Stocking a 65 gallon 36x18x24

[DarrenCar]

Stocking a tank with proper fish can be very intimidating for someone like myself just starting in the hobby. My tank will limit me as to what I can put in due to its smaller size and I know that some useful fish are off the table for me like tangs and angels. I do not want anything in the tank that I would need to remove later due to it outgrowing the tank. Ultimately in my research I have come to the conclusion that most fish should serve a purpose, a job so to speak. I am having trouble putting together a complete stocking plan for this tank. I will be using Dry rock and live sand to start and in the future when tank is established I would like to add some corals. I plan on having Mushrooms, leathers and zoanthids as my coral choices.
I would like to have a pair of Ocellaris clownfish for sure even though I believe they will serve no main function to the tank except for looks. That said I would like to know what would be a good mix of other fish that can provide me a service and co-exist. Rock grazer, algae eater, sand sifter etc... Peaceful and semi aggressive fish I assume should not be mixed so I am led to believe since the clownfish are listed as semi aggressive I should be looking to add like tempered fish. Is this correct?
If a fish is a Herbivore (Plant eater) does this mean it will graze on my rock like a tang will?
If a fish is a Omnivore (Plant and Meat eater) Will it also graze the rockwork as well as meaty food?
If a fish is a Carnivore (Meat eater) will it only eat prepared food that I provide?
Should I be looking to have a certain number of each group listed above or all the same?
I would like to know your opinions on what would be a good stock and with an explanation of what service the fish will provide.
Thank you all for your help and input.

 

[mattzang]

i personally don't have many "useful" fish. i didn't want to get any fish that i didn't like just because they did a job. just get a nice CUC for algae eating, sand bed cleaning, etc.

what kind of fish do you like? i wouldn't discount the dwarf or pygmy angels, you can get one of those, just beware they're not the most reef safe and can be aggressive.

i'd also check out wrasses, some don't do any job, but some do hunt pests which is nice and they look cool as an added bonus.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/all-about-reef-safe-wrasses-in-aquaria.259894/

that's an excellent read

 

[Mical]

As Matt mentioned a good clean up crew for keeping algae at bay, something like a longspine urchin works well.

 

[DarrenCar]

I think it may be best if I stay away from the pygmy angel although I do like them. I have read that they can be soft coral nippers and like you said aggressive. I like Damsel's but I have read they are very aggressive also.
My initial list I came up with consisted of,
2 Ocellaris Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 Tailspot Blenny
1 Harptail Blenny
1 Carpenters Flasher Wrasse

I am not sure if that would be over stocking or can I put more fish in than that?

 

[mattzang]

I think it may be best if I stay away from the pygmy angel although I do like them. I have read that they can be soft coral nippers and like you said aggressive. I like Damsel's but I have read they are very aggressive also.
My initial list I came up with consisted of,
2 Ocellaris Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 Tailspot Blenny
1 Harptail Blenny
1 Carpenters Flasher Wrasse

I am not sure if that would be over stocking or can I put more fish in than that?

that looks like a nice list, the two blennies might have issues, but once you get a fairly firm idea on a list i'd post in here so eatbreakfast can give you the ol signoff

overstocking seems to depend on how much filtration you have, how much water you change per week, oversized skimmer, tons of live rock, things like that. i had 9 fish in a 50 gallon, definitely overstocked, but everyone was fine and my nitrates were low. then i added a flame angel, nitrates are ok, but aggression has gone way up, so i think i done goofed. but i also have an oversized skimmer, lots of rock, lots of biofilter in the sump, refugium growing a ton of chaeto, carbon dosing, etc. i'd just add slow and see where you're at. if you're having trouble controlling nitrates i think you'd want to leave as is. if you have low nutrients then maybe you can add more, but eventually elbow room becomes an issue, which is where i have run into problems.

i'd also add there are some "nicer" damsels. the chrysiptera group is generally seen as non psycho fish. some you want to still avoid like the fiji blue devil, but others are quite nice community fish. i have a springers and she gets pushed around by pretty much everything in the tank. azures are also a really cool blue/yellow. not all groups should be totally avoided imo. dottybacks in general are a rough and tough group, but my orchid dottyback is pretty chill. the flame angel i added caused the orchid to hide for a few days, but now he's out and about. he just avoids big red lol

 

[DarrenCar]

Lets say I replaced the Harptail Blenny with a Starcki Damsel. Think that mix may work?

