Here's my proposed stock list, roast me!

[dcarey]

I wanted to kick off by saying you guys have been the source of so many answered questions and a source of inspiration for me in this hobby over the years. I literally wouldn't be in the hobby anymore without this support. I really appreciate all the effort and empathy this community has - thank you all!

That said, I'm setting up a 90 gal (48x22x20) with a large sump, I'll probably keep about 50 gal in there? I would eventually like to do a mixed reef. I've had success with refugiums in the past and would like a chaeto one eventually here to pair with a skimmer, I love how fuges pump out pods into the main tank once they are established. Will be setting up an Apex for monitoring, tossing on a couple Kessil ap9x's (dat shimmer ;Drool), and 2 Ice Cap 4ks.

I'll dump my proposed stocking list below for feedback, with the introduction phases (I'll be quarantining and then introducing each batch together). Asterisk (*) indicates I already own this fish and it will be a transfer. Tilde (~) indicates I really want this fish and will remove/swap others to keep it in the list. I added the main color for each fish parenthetically () since I do want some balance there as well (i.e. if you offer swap ideas this might be helpful).

Batch 1

* Royal Gramma (purple/yellow)​

* Lawnmower Blenny (gray)​

Batch 2

~ One Spot Foxface (yellow)​

~ Diamond or Bella Goby (white)​

Open slot - I'd love this to be a blue spot puffer but I'm nervous about CUC & waste production since I'm stocking heavily; something blue? Chromis?​

​

Batch 3

~Flame Angel (red) - aware of the coral risks here​

~Pyramid butterfly (white/yellow)​

Salon wrasse​

Naoko wrasse​

Batch 4

*Gem tang (black)​

*Bristlemouth tang​

 

[Dkmoo]

A few more utility fish? I see you already got foxface and lawnmower, how about a 6 line wrasse (for pest worm, but might be too much with ur 2 other wrasse), cleaner gobie (for parasite on your bigger fish), or CCB and filefish ( for aiptasia)?

 

[nereefpat]

I see some interactions.

Diamond gobies, lawnmower type blennies, and (believe it or not) Ctenochaetus tangs hate each other. 4 feet may not be enough room for them to avoid one another.

I also wouldn't do 4 big tangs/rabbit/butterfly in a 4 foot tank. Although I like all 4 of those individual fishes.

 

[JumboShrimp]

After Batches 1, 2 & 3, can you still afford to buy your Batch 4 Gem Tang? Lol! Best wishes to you and your tank!

 

[dcarey]

A few more utility fish? I see you already got foxface and lawnmower, how about a 6 line wrasse (for pest worm, but might be too much with ur 2 other wrasse), cleaner gobie (for parasite on your bigger fish), or CCB and filefish ( for aiptasia)?

Good call - I had the filefish in there but got scared off by coral nipping potential.

 

[dcarey]

I see some interactions.

Diamond gobies, lawnmower type blennies, and (believe it or not) Ctenochaetus tangs hate each other. 4 feet may not be enough room for them to avoid one another.

I also wouldn't do 4 big tangs/rabbit/butterfly in a 4 foot tank. Although I like all 4 of those individual fishes.

Thanks for that; had not heard about those interaction issues. I'll reevaluate.

 

[ZoWhat]

Batch 1

* Royal Gramma (purple/yellow)​

* Lawnmower Blenny (gray)​

Giving some "tbh" personal comments:

Grammas are mean and territorial.. known for picking/biting at a fish it deems as a competitor. They're fast and elusive

Lawnmowers are purposed to eat algae but the only algae they are good for is film algae on substrate. You get into GHA, they cannot strip the fibers of GHA off a rock

Batch 2

~ One Spot Foxface (yellow)​

~ Diamond or Bella Goby (white)​

Open slot - I'd love this to be a blue spot puffer but I'm nervous about CUC & waste production since I'm stocking heavily; something blue? Chromis?​

​

Foxface can grow as large as 7in and take up a lot of fish realstate. They also go off the rails in their older ages with poor eye sight and start eating corals by mistake or by design (?)

Batch 3

~Flame Angel (red) - aware of the coral risks here​

~Pyramid butterfly (white/yellow)​

Salon wrasse​

Naoko wrasse​

Flames will eventually become Nippers with anything that has polyp extensions. This nipping will cause corals not to extend polyos.

Pyramids are extremely hard to keep fed. They will go into starvation fir no reason. They are also hard to get off live food.

Wrasses are jumpers and will eventually jump out if the tank when startled with some kind of screen

Batch 4

*Gem tang (black)​

*Bristlemouth tang​

Gem are like a $800 to $1000 fish or more.

Who could ever take a vacation and lean on a family member to maintain your tank with a $1000 fish in play.... and have a RELAXING vacation? if your Gem died on their watch it would change how you viewed that person forever.... No thank yooou

No thank you being stressed out all the time with the paranoia of not seeing the Gem happily swimming every time I approached the tank.

