Stocking my 125 gallon tall tank. Calm fish.

[Daniel Doherty]

Please see my full tank thread. This is paste and copied from it but I haven’t gotten any responses. My tank measures 120cm, by 50cm, by 80cm high. I’d love some responses for the drain issue above, but for now, I’ll discuss stocking.
I’m a big big fan of keeping fish in numbers. E.g pairs or trios, as you get more natural behaviour out of them, and I hate the thought of fish going around my tank their whole life without a mate! Despite my tank being 125 gallons, it is still only 4ft long, so I’m also not mad about having big fish which swim in lateral space (e.g tangs)

Current stocking (in 60 gallon cube but will be transferred over once 125 is set up)
- ocellaris clownfish pair
- Pygmy pink streak wrasse
- wheelers goby & pistol shrimp pair
- bangai cardinal pair
- lawnmower blenny
- red fire shrimp
- coral banded shrimp

A local hobbyist is moving abroad, and is giving me his copperband and yellow clown goby in a month. I’m delighted with this, as a copperband butterfly fish is my holy grail fish, and long term the plan will be to establish a pair in my tank. The CBB is fat and is eating frozen food, so shouldn’t be any issues adding him to a tank where half of the rock won’t be established. On my concrete wish list are;
- a pair or trio of royal grammas
- a pair of long nose hawk fish
- a pair of mandarins (in 1.5 years time, unless they’re on frozen food)
After that then, I’d like some wrasse, of which I don’t know a whole pile about but am thinking of:
- a pair of cleaner wrasse
- a timor or yellowtail wrasse
- Melanrus pair?
Again, I’d love some input on the wrasses. What do ye recommend?

I’d love a schooling fish. I kept freshwater for years and kept mainly big big schools of tetras. Anthias probably get too big? I’d like to keep a big school of something small as it looks more natural. What about a group of say 17 blue green chromis? I don’t like the reports of them picking each other off though…
Please let me know your experiences of keeping blue eye cardinals or blue streak cardinals in schools, or any other options ye think would be viable.

This brings me along to my next problem, I need some utilitarian fish. I’m not mad about tangs, as I don’t think 4ft lateral swimming space is enough, but maybe I could add a small powder blue and kole tang?
All the same, I don’t think they’d be great in terms of the long term success of a copperband pair. I need something to chow through algae, as maintenance would be hard on an 80cm tank if it were to get out of control…
What have people experienced with green sail fin mollies? Im thinking of buying a group of 5 and acclimatising them over a month or two to full salt water. This way I wouldn’t need a tang. I’ve looked at fox faces but have heard once they get big they’ll pick at coral… could saltwater mollies keep everything in check?

Then onto my sand bed. How would some sort of sand sifting goby fair with my shrimp and goby pair? Would they get on?

Once again, any sort of input at all is welcome. Thanks!

 

[smitten with ocean life]

#reefsquad

 

[tbrown]

I'd say no on the Cleaner(s) and probably no on the Melanurus pair - get a single.

 

[tbrown]

After that then, I’d like some wrasse, of which I don’t know a whole pile about but am thinking of:
- a pair of cleaner wrasse
- a timor or yellowtail wrasse
- Melanrus pair?
Again, I’d love some input on the wrasses. What do ye recommend?

@Slocke @i cant think

 

[tbrown]

I’d love a schooling fish. I kept freshwater for years and kept mainly big big schools of tetras. Anthias probably get too big? I’d like to keep a big school of something small as it looks more natural. What about a group of say 17 blue green chromis? I don’t like the reports of them picking each other off though…
Please let me know your experiences of keeping blue eye cardinals or blue streak cardinals in schools, or any other options ye think would be viable.

Maybe consider Firefish?

 

[exnisstech]

Can't really comment on pairs other than to say pairing in our tanks can create more unnatural behavior than mimic natural behaviour seen in the ocean. I seriously doubt two cleaner wrasses will work.
As far as two CBBs the thread below may be useful if you haven't seen it already. It's how I determined I had a female and later added a male.

