69 Gal Red Sea stocking list

[littlefoxx]

Okay thank you guys for your opinions! I think being new Im going to not get the lion or eel at this time. Does any one have other stocking recommendations for this size tank? And not having those two would anyone still recommend maroon clowns or get a less aggressive clown??

 

[BirdFish5000]

Honestly, with this being your very first tank, I'd go the peaceful as possible route. A pair of just basic ocellaris clowns would be wonderful, and way less aggressive than maroons.

 

[davidcalgary29]

The only "non-aggressive" clowns that I have seen are skunk clowns; I've seen every other commonly-kept species go after their owners' hands. I know people adore them, but I've always gone for the alternatives, and there are many of them.

For vibrant colour and activity: a pair of captive-bred orchid dottybacks.
For unusual motion and interest: pygmy whitespotted filefish.
If you need a damselfish: captive-bred lyretail damselfish pair or a springeri.
For the well-secured tank: a fairy wrasse.
For its curiosity and intelligence: a dwarf angelfish
If you're only going to have softies, with no clams for crunchy inverts: a spotband butterfly fish.

 

[littlefoxx]

The only "non-aggressive" clowns that I have seen are skunk clowns; I've seen every other commonly-kept species go after their owners' hands. I know people adore them, but I've always gone for the alternatives, and there are many of them.

For vibrant colour and activity: a pair of captive-bred orchid dottybacks.
For unusual motion and interest: pygmy whitespotted filefish.
If you need a damselfish: captive-bred lyretail damselfish pair or a springeri.
For the well-secured tank: a fairy wrasse.
For its curiosity and intelligence: a dwarf angelfish
If you're only going to have softies, with no clams for crunchy inverts: a spotband butterfly fish.

Okay cool! I will for sure look into those. Are these dottybacks able to go in the take? Ive heard a lot of people say they are evil and kill a bunch of their fish and to stay away from them even though they are stunning fish! But if there are dottybacks out there that are not like that l would love to put one in the tank!

 

[Lavey29]

I have a 65g DT so same as yours basically with the following fish

Rohmboid wrasse
Pintail fairy wrasse
Yellow coris wrasse
6 line wrasse
Blue streak cleaner wrasse
Coral beauty
Indigo dottyback
Fangtooth blenny
Tailspot blenny
Midas blenny
Purple fire fish
Mandarin

It's a peaceful reef neighborhood with a lot of color.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Okay cool! I will for sure look into those. Are these dottybacks able to go in the take? Ive heard a lot of people say they are evil and kill a bunch of their fish and to stay away from them even though they are stunning fish! But if there are dottybacks out there that are not like that l would love to put one in the tank!

It's a risk you take (albeit a small one, in my opinion) when you keep small, darty fish in a community reef tank. I do think that some people who have reported problems with fridmani dottybacks have instead brought in a purple dottyback into their aquarium -- it's a lookalike species that's more aggressive -- but have read enough verified accounts on this site to believe that yes, orchid dottybacks can cause problems. I've never seen this with my five fish (one pair, three singletons), but that doesn't mean it can't happen.

The key for me has been to buy captive-bred fish and to keep them in pairs. I had to split up some pairs due to tank moves or emergency situations; I just never moved them back together in the end.

They also are rock dwellers and need aquascape with lots of holes in them. Having escape tunnels really seems to calm them.

I have four species of dottybacks, and none of them have hassled my other fish: aggression, if it occurs, has always been between paired dottybacks, and it's more like marital squabbling: charging, but no bullying or fin nipping. It may seem contradictory to keep pairs if it spawns drama, but they typically do live in groups or harems, and they seem to seek each other out for company, even in big tanks. From most "aggressive" to least:

1. yellow dottyback
2. (tie) orchid dottyback ; springeri dottyback
3. elongate dottyback

Elongate dottybacks are too shy and retiring; yellow dottybacks too darty; springeri dottybacks are too dark to see against a black wall. Orchid dottybacks, whatever drama they bring (and that's to each other) have the most spectacular fuchsia colouration that I've seen in a fish.

