Need help deciding on whether or not a fish is right for your tank? Post here and we'll help!

[lamwich]

Hi! Super newbie here. I have a 80 gal reef tank (65 display, 15 in sump).

The crew:
1 baby clown
1 striped blenny
1 diamond watchmen gobi
5 chromis
2 pj cardinal fish
Various CUC; 1 cleaner shrimp, hermit crabs, snails

I’m looking to add a Royal Gramma. Any other recommendations? Looking to keep a peaceful environment. How many fish would it take to hit the point of overstocking this tank?

 

[lamwich]

Hey R2R, I am trying to plan out what I can stock in my 40gallon tank. I'll post details and then what I am thinking about adding.

-40 gallon tank
-29 gallon sump
-Tank sand is a mix of local sand (consistency close to play sand), aragonite, and crushed shells. By the time I get consistency where I want it, it will not blow around with the powerheads.
-Live rock is a mix of live rock, dry rock, and aragrocrete totaling about 70 pounds
-Two 480 gph powerheads.
-I will not have corals, just snails, hermit crabs, and maybe fish one day

In the sump will be:
-2 filter socks
-refugium with chaeto
-protein skimmer - leaning towards the reef octopus classic 150 6"
-HOB Aquaclear 70 that I will be running with just carbon in it
-Return pump is a lifeguard rated at 240gph

I want to have all captive bred fish. These are what I have planned. Will this work and is it too much? Fish will be quarantined following guidelines by jay hemdal and humble fish.

1. One Lemon Damsel (ORA's website says that their captive bred lemons are less aggressive then most damsels in pomacentridae)
2. Two ocellaris or percula clowns
3. Three Pajama Cardinals
4. One Watchman Goby (open to suggestions here on a fun, captive bred, sand dwellar)
5. Three Royal Grammas

That's a total of 10 decently small fish that I believe would all be considered beginner level of care.

I don’t have too much advice here. I’m super new to the hobby. I have a watchman gobi and I love him so much. He has such a personality!

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

That's good to hear! I think they look like a fun fish.

 

[Buck23]

Hi guys! I know that at times it can be difficult to know whether or not a fish is right for your tank. There are lots of things to consider when purchasing a new addition to your reef community: What size is the tank? What other fish are already in there? What inverts are in there? Is it a reef or fowlr? What about food availability? Is it a sensitive fish that needs special care requirements? Does it require particular water parameters? Is it aggressive? Is it a picky eater? Is it prone to disease?

These are all possible concerns that can come up in purchasing a new fish. REEF2REEF is here to help! Whether you're new to the hobby, or just unsure about a new addition, we'll be glad to help with advice and giving info about our new pet that will help it live many years in your tank. Of course, the tank is yours and so is the fish, so no one here will tell you what you can or CANNOT do with your own tank. We're just here to help by sharing our own knowledge and experience.

So let's get this thread going! If you're thinking about a new purchase and just not sure, post it up! 1smile1

 

[Buck23]

I have a reef/fish 65 gallon. Currently stocked with 2 clowns, 1 pearly jaw fish, 1 black cap basslet, coris wrasse, 4 barnacle blennies, 1 foxface. I have soft and hard corals. Looking to try a few pajama cardinals or some other recommendation. The only inverts due to corals are nassarius snails. Any help appreciated.

 

[duffstanton]

I am trying to come up with a stock list for a 150 I am taking from a friend. I know I want:
a pair of occ clowns
a BTA.
Royal Gramma
6 line wrasse

some sort of tang, be it yellow or blue hippo
some sort of dwarf angel, either flame or coral beauty

He has a pair of cardinals he is giving me, and a sand sifting goby

Any other suggestions?
It will be a mixed reef tank. I am looking for peaceful, and fairly reef safe. I know the wrasse is a gamble, but my last one was fine.

Thank in advance!

