor as they are a great addition as well) they will do well for you.

Given that your tank is only 3 feet long that will limit it a bit, but I would still feel comfortable recommending the following:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1926+376&pcatid=376

https://aquarium-fish.liveaquaria.com/search?w=Flasher Wrasse

(the Lamarck's Angel won't work, not sure why it's there)

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1536+3075&pcatid=3075

mattzang · Mar 7, 2019

all fish can jump man, my female ocellaris likes to jump more than my wrasses or blennies. get a screen top, life will be good!

Jesterrace · Mar 7, 2019

I agree. If I had a dollar for every time someone on this forum or other forums/groups that I visit reported a sad story about finding their favorite fish dead on the floor because they jumped, I could retire.

DarrenCar · Mar 9, 2019

I am not completely sold on the wrasse because everywhere I read it says they need to be fed 3 times per day. I have read some horror stories on the angels being too aggressive and as I do plan on keeping some Zoanthids, mushrooms and leathers in the future possibly the pygmy angel is not compatible?

Here is a prospective list, Any compatibility issues?
2 Ocellaris Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 Purple Firefish
1 Tailspot Blenny
1 Pygmy (Cherub) Angel

Jesterrace · Mar 10, 2019

Not sure who stated that about wrasses needing to be fed 3 times a day. I agree that they generally should be fed at least once a day (2 small feedings a day is probably ideal). I have had a Melnaurus for going on 2 years that gets 2 small feedings of reef frenzy per day (sometimes just 1 if my wife forgets the later feeding) and then I do supplemental seaweed for all fish and they get some of that. I have also had a Blue Star Leopard Wrasse (Considered difficult care level) that is also doing well on the aforementioned diet.

It's true some of the more difficult to keep varieties might need to be fed more frequently but the easier to keep wrasses are generally okay with 1-2 times a day.

Jesterrace · Mar 10, 2019

As for the list that looks fine. The Pygmy Angel is a bit of a gamble with corals, although you can increase your chances of success by waiting until your tank gets some algae growing around the tank that it can graze on and feed a small piece of seaweed/nori on a daily basis and that will greatly increase your chances of success with the cherubfish. There are many folks who keep them in reefs without issue, just recognize that they are a "with caution" fish with corals.

I did notice that you have a firefish in there, be aware they can be very skittish and easily bullied by more assertive fish. Personally I would skip them, I had a Purple Firefish that was the number one target of ANY remotely assertive fish in my tank and it ended up spending most of it's time in hiding.

DarrenCar · Mar 10, 2019

Any suggestions on what else I could put in there instead of the firefish? If I can get away with feeding a fairy wrasse once a day would that be a good replacement? What If I skip the Angel also, any other algae grazer that I may look into?

mattzang · Mar 10, 2019

the fish you want are kind of rock oriented, so i'd work in some open water swimmers. wrasses are awesome if you get the right ones, peaceful, do their own thing, some even eat pests in the tank. idk about the two times a day feeding thing, i've always fed at least twice a day, but i know my mom has a flasher wrasse, it got lost in the back of her biocube for at least 2 months and it was fine when she found it back there in with the chaeto. i'd always feed fish at least twice a day, but that's just me

excellent read: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/all-about-reef-safe-wrasses-in-aquaria.259894/

i was researching the cherub angel last night and yeah, people seemed to frequently say they're little nightmares. at the least, i'd add the angel last after all other fish have secured their territories. i went with a flame angel instead

Jesterrace · Mar 11, 2019

DarrenCar said:
Any suggestions on what else I could put in there instead of the firefish? If I can get away with feeding a fairy wrasse once a day would that be a good replacement? What If I skip the Angel also, any other algae grazer that I may look into?

A Stary Blenny would be a good choice for an algae eater that would work well in your tank. The Fairy Wrasse should be fine, I would look into maybe a Lubbock's as they tend to be pretty hardy and would work with a 3 foot long tank.