Note that you'll hear similar complaints about other energetic fish like sixline wrasse. If you want a lookalike for that fish, you can try a pink-streaked wrasse, which is much more timid but may be bullied by bigger fish.

 

[LPS Bum]

Hello,
I am new to the hobby and currently have a 69 gallon red sea aquarium cycling. I was just looking for some input from some experienced hobbyists on a list of fish I put together that I am looking at once I complete the cycle! I have done quite a bit of research between books, blogs, and other internet sources and well that can give someone conflicting information haha.

So l have my heart set on a dwarf zebra lionfish. Based on this l looked at other fish that l could do for a community tank in the size I have since I know tangs need more room than l can give them at the moment.

I was looking at:
Snowflake Eel
Coral Beauty Dwarf Angelfish
A Flame Hawkfish
A clown pair.

Based on everything Ive seen the best clowns for being with the eel and lionfish are maroons. I am aware of their aggression and risks with them. I also think the lightning maroon is so beautiful!

I also have read that bigger snails and hermit crabs for cleanup crew are usually okay but can be hit or miss with the eel and lion due to personality.

I have about 50 pounds of live rock with some more smaller pieces on the way to put in as well to give fish more hiding room.

As far as the stocking list I am fully up for suggestions if there is another fish that may work better, but really I want the dwarf lion and clownfish, angelfish and eel the most.

Any opinions will be very much appreciated!!!

I attached the rockwork I have done right now while it is cycling, any opinions on this would also be welcomed!

Is this going to be a reef or a fish only system?

If it’s going to be a reef, be careful with the Coral Beauty. If you’re not going to have fleshy LPS corals it may work out great. But dwarf angels are pickers by nature, and I’ve seen them nibble at just about everything.

If it’s fish only the only thing that would concern me is the dwarf lion potentially eating a small tank mate.

 

[Lavey29]

Is this going to be a reef or a fish only system?

If it’s going to be a reef, be careful with the Coral Beauty. If you’re not going to have fleshy LPS corals it may work out great. But dwarf angels are pickers by nature, and I’ve seen them nibble at just about everything.

If it’s fish only the only thing that would concern me is the dwarf lion potentially eating a small tank mate.

They pick because they are searching for sponge which they need in their diet. If you feed frozen that includes sponge then they do not pick corals. At least that is my experience right now.

 

[davidcalgary29]

They pick because they are searching for sponge which they need in their diet. If you feed frozen that includes sponge then they do not pick corals. At least that is my experience right now.

It's very difficult to find in Canada -- I have to place a special order from Vancouver! -- but Hikari "Mega Marine Angel" frozen food does have sponge in it.

Using the Molecular Gastronomy technique, these formed sticks are easy to consume and perfect for smaller marine angels.

At least some things are eating well these days...

 

[Lavey29]

It's very difficult to find in Canada -- I have to place a special order from Vancouver! -- but Hikari "Mega Marine Angel" frozen food does have sponge in it.

Yes I use that too.

 

[littlefoxx]

Is this going to be a reef or a fish only system?

If it’s going to be a reef, be careful with the Coral Beauty. If you’re not going to have fleshy LPS corals it may work out great. But dwarf angels are pickers by nature, and I’ve seen them nibble at just about everything.

If it’s fish only the only thing that would concern me is the dwarf lion potentially eating a small tank mate.

I would like a reef system with an anemonie for the clowns, corals and maybe some urchins or something of the sort down the road after my tank matures more and lve got a good thing going with the fish before I attempt any corals haha

 

[davidcalgary29]

I would like a reef system with an anemonie for the clowns, corals and maybe some urchins or something of the sort down the road after my tank matures more and lve got a good thing going with the fish before I attempt any corals haha

Most anemones do not do well at all in new tanks. Rock flower anemones are the exception, and they're beautiful, but they will not "host" clowns (although I am sure that they would like to eat them). I have, however, had clowns think that the following items were "hosting" them:

-a powerhead
-a luxurious forest of green hair algae (removed, sadly enough for the clowns, by an urchin)
-live rock.