I try and think of a tank as 3 zones. Open water, rock work and sand bed. Each fish has a zone.
Open water
Foxface is a good choice
Bristletooth tangs (khole eye or Tomini)
I love midas blennys ( lots of movement)
Chromis
Yellowtail or smith damsels
Anthias if you can feed often.
Rockwork zone:
Clown goby
Hawk fish
Sand bed zone:
Diamond goby
Mandarins

 

[Ocean Blue]

Hiya R2R, would love some advice on whether it’s possible to add a 2nd Yasha Goby. I have a 25g with just the Yasha and Pistol Shrimp. Will they pair up, fight or live in separate areas of the tank? Would love any insight. Thanks

 

[Sarcasm Included]

Hi,
I am going to build a mixed reef tank into a wall along with a couple large freshwater (Discus and African Cichlids). I have been doing freshwater and brackish for a little over three decades, between 3-15 tanks at a time. I in the process of building a new home and plan on putting these tanks into the basement. I have done a fair amount of research (17 pages of notes on the fish and inverts, 6 more pages for Corals), but I want to get feedback on amounts and selections so that I can get better dialed in to research more.

I will be getting a 125 gallon unless I see a good buy on Craigslist or through the fish club. I will be converting a 55 gallon into a sump/Ref, I have several 5/10/15/20/40 gallon tanks for QT and copepod/ brine shrimp farms (keep everyone fed well). I plan to set this tank up over 2-3 years time, with at least 6-12 months dedicated to just the reef. QT will be 8 weeks between each stage (the #) that I put into the tank. I plan to purchase when I put the previous stage into place.

#​	Set-up Order
1​	Feather Dusters/ Clam
2​	2 Tuxedos/ 2 Gecko Goby	2
3​	2 Snapping Shrimp/ Shrimp Gobies (Hi Fin and Wheeler)/ Mandarin (Spotted)	3
4​	2 Cleaner Shrimp/ Clown Gobies (Citrinis, Green)	2
5​	2 Banggai/ 2 Jawfish (Yellow) / Firefish (exquisite)	5
6​	Wrasse (Carpenter or Scott’s Fairy, McCosker, Filimented, Melanurus, Velvet or Exquisite Fairy)	5
7​	2 Clownfish (Perc) /Gramma (Royal Gramma)/ 5 Green Chromis	8
8​	Dwarf Angelfish (Flame, Coral Beauty)	2
9​	Anthias (Bartlett, Flame, Sunburst, Lyretail)	4
10​	Tang (Powder Brown)	1
​	Total	32

I am flexible with most things but the Tang (centerpiece) and dwarf angels. I am flexible with the wrasse numbers and will adjust what is stocked based on availability (will not substitute without researching). It will be primarily a mix of fairy and flashers for the most part. Green Chromis I am not attached to and am flexible with the Anthias and clownfish. Would love to be able to add more gobies depending on how the territories shake out over time.

Thank you for any feedback

 

[42ELITASREV]

Hello, I am getting a tank setup after being out of the hobby for about 15 years. I have a 81gallon tank on preorder, it is 3ftx2ftx22inches. I have a 26 gallon sump with a roller fleece, a 4 inch skimmer, a refugium section and 2 sicce 2.0's for return pumps. I haven't bought them yet, but I intend to get 2 gyre pumps for each short end of the tank and 2 6950 turbelles for the back wall. For lighting I have 2 radion XR15 pro's. I also have a AWC, ATO system and 2 auto feeders. I will be making a HNSA scape, not sure on exact details of that yet, but it will be hidey place heavy, most likely in an atoll shape. I will probably end up with some kind of tank controller, mostly for remote monitoring purposes.

I have 2 goals for this tank, one is for the tank to be completely hands off for 2 weeks at a time 2-3 times a year and not have any live stock suffer. I will be feeding frozen/live foods daily or whatever during 95% of the year, but I do not want my tank to hold me hostage in my home because I have to dangle food in front of a angler fish every day.
The second is more of a stretch goal, but, after tank has been up and running a year to get a mandarin goby and offer it a habitat it can thrive in.

This tank will have LPS corals (mainly euphylia) and zoanthids. I will also finally get a pulsing xenia on its own island.

I am posting here for some feedback on my planned stock list and any challenges it may present with meeting my goals for the tank.

