Stocking Advice - Mixed Reef 425XL

[MrMreef]

Hey guys n gals!

It was a sucky week with my first loss due to my black ray goby hitting the net cover, but I’d love some input on my next stocking step.

The tank’s been up 6 months and I’ve got a fair bit of coralline going and running Zeovit with a Refugium for pods so I’m struggling to keep nutrients up. Had an ostreopsis dino outbreak that I got under control a month ago.

Current inhabitants:
- Purple Tang
- 2x snowflake clowns
- 5x Threadfin Cardinals
- McCosker’s Wrasse
- Canary Wrasse
- Lawnmower blenny

Inverts
- 2x boxer crabs
- 1x porcelain anemone crab
- 2x emerald crabs
- 2x skunk cleaner shrimp
- 2x strawberry conch
- 1x Alpheus bellula pistol shrimp
- 5x money cowries
- 7x hermits
- 6x Troch snails
- 6x Nassarius

I’d like to add the following:
- a Randall partner goby to replace my poor departed black ray (which are not available anywhere here)
- a flame dwarf angel (or pair)
- a pair of mandarins

I’ve thought about:
- a magnificent foxface
- a small group of torpedo gobies
- a trio of schooling bannerfish (too big probably)

Any suggestions or thoughts?

 

[PeterC99]

Foxface is a definite yes. Great community fish. Also recommend a copperband. Beautiful fish that keeps aiptasia at bay. Both are in my RSR 425 XL.

 

[i cant think]

Hey guys n gals!

It was a sucky week with my first loss due to my black ray goby hitting the net cover, but I’d love some input on my next stocking step.

The tank’s been up 6 months and I’ve got a fair bit of coralline going and running Zeovit with a Refugium for pods so I’m struggling to keep nutrients up. Had an ostreopsis dino outbreak that I got under control a month ago.

Current inhabitants:
- Purple Tang
- 2x snowflake clowns
- 5x Threadfin Cardinals
- McCosker’s Wrasse
- Canary Wrasse
- Lawnmower blenny

Inverts
- 2x boxer crabs
- 1x porcelain anemone crab
- 2x emerald crabs
- 2x skunk cleaner shrimp
- 2x strawberry conch
- 1x Alpheus bellula pistol shrimp
- 5x money cowries
- 7x hermits
- 6x Troch snails
- 6x Nassarius

I’d like to add the following:
- a Randall partner goby to replace my poor departed black ray (which are not available anywhere here)
- a flame dwarf angel (or pair)
- a pair of mandarins

I’ve thought about:
- a magnificent foxface
- a small group of torpedo gobies
- a trio of schooling bannerfish (too big probably)

Any suggestions or thoughts?

Foxface is for sure a yes, I wouldn’t really recommend a CBB with an established PT in the tank (Which in my honest opinion, will get rather big for a 4’x2’x2’ tank). Torpedo gobies (Technically these fish aren’t gobies due to researchers not defining the taxonomic status of this grouping within that family and are often found as dartfish). should be alright if introduced simultaneously AND with the foxface.

 

[MrMreef]

Thanks for the thoughts guys - OK so a fox face is definitely on my list!

 

[i cant think]

Foxface is for sure a yes, I wouldn’t really recommend a CBB with an established PT in the tank (Which in my honest opinion, will get rather big for a 4’x2’x2’ tank). Torpedo gobies (Technically these fish aren’t gobies due to researchers not defining the taxonomic status of this grouping within that family and are often found as dartfish). should be alright if introduced simultaneously AND with the foxface.

Here’s a photo of my mag (2 years now I have owned him). Don’t panic if yours goes up to the surface and breathes from the surface, that is normal for any fish in the family Siganidae. And yes Siganids are a relative of the Acanthurus family.