90 gallon stocking

[User 28262454]

Hey all, new here and got a question about stocking.
planning on getting a 90 gallon tank set up in the next couple months and after it is properly cycled I have a general idea of what fish I would wanna throw in there. My current idea would be something like
- 2 ocellaris clowns
- bristletooth tang
-shrimp/goby pair (probably a tiger and an orange spotted goby)
-1 helfrichi firefish (Might end up just getting a purple) + I will have a lid on the tank
-1 long nose hawkfish

I would also be interested in getting some cleaner shrimp, fire shrimp, banded coral shrimp, anemones, and some corals (some of each type)

I am very open to all opinions and nothing is concrete on the list. What order would you recommend I add these fish?
I do have some other general questions

- how needed is a sump and skimmer
- would I be able to add some more fish down the line and if so would there be any issues if they were less aggressive then some of the other fish like the tang
- I am kinda nervous about buying fish online, how safe would this option be and what would be the best sites to order from

 

[i cant think]

As of right now this is looking to be my list (I think it might be a bit long but I’m not too sure)

-1 copperband butterfly
-1 squartail bristletooth tang
-1 carpenter’s flasher wrasse
-1 orange back fair wrasse
-1 shrimp goby pair
-2 designer ocellaris clownfish (would be mated)
-3 scissor tail dartfish
-1 helfrichi firefish
-1 royal gamma basslet
-1 long nose hawk fish
-1 ember blenny
-1 dwarf angel

As for inverts
- 1 bubble tip anemone
-2 fire shrimp
-3 cleaner shri
-1 purple banded shrimp
-1 crocea clam
-1 maxima clam

Some soft corals and some sps

Would a hammer and torches be fleshy lps?

Just typing out that list made it feel a bit long lol, I am definitely willing to cut a couple fish from it if it means a happier tank overall.
For a lid Im planning on using A mesh one and velcrowing it down.

I wouldn’t say that’s a lot of fish - Only because I’ve seen someone with a 75g, 35 or so fish and still have a thriving tank. As for the clam, be warned;
CBBs MAY nip and annoy clams. I say may as I have seen some CBBs be just fine with Crocea, Maxima and Deresa clams. I have a feeling only the very few CBBs that don’t do great in captivity will nip a clam.

Get a file fish super cool looking not hard to get to eat stay small
I would add a foxface and a bristletooth tang. The foxface for the sheer number of different algea it will consume. The bristletooth for rasping off the rocks.

the foxface will get rather large and has venomous spines that you must watch out for. Filefish will again risk the clam.

Ember blennies aren’t 100% reef safe - Actually, I’m starting to avoid blennies, after my linear passes im done with blenniidae as they all risk nipping SPS coral.

 

[Dave1993]

For the order of adding I am thinking
1st - helfrichi firefish
2nd - dartfish
3rd - shrimp goby pair
4th - ember blenny
5th - royal gamma basslet
6th - rabbit foxface
7th - the wrasses ( same time or separate?)
8th - filefish
9th - tang
10th - clowns

Does this look like a good order?

you could do clowns b4 tang if you really wanted to clowns probs wont bother the tang it will wack them if they do

 

[User 28262454]

I wouldn’t say that’s a lot of fish - Only because I’ve seen someone with a 75g, 35 or so fish and still have a thriving tank. As for the clam, be warned;
CBBs MAY nip and annoy clams. I say may as I have seen some CBBs be just fine with Crocea, Maxima and Deresa clams. I have a feeling only the very few CBBs that don’t do great in captivity will nip a clam.

the foxface will get rather large and has venomous spines that you must watch out for. Filefish will again risk the clam.

Ember blennies aren’t 100% reef safe - Actually, I’m starting to avoid blennies, after my linear passes im done with blenniidae as they all risk nipping SPS coral.

What if i replaced the blenny with an orchid dottyback?

If some fish only need to be fed once a day while others multiple would this be an issue?

 

[User 28262454]

you could do clowns b4 tang if you really wanted to clowns probs wont bother the tang it will wack them if they do

I dont mind adding them after, gives me more time to find a nice pair.

 

[doubleshot00]

Personally I would add all the large fish together dead last. But who knows as fish do what they want. My firefish that are in my wifes tank one just started bullying everyone. So it’s a gamble really.

And yes clowns are *****. Mine are very nice though. Just get common ones.

 

[i cant think]

What if i replaced the blenny with an orchid dottyback?

If some fish only need to be fed once a day while others multiple would this be an issue?

The dottyback could potentially be aggressive however the tank is big enough and it’s one of the more mild species. As for the fish being fed several times whilst others being fed once, no issues there! In the wild fish will eat as much as they can as they don’t know when their next meal may be so actually, many fish that supposedly only need 1 feeding a day will scavenge the whole day.

 

[User 28262454]

The dottyback could potentially be aggressive however the tank is big enough and it’s one of the more mild species. As for the fish being fed several times whilst others being fed once, no issues there! In the wild fish will eat as much as they can as they don’t know when their next meal may be so actually, many fish that supposedly only need 1 feeding a day will scavenge the whole day.

