Fish plan feedback/advice

[cnidus]

Hi all,

I've got a recently cycled 60g cube that I'm starting to plan out stocking for. Will be fish-only to start with, but do plan on doing a mixed reef at some stage in the future. I had a couple of reef tanks previously in Sydney, but this is my first in ~6years, so easing back into it.

I've got a pair of black/white 'darwin' ORA clowns and 4 nassarius snails currently. I eventually want to get a Puffer (Green Spotted, probably) and a mandarin. I've got some prior experience/success with Mandarins and always loved the 'personality' of puffers. The rest of the stocking I was thinking of keeping as 'utilitarian', so open to suggestions that will work, I personally don't have issues with smaller fish that I will eventually trade out (yellow-tang, for example).

Fish	Quantity	Introduction order?
Darwin clown	2	1
Yellow Tang	1	2?
6-line wrass	1	5
Mandarin	1	3
Green Spotted Puffer	1	4

I created a spreadsheet if anyone is super interested:
My build-log with tank pictures etc is here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cnidus’-cube-build-w-reef.701915/

Thanks in advance!

 

[Webslinger]

Least aggressive to most aggressive. rethink the 6 line (jerks) go with a cloris wrasse.

 

[mann1139]

I agree with WNY Spider-man on the 6-line. There are better choices available.

I have a 60 cube myself, and I think the swimming space is too limited for a tang.

 

[Webslinger]

Mandarin should be first. re-think 6-line, puffer,tang.

 

[cnidus]

Mandarin should be first. re-think 6-line, puffer,tang.

Any suggestions on more appropriate ‘utilitarian’ fish? Was shooting for Something for fish that deal with algae, aptasia etc

 

[Webslinger]

A Bristol tooth tang, An aphasia eating file fish ( not reef safe)

 

[nereefpat]

Clowns are fine

Yellow tang - unless it's for a QT, a 2' cube isn't a good home for any tang, even temporarily.

6 line wrasse - fine, sort of. They will get aggressive. It will outcompete the mandarin for food, and the mandarin will possibly starve. It may also outright kill the mandarin; I have seen that.

Mandarin - possible, but you'll have to make some decisions, and it will take some work. If the tank is about a year old with lot of rock, and it has a fuge to produce pods, and you don't have other pod eaters, then it can be done.

Green spot puffer - not sure. Toby puffers do fine in that tank size, but pose a risk to inverts.

 

[Zionas]

I would not do a Bristletooth or any Tang in a tank of your size, maybe a small one but be prepared to rehome it in a year or two. I’d be expecting growth at a fairly rapid rate if you feed it well. The Aiptasia Eating Filefish could work, make sure it’s eating before you buy it as Filefish I heard can be a bit difficult to feed at first, though I’m not sure if it applies to this species.


Here’s what I’d do:

1. Introduce the Darwin Clowns (1 big 1 smaller one with a noticeable difference, that’s the best way to have them pair because who doesn’t want their Clowns to pair?)

2. Introduce the Aiptasia-Eating Filefish.

As for the rest of your stocking list, I’ve got some reservations / comments:

1. Mandarin-OK, I can see how many people want them because they’re a beautiful fish. And they are. However, they’re obligate pod eaters and respond quite poorly to the majority of prepared foods. That makes them difficult to sustain unless your tank has a very thriving pod population. Give it at least a year before you add a Mandarin.

Your best bet for one that takes prepared foods would be a captive bred one from ORA. If you can go that route, definitely do it.


2. Six-Line Wrasse- They can get really aggressive and can be a threat to inverts from what I’ve heard. Since they’re a Wrasse, you absolutely need a tight fitting cover because they’re jumpers. Add as one of your last fish, if not the last.


3. Green Spotted Puffer- From my knowledge they’re a brackish rather than a fully saltwater fish. I’m not sure if they’d cope with the higher salinity of a “full” saltwater tank. The “standard” salinity of a full SW tank is usually 1.023-1.026.


Do you plan to keep inverts? If not, I would probably suggest a Hawkfish. Flame, Longnose, Falco, Spotted. Great personalities, again, you need a cover.

Basslets like Royal Gramma, Blackcap, Swissguard or one of the Assessor basslets will do (Yellow, McNeill’s, Randall’s).

Wrasses of the genus Halichoeres (Yellow Coris, Melanurus, Red Lined, Christmas) will also do. Just make sure you have a sand bed for them.

Yellow Watchman Goby or another genus Cryptocentrus goby would be an option though I’m not sure how well they’d do being mixed with a Hawkfish. They also need a sand bed and preferably a Pistol Shrimp for them to burrow with. Symbiosis at work.

Pajama Cardinalfish are also worth looking into. I prefer them way over Bangaiis.

Dottybacks the only one I’d consider would be a Fridmani / Orchid Dottyback. The rest get too aggressive. Don’t mistake a Bicolor Dottyback for a Royal Gramma. The former is a lot more of a bother to everything else in the tank.

I don’t like blennies all that much because of their short lifespans and tendency as jumpers, but many blennies would also work for your tank.

If you really want a Puffer, Saddle Valentini, Saddle, Central American Sharpnose, Leopard, Spotted, and Blue Spotted are options because they’re smaller.

For Puffers you should get regular supplies of hard objects like clam and mussel shells and maybe the shell of shrimp for them to grind their teeth on.

Other than that, good luck with your tank. Hope this helps.

 

[Webslinger]

you can keep a tang in any size tank, Just know you will re-home/ bring back to LFS when they outgrow your tank.

Here come the tang-police...haha. Actually no tang should be removed from the ocean unless they are homed in your local aquarium.

Royal gramma's are excellent fish. add near last.

 

[Zionas]

I don’t plan to have any Tang soon, would rather have their sturdier and more peaceful counterparts: Foxfaces.