90 Gallon Stocking Help

Thalasstronaut

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Hello all, a few months ago I asked about hypothetical stocking for my 90 gallon tank, and got some great feedback. The fish I do have have been moved over to their permanent home and I’ve revised my “wants” list and would like any feedback on the fish themselves, interactions, or tank size.

To start with my tank is a 90 gallon display with a 40 gallon sump. Total water volume is about 92 gallons. In the display I have about 90lbs of rock, with another 30lbs in the sump. I initially had it all in my display but have reworked my scape to have a better balance of swimming space, sand area, and caves/ledges. I also have a buried pvc tunnel, 2.5 inch diameter, that several fish use.

Current livestock is a snowflake eel, starry blenny, yellow angel, and coral beauty. I wouldn’t remove any of the above just to accommodate any of the fish I’d like to add. I may be removing the coral beauty in any event, as he’s been a bit aggressive towards the yellow angel. That remains to be seen. Corals (primarily soft/LPS are on the docket as well.) End game is a mixed reef.

I’m interested in adding any combination (or even all of)

Two percula clowns.

Royal gramma (initially an orchid dottyback but after some more research I’m coming around on the RG, please advise if I’m mistaken here.)

Black leopard wrasse.

Yellow head jawfish.

Black axil Chromi.

One of either a long nose hawk fish or flame hawk.

What combinations of those fish would integrate well, in your experience? Would the inclusion of any given one require excluding any other? I’m trying to maintain a balance of open swimmers, perchers, bottom dwellers, and interesting shapes or behaviors.

I’m trying to stay away from overstocking or crowding my tank, and trying to stick to medium to smaller fish (with a mind towards making sure nothing would be too tempting for my eel) to make the tank seem bigger by contrast. I’ve, in the past, considered bristletooth tangs or smaller butterflies/anhels but I worry about the “big fish in a small tank” effect.

I’m also open to any other suggestions that I haven’t included. Balance of colors, behaviors is welcome.

Thanks in advance.
 

Jekyl

GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
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Usually predator fish and mixed reef don't go hand in hand. There's also always the chance that any of your non predators become a meal.
 
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Thalasstronaut

Thalasstronaut

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Usually predator fish and mixed reef don't go hand in hand. There's also always the chance that any of your non predators become a meal.
For sure. Why is that, though? What is the difficulty in balancing corals with predator? I guess I could see it if it’s exclusively predators, but what are the conflicting needs?
 

Jekyl

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For sure. Why is that, though? What is the difficulty in balancing corals with predator? I guess I could see it if it’s exclusively predators, but what are the conflicting needs?
Messy eaters and elevated nutrients along with keeping a cuc can be more difficult
 
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Thalasstronaut

Thalasstronaut

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Messy eaters and elevated nutrients along with keeping a cuc can be more difficult
That makes sense, thanks. I’m pretty diligent about cleaning up the bits of uneaten food from my eel. The snails are of no interest to him, and I haven’t lost any hermits but I’m not rushing to stick any other crustaceans in, either.
 

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