2 obligatory fancy clowns
3-4 pajama cardinals
bristle tooth tang
dwarf angel, probably a coral beauty

1 algae blenny, short list is lawnmower, starry or mimic
1-2 firefish
(maybe a flame hawk fish, open to suggestions, as I feel my mid tank area could support more fish)

watchman or diamond goby
mandarin eventually
(maybe a clown goby? not sure how much individual sand space these guys need)

trochus and cerith snails
couple of scarlet and blue leg hermits, just because I like them
maybe one nasarrius snail

I have specifically avoided some fish, such as several types of wrasse out of concern they will compete with the mandarin too much for food. I will be culturing and dosing phyto, as well as a pod culture, thou, not sure how I am going to get the cultures to live through a 2 week absence. I may have to just shut the cultures down while I am gone.

I would greatly appreciate any feedback on this planned list. I have kept a marine tank for many years before, but all my livestock was things I harvested locally from the FL keys, so actually picking my tank inhabitants instead of finding them is a new experience for me.

 

[immaman2011]

Maine mocha clownfish x2
Blue reef chromis x5
Royal gramma x1
Orange spotted goby x1
Tailspot blenny x1

What do you guys think of this stock list?
My gph is 1370 for surface flow.
I have my heat at 79.5
Salinity 1.025
36 gallons
Heater 300w
36 pounds of rock
20 pounds of live sand
Uv sterilizer
Canister filter
White, green, and blue light

 

[btltez]

I am going back and forth in my head making myself crazy as there is a white tail tang and a koi tang both available to me both established in same tank for long time etc etc. My issue is I have 3 tangs; a yellow whom I've had for about 5 years, a Sailfin about 3 years, and a Naso for going on 2 years. They are all fat and healthy. The Naso is my fave fish ever. He will eat out of my hand, comes to my face whenever I come near the tank, protects the ''little guys'' in the tank, etc. He is the only Naso I've ever kept alive this long. I'm so scared if I buy one of the two mentioned tangs the initial upset, esp with the Sailfin bullying them, which he will, will cause a disease in the tank and the tangs dies. I do not want to lose my Naso. I do not have QT tank but my LFS will take sick fish and try to heal them, QT them, etc. Catching them would be different story as my scape is quite complicated but awesome lol.
Anyways, am I just being too neurotic about this? Just get one of the two gorgeous tangs and add him and let them figure it out and hope no ich happens?
Thanks

 

[mikeyboy1]

hi guys i am new to this hobby i am setting up a FOWLR salt water tank initially though i intended to make it a reef eventually. I wanted to know if i can keep this fish in the same tank or not ,thanks in advance.
Tank specifications
L*B*H = 81*24*30(inches) roughly 960 liters with a sump of 255 liters , so a total water volume of 321 gallons. The sump will have refugium with magicmud and a algae scraper also.
Lighting will be cfl bulbs with atnic tubes
I will have a modified two part dosing system.
After the tank is properly cycled for 6 months i look to add the living stocks in the following order
1. Bubble tip anemone
2. After the bta is settled a pair of clown fish (1 male + 1 female)
3. Copper band butterfly
4. After the CBB is well adapted and eating 1 pair of Moorish idol
5. After few months a yellow tang
6. At the same time a powder blue tang
7. After few months a Achilles tang
8. And last addition will be emperor angel.
before buying each fish i will make sure i am buying a healthy specimen , observing its eating or not at the lfs.

 

[mikeyboy1]

Maine mocha clownfish x2
Blue reef chromis x5
Royal gramma x1
Orange spotted goby x1
Tailspot blenny x1

What do you guys think of this stock list?
My gph is 1370 for surface flow.
I have my heat at 79.5
Salinity 1.025
36 gallons
Heater 300w
36 pounds of rock
20 pounds of live sand
Uv sterilizer
Canister filter
White, green, and blue light

hi guys i am new to this hobby i am setting up a FOWLR salt water tank initially though i intended to make it a reef eventually. I wanted to know if i can keep this fish in the same tank or not ,thanks in advance.
Tank specifications
L*B*H = 81*24*30(inches) roughly 960 liters with a sump of 255 liters , so a total water volume of 321 gallons. The sump will have refugium with magicmud and a algae scraper also.
Lighting will be cfl bulbs with atnic tubes
I will have a modified two part dosing system.
After the tank is properly cycled for 6 months i look to add the living stocks in the following order
1. Bubble tip anemone
2. After the bta is settled a pair of clown fish (1 male + 1 female)
3. Copper band butterfly
4. After the CBB is well adapted and eating 1 pair of Moorish idol
5. After few months a yellow tang
6. At the same time a powder blue tang
7. After few months a Achilles tang
8. And last addition will be emperor angel.
before buying each fish i will make sure i am buying a healthy specimen , observing its eating or not at the lfs.

