75 Gallon Stocking Help

[tottiforever]

Hey all!

I’ve read a bunch of the stocking lists here, and wanted to run my current thoughts/question marks by everyone. I am getting a Red Sea 350 (73gal display and 18gal sump) and am currently considering 8-9 fish, which I’m hoping the Regal Octopus 150 skimmer would accommodate.

Here’s what I’m currently considering:

2 clownfish

1 fairy wrasse (Solon? Exquisite)

1 longfin ruby wrasse

1 bristle tooth tang (Tomini preferred) -Or- 1 foxface

1 Royal gramma -Or- Yellow Assessor

1 Orange stripe prawn goby and pistol shrimp

1-2 more fish of some type

Any other fish you’d recommend I consider? Not wed to anything. Appreciate any thoughts , ideas, concerns, etc.

 

[blaxsun]

Dwarf angelfish, flame hawkfish, midas blenny, a dottyback...

 

[Fishfreak2009]

To me I'd skip the tang or foxface. Stick with smaller fish that'll be happier in there. Get 2-3 more wrasses than what you have listed (I really like lubbocks fairies, flashers, and the yellow coris, radiant, and timor for a tank this size, and maybe a pair of cardinals (banggai or pajama) or even a trio of orange stripe cardinals (Apogon cyanosoma) or threadfin cardinals (Apogon leptacanthus).

I tend to stock my tanks heavily with smaller fish. This is the current fish list for my 75 gallon mixed reef:

1 Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
2 Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni)
4 Red Stoplight Cardinalfish (Fowleria flammea)
2 Clarkii Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii)
2 Smithi Damselfish (Pomacentrus smithi)
1 Yellow Tailed Damsel (Pomacentrus coelestis)
5 Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
3 Orange Line Chromis (Acanthochromis polyacanthus)
2 Black Line Fang Blenny (Meiacanthus nigrolineatus)
1 Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica)
1 Yellow Spot Tilefish (Hoplolatilus fourmanoiri)
1 Green Clown Goby (Gobiodon histrio)
2 Aurora Goby (Amblyeleotris aurora)
1 Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus)
3 Red Headed Goby (Elacatinus puncticulatus)
1 Cebu Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lubbocki)
1 Pintail Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus isosceles)
1 Hooded Flame Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus)
1 Golden Rhomboid Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis)
1 Rosey Scaled Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa)
1 Radiant Wrasse (Halichoeres iridis)
1 Timor Wrasse (Halichoeres timorensis)

 

[Lavey29]

To me I'd skip the tang or foxface. Stick with smaller fish that'll be happier in there. Get 2-3 more wrasses than what you have listed (I really like lubbocks fairies, flashers, and the yellow coris, radiant, and timor for a tank this size, and maybe a pair of cardinals (banggai or pajama) or even a trio of orange stripe cardinals (Apogon cyanosoma) or threadfin cardinals (Apogon leptacanthus).

I tend to stock my tanks heavily with smaller fish. This is the current fish list for my 75 gallon mixed reef:

1 Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
2 Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni)
4 Red Stoplight Cardinalfish (Fowleria flammea)
2 Clarkii Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii)
2 Smithi Damselfish (Pomacentrus smithi)
1 Yellow Tailed Damsel (Pomacentrus coelestis)
5 Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
3 Orange Line Chromis (Acanthochromis polyacanthus)
2 Black Line Fang Blenny (Meiacanthus nigrolineatus)
1 Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica)
1 Yellow Spot Tilefish (Hoplolatilus fourmanoiri)
1 Green Clown Goby (Gobiodon histrio)
2 Aurora Goby (Amblyeleotris aurora)
1 Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus)
3 Red Headed Goby (Elacatinus puncticulatus)
1 Cebu Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lubbocki)
1 Pintail Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus isosceles)
1 Hooded Flame Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus)
1 Golden Rhomboid Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis)
1 Rosey Scaled Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa)
1 Radiant Wrasse (Halichoeres iridis)
1 Timor Wrasse (Halichoeres timorensis)

You have over 30 fish in a 75g tank?

 

[Lavey29]

Hey all!

I’ve read a bunch of the stocking lists here, and wanted to run my current thoughts/question marks by everyone. I am getting a Red Sea 350 (73gal display and 18gal sump) and am currently considering 8-9 fish, which I’m hoping the Regal Octopus 150 skimmer would accommodate.

Here’s what I’m currently considering:

2 clownfish

1 fairy wrasse (Solon? Exquisite)

1 longfin ruby wrasse

1 bristle tooth tang (Tomini preferred) -Or- 1 foxface

1 Royal gramma -Or- Yellow Assessor

1 Orange stripe prawn goby and pistol shrimp

1-2 more fish of some type

Any other fish you’d recommend I consider? Not wed to anything. Appreciate any thoughts , ideas, concerns, etc.

I have the XL300 Redsea. I have similar fish in mine but the tank was not big enough for the bristletooth. The fish was stressed from day one due to tank size.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

You have over 30 fish in a 75g tank?

