Doing a slight overhaul in my fish stock. Please help!

Velcro · Dec 4, 2017

Hi all, I'm looking for some help with restocking after I get rid of a few fish. My tank is a 93 gallon cube (30x30x24). I have a couple of fish that are getting too big for the tank, and I knew I would either have to rehome them or upgrade when the time comes. I'm putting off the upgrade for now so I'm going to do the responsible thing and get rid of two of my fish as they are no longer juveniles.

Currently in the tank:
Melanarus wrasse (male)
leopard wrasse x2 (1 blue star, 1 ornate, both female)
Mandarin
Wyoming white clown x1
Kole tang
Hippo tang*
Foxface*

*I'm getting rid of the hippo and foxface, as I said, they are no longer juvenile and I'd like to rehome them to larger tanks.

I need to replace one of the wyoming whites that I lost with another ocellaris TBD.
This is a 95% SPS tank and I have a very health pod population despite the leopard wrasses and mandarin. I LOVE wrasses, so any colorful wrasse recommendations that won't cause trouble with my current wrasses would be awesome.

Being that this is an SPS tank, I want to get as many small fish in there as possible to keep some good food (poop) in the water.

Any input greatly appreciated!

Maritimer · Dec 4, 2017

Just about any flasher wrasse (most are some form of red-orange) or smaller fairy wrasse (lots of color choices, some can be cranky) would work for you. Most will tend to swim a bit higher than the melanurus or leopards, and not pick 'pods quite as much.

I'm pretty fond of the various shrimp-gobies as well - a pair of yellow watchmen or red-banded high-fin gobies, perhaps with a pistol shrimp, would add some life and interest at the base of the reef. One or a pair of cleaner gobies - neon, sharknose, yellowline - hopping about your reef would be a tiny bright accent with interesting behaviors. Clown gobies are cool too, but can annoy SPS by sitting in the same spots too often, and if they breed, they'll sometimes clear a bit of coral of its flesh, for a place to lay their eggs.

In a tank that size, if you're feeling bold, you might try a group of _either_ royal grammas or orchid dottybacks - I would be wary of keeping both in the same tank, but a harem of either species could be interesting ... and one of either species will provide a burst of color close to your rock. A group of one of the smaller anthias - Randall's, perhaps, or ignitus - might be interesting, as well.

How's your risk tolerance? You might consider a flame, coral beauty or other Centropyge dwarf angelfish, or perhaps one of the pygmies, the cherub or flame-back. (I have a flame and coral beauty in my 220 - they were in a 65 previously - and they've been wonderful, except the flame used to pick on one particular Favia.) Like the tangs and foxface, they've got that tall, bold, billboard silhouette that just _belongs_ on a reef.

They're not for everyone, but I've also got a few of the milder-tempered damselfish in my tank, and would recommend a trio of azure damsels almost without hesitation. (I've also got a pair of Talbott's damsels, but those guys _dig_ in the sand!) They're at home in the branches of corals at the top of the reef, constantly darting in, out, and about, but tend to keep their arguments among themselves and don't really bother any of my other fish.

Firefish would also be something to consider - keep one, unless you can locate a bonded pair. Absolutely inoffensive to anything other than other firefish, and add small pale bright movement.

~Bruce

Velcro · Dec 4, 2017

Maritimer said:
Just about any flasher wrasse (most are some form of red-orange) or smaller fairy wrasse (lots of color choices, some can be cranky) would work for you. Most will tend to swim a bit higher than the melanurus or leopards, and not pick 'pods quite as much.

I'm pretty fond of the various shrimp-gobies as well - a pair of yellow watchmen or red-banded high-fin gobies, perhaps with a pistol shrimp, would add some life and interest at the base of the reef. One or a pair of cleaner gobies - neon, sharknose, yellowline - hopping about your reef would be a tiny bright accent with interesting behaviors. Clown gobies are cool too, but can annoy SPS by sitting in the same spots too often, and if they breed, they'll sometimes clear a bit of coral of its flesh, for a place to lay their eggs.

In a tank that size, if you're feeling bold, you might try a group of _either_ royal grammas or orchid dottybacks - I would be wary of keeping both in the same tank, but a harem of either species could be interesting ... and one of either species will provide a burst of color close to your rock. A group of one of the smaller anthias - Randall's, perhaps, or ignitus - might be interesting, as well.

How's your risk tolerance? You might consider a flame, coral beauty or other Centropyge dwarf angelfish, or perhaps one of the pygmies, the cherub or flame-back. (I have a flame and coral beauty in my 220 - they were in a 65 previously - and they've been wonderful, except the flame used to pick on one particular Favia.) Like the tangs and foxface, they've got that tall, bold, billboard silhouette that just _belongs_ on a reef.

They're not for everyone, but I've also got a few of the milder-tempered damselfish in my tank, and would recommend a trio of azure damsels almost without hesitation. (I've also got a pair of Talbott's damsels, but those guys _dig_ in the sand!) They're at home in the branches of corals at the top of the reef, constantly darting in, out, and about, but tend to keep their arguments among themselves and don't really bother any of my other fish.

Firefish would also be something to consider - keep one, unless you can locate a bonded pair. Absolutely inoffensive to anything other than other firefish, and add small pale bright movement.

~Bruce