My pair

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/s...on-rostratus-the-copperband-butterfly.830246/

 

[NyReefer]

I'd suggest a trio of Anthias and a small tang.

 

[Slocke]

After that then, I’d like some wrasse, of which I don’t know a whole pile about but am thinking of:
- a pair of cleaner wrasse
- a timor or yellowtail wrasse
- Melanrus pair?
Again, I’d love some input on the wrasses. What do ye recommend?

Yeah, don't pair wrasses. Cleaner wrasse don't do well in captivity and if they do they are often aggressive.
Timor and melanurus are two of the more aggressive Halichoeres, I suggest only one or replace with a yellow, radiant, biocellatus. If you go with the less aggressive species you could get a few (but stick to different species).

Yellowtail tamarin? They are difficult, not for a wrasse beginner.


I would consider:
Some fairy wrasse
Some flasher wrasse
Some Halichoeres wrasse

Don't mix species but rather get a variety.

I’d love a schooling fish. I kept freshwater for years and kept mainly big big schools of tetras. Anthias probably get too big? I’d like to keep a big school of something small as it looks more natural. What about a group of say 17 blue green chromis? I don’t like the reports of them picking each other off though…
Please let me know your experiences of keeping blue eye cardinals or blue streak cardinals in schools, or any other options ye think would be viable.

There's not really any true schooling in saltwater fish that fit in a tank. Schooling fish in the ocean require tons of space. The fish we keep don't do that. Groups of fish may live near each other and even move in groups but its not really a school. Your best bet IMO is a group of flasher and fairy wrasse. Or you could try chalk bass.

Personally I think saltwater fish don't do well in groups though. Variety seems to work better

 

[Daniel Doherty]

wow guys great advice please if ye have time have a look at my build thread for this tank... I have more questions on the tank there.

 

[Daniel Doherty]

I'd say no on the Cleaner(s) and probably no on the Melanurus pair - get a single.

ah okay. Sorry it's just my reefer friend who lives locally is obsessed with this same concept. He's been keeping a pair of cleaner wrasse with no issue for two years. While diving in Thailand I also only ever saw them in pairs...
I've never seen a melanrus wrasse while diving, but my friend also has a pair of them going well. To give credit to the man, he also seems to be a bit of a wizard with fish. He also has a trio of purple tangs that follow each other around, all in a 4ft tank!
I'll keep your advice in mind though, thank you. whether it be a pair or a singular specimen, I plan not too add cleaner wrasse until the tank is well established anyways.

 

[Daniel Doherty]

Maybe consider Firefish?

Yes I am considering these strongly. They look really nice. How many would you get?

 

[Daniel Doherty]

Can't really comment on pairs other than to say pairing in our tanks can create more unnatural behavior than mimic natural behaviour seen in the ocean. I seriously doubt two cleaner wrasses will work.
As far as two CBBs the thread below may be useful if you haven't seen it already. It's how I determined I had a female and later added a male.

My pair

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/s...on-rostratus-the-copperband-butterfly.830246/

They're absolutely beautiful. Yes I have seen this thread aswell as a few youtune videos. I am set to get one in a months time off a hobbyist who is moving abroad. It is fat and healthy and is eating frozen food readily.
May I ask what else you keep with them? Are they put off by other large fish such as tangs?

 

[Daniel Doherty]

Yeah, don't pair wrasses. Cleaner wrasse don't do well in captivity and if they do they are often aggressive.
Timor and melanurus are two of the more aggressive Halichoeres, I suggest only one or replace with a yellow, radiant, biocellatus. If you go with the less aggressive species you could get a few (but stick to different species).

Yellowtail tamarin? They are difficult, not for a wrasse beginner.


I would consider:
Some fairy wrasse
Some flasher wrasse
Some Halichoeres wrasse

Don't mix species but rather get a variety.

There's not really any true schooling in saltwater fish that fit in a tank. Schooling fish in the ocean require tons of space. The fish we keep don't do that. Groups of fish may live near each other and even move in groups but its not really a school. Your best bet IMO is a group of flasher and fairy wrasse. Or you could try chalk bass.

