Order of adding fish to new tank (after cycle)

[ajtomase]

I’m getting Red Sea Reefer 750 (200 gallon) tank in 2 weeks. After my tank is done with Dr. Tim’s fish-less cycle, I’m not sure if this is the right order to add the fish that I want:

• Right after tank finishes fish-less cycle
  • Clownfish (2)
• After 2-weeks with just clownfish (each species added every 1-2 weeks)
  • Banggai Cardinalfish (1 or 3)
  • Firefish
• Following fishes after ugly stage begins (each fish added every 1-2 weeks)
  • Lawnmower blenny
  • Whitetail bristletooth tang
  • One spot fox face
  • Copepods and phytoplankton
• 2 months after adding pods (each species added every 1-2 weeks)
  • Salon fairy wrasse
  • Mandarin
  • Lyretail anthias (2 female, 1 male)
  • Royal gramma

Couple of my concerns beyond the order of the fish added:

1. I was also debating between having some type of shrimp (cleaner or blood fire red), or having some type of hawkfish. Thoughts?
2. Not sure whether to get 1 or 3 banggais...thoughts?
3. Can anyone tell me if whitetail bristletooth tang is maroon color? Was thinking of tomini tang, but looking for a maroon colored tang
4. Should I be adding phytoplankton and copepods right after the tank cycles, or wait until the the ugly stage begins?

 

[Reefer5640]

I would say add pods after tank is cycled before anything else and keep adding them if you plan to keep a dragonet. And have a place for them to breed like fuge or something. I’d add the fire fish first. I’d also consider a different blenny. Lawn mowers need a lot of algae to graze on and typically starve. The rest of the list order looks good. Most of the fish won’t matter too much. You’ve got a good order established. I like trios vs single when it comes to cardinals. The white tail is like reddish brown/maroon.

 

[ajtomase]

I would say add pods after tank is cycled before anything else and keep adding them if you plan to keep a dragonet. And have a place for them to breed like fuge or something. I’d add the fire fish first. I’d also consider a different blenny. Lawn mowers need a lot of algae to graze on and typically starve. The rest of the list order looks good. Most of the fish won’t matter too much. You’ve got a good order established. I like trios vs single when it comes to cardinals. The white tail is like reddish brown/maroon.

Thanks. Was planning on starting pods in the tank and once i have a handle on nitrates and phosphates I’ll start up my refugium.

for the fire adding first, i can do that after the clownfish, and the cardinals after? I think the most aggressive fish would be the basslet because i think the bristletooths aren’t as bad as most tangs.

for the blennies, is it something i can add later on once my tank has been up for a year, or wait to see if my CUC and tang and foxface keep up and won’t need a lawnmower blenny?

for the tang, if i can find a yellow eye kole tang is that more on the red side or is the white tail show more of that maroon? Thought about adding a tomini as well, not sure if that’s too many tangs for my size tank. Looked into other tangs but heard the bristletooths are better grazers.

 

[Mr Cypher]

I would introduce the foxface before the tang IMO my fox is not aggressive at all as opposed to my tangs

 

[Reefer5640]

Thanks. Was planning on starting pods in the tank and once i have a handle on nitrates and phosphates I’ll start up my refugium.

for the fire adding first, i can do that after the clownfish, and the cardinals after? I think the most aggressive fish would be the basslet because i think the bristletooths aren’t as bad as most tangs.

for the blennies, is it something i can add later on once my tank has been up for a year, or wait to see if my CUC and tang and foxface keep up and won’t need a lawnmower blenny?

for the tang, if i can find a yellow eye kole tang is that more on the red side or is the white tail show more of that maroon? Thought about adding a tomini as well, not sure if that’s too many tangs for my size tank. Looked into other tangs but heard the bristletooths are better grazers.

In my experience fire fish are the most timid fish from your list and have the hardest time establishing a territory. I’d do those first but that’s just my opinion. Clowns and cardinals (especially in a trio) don’t have as hard of time establishing themselves. I will say make sure you’ve got a screen top or some kind of cover if you’re going to keep fire fish. I agree with @Mr Cypher about putting the fox face before the tang. You can definitely add a blenny later down the road if your clean up crew and other utility fish can’t keep up. As far as the tangs go, I’d say the white tail is the most red/maroon of the three you mentioned. I like the yellow eye Kole tang the most but they are all cool. With a 200 Gal tank you could put a few tangs no problem on top of all the fish you listed as long as you’ve got the filtration to handle the bio load. I’ve had all kinds of tangs and I’d say bristle tooth and zerbrasoma both do a good job of grazing. Acanthurus do good too but they are a lot harder to keep.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

+1 actual surgeon fish are harder to keep than just regular tangs.

Id add the clowns last. 200g display? What kind of filtration? You can add several of those fish together. I do like how ur spreading it all out im just saying.
Lol.

I like odd numbers. U could 5 or 7 cardinals in a 200g display.
Id start with the cardinals. Than the firefish.

Add pods. Mud. Whatever ur heart desires. Add a pod house or farm. Just a cube. Like a synthetic piece of live rock for the pods. Lol

Wait for "uglies" as ppl are putting it and these days and add your herbivors.

Add clean up crew

Lastly id add that royal grammar or strawberry pseudo. And finally when ur tanks established and running for prob a yr and 1/4 like 1st quarter of the yr u could try and start the school of anthias. Anthias are tricky imo.
D