Tank is way too small for the fish you want Morish Idol, 3 tangs and Emperor? You need a 150 or larger!

 

[Sky2Sea]

Hi guys! I know that at times it can be difficult to know whether or not a fish is right for your tank. There are lots of things to consider when purchasing a new addition to your reef community: What size is the tank? What other fish are already in there? What inverts are in there? Is it a reef or fowlr? What about food availability? Is it a sensitive fish that needs special care requirements? Does it require particular water parameters? Is it aggressive? Is it a picky eater? Is it prone to disease?

These are all possible concerns that can come up in purchasing a new fish. REEF2REEF is here to help! Whether you're new to the hobby, or just unsure about a new addition, we'll be glad to help with advice and giving info about our new pet that will help it live many years in your tank. Of course, the tank is yours and so is the fish, so no one here will tell you what you can or CANNOT do with your own tank. We're just here to help by sharing our own knowledge and experience.

So let's get this thread going! If you're thinking about a new purchase and just not sure, post it up!

 

[Sky2Sea]

Hi guys! I know that at times it can be difficult to know whether or not a fish is right for your tank. There are lots of things to consider when purchasing a new addition to your reef community: What size is the tank? What other fish are already in there? What inverts are in there? Is it a reef or fowlr? What about food availability? Is it a sensitive fish that needs special care requirements? Does it require particular water parameters? Is it aggressive? Is it a picky eater? Is it prone to disease?

These are all possible concerns that can come up in purchasing a new fish. REEF2REEF is here to help! Whether you're new to the hobby, or just unsure about a new addition, we'll be glad to help with advice and giving info about our new pet that will help it live many years in your tank. Of course, the tank is yours and so is the fish, so no one here will tell you what you can or CANNOT do with your own tank. We're just here to help by sharing our own knowledge and experience.

So let's get this thread going! If you're thinking about a new purchase and just not sure, post it up!

I have a lawnmower blenny, i’am having a difficult time getting him fed. There is a limited amount of algae in my tank, I have tried algae wafers, brine shrimp, nori. Any suggestions ?

 

[GoVols]

I am going back and forth in my head making myself crazy as there is a white tail tang and a koi tang both available to me both established in same tank for long time etc etc. My issue is I have 3 tangs; a yellow whom I've had for about 5 years, a Sailfin about 3 years, and a Naso for going on 2 years. They are all fat and healthy. The Naso is my fave fish ever. He will eat out of my hand, comes to my face whenever I come near the tank, protects the ''little guys'' in the tank, etc. He is the only Naso I've ever kept alive this long. I'm so scared if I buy one of the two mentioned tangs the initial upset, esp with the Sailfin bullying them, which he will, will cause a disease in the tank and the tangs dies. I do not want to lose my Naso. I do not have QT tank but my LFS will take sick fish and try to heal them, QT them, etc. Catching them would be different story as my scape is quite complicated but awesome lol.
Anyways, am I just being too neurotic about this? Just get one of the two gorgeous tangs and add him and let them figure it out and hope no ich happens?
Thanks

That Koi tang will most likely not work with your Yellow tang

If the white tail tang, is a bristle tooth it show be fine as long as your reef is large enough.

To be safe you need to do a full blown qt.

 

[GoVols]

Maine mocha clownfish x2
Blue reef chromis x5
Royal gramma x1
Orange spotted goby x1
Tailspot blenny x1

What do you guys think of this stock list?
My gph is 1370 for surface flow.
I have my heat at 79.5
Salinity 1.025
36 gallons
Heater 300w
36 pounds of rock
20 pounds of live sand
Uv sterilizer
Canister filter
White, green, and blue light

For a 36 gallon, those 5 chromis may wind up being to much of a bio-load issue.

