Evaluate fish stocking proposal for 90 mixed reef

[Onewolf]

Our first saltwater tank (90 gal) has been doing to basic nitrogen cycle for a couple of weeks now and eventually in a couple of months it will be ready to start adding fish.
Here is my proposed list for the long term stocking of the tank in relative order of adding the fish. What issues do you see? (With specific recommendations for the "or or or" in the Wrasse/Tang/Angel/Butterfly areas. ).

My wife prefers splashy color and I prefer personality.

Proposed Fish Stocking List – In relative stocking order

• Sailfin/Algae Blenny
• (3) Banggai Cardinal
• (2) clownfish
• Tailspot or Midas Blenny (?Compatible with Lawnmower Blenny?)
• Firefish Goby
• Royal Gramma
• Orange Spotted Goby or Yellow Watchman Shrimp Goby or (2) Barnable Blennies
• Wrasse - Six Line or Melanurus or Christmas
• Hawkfish - Red Spotted Hawkfish or Flame or Longnose
• Cleaner Shrimp(s)
• Tang - Yellow or Tomini or Squaretail Bristletooth
• Angel - Flame or Potters or Eibli or Coral Beauty
• Butterfly - Copperband or Threadfin/Auriga or Sunset or Longnose or Pearl Scale

The tank is 48"x18"x24"

 

[BeejReef]

I like that you've kept some of the "reef safe with CAUTION" fish towards the end.

Clowns, cardinals, and algae blenny were my first additions as well. I think conventional wisdom is to go clowns first bc of their durability, but I'm not sure that matters a ton if you are patient. I did notice that having a few other fish reduced the aggression between my clowns.

If you like personality, you'll love your lawnmower.

What kind of corals do you want to keep? That may impact some of your stocking choices.
Beautiful scape!

 

[Onewolf]

What kind of corals do you want to keep? That may impact some of your stocking choices.
Beautiful scape!

Thanks for the reply. We plan to go with just LPS and Soft corals (and a few anemones). Eventually we may try some SPS but that won't be for a long time (and possibly a different tank).

 

[Jmas4]

1. I would stick with 2 cardinalfish because with 3 one will pair off and bully the third.
2. Blennys are compatible.
3. All those gobies would do. I personally like ywg the most though.
4. Avoid the six line wrasse they are mean.
5. A hawkish may be a danger to your inverts.
6. I would stick with a tomini or squaretail as a yellow tang requires a larger tank.
7. Flame and coral beauty are the most reef safe.
8. With butterflies I would go with the longnose because it is the easiest and most reef safe.
9. Imo you are pushing it bioload wise. It can be done if you have the experience and equipment, but if I were you I would get rid of a few fish.

I hope this helps and good luck and happy Reefing

 

[Marco S]

Nice tank so far! Looks like a good stocking list. I will give my two cents on the few I have experience with...

Bangaii Cardinals - I have had a hard time keeping these as they tend to kill each other off. I have gone through 8 all together in three separate batches and each time they ended up just one left. I was lucky enough to have two separate QT tanks that had one each survive and when I put them in my DT tank they ended up bonding and after 6 months together they seem to be trying to mate now!!! I just bring this up because 3 may end up just one.

Clownfish - Are a must have in any reef tank IMO. Although they don't move much from wherever they decide to host, they are really cool to watch swimming in the awkward way they swim and staying together 24/7. Mine do tend to get aggressive when feeding, but most of my other fish are too big to even care. I do have a few Dottybacks that get chased a bit, but nothing serious yet.

Six Line Wrasse - Can be very aggressive. I had one in QT that I had to separate because he would violently attack anything that came near the PVC that he claimed. He caused several fish to jump out of the QT and I had to separate him. He died in QT and I did not replace him due to the aggression.

Cleaner Shrimp - I have a Blood Red and a Scarlet Skunk cleaner and they are awesome!!! They even let you feed them by hand and mine will crawl all over my hands whenever I have to put them in the tank. While I haven't really noticed them cleaning fish, they are really cool to have.

Tangs - Although the Yellow seems to be the go to Tang...I personally don't see the appeal. I have an Achilles, Purple, Powder Blue, Hippo and a Whitetail Bristletooth and among the ones you have listed would prefer the Bristletooth. They can have some striking colors and patters and eat algae for a living...all day...every day!

Dwarf Angel - Although the Flame is a very striking fish, the Coral Beauty was the one I went with and I don't regret it for a second. While they are not as colorful, the combination of purple and orange is very cool and mine had been very peaceful and swims back and forth all day picking at the rocks just like my Tangs. They are "Reef Caution" but mine doesn't even seem to notice the coral, (I have mostly LPS big focus on Euphylia and Acans) but will pick at the rocks up to the base of the coral.

Hope that helps... ;Happy