75 Gallon Stocking List

KMench · Oct 2, 2017

Hi everyone,

I'm looking at a potential stocking list for my 75G reef tank. It's currently in a fallow period following an ich problem.... So it has LPS, SPS, and softies in the tank as well as a cleaner shrimp and starfish. I have my surviving pajama cardinal in quarantine with CP for 30 days.

Potential List:

Pajama Cardinal (lone survivor)
Kole Tang
Yellow Long Nose Butterfly
Target Mandarin
2x Oscellaris Clown
Flame Angelfish
Melanurus Wrasse
Some sort of Goby

Is this an acceptable stocking list or is it too heavy? I currently have 100lb of live rock in the tank with a large amount of caves/hiding spots in the rockwork. It's also off the back wall so theres swimming room in both the front and back. I have a 30G sump with a Vertex Omega 150 skimmer and a refugium as well. I'm certainly not finalized on this list, so if you have any suggestions etc it would be greatly appreciated!

nautical_nathaniel · Oct 2, 2017

Probably not enough room for a longnose butterfly or the Kole Tang long term. If you had a bigger system for it to go in, it would be a nice grow out system for the tang.

Everything else looks good to me!

nautical_nathaniel · Oct 2, 2017

You also may want to consider getting at least two more cardinals, I think they do good in groups of three or more.

Kyl · Oct 2, 2017

I've become a fan of fairy wrasses, partly because they're safe on everything ornamental in the tank, but mostly thanks to @evolved and his crazy good infomatic diagram on mixing them. A lot of different colours available, and the three I have are crazy active. As well, have you thought about something like a Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas)? A lot of personality in that fish.

KMench · Oct 2, 2017

The one cardinal I have surprisingly does quite well alone. I was afraid he was going to be reclusive since he’s solo, and he was very nervous when he went from the DT to QT but he’s a trooper.

KMench · Oct 2, 2017

The only fairy wrasses I’ve seen have been red in color primarily, and don’t strike me as amazing. If there’s other types or things I’m missing feel free to educate me. ;Bookworm

Kyl · Oct 2, 2017

Hmm well my blue-sided is a blue / purple, lubbocks is a yellow / pink / orange~ish colouring. I'm sure there are some more examples but I've just stuck to what has been at the local LFS, and didn't cost $500

KMench · Oct 2, 2017

Lol thanks. I assume they’ll still pick at bristleworms and other pests like the other wrasses? I haven’t had much experience with flasher wrasses

evolved · Oct 2, 2017

KMench said:
The only fairy wrasses I’ve seen have been red in color primarily, and don’t strike me as amazing. If there’s other types or things I’m missing feel free to educate me. ;Bookworm

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/cirrhilabrus-complexes-inferiority-need-not-apply-1st-revision.352/

KMench · Oct 2, 2017

Any suggestions on the order of introduction? I’ll be doing them one at a time with a prazi treatment and 30 days of CP for those that can tolerate CP. Those that can’t will get cupramine

KMench · Oct 2, 2017

I did some googling in your article and looking at wrasses. The variety is amazing. I've basically done my shopping by looking at what is available on the LiveAquaria website or Saltwaterfish.com. C. exquisitus is beautiful. Do you have any suggestions based on your wrasse obsession on what would fit well based on temperament/reef compatability/personality? @evolved

By the way your tank is beautiful

eatbreakfast · Oct 3, 2017

A 65g is large enough for a kole tang and long nose butterfly.

The stocklist seemed fine.

C. exquistus is a great species, and can be kept with a representative of any of the green, yellow, or orange complexes on the chart.

evolved · Oct 3, 2017

KMench said:
I did some googling in your article and looking at wrasses. The variety is amazing. I've basically done my shopping by looking at what is available on the LiveAquaria website or Saltwaterfish.com. C. exquisitus is beautiful. Do you have any suggestions based on your wrasse obsession on what would fit well based on temperament/reef compatability/personality? @evolved

By the way your tank is beautiful

There's also this article, in case you missed it: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/all-about-reef-safe-wrasses-in-aquaria.28/
And thanks for the compliments.

eatbreakfast said:
C. exquistus is a great species, and can be kept with a representative of any of the green, yellow, or orange complexes on the chart.

+1

Kyl · Oct 3, 2017

@KMench C. exquistus looks awesome, would definitely give it a go!

KMench · Mar 23, 2018

Ok ladies and gents. I’m back to the same question still. Current stocking is 2 clownfish, the yellow longnose butterfly, ornate leopard wrasse, mandarin, tangaroa goby, and two shrimp along with mixed sps/lps/softies. I’ve been considering anthias/tangs/an additional wrasse/maybe another goby/dwarf angel. Always looking for advice on what to stock and what constitutes over-stocking.

Thanks!

CindyKz · Mar 24, 2018

If you go with any of the fairy wrasses (which I highly recommend!) get a screen top BEFORE you get the fish. They are jumpers.

ETA: Make sure you have one for your QT too.

Be careful about having too many pod eaters in the tank at once. The leopard wrasse and the mandarin will both rely on the pod population for food. Even in a 75 gal tank with a great refugium there may not be enough to support them both, especially if you add a sand sifting goby (the tangaroa isn't I don't think but others are) or a sand sifting star. Voice of sad experience

KMench · Mar 24, 2018

Thanks for the advice! Do you have a favorite fairy wrasse? I’ve never had much luck finding one that I like. Honestly, I think my leopard has basically given up on pods since he started eating frozen food. For the first few months all he did was pick at the rocks and refused frozen food. Now, I think he has gotten lazy. Eats frozen food every time I feed and I hardly ever see him picking at the rocks lol

Also, I have a copepod culture and photo culture I use to make sure I maintain a healthy population in the tank

CindyKz · Mar 25, 2018

KMench said:
Thanks for the advice! Do you have a favorite fairy wrasse? I’ve never had much luck finding one that I like. Honestly, I think my leopard has basically given up on pods since he started eating frozen food. For the first few months all he did was pick at the rocks and refused frozen food. Now, I think he has gotten lazy. Eats frozen food every time I feed and I hardly ever see him picking at the rocks lol

Also, I have a copepod culture and photo culture I use to make sure I maintain a healthy population in the tank

My exquisite fairy is beautiful. I think Solorensis wrasses are striking also.

I had a melanarus wrasse (not a fairy wrasse, this one will eat pods along with bristleworms and flatworms), mandarin, and sand sifting star in my 75 gal together. Lots of live rock in the display plus a refugium with a big ball of macroalgae and a few pieces of live rock. I added pods every few weeks, including a double batch the day before I went on vacation. I still came back from vacation to a dead mandy and star. Since all other tankmates were fine and my daughter/tank sitter saw nothing else amiss, I assume they starved. Just my experience.

Jesterrace · Mar 25, 2018

KMench said:
The only fairy wrasses I’ve seen have been red in color primarily, and don’t strike me as amazing. If there’s other types or things I’m missing feel free to educate me. ;Bookworm

There are some beautiful fairy wrasses out there (ie Labout's, Rhomboid, Exquisite), the problem is that they are all very expensive. The Melanurus Wrasse, Christmas Wrasse and Red Lined Wrasse all run about $25-$35 for a small one. The fairy wrasses mentioned above start around $60 with the Exquisite and the Labout's and Rhomboid are in the $100-$170 range each.