Yup. Again, very heavily stocked, but it works in this particular system. Nutrients are under control after a little tweaking (large skimmer, phosguard periodically for the extra phosphate from feeding 4-5x daily, and a refugium we harvest roughly 1/2 lb of Caulerpa from weekly. Plenty of pics in my build thread.

Tank is also supporting a variety of corals, including SPS, LPS, softies, anemones, and even a couple giant clams.

Mesh breeder boxes are holding some livestock temporarily for a different system. 1 has a pair of wyoming white clownfish, the other has 5 rock flower anemones. So technically it has 40 fish in it right now...

 

[Lavey29]

Yup. Again, very heavily stocked, but it works in this particular system. Nutrients are under control after a little tweaking (large skimmer, phosguard periodically for the extra phosphate from feeding 4-5x daily, and a refugium we harvest roughly 1/2 lb of Caulerpa from weekly. Plenty of pics in my build thread.

Tank is also supporting a variety of corals, including SPS, LPS, softies, anemones, and even a couple giant clams.

Mesh breeder boxes are holding some livestock temporarily for a different system. 1 has a pair of wyoming white clownfish, the other has 5 rock flower anemones. So technically it has 40 fish in it right now...

That's amazing, I agree with the smaller fish stocking concept but I have 9 fish in mine and it seems full. I can not even imagine 30 plus. I'm glad you are successful.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

That's amazing, I agree with the smaller fish stocking concept but I have 9 fish in mine and it seems full. I can not even imagine 30 plus. I'm glad you are successful.

LOTS of food is key, along with the filtration to keep up with it and the ability to do water changes and move fish if a fight breaks out (which hasn't been an issue, even with the clarkii clownfish pair currently guarding a clutch of eggs behind their anemones.

And a lot of these fish are small. The red headed and clown gobies are negligible towards bioload, and honestly some I never see. I only see the red stoplight cardinals if I look at the tank with a red light at 3 AM, they're completely nocturnal. They just grab bits of food as it floats down into the rockwork where they hide.

 

[Lavey29]

LOTS of food is key, along with the filtration to keep up with it and the ability to do water changes and move fish if a fight breaks out (which hasn't been an issue, even with the clarkii clownfish pair currently guarding a clutch of eggs behind their anemones.

And a lot of these fish are small. The red headed and clown gobies are negligible towards bioload, and honestly some I never see. I only see the red stoplight cardinals if I look at the tank with a red light at 3 AM, they're completely nocturnal. They just grab bits of food as it floats down into the rockwork where they hide.

I know why you chose your screen name now.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I know why you chose your screen name now.

Can't help it. I want to do aquarium fish and coral medicine and reptile medicine when I finish veterinary school. We've also got a mixed reef evo with a pair of firefish and a pair of midnight lightning ocellaris clowns, another evo we're working on for the wyoming white ocellaris clowns and a sexy shrimp colony with acid wash bubbletips and maxi mini nems, and are building a 47 gallon LPS reef (will be heavily stocked), and a 65 gallon SPS reef which will also be heavily stocked.

 

[tottiforever]

You guys rock. So glad I finally registered and posted! Im dropping the tang and Foxface, adding a Midas Blenny/Cardinals to the list, and I’m incredibly jealous of FishFreak2009’s stocking!

Two quick follow-up questions if you’ll indulge:
1. Any fish I should be looking at for algae control? Was thinking the tang or foxface would assist there, but perhaps that something best just left to the clean up crew.

2. Thoughts on a possum wrasse or aiptasia eating filefish?

Thanks again!

 

[Fishfreak2009]

You guys rock. So glad I finally registered and posted! Im dropping the tang and Foxface, adding a Midas Blenny/Cardinals to the list, and I’m incredibly jealous of FishFreak2009’s stocking!

Two quick follow-up questions if you’ll indulge:
1. Any fish I should be looking at for algae control? Was thinking the tang or foxface would assist there, but perhaps that something best just left to the clean up crew.

2. Thoughts on a possum wrasse or aiptasia eating filefish?

Thanks again!

Skip the tang. You'll be much happier. I leave that job to snails and hermits, maybe a tuxedo urchin or starry blenny

Skip the filefish if you like LPS or zoanthids. Eventually they always go rogue. Possum wrasses are an awesome choice!

 

[tottiforever]

Perfect! Thanks!

 

[Lavey29]

I agree with fishfreak. Build your clean up crew as the need arises. If you put to many in they will starve but make it diverse with rock and sand dwellers and glass cleaners too. Hands down the best guys for big algae breakout control are turbo snails and tuxedo urchins. Smart move to skip the large fish and go with smaller colorful fish. Yellow coris wrasse is beautiful and great for tank pest control. Purple fire fish, indigo dottyback, striped fangtooth blenny,etc...