 

[immaman2011]

For a 36 gallon, those 5 chromis may wind up being to much of a bio-load issue.

Even with live rock, live sand, skimmer, and 100g mechanical filtration? I am also doing proper water changes so that helps. And I also ditched the chromis. Instead I'm getting just 3 springeri damsels.

 

[GoVols]

Hello, I am getting a tank setup after being out of the hobby for about 15 years. I have a 81gallon tank on preorder, it is 3ftx2ftx22inches. I have a 26 gallon sump with a roller fleece, a 4 inch skimmer, a refugium section and 2 sicce 2.0's for return pumps. I haven't bought them yet, but I intend to get 2 gyre pumps for each short end of the tank and 2 6950 turbelles for the back wall. For lighting I have 2 radion XR15 pro's. I also have a AWC, ATO system and 2 auto feeders. I will be making a HNSA scape, not sure on exact details of that yet, but it will be hidey place heavy, most likely in an atoll shape. I will probably end up with some kind of tank controller, mostly for remote monitoring purposes.

I have 2 goals for this tank, one is for the tank to be completely hands off for 2 weeks at a time 2-3 times a year and not have any live stock suffer. I will be feeding frozen/live foods daily or whatever during 95% of the year, but I do not want my tank to hold me hostage in my home because I have to dangle food in front of a angler fish every day.
The second is more of a stretch goal, but, after tank has been up and running a year to get a mandarin goby and offer it a habitat it can thrive in.

This tank will have LPS corals (mainly euphylia) and zoanthids. I will also finally get a pulsing xenia on its own island.

I am posting here for some feedback on my planned stock list and any challenges it may present with meeting my goals for the tank.

2 obligatory fancy clowns
3-4 pajama cardinals
bristle tooth tang
dwarf angel, probably a coral beauty

1 algae blenny, short list is lawnmower, starry or mimic
1-2 firefish
(maybe a flame hawk fish, open to suggestions, as I feel my mid tank area could support more fish)

watchman or diamond goby
mandarin eventually
(maybe a clown goby? not sure how much individual sand space these guys need)

trochus and cerith snails
couple of scarlet and blue leg hermits, just because I like them
maybe one nasarrius snail

I have specifically avoided some fish, such as several types of wrasse out of concern they will compete with the mandarin too much for food. I will be culturing and dosing phyto, as well as a pod culture, thou, not sure how I am going to get the cultures to live through a 2 week absence. I may have to just shut the cultures down while I am gone.

I would greatly appreciate any feedback on this planned list. I have kept a marine tank for many years before, but all my livestock was things I harvested locally from the FL keys, so actually picking my tank inhabitants instead of finding them is a new experience for me.

Mandarin Fish Pair

Synchiropus splendidus-Biota’s captive-bred mandarins are incredibly beautiful in coloration and readily feed on prepared diets. Wild caught mandarins are poor aquarium inhabitants and an overwhelming number die in the aquarium trade each year even in ideal conditions. Since mandarins are a...

shop.thebiotagroup.com

Mandarin Fish

Synchiropus splendidus-Biota’s captive-bred mandarins are incredibly beautiful in coloration and readily feed on prepared diets. Wild caught mandarins are poor aquarium inhabitants and an overwhelming number die in the aquarium trade each year even in ideal conditions. Since mandarins are a...

shop.thebiotagroup.com

 

[reeftopia_]

Hello! I am very new to the hobby and haven't purchased my tank yet, I'm still in the research phase.
I will only be able to get a 20 gallon tank to begin with, so unfortunately i can't get a moorish idol or royal blue tang which are my dream fish! But I am thinking of getting a pair of clownfish, maybe a royal gramma and a blue yellowtail damsel. I have heard that the damsels can be aggressive, though and that's what I'm worried about. Should I forget about adding a damsel or is there a certain way/time to add them to the tank that may lessen the chance of them attacking my other fish?
Also, once the tank is fully cycled and ready, can i add an anemone, corals, and fish all on the same day or should I stagger it?
Thank you in advance for the advice!