Stalking ideas for 75 gallon reef tank

[beang2299]

So I have a 75 gallon tank with the fluval fx4 canister. I don't have lights yet but I will soon. Not sure what sand to do or rocks but working on figuring that out. The fish that I am think are 4 clowns (naked, maroon, full black and white and normal). Will they be fine all being different kinds? I also want some chalk bass, blue green chromis, I kinda want a tang but I don't really wanna pay for how expensive they are and maybe a foxface. I have no idea what to do for a clean up crew so some help that way would be awesome. I also what to do some really easy anemones and corals but I don't know which ones. Any ideas for fish and corals would be awesome!

 

[Soren]

So I have a 75 gallon tank with the fluval fx4 canister. I don't have lights yet but I will soon. Not sure what sand to do or rocks but working on figuring that out. The fish that I am think are 4 clowns (naked, maroon, full black and white and normal). Will they be fine all being different kinds? I also want some chalk bass, blue green chromis, I kinda want a tang but I don't really wanna pay for how expensive they are and maybe a foxface. I have no idea what to do for a clean up crew so some help that way would be awesome. I also what to do some really easy anemones and corals but I don't know which ones. Any ideas for fish and corals would be awesome!

Based on my research after starting with a 75-gallon FOWLR, here are a few recommendations (note my relative lack of personal experience, just research I consider relevant):

It does not seem recommendable to try for 4 clowns in a 75-gallon, especially 4 different types (though same species but different coloration is less of an issue, I think). I've heard maroon clowns (Premnas biaculeatus) can be quite aggressive and you would probably only be able to keep one or a pair without any other clowns. The others might work together, but ocellaris clownfish (Amhiprion ocellaris) seem to do better with a single pair in a tank the size of yours.

Chalk bass and blue-green chromis seem to be suitable choices for a 75g. You may have trouble keeping more than one chromis, though, since they seem to often fight in "small" tanks (125-gallon or smaller) until all but 1 die. Sometimes a group works out, but it seems more the exception than the rule...

If you do chose a tang, I recommend a smaller Ctenochaetus tang, such as the Kole (Ctenochaetus strigosus) or Tomini (Ctenochaetus tominiensis) tang. They stay small enough to do reasonably well in a 75g. Some consider a yellow tang acceptable in a 75g, but they also can be problematic in that tank size if they become stressed or aggressive. I don't recommend any tangs that reach over 6" in length for a 75g and would not recommend a re-homing plan though it is possible if you are careful. My personal preference is to only buy fish that can live in the size of tank I have available for their entire growth span.
The same is true for foxface rabbitfish. All but the one-spot foxface (Siganus unimaculatus) get too large for a 75g and are typically fast growers that often reach near maximum listed length. Even the one-spot foxface may be considered too large for a 75g when fully-grown.

Good clean-up crew may include snails such as trochus, astrea, cerith, nassarius, etc. as well as crabs such as dwarf blue-legged hermit crabs or emerald mithrax crabs. You can also look into urchins if you want to consider them.

Corals are too broad to give much recommendation, so you need to research what you are interested in and ask more specific questions as you research more. The same can apply for fish and clean-up crew as well.

 

[\m/reefsnmetal\m/]

It can be a bit of a gamble with mixing clown breeds. Sometimes it works out and sometime it doesn't. A foxface would be a great fish; there are also gobies, blennies, and wrasses that exhibit unique traits and behaviors. 75g could be an issue when it comes to tangs depending on the size and breed of the fish; other factors would be your rock scape and how densely you stock your tank with fish. If you really want a tang, do some research into the breeds to see what would be compatible with your setup. I would suggest waiting on corals and anenomes for a few months until your tank has had time to establish the natural microscopic life necessary to support them. I'm guilty of putting corals and anenomes in a tank that was too young and they died.

 

[aws2266]

I always suggest the Starks Damsel. A beautiful fish that does well in a reef tank and really isn't aggressive. Not like other damsels. I have a 55g with 3 green chromis, black and white clownfish, lawnmower blenny, watchman goby, Starcks damsel and a few different inverts. Everyone gets along fine.