Will my fish list overstock my tank?

[Zionas]

I’m wondering if my 4-foot, 105-gallon tank that I plan to only be a softies + fish tank will be overstocked with my stocking (more or less final) plan:

x2 Ocellaris Clowns (Max 3”-Total 6”) Captive Bred

x1 Comet / Marine Betta (Max 8”) Indonesia

x1 Royal Gramma (Max 3”) Caribbean

x1 Flame Hawkfish (Max 4”) Fiji / Marshall Islands

x1-2 dwarf angels (Brazilian / African / Atlantic Pygmy-3”, Multicolor-3.5”, Flame-4”, Joculator 4.5”) For a total 3 inches to 9 inches

Brazilian / Atlantic Pygmy-Caribbean, processed somewhere in the US

Multicolor-Central / South Pacific, processed through Hawaii

Flame-Central / South Pacific, processed through Hawaii

Joculator-Cocos and Keeling Islands, processed through Australia


If I only go for one dwarf angel, my 7th fish could be:

x1 Swissguard Basslet (3”)

x1 Yellow / McNeill’s Assessor (3”)

x1 Halichoeres genus wrasse (4”-5”)


And I plan to keep it at 7 fish. I really don’t want to overstock my tank and cause bioload problems so I’d like to welcome your opinions.

The order of which I plan to introduce my fish is:

First batch-Three fish

Option A: Marine Betta + Ocellaris pair

Option B: Marine Betta + Flame Hawk + Royal Gramma

(Wait 3-4 weeks)


Second batch-two fish

Option A: Royal Gramma + Flame Hawk

Option B: Ocellaris pair


Third batch- one to two fish (if they are a dwarf angel pair I will wait 5 months minimum to add any dwarf angel)

If I only get one dwarf angel, it’ll be my 6th fish. And then once my tank’s been running for 9-10 months I’ll add my 7th fish.


What do you think?


I also plan to run my tank as a FOWLR for the first two months, with soft corals being added after two months.

 

[Dorsetsteve]

I would say that’s quite conservative personally but it’s a very personal thing. Ask 100 reefers and you will get a different answer, no one answer is the answer.

Personally my attitude in short is that if sufficient territory, food and oxygen can be supplied you’ve got room.

What I mean by the above is that there are many factors to consider. In the modern reef aquarium management of nutrients at ideal levels is relatively simple, this confined with fish being the best source of coral food means you can exert quite a bioload. The limit here is wether sufficient feed can be provided and sufficient oxygen for proper PH and other functions can be comfortably achieved. Then there is the well being of the animals themselves, whilst 6 damselfish may have the same biomass and load on the system to say a tang, the tang needs a bigger flight path and grazing space not to be stressed, the same would apply if there was insufficient places for fish to hide.

So you can appreciate that it’s a rather nuanced answer and really you have to both apply fore thought but also constant evaluation of the situation as it develops but I would be confident to put near twice that amount of fish load in that tank, that’s me though.

 

[Webslinger]

All depends on the # of hiding spots and your filtration's ability to export nutrients. Slow and steady wins the race, I would stretch it out over a year or so.