If it hid for even a 1/2 day, I'd be freaking... no thank you


.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I never had a problem with my royal gramma. Then again, I think that orchid dottybacks are fine fish (and they are!), so you may want to take my advice with a grain of salt.

I don't see a problem with your plan if "batches" means that incoming fish that you don't own are going to be quarantined. I'd hate to see you lose that gem tang.

 

[Gtinnel]

Diamond gobies, lawnmower type blennies, and (believe it or not) Ctenochaetus tangs hate each other.

I had never heard that, but it explains why my tomini tang chases my lawnmower blenny around.

 

[TheDragonsReef]

I wanted to kick off by saying you guys have been the source of so many answered questions and a source of inspiration for me in this hobby over the years. I literally wouldn't be in the hobby anymore without this support. I really appreciate all the effort and empathy this community has - thank you all!

That said, I'm setting up a 90 gal (48x22x20) with a large sump, I'll probably keep about 50 gal in there? I would eventually like to do a mixed reef. I've had success with refugiums in the past and would like a chaeto one eventually here to pair with a skimmer, I love how fuges pump out pods into the main tank once they are established. Will be setting up an Apex for monitoring, tossing on a couple Kessil ap9x's (dat shimmer ;Drool), and 2 Ice Cap 4ks.

I'll dump my proposed stocking list below for feedback, with the introduction phases (I'll be quarantining and then introducing each batch together). Asterisk (*) indicates I already own this fish and it will be a transfer. Tilde (~) indicates I really want this fish and will remove/swap others to keep it in the list. I added the main color for each fish parenthetically () since I do want some balance there as well (i.e. if you offer swap ideas this might be helpful).

Batch 1

* Royal Gramma (purple/yellow)​

* Lawnmower Blenny (gray)​

Batch 2

~ One Spot Foxface (yellow)​

~ Diamond or Bella Goby (white)​

Open slot - I'd love this to be a blue spot puffer but I'm nervous about CUC & waste production since I'm stocking heavily; something blue? Chromis?​

​

Batch 3

~Flame Angel (red) - aware of the coral risks here​

~Pyramid butterfly (white/yellow)​

Salon wrasse​

Naoko wrasse​

Batch 4

*Gem tang (black)​

*Bristlemouth tang​

The goby and blenny may fight, and the gem tang and bristletooth will likely end up fighting in that size of tank, if you add them at the same time your chances of success will be better but i would be prepared to seperate them if you do attempt it. Also i didnt see you mention it but i highly recommend quarantine especially do to your fish choice. The pyramid butterflies are commonly afflicted by flukes and the tangs, foxface, and angel by ich/velvet

 

[davidcalgary29]

Good call - I had the filefish in there but got scared off by coral nipping potential.

Concerns are warranted. I caught mine experimentally munching one of my elegance corals yesterday. And it had already munched on my acan, which shrivelled and died after an initial attack. And did nothing for my aiptasia anyway. If you want a filefish, I'd recommend a white spotted pygmy. They're great fish, even if they won't go after aiptasia.

 

[nereefpat]

I had never heard that, but it explains why my tomini tang chases my lawnmower blenny around.

Me too. My 125 seems to be *just enough room for the same pair to get away from each other.

I had a kole relentlessly chase a diamond goby out of a covered 90 gallon a while back.

 

[Gtinnel]

Me too. My 125 seems to be *just enough room for the same pair to get away from each other.

I had a kole relentlessly chase a diamond goby out of a covered 90 gallon a while back.

Mine is a 125 and the tang still chases the lawnmower around.

 

[dcarey]

I never had a problem with my royal gramma. Then again, I think that orchid dottybacks are fine fish (and they are!), so you may want to take my advice with a grain of salt.

I don't see a problem with your plan if "batches" means that incoming fish that you don't own are going to be quarantined. I'd hate to see you lose that gem tang.

Yeah that's the plan, QT each batch together (starting the timer when I have them all in the QT); ideally it gives me time if I need to wait a week or two to gather each batch together.

 

[dcarey]

The goby and blenny may fight, and the gem tang and bristletooth will likely end up fighting in that size of tank, if you add them at the same time your chances of success will be better but i would be prepared to seperate them if you do attempt it. Also i didnt see you mention it but i highly recommend quarantine especially do to your fish choice. The pyramid butterflies are commonly afflicted by flukes and the tangs, foxface, and angel by ich/velvet

Yep; the plan is to QT each batch and when it passes drop them in together.

 

[dcarey]

Concerns are warranted. I caught mine experimentally munching one of my elegance corals yesterday. And it had already munched on my acan, which shrivelled and died after an initial attack. And did nothing for my aiptasia anyway. If you want a filefish, I'd recommend a white spotted pygmy. They're great fish, even if they won't go after aiptasia.

Nice, I'll check that out. Thanks!