Stocking for a 30 gallon with 20 gallon refugium Soft Corals/Macroalgae

[jt8791]

Looking for some feedback on stocking my 30 gallon tank with a planned 20 gallon high refugium display next to it. Planning on Green Star Polyps and Red Pom Pom Xenia for the 30 and chaetomorpha and red graciliara for the 20. Big question is how heavy of a bioload will I need in the 30 to sustain everything in both tanks? Would like to attempt to breed copepods, brine and maybe mysis shrimp in the 20 if it's possible. GSP on the rocks, xenia on the back glass and chaeto floating and red graciliara in the live rocks.

So far this is what I had for ideas on stocking for the 30, kids are determined to get a clownfish pair again so trying to base the stocking around them.

2 Ocellaris Clownfish
1 Orchid Dottyback
1 Bicolor Blenny
1 Yellow Watchman Goby/Pistol Shrimp
If above isn't overstocked, maybe a six line wrasse, but think I'll want live brine in the system so it doesn't eat tankmates.
Tuxedo Urchin
2 Peppermint Shrimp
Maybe a cleaner shrimp?
Pretty heavy on snails but probably no turbos
Unsure if I will do hermit crabs again, kinda thinking on skipping them to keep a nice clean sand bed.

Think that would do it on stocking, especially if I keep the 60lb of fiji pink sand, thinking I should move some of that over to the 20 when I set it up. Haven't put any live rock in the 30 yet, just started it with live rock and sand friday. I tend to go overboard on the live rock too. Thinking on the 30 for the bottom row, stamped reef rocks, if I can still find them locally, I've seen quite a few recently, and possibly a variety of man made for the top row, just one small row in the 20. Have to fight to urge to build a whole rock wall full of caves, it's how my first 20 ended up. Worked but took a bit much water volume, although it kept the six line wrasse happy, which I'm half tempted to try again. Swear that fish has a personality, most active fish in my last tank I know that much.

Planning on Finnex planted plus for the 20 and probably a fluval marine 3.0 for the 30, not sure if the fluval plant 3.0 is better for macro than the planted plus. Having control of the different color shades may be handy.

Have another post, I put it in the hardware forum but think I should have put it as a build thread, I'm new here and still figuring the site out. Been skimming through a bunch of threads to see what new information I may learn.

 

[jt8791]

Hmm, I can’t seem to get Bangai cardinals out of my head, hard to say how well this stocking will go not having any experience with them.

2 ocellaris clownfish
2 Bangai cardinals
1 orchid dottyback
1 bicolor blenny
1 yellow watchman goby

I’m thinking it’s gonna be way overstocked, but I think I may have to overstock the display to some extent to sustain soft corals and macros

If anyone else has any other suggestions I would appreciate it, kids are dead set on the clownfish, I want to give the bangai cardinals a shot but not the end of the world if it won’t work.

 

[hawk82]

Hey, you posted on my thread about my 40 breeder with low nitrates. Seems like your build is going to be similarly to mine. Banggai cardinals are great for this size tank I think. Mine has been awesome, it did take him some time to eat though, and he hates flakes. Only thing he will eat is frozen brine. You other fish look good, except the dottyback, I heard they can be mean, maybe want to go with a Royal Gramma like I did. He likes to hang out in his little cave, and peak out at everything going on. He still comes out and about alot too, awesome fish. I only have 4 fish in my 40, and I think i am understocked. soft corals and macros do good, but I cant run my skimmer, it sucks out too much. Maybe I could help you if you had any questions, my tank is only a year old, but Ive learned alot, and fish and corals are growing.

 

[jt8791]

Ya came across the orchid dottyback and the bicolor blenny as suggestions on another post somewhere about fish that can handle clownfish after they reach maturity. Probably have to factor the bangais as well, hard to say if two pairs will start breeding and take over the tank.

Seems hit or miss from what I have read if the royal gramma will handle later aggression. May just have to try a six line wrasse again, not sure if there will be enough territory for 6 line bicolor blenny and yellow watchman goby though.

But also have to figure out where that sweet spot is between too understocked to sustain corals/macro and overstocked, which I think 6 or 7 would be pushing it.

 

[jt8791]

Unless I give up on breeding copepods, brine and or mysis in the 20 and put something small to help the bioload. Seems a bit counterproductive but may have to go that route. Not even sure if breeding live food in the 20 will work. To be honest tho there won’t be much swimming room once the chaeto grows in.

 

[jt8791]

Suppose I could also consider a lawnmower blenny over a bicolor, seems fitting since I want gsp to spread over all the rocks but think i would have to change up the stocking.

Trying to get an idea of what options I have for tank mates, the more I think of it the more I like the idea of two pairs of clownfish and Bangai cardinals. Just have to figure out which fish to put with them to balance out the tank. Had originally planned the other 30 for Bangai but decided to stop at a 30 and 20. My water is taking the place where the other 30 would go anyway

 

[jt8791]

Any thoughts or feedback if I should stick with the 2lbs per gallon for live sand or try to cut that down to 1.5. Betting by the time I put live rocks close to the glass that sand bed will be around 3” deep maybe a hair more. Only thing that I was thinking of stocking that would like a deeper sand bed are the ywg, pistol shrimp and some of the snails. Not sure if the deeper sand will benefit the micro fauna in the tank and copepods, mysis or brine.

