Stocking order question

[CindyKz]

75 gal reef, current inhabitants are:

2 percula clowns

Molly Miller Blenny

Coral Rabbitfish

Exquisite wrasse

Melanarus wrasse


I'd like to add a royal gramma, flame angel and purple firefish which will reach my limits. LFS has a flame angel and purple firefish now. Would it be impossible to add the royal gramma later (ie AFTER the flame angel)?

TIA,

Cindy

 

[sbash]

The general rule of thumb is to add the fish in the order of least aggressive to most aggressive. Which, as far as I can tell, means you should add the angel last. Otherwise, these fish all seem peaceful to me.

That said, hopefully someone can comment on their compatibility. The firefish, clowns, blenny and rabbitfish will be fine together, but I am not sure about the rest. I have never kept wrasses and do not trust angels in my reef :)

 

[Maritimer]

I've found grammas to be pretty shy, though others report the opposite experience.

Flame is certainly likely to be the most aggressive, but generally towards other high-bodied fish, and might well ignore the gramma. If there's an issue, try "the mirror trick" of placing a mirror at one end of the tank to distract the resident's attention.

~Bruce

 

[eatbreakfast]

I would be a bit concerned about adding a firefish to a tank with an established molly miller blenny.

Also, a flame angel may behave aggressively to any fish that wants to claim territory near the rockwork. It may be fime, but there is potential for aggression.

 

[CindyKz]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Another LFS had a royal gramma, I brought it home today and am stocking in the preferred order.

@eatbreakfast, interesting comment about the firefish and blenny. Most of the literature describes MMBs as "peaceful" but there are reports to the contrary and I know my MMB is a butthead. I had a firefish previously that died suddenly-in the back of my mind I've always wondered about the blenny.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Another LFS had a royal gramma, I brought it home today and am stocking in the preferred order.

@eatbreakfast, interesting comment about the firefish and blenny. Most of the literature describes MMBs as "peaceful" but there are reports to the contrary and I know my MMB is a butthead. I had a firefish previously that died suddenly-in the back of my mind I've always wondered about the blenny.

I love blennies, but some can definitely have issues with long, skinny fish, and molly millers have displayed that tendency more often than not IME.