I ended up "rehoming" the clowns.

 

[LPS Bum]

They pick because they are searching for sponge which they need in their diet. If you feed frozen that includes sponge then they do not pick corals. At least that is my experience right now.

That’s more the case with large marine angels. A few of which are actually obligate sponge feeders (most can actually do just fine without sponge material). Even with sponge feedings they’ll decimate your coral population.

Dwarf angels, like Tangs, are grazers by nature. They’re curious fish, and that’s why they nibble throughout the day. Feeding sponge to dwarf angels is fine, but by itself it won’t prevent them from nibbling corals.

Some do, and some don’t. Some start out fine and later become destructive. But it is a risk.

 

[littlefoxx]

Okay thank you for the input! I think I am going to go for more peaceful fish for my first tank and not go for the lion or eel. How many inverts would I need for the tank of this size? I want to get hermits, an emerald crab, shrimp and snails, l just cant find an answer on how many I need for my size thank

 

[dedragon]

depends on your algae load, I would probably start with 10 trochus, 15 nassarius, 10 mixed margarita, cerith, nerite, etc., 10 hermits (scarlet or dwarf white leg). Shrimp I would only get if i needed peppermints for aiptasia or something. Emerald crab only add if you have bubble algae (they can go after other stuff if they run low on algae).

You can add more later if you need or when the older crew dies off

 

[Widdlyscudds]

Okay thank you for the input! I think I am going to go for more peaceful fish for my first tank and not go for the lion or eel. How many inverts would I need for the tank of this size? I want to get hermits, an emerald crab, shrimp and snails, l just cant find an answer on how many I need for my size thank

I would start with just a couple and as the tank matures add more ad needed/wanted, just dumping in a ton of anything into a new system is never a good idea. honestly start with 3-5 hermit crabs a couple snails 1-2 shrimp and maybe a single emerald crab. As you get more fish and the tank settles in you will be more accuratly able to distinguish how large of a clean up crew you will need. It's different for every tank regardless of size and experience will be your greatest ally when it comes to the stocking of such critters. start small and build your way up.

 

[littlefoxx]

Sweet! How many fish would you guys put in this size tank? I know a lot of people go by a certain length of fish per gallon kind of thing, but I was wondering if someone could give a ball park number? Almost all the fish l looked at after deciding not to get the lion and eel are about 4 inches max at adult size

 

[BirdFish5000]

Good, but tricky question. It really depends on what the fish are, how your filtration is, how your aquascape is for territories. Keep in mind that as a general rule, saltwater fish are more territorial than freshwater, so don't expect to have a lot of fish like you might in the freshie world.

What's your current desired fish list look like?

 

[dedragon]

Lots of choices. I like going with 2 clowns (everyone that visits always likes clownfish and gets family involved at times), for this size tank 2 small to medium sized active fish like wrasses or anthias, 3-4 small active fish like damselfish (i like azures and springeri), and 1 or blennys or gobys that tend to perch or stay low to the ground. This just gives a nice variety and a lot to choose from, but there is more than one way to skin a cat

 

[littlefoxx]

Good, but tricky question. It really depends on what the fish are, how your filtration is, how your aquascape is for territories. Keep in mind that as a general rule, saltwater fish are more territorial than freshwater, so don't expect to have a lot of fish like you might in the freshie world.

What's your current desired fish list look like?

Ive narrowed the list down to these. I get if all cant go in the tank but from the research lve done these seem to work the best for what l want in the tank.

a clown pair
Orchid dottyback ( the purple one)
Bicolored dwarf angel
Purple firefish
Mandrin dragonet (when l have enough copods in the tank for them)
A fairy and a orangeback longfin wrasse
Flame hawkfish
Engineer goby (if it works since they get like 14 inches long)
Blue spot jawfish
And maybe some kind of blenny

i was looking at a royal gramma but lve read people can have some issues with them if they have a dottyback or vice versa. Ive also seen that the dottyback listed above is not known to be “evil” like others haha.