Stocking list for 100 gallon mixed reef

TheReaperOfMars · Sep 22, 2019

Looking for some suggestions for stocking my 100 gallon mixed reef. Before the tang police go crazy, I am willing and able to upgrade the tank or rehome fish that outgrow the tank.

My planned stocking list is as follows:

-2 snowflake clowns (already have them)
-1 mandarin goby (already have)

-1 hippo tang
-1 yellow tang
-1 additional tang, possibly yellow eye kole or tomini. If I can find a very small naso I may take a flyer on that and rehome it when it gets big.

-4-5 Bartlett's Anthias (I will set up an auto feeder to feed them several times per day)

-A few wrasse. Looking for suggestions. I don't know a ton about wrasse. Looking for maximum color, but I need them to be unlikely to bother an emerald crab or the snails I have. I really liked the radiant wrasse, clown fairy wrasse, and christmas wrasses I saw the other day.

-1 Copperband Butterfly (or some other butterfly that hopefully won't bother corals too much)

-Any other suggestions for colorful fish that are active.

Thanks for your help!

Jesterrace · Sep 22, 2019

Planning for a rehome when it gets too big rarely pans out well in the long run. For that reason I would skip the Blue Hippo and Naso. The Yellow Tang should be okay but they can turn bully at around the 4-5 inch mark. The Kole or Tomini should be good. The Wrasses you are looking at would be great although the clown fairy wrasse aka Red Head Salon Fairy Wrasse IMHO tends to be a bit aggressive. I would look at trading it out for a Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse. The Radiant is gorgeous but can be somewhat difficult to acclimate so I would only get one that has been at your LFS for a while and is active and eating. Christmas is a wonderful choice IF you are getting H.Claudia variety. Christmas Wrasse name can apply to several types of wrasse and one of them is fairly nasty for temperament. H.Claudia is a good choice though, so verify the latin name instead of the common name and you should be good.

Copperbands can be delicate so like the Radiant you want to pick one that is active and eating before bringing it home. It's still a bit of a gamble with corals. The Pyramid Butterflyfish is the safest of the bunch with Corals and the Longnose Yellow is fairly well behaved with them as well.

Sashaka · Sep 22, 2019

As long as you know you'll need to rehome or upgrade, the three tangs you're interested in may live peacefully together...or not. Best chance that they'll get along while young is to introduce them at the same time and get them small. I agree. Pass on the Naso. The blue will get large too; you might want to rethink it and get the tomini instead. These fish are HARD to catch later once in the MD.

The CB butterfly can be difficult to get to eat, but if you can find a large one that is eating, buy it. The hope is that if it is the largest fish in the tank and added first, it won't stress as much if you have bossy fish such as a pushy tang. They don't do well when picked on by another fish.

Info on mixing wrasses: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/all-about-reef-safe-wrasses-in-aquaria.28/

My favorite wrasses are ones that play nice with each other. Halichoeres are usually a good bet, though all fish have unique personalities. I like the melenarus - usually hardy and well behaved. I also like the Tricolor Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lubbocki), the Exquisite Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus exquistus), and the ruby head. I mix a few sand dwellers and a few rock dwellers to maximize real estate. I've never had any trouble with leopards, but I've heard some can be bullies. Other's here can probably offer other reef safe wrasses they've had success mixing. Good luck with the new tank!

TheReaperOfMars · Sep 22, 2019

I should address the "rehoming" situation for the tangs in question. Rehoming isn't the plan, upgrading the tank is the plan. I will be moving out of my current house into a much bigger one in around 12 months, 24 at max, so as long as these fish can be happy for 24 months, I'll bring in another big tank. The rehoming is just a fallback plan, and I know my LFS would gladly take in a large tang for store credit.

As for catching fish from the tank, I am actually designing my rock work in a way to allow me to install an elaborate system that will make catch and dividing fish very easy.

About the wrasse though. My main concern is picking some that will leave the crab and snails alone. I've heard many of them will absolutely kill any inverts they find, which is a nonstarter for me.

Reesj · Sep 22, 2019

On wrasse front if you can find go for a red Ruby fairy wrasse.

I have one and its got great colours. Easy to feed, care for and gets along with all and no jump issues.

Jesterrace · Sep 22, 2019

Here is the Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse BTW:

TheReaperOfMars · Sep 22, 2019

So I'm still set on my tang list, and if there are problems I will reassess.

However, the amazing link @Jesterrace provided really helped me narrow down what I want to do as far as wrasse are concerned. I will need to be cautious and observant, but I am thinking I want a Christmas Wrasse, Radiant Wrasse, Exquisite Fairy Wrasse from Vanuatu, and then down the road once I am confident in my wrasse keeping, a Rhomboid Wrasse.

Am I overdoing it with 4 wrasse, or is that an acceptable number in a 100 gallon?