Alright I’ll swap that then. Should I change the order of just put the dottyback in where the blenny would have been?

 

[i cant think]

Alright I’ll swap that then. Should I change the order of just put the dottyback in where the blenny would have been?

I would yeah

 

[User 28262454]

And is mysis shrimp 2 times daily good for feeding?

 

[doubleshot00]

And imo your list will change 10x once you start getting fish. Mine did

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Alright back with list 4!
- 1 long nose butterfly
- 1 square tail bristletooth
- 1 rabbit foxface
- 1 carpenter’s flasher wrasse
- 1 orange back fairy wrasse
- 1 shrimp goby pair
- 2 designer ocellaris clowns
- 3 scissor tail dartfish
- 1 helfrichi firefish
- 1 royal gamma basslet
- 1 ember Blenny
- 1 Aiptasia eating filefish

Inverts

1 fire shrimp
3 cleaner shrimp
1 purple banded shrimp (or a regular one depending if I can find it with other shrimp in LFS)
1 crocea clam
1 maxima clam

Too long? For this list any corals or just keep it a FOWLR?

Longnose butterfly will eat your clams. Speaking from experience...

 

[sfin52]

What if i replaced the blenny with an orchid dottyback?

If some fish only need to be fed once a day while others multiple would this be an issue?

Those are mean fish. Dottybacks in general. Look at royal gramma

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Those are mean fish. Dottybacks in general. Look at royal gramma

Check out the black cap basslet as well. My wife likes the royal gramma better, but I prefer the black cap. So we got a royal for our 75, and a black cap for our 65. Both are awesome fish.

 

[sfin52]

Check out the black cap basslet as well. My wife likes the royal gramma better, but I prefer the black cap. So we got a royal for our 75, and a black cap for our 65. Both are awesome fish.

Both gorgous just don't mix basslets they don't do well.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I would also recommend adding a few smaller fish species. Red headed gobies (Elacatinus puncticulatus), neon gobies or sharknose gobies (Elacatinus oceanops or E. evelynae), the green banded goby (Tigrigobius multifasciatus), and various clown gobies (Gobiodon spp.) all make very interesting tank inhabitants, especially when kept in small groups, and add a lot of diversity and excitement to the tank with very little bioload.

I have a trio of red headed gobies and a green clown goby in my 75 gallon and love their antics. It's a treat to see them darting in and out of the corals and rockwork.

 

[User 28262454]

Longnose butterfly will eat your clams. Speaking from experience...

I took the butterfly off the list.

As for the gramma I will go for the black cap or the royal gonna think on it.

I defiantly like the red headed gobies and clown gobies
do you think I could add a trio of red heads and a clown or is that pushing the bioload on the tank.

So to clarify that would make the list:

-1 squartail bristletooth
-1 rabbit foxface
-1 carpenter flasher wrasse
-1 orange back fairy wrasse
-1 shrimp goby pair
-1 helfrichi firefish
-1 royal gramma or black cap basslet
-1 Aiptasia eating filefish
-2 ocellaris clowns
-3 scissor tail dartfish
-1 clown goby
-3 red headed gobies

Maybe cut the clown goby?

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I took the butterfly off the list.

As for the gramma I will go for the black cap or the royal gonna think on it.

I defiantly like the red headed gobies and clown gobies
do you think I could add a trio of red heads and a clown or is that pushing the bioload on the tank.

So to clarify that would make the list:

-1 squartail bristletooth
-1 rabbit foxface
-1 carpenter flasher wrasse
-1 orange back fairy wrasse
-1 shrimp goby pair
-1 helfrichi firefish
-1 royal gramma or black cap basslet
-1 Aiptasia eating filefish
-2 ocellaris clowns
-3 scissor tail dartfish
-1 clown goby
-3 red headed gobies

Maybe cut the clown goby?

Should be fine. I have 38 fish in my 75 gallon. Feel free to check out my build thread. Just make sure you keep up with water quality. Heavy feeding to keep a high fish load, which means a good skimmer and a good refugium.

 

[sfin52]

I took the butterfly off the list.

As for the gramma I will go for the black cap or the royal gonna think on it.

I defiantly like the red headed gobies and clown gobies
do you think I could add a trio of red heads and a clown or is that pushing the bioload on the tank.

So to clarify that would make the list:

-1 squartail bristletooth
-1 rabbit foxface
-1 carpenter flasher wrasse
-1 orange back fairy wrasse
-1 shrimp goby pair
-1 helfrichi firefish
-1 royal gramma or black cap basslet
-1 Aiptasia eating filefish
-2 ocellaris clowns
-3 scissor tail dartfish
-1 clown goby
-3 red headed gobies

Maybe cut the clown goby?

I would drop the red head and go for a green clown goby and a yellow clown goby. I don't count them in the bio load they are so tiny.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I would drop the red head and go for a green clown goby and a yellow clown goby. I don't count them in the bio load they are so tiny.

Red headeds stay about the same size. Slightly longer, but not as tall.

 

[Lavey29]

1-2 fish every 2 weeks isnt going slow

Exactly, need at least 3 to 4 weeks between fish or longer preferably.