help me stock my tank please :)

canadianeh · May 1, 2020

I am thinking of stocking my tank Red Sea Reefer 250 (54 gl DT plus 11 gl sump) with:
2x clown fish (but not sure which kind)
1x wrasse (not sure which kind)
2x dwarf angel fish (maybe pygmy, porter, flame, or flameback)
1x lawnmower blenny
1x pajama cardinal
1x cleaner shrimp
CUC

Is this okay? Which one should go first?

Coolcasino · May 1, 2020

How big is the tank? If your shooting for a reef I would rethink any angels. They can not pick at corals for a long time then one day you come home and the angel had an open buffet.

dwest · May 1, 2020

What size tank?

Assuming the tank is 20 gallons or larger, a pair of ocellaris clowas are a great start. Read up on wrasses, there are some great threads about them. I would be concerned about the dwarf angels if you are getting corals.

All About Reef Safe Wrasses in Aquaria

Introduction My name is Hunter and I am a wrasse addict. Admitting such is the first step to buying another wrasse, I think. Wrasses are not only my passion, but my niche in this hobby since 2010. My tank is full of them, and unfortunately...

www.reef2reef.com

canadianeh · May 1, 2020

sorry it is Red Sea Reefer 250 (54 gl DT plus 11 gl sump)

Coolcasino · May 1, 2020

Your fine with the fish you have. Its your choice what clowns you want. Just don't get maroons, they can become vicious. You can get any wrasse that stay relatively small. You can introduce them in any order but the wrasse and angel should go in last.

canadianeh · May 1, 2020

Which wrasse that stays relatively small? Regarding angel, I read that pygmy angel is the safest among all of them?

Regarding clowns, are some of them easier to get to host anemone or torch vs the others?

I also open to suggestions of other fish that are not on my list

MTBake · May 1, 2020

Pajama cardinals seem to do better in a small group, imo.

canadianeh · May 1, 2020

how about adding anthias in addition to the list, or swap pyjamas cardinal with anthias?

Bo. · May 1, 2020

canadianeh said:
Which wrasse that stays relatively small? Regarding angel, I read that pygmy angel is the safest among all of them?

Regarding clowns, are some of them easier to get to host anemone or torch vs the others?

I also open to suggestions of other fish that are not on my list

With wrasses I'd stick to cirrhilabrus or paracheilinus for a 54. Some of the cirrhilabrus might get a bit large.

canadianeh · May 29, 2020

Bo Lin said:
With wrasses I'd stick to cirrhilabrus or paracheilinus for a 54. Some of the cirrhilabrus might get a bit large.

which ones arecirrhilabrus or paracheilinus?

Bo. · May 29, 2020

Flasher or small non-aggressive fairy. @evolved has a great compatibility chart here:

Cirrhilabrus Complexes: Inferiority Need Not Apply (1st Revision)

Cirrhilabrus, the “Fairy Wrasses”, are one of the most elegant, active, and colorful reef fish. Their appeal in a reef tank is common to many, but not all have a well-rounded understanding of the compatibility amongst them. Enter the notion of...

www.reef2reef.com

canadianeh · May 29, 2020