First Stock for New Tank

RainboWBacoN420 · Aug 22, 2016

So, this is my saltwater tank, nothing stocked yet, been up and running for about 7 weeks now. Fully cycled, alk- 9.3, NO3- 40 ppm, PO4- 0 ppm.
I think I'm ready to put a few feelers in today. I've found a few discosoma mushrooms at my job and am thinking about trying then out. Maybe some Zoas as well. I'm using temporary MarineLand LED lights until I get the AI: Hydras from a co-worker.
Any thoughts, opinions or tips would be highly appreciated, if any. Just a little nervous about the first corals/corallimorphs going in. I heard discosoma mushrooms are super hardy and only die when something is terribly wrong with the chemistry. So I'm hoping for the best here...

Anthony Wood · Aug 22, 2016

Start off with something small. Maybe some clownfish their are all sorts of different colors and patterns. Stay away from damsels as cool as they look they because super territorial. Also stay away from any sort of dragonet they diet is highly specialized and just about impossible to get switch over to dried or frozen foods so it'll die of starvation. Then you have gobies, wrasses, Anthius off the top of my head I know I'm missing a few smaller fish.

Anthony Wood · Aug 22, 2016

Once your fish stock list is is done and sure the tank is leveled out you can look at inverts (not speaking of your CUC you should already have some sort of one) and shrimp just be careful of shrimp that can't defend themselves and wrasses because the wrasse may go after the shrimp.

RainboWBacoN420 · Aug 22, 2016

Oh, I know, im more concerned about the coral. I forgot to mention that coral is the main focus here. Fish come last. I plan to just have one clownfish, the frostbite ocellaris designer clown and maybe an orange prawn goby. I know my saltwater fish pretty well, I work with them all the time. Thank you, though.
I just took home three discosoma shrooms today. The owner let me slide for free. I just added to the tank, leaving the lights off til tomorrow and i placed then in some shady spots for now.So we'll see how they do, im excited and nervous at the same time.