Fish Stocking List for 40 & 170 gallons

[DmitryB]

I got two IM tanks up and running: 40 gallons and 170. Looking for advice and suggestions on my stocking list. A few of the fish (marked * are already on order and will be arriving later this month.)

- Coral Beauty Angel (Biota) [currently in 40 gallons and if I ever manage to catch him, he's going into 170]
- Whitespotted Pigmy Filefish (ORA) [already in 40 gallons]
- Starry Blenny [40]*
- Purple Firefish [40]*
- Royal Gramma [40]*
- True Percula Clowns pair (Proaquatix) [40]*

- Springeri Dottyback (Proaquatix) [170]*
- Mandarin Dragonets pair (Biota) [170]*
- Yellow Tang (Biota) [170]*
- Blue Hippo Tang (aquacultured via DrReef) [170]*
- Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse [170]
- Melanurus (Hoeven's) Wrasse [170]
- Chromis school [170] OR
- Carberryi Anthias school OR Resplendent Anthias school [170]

So that's all I got planned. The last 4 entries are not yet on order. I also originally wanted either a Blue Throat Trigger or Sargassum Trigger and I'd still love it, but... don't know if it's good or bad idea. (I've always wanted a Trigger!) I also wanted a small puffer like a Valentini but they can be not reef friendly. Also would love a dwarf Lion, but also not sure how reef safe they are. (And does reef safe mean corals or snails?) Looking for advice, suggestions, etc.!

(With the Dragonets (these were WYSIWYG pair, so here's the pair I ordered (!), I will be culturing my own pods and the 170 tanks has a refugium as well. Plus since they are captive-bred, they'll be taking frozen foods as well.)

 

[Rob A]

Skip the Valentini if you want to keep corals they also are tough on CUC's and the Trigger is also going to be a problem. Everything else should be great in the 170. Scissortail gobies, firefish, and pj cardinals would also add to the 170 w/o adding a lot of bioload.

 

[exnisstech]

I love my hippo and yellows. I have 4 yellows (3 biota and a wild) in my 330 and they are non stop grazers and swim around together all day. My convict and two spot bristletooth are probably even better cleaners. I see you already have the hippo coming so my advice is meaningless but I'll throw it out anyway I would consider replacing the hippo with a bristle tooth tang. They are better cleaners and don't get as large as a hippo who will most likely outgrow a 170 at some point, hippo tangs get huge. I've also found them to be a bit shy compared to the other tangs I keep and i don't see them cleaning rocks or glass.
My convict is pretty chill until lights dim then he's a jerk till lights out. My two spot is beautiful and did great with a wild yellow for 3 years in 36" tank but I have them both in a 4' tank now.