Restocking thoughts on my 11 year old 150G

[nigeldcat]

Not a plan yet but beginning to flush out my thoughts on what I want. My 150G has been running for 11 years and over the last few years I lost some fish due to old age.

The remaining residents are a mated pair of Ocellaris Clowns, Eibli Angel, One Spot Foxface, Midas Blenny, and a Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. Live rock and various polyp colonies, leather corals, and more green mushrooms than I care to talk about. I also have a sand bed.

Because of the Hawaii fish ban, replacing my old and big Kole Tang and Big Longnose Butterfly is off the table. I usually kept only one of any fish family to keep aggression low, i.e. 1 tang, 1 butterfly, 1 goby, 1 blenny, 1 dwarf angel, 1 wrasse, etc.

This time around I am leaning toward stocking more smaller fish and potentially exploring different Genuses within a Family such as multiple small gobies or multiple wrasses. Never had more than five chromis that did not get reduced down, but contemplating trying 11 or 13 to see if more is better.

I had a small Canthigaster puffer a couple of tanks and many years ago and it was one of my favorites, so thinking of adding a Canthigaster solandri (Blue Spot). I know it is not reef safe, but willing to take this risk. Also want to add a Royal Gramma and a Rainford Goby.

You can see where this is going, instead of large tank for a few larger fish, now a large tank with more smaller fish, variety, and activity.

Thoughts, suggestions, and criticism please?

 

[blaxsun]

I find that six is a great starting number for chromis (and then you can build on that). Smaller colonies just seem to wither away over time for whatever reason.

I also like my anthias, damsels, dwarf angels and flame hawkfish. A mandarin dragonet is also a neat addition.

 

[reefsamurai]

First things first, I don't know you or your processes but let me recommend QTing any newcomers to the DT. Hopefully you do but, just Incase you don't I'm highly for this as you never want that new kid on the block to be patient zero in the retirement home.

The more the merrier with chromis. They are naturally a schooling fish so having few doesn't work well. They also seem to do better in tanks where they can hide amoungst corals.

The blue spot is only non reef safe when it concerns crustaceans and the like. I've never seen these fish eat coral. The only exception would be when you feed the tank and food lands on something with tentacles. It might go after it for the food.

What are the occellaris clowns hosting in, the leathers or the mushrooms? Consider their territory could be the entire aquarium after all these years. They can and will kill anyone who they perceive as a threat and small fish(even big ones) will be no match for them. I recommend an acclimation box to observe the new fish and the existing tenants behavior. This way if the clowns or anyone is a jerk, you can prevent some injuries or worse.

 

[Slocke]

A big group of Chalk Bass are something I've wanted to add but not done it yet.

 

[davidcalgary29]

How about a Genicanthus angel? The Japanese swallowtail is a gorgeous fish, and my Lamarck's angel is full of personality.

How about another butterflyfish? My spotband leaves the softies (xenia aside) alone, and cleaned up my vast, gently voracious fields of majanos.

 

[i cant think]

Not a plan yet but beginning to flush out my thoughts on what I want. My 150G has been running for 11 years and over the last few years I lost some fish due to old age.

The remaining residents are a mated pair of Ocellaris Clowns, Eibli Angel, One Spot Foxface, Midas Blenny, and a Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. Live rock and various polyp colonies, leather corals, and more green mushrooms than I care to talk about. I also have a sand bed.

Because of the Hawaii fish ban, replacing my old and big Kole Tang and Big Longnose Butterfly is off the table. I usually kept only one of any fish family to keep aggression low, i.e. 1 tang, 1 butterfly, 1 goby, 1 blenny, 1 dwarf angel, 1 wrasse, etc.

This time around I am leaning toward stocking more smaller fish and potentially exploring different Genuses within a Family such as multiple small gobies or multiple wrasses. Never had more than five chromis that did not get reduced down, but contemplating trying 11 or 13 to see if more is better.

I had a small Canthigaster puffer a couple of tanks and many years ago and it was one of my favorites, so thinking of adding a Canthigaster solandri (Blue Spot). I know it is not reef safe, but willing to take this risk. Also want to add a Royal Gramma and a Rainford Goby.

You can see where this is going, instead of large tank for a few larger fish, now a large tank with more smaller fish, variety, and activity.

Thoughts, suggestions, and criticism please?

You can still get a Forcipiger longirostris, they aren’t Hawaiian endemic. You can also go for a Forcipiger flavissimus as these aren’t Hawaiian endemic either.

As for wrasses it’s easiest if you get a list out of these genera then we can go through it in terms of what will cohabitate well. The genera I recommend going with are;
Cirrhilabrus (An all time favourite of mine from this genus is C. naokoae)

Paracheilinus (My favourite from this genus is Para. attenuatus, closely followed by P. cyaneus)
Halichoeres (My favourite in this genus is H. iridis)

Macropharyngodon (My favourite from this genus is M. negrosensis)
Anampses (My favourite in this genus is A. neoguinaicus)
Pseudojuloides (My favourite in this genus is P’juloides. atavai)
Xenojulis

 

[Zionas]

Hey there how old are your current remaining fish? I wonder how big’s the Foxface. And how old is the Blenny?

Many people mix different genera of wrasses in a tank, smaller Halichoeres are generally good adds. If you are OK with more challenging fish, Leopard Wrasses make good additions too. I think another butterfly would be a nice addition. Copperbands aren’t easy but are a common choice. If it were me I’d probably add a Roaps subgenus butterfly, Burgessi and Mitratus are more affordable compared to Tinkeri (if you can still get them), Declivis and the super rare Flavocoronatus.

Don’t see Royal Gramma and the Goby as trouble.

Hawkfish are good too. And some damsels are nice adds too, usually the Chrysiptera genus. Have you considered pairing your Eibli?