 

[mattzang]

Lets say I replaced the Harptail Blenny with a Starcki Damsel. Think that mix may work?

probably? i've never kept a starcki, they're kind of hard to find usually, but i think they're a tinge more aggressive and a bit larger than some of the others in their group. i'd think it'd be fine, but never know

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what’s-your-take-on-a-shoal-of-damsels.454787/

that's a good read to peruse on damsels

 

[DarrenCar]

My latest edit,
2 Ocellaris Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 Sailfin Blenny
1 Azure Damselfish
1 Carpenters Flasher Wrasse

 

[Kirschy17]

All of these fish besides the wrasse are considered “partly aggressive”

Clowns can get aggressive when mated, gramma and sailfin blenny get teretorial as they settle in and the blue damsels nickname is blue devil for a reason.

Im no expert but if you wannastick with the list keep in mind you want to keep fish of the same aggression potential.

So my suggestion would be to drop the damsel and get some sanddwelling goby.
Im a big fan of pygmy angels aswell.(with obvious concerns)

Someone help me out if the wrasse will end up bein harassed in that constilation.

 

[Kirschy17]

Btw my 65g mixedreef is currently stocked with a percula clown pair, a dwarf golden moray and a red mandarin

 

[DarrenCar]

So if I drop the damsel and go with a cherub with caution would that be ok?
Is there another angel you recommend for this tank size?

 

[Kirschy17]

I would say so yes! Theres the cherub, flameback and what i had(and my personal favorite) the yellowtail pygmy angel.

Those are the common ones that stay small. All are known to be somewhat aggressive but the other fish in your tank can certainly stand their ground. (Im still unsure about the wrasse, i dont know about them well enough)

 

[DarrenCar]

I am not fixed on that wrasse. Is there another reef safe wrasse that would be a better choice? The Carpenter is listed as peaceful.

 

[Jcr's Reef]

Pygmy angels are good grazers. I don't have any problem with mine. Could also do any dwarf angelfish (flameback, flame angel, potters angel, etc..)
6 line wrasse is a good cleaner. Mine so far has been a model citizen. I started with a small one, around 2".
Rainford Gobies are okay grazers and also omnivores. Mine do a little sand sifting and pick at the algae on the live rock. They also do good in groups as well.
Blennies are good grazers but nothing compared to a tang.
Firefish are cheap and just cool to look at. They do good in groups as well. Mine burrow in the sand at night.
Geometric hawk fish would do well in your setup as too. Shy at first but then perch out in the open.
Cardinal fish can be grouped as well.

I could go on and on.
Best way to stock a tank in my opinion is to find fish that will utilize all of the tank space. For instance, I have fish that stay on the bottom of the tank (I love my green striped gobies), then some that hide in the rockwork, some that use the middle of the tank, and some that stay in the upper part of the water column. I think this minimizes territory disputes between fish. My tank is very heavily loaded with fish and all are peaceful, except the pygmy angel and tail spot blenny chase each other back and forth every once in a while but no fighting.

 

[DarrenCar]

2 Ocellaris Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 Sailfin Blenny
1 Yellowtail Pygmy angel
1 Six line wrasse

If this mix works this gives me all fish that I would like to look at.

 

[nereefpat]

In general, six line wrasses are a bad idea for aggression reasons. They always make the list of things people wish they wouldn't have added.

I like your list in post #4. I agree that one of the smallest dwarf angels will be fine too.

 

[Kirschy17]

I am not fixed on that wrasse. Is there another reef safe wrasse that would be a better choice? The Carpenter is listed as peaceful.

Dont get me wrong. What i wanna say is, peacefull fish can get harassed by aggressive fish.

Got someones oppinion that has more experience with wrasses.

If theres no issue aggression wise the carpenters is a great choice.

 

[DarrenCar]

I am a huge fan of the body shape of the 6 line. A similar fish I see is the pink stripe wrasse.

 

[Kirschy17]

2 Ocellaris Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 Sailfin Blenny
1 Yellowtail Pygmy angel
1 Six line wrasse

If this mix works this gives me all fish that I would like to look at.

As stated below the sixline is certainly not gonna be bullied but rather could end up being the bully.

Sixlines are the damsels of wrasses.

 

[nereefpat]

I am a huge fan of the body shape of the 6 line. A similar fish I see is the pink stripe wrasse.

Pink "streak" wrasse is a great fish, although a little small and timid.

Avoid any of the "lined" wrasses (six line, four line, mystery wrasse)