 

[adittam]

I think a larger number of smaller fish vs a smaller number of larger fish is just a matter of personal preference. One bristletooth tang could certainly be kept long-term in a 4 foot tank. They are gorgeous, active fish, and I’d definitely recommend one as a “centerpiece” fish in a tank that size.

 

[Dani305]

You guys rock. So glad I finally registered and posted! Im dropping the tang and Foxface, adding a Midas Blenny/Cardinals to the list, and I’m incredibly jealous of FishFreak2009’s stocking!

Two quick follow-up questions if you’ll indulge:
1. Any fish I should be looking at for algae control? Was thinking the tang or foxface would assist there, but perhaps that something best just left to the clean up crew.

2. Thoughts on a possum wrasse or aiptasia eating filefish?

Thanks again!

You will not regret getting a midas blenny!

 

[Dani305]

Just googled a possum wrasse! WOW. Love it.

 

[i cant think]

Hey all!

I’ve read a bunch of the stocking lists here, and wanted to run my current thoughts/question marks by everyone. I am getting a Red Sea 350 (73gal display and 18gal sump) and am currently considering 8-9 fish, which I’m hoping the Regal Octopus 150 skimmer would accommodate.

Here’s what I’m currently considering:

2 clownfish

1 fairy wrasse (Solon? Exquisite)

1 longfin ruby wrasse

1 bristle tooth tang (Tomini preferred) -Or- 1 foxface

1 Royal gramma -Or- Yellow Assessor

1 Orange stripe prawn goby and pistol shrimp

1-2 more fish of some type

Any other fish you’d recommend I consider? Not wed to anything. Appreciate any thoughts , ideas, concerns, etc.

I personally prefer groups/shoals of fish, especially the gobies (If you can’t tell). Forget a tank dominated by solitary species, this is what I would personally do:
3-5 Eviota pamae
3-5 Trimma hollemani
2-3 Trimma striatum
5-10 Gobiodon okinawae (If you can find a group already for sale)
2 Elacantinus oceanops
Koumansetta hectori
Stonogobiops yasha
3 Nemaleotris magnifica
Macropharyngodon negrosensis
Halichoeres iridis
Halichoeres leucoxanthus
Cirrhilabrus lubbocki
Cirrhilabrus fifienmaa
Genicanthus melanospilos/semifasciatus
Ctenochaetus tomininesis/binotatus

This is what I have in my 4’x2’x18” tank:
Siganus magnificus
2 Cirrhilabrus lubbocki
Cirrhilabrus melanomarginatus
Ctenochaetus binotatus
Halichoeres iridis
Halichoeres chloropterus
Genicanthus melanospilos
Amphiprion occelaris x A. percula “Black Photon”
Chelmon rostratus
And I’m still hunting for a Hoplolatilus chlupatyi (The fish in my profile picture).

My nano is the tank with all the gobies, 8 fish total in a 20g tank.

 

[tottiforever]

I personally prefer groups/shoals of fish, especially the gobies (If you can’t tell). Forget a tank dominated by solitary species, this is what I would personally do:
3-5 Eviota pamae
3-5 Trimma hollemani
2-3 Trimma striatum
5-10 Gobiodon okinawae (If you can find a group already for sale)
2 Elacantinus oceanops
Koumansetta hectori
Stonogobiops yasha
3 Nemaleotris magnifica
Macropharyngodon negrosensis
Halichoeres iridis
Halichoeres leucoxanthus
Cirrhilabrus lubbocki
Cirrhilabrus fifienmaa
Genicanthus melanospilos/semifasciatus
Ctenochaetus tomininesis/binotatus

This is what I have in my 4’x2’x18” tank:
Siganus magnificus
2 Cirrhilabrus lubbocki
Cirrhilabrus melanomarginatus
Ctenochaetus binotatus
Halichoeres iridis
Halichoeres chloropterus
Genicanthus melanospilos
Amphiprion occelaris x A. percula “Black Photon”
Chelmon rostratus
And I’m still hunting for a Hoplolatilus chlupatyi (The fish in my profile picture).

My nano is the tank with all the gobies, 8 fish total in a 20g tank.

I regret my delayed reply to your post! Very helpful. I’m keen on expanding my stocking list beyond the 8-9 fish that I’d initially assumed I’d be able to keep thanks to the replies on this list.

 

[i cant think]

I regret my delayed reply to your post! Very helpful. I’m keen on expanding my stocking list beyond the 8-9 fish that I’d initially assumed I’d be able to keep thanks to the replies on this list.

I will mention I slightly over stock my tanks to have the nice nutrients to help acropora coral grow however gobies for the most part have rather low bioloads.
However in my 4’ tank I have heavier bio load fish and more larger growing fish so I haven’t gone for as many small fish as I would’ve liked (Plus, I figured a tank of JUST small fish would be boring to guests however with the mix of large and small I will watch my tanks more than I actually touch the TV haha).