These tanks can be so complicated but I think that’s what makes them so interesting. Always something new to learn with this hobby.

 

[hawk82]

Hmmm, not sure about the sand. I just used a 40 pound bag in mine, Its deep enough for the wrasse to sleep in at night.

 

[jt8791]

Think I came up with a simpler option, may be a good use for the deeper sand bed, to be honest I kinda like it. This is just for the 30, no fish in the 20, think it would be counter productive.

2 ocellaris clownfish
2 Bangai cardinals
1 lawnmower blenny
1 tiger watchman goby
1 tiger pistol shrimp
Basic cuc, mostly small snails
Tuxedo urchin

Have yet to see a twg locally but I have seen tps a few times. That would make the blenny an goby equal size.

Think this would still be overstocked due to the 2 5” fish but hopefully someone else will chime in with their suggestions.

I have a bad feeling I’ll end up having to separate the clowns and cardinals eventually

 

[fish farmer]

That seems like a high fish load, but I like to consider space for things to grow and feel comfortable. I have a 29 gallon for comparison and have a pair or grown perc clowns and a sixline wrasse. I feel I could put another smallish fish in there. It used to be the pair of clowns and a grown royal gramma. Once you start putting rock, sand and corals into a 30 it can fill up quick. I think the lawnmower blenny would be too big for that tank over time.

 

[jt8791]

After doing a bit of research I think I should just focus on copepod population growth. Seems hit or miss if anything else would work

 

[jt8791]

Yeah the 60lb of Fiji pink takes up a bit of water volume, just shy of 25 gallons water volume so I should take some out considering I don’t even have live rocks yet.

Yeah think it would be too much for the two pairs, nevermind the blenny and goby. I’ll start looking into other options, maybe skip on cardinals. Got a good feeling the clownfish would eventually take over the tank.

Any recommendations for tank mates for a pair of clownfish?
Could go for a smaller blenny like a bicolor and could always go for a ywg and pistol shrimp combo. Trying to get a good balance to the tank and a bit of color variety.

Thinking sticking to captive bred may be a good bet only being my second sw tank and first reef but shouldn’t be too hard to sustain copepods in the 20 fuge I wouldn’t think.

This site is awesome btw

 

[jt8791]

When I was initially basing the stocking around the clowns I saw a few suggestions for orchid dottyback and bicolor blenny for tank mates but I’ve heard a debate people saying the orchid is too aggressive.

I had a ywg goby with my last clownfish pair but only had the tank 6 months, they left each other alone but the six line and ywg did have occasional territory disputes.

My kids love clownfish so the best long term environment for them is what I’m shooting for but with a bit of biodiversity more towards balance than color. Will get plenty of color from corals.

Thinking gsp on the rocks, Xenia on the glass but I’m not quite so sure how feasible that is. Might make aquascaping challenging. If I had to choose one I think I would just go with gsp.

 

[jt8791]

Also think I’ll stick with just chaeto in the 20. Hard to find information on tank mates for mature ocellaris. They get along with everything till they grow up from what I read. Suppose I could try a smaller blenny and goby but I’m trying to avoid problems down so figure I should just plan ahead to expect the aggression. Think you guys know what I mean, thinking 4 fish will be the safer bet, especially if Ywg and bicolor blenny do get to 4”.

 

[jt8791]

Thinking I'll go with the ocellaris pair, bicolor blenny and yellow watchman goby, so far I've heard one person say it should work over on nano reef, seems to be the only possible working stocking list I've come up with so far.

Will pick up some live rocks and buckets on friday at petco. Thinking of going with a variety of different rocks. brand, man made and reef rocks.

 

[jt8791]

Hmm may actually go for the Caribsea life rock 40# suppose I could get higher quality but that should be plenty for this tank and under $200. My budget wants to say yes. but realistically is there a huge quality difference between this and other rocks? Looking for functionality over looks anyways, won’t see it it once the gsp covers it

 

[hawk82]

Caribsea life rock is good, Ive got a mix of it in with gulf live rock.

 

[jt8791]

Caribsea life rock is good, Ive got a mix of it in with gulf live rock.

Okay I’ll give it a shot, can’t beat the pricing on it. Would easily spend 200-400 buying them individually at petco out of the tanks.

 

[Andreas' Reef]

3-4 pj cardinals!

 

[jt8791]

Picking up a hydor ac wave controller off another forum member and will slowly figure out which wave pumps to go with, thinking I’ll at least get into the evolution series depending on how i setup the controller.

Also if it will work, I’m thinking ai prime 16hd lights for Dt and fuge, but would rather not buy 2 for the display tank. Debating on if I should keep live rock in the middle 2’ of the tank or put the light higher. Probably should invest in a par meter as well