Personally I think saltwater fish don't do well in groups though. Variety seems to work better

okay perfect, I understand. So keep a type from each family is it?

 

[Slocke]

okay perfect, I understand. So keep a type from each family is it?

Or multiple from the same genera
Just different species
There's a chart for fairies

 

[Daniel Doherty]

Update
I have obtained a few fish from tank breakdowns from my reefer whatsapp group.
I have got a Copperband (unsexed) that is fat, healthy and eating frozen food and a yellow clown goby off a man who is moving to spain. He will also see if he has any coral unclaimed in the next few days. He will be delivering them in a month so I will have the large tank set up by then.
I have also got a pair of mandarins that are to years old and eat frozen food like pigs. All the same, I am still going to add a ton of pods to the newly set up refugium once I have the tank set up.
This second guy is also selling a fireball angel. He has kept it in a FOWLR setup, but I've heard they're touch and go with going after sps... what do ye think?
Also on the cards is a group of 7 chromis which he has kept without issues for 2 years... he also has a school of wreckfish anthias. I've heard reports that it is good to keep anthias with chromis to keep the chromis on their toes and stop them going after each other... Is this true? What do ye think of the idea? I hope to have sps in the top 25 cm of the tank and high flow with an autofeeder, so I think it should be okay.

 

[Daniel Doherty]

Or multiple from the same genera
Just different species
There's a chart for fairies

Legend this is great. Thanks a million

 

[tbrown]

Yes I am considering these strongly. They look really nice. How many would you get?

I personally wouldn't get Firefish - too jumpy for my liking.

I've always heard of you're doing a group, odd numbers are better than even numbers (not sure if it applies to Firefish).

ah okay. Sorry it's just my reefer friend who lives locally is obsessed with this same concept. He's been keeping a pair of cleaner wrasse with no issue for two years. While diving in Thailand I also only ever saw them in pairs...
I've never seen a melanrus wrasse while diving, but my friend also has a pair of them going well. To give credit to the man, he also seems to be a bit of a wizard with fish. He also has a trio of purple tangs that follow each other around, all in a 4ft tank!
I'll keep your advice in mind though, thank you. whether it be a pair or a singular specimen, I plan not too add cleaner wrasse until the tank is well established anyways.

I have a Halichoeres melanurus and a Halichoeres leucoxanthus in my 70 gallon tank.

For a lesser aggressive tank the leucoxanthus or a chrysus would definitely be good choices - both are beautiful (but shouldn't be kept together). Also, consider adding a Leopard Wrasse? I've got a Macropharyngodon meleagris in my 70. She's beautiful and super active.

 

[exnisstech]

They're absolutely beautiful. Yes I have seen this thread aswell as a few youtune videos. I am set to get one in a months time off a hobbyist who is moving abroad. It is fat and healthy and is eating frozen food readily.
May I ask what else you keep with them? Are they put off by other large fish such as tangs?

The CBBs are in with 4 yellow tangs, a purple, naso, convict, and vlamingii tangs, flame angel, coral beauty. Sixline, yellow banded possum and blue streak cleaner wrasse as well as several different damsels. The CBBs are not put off by the tangs at all. They spend a lot of time hunting but have no problem getting their share of food when I feed.

This is how a feeding session goes.

 

[Daniel Doherty]

Wow amazing setup. They’re definitely eager eaters! I went onto YouTube to find out I was already subscribed . That info on the tangs is great to hear. I may add a small 2 or 3…
Thanks for the advice. Please look at my full thread on my tank build to follow along!

 

[JayM]

Yes I am considering these strongly. They look really nice. How many would you get?

I've got a red and a purple that I introduced at the same time. It's been about 2 years so far, they get along great, spend probably 80% of the time swimming very near each other and sleep in the same burrow every night. I was hesitant because people say they don't do well in groups. I kind of wish I would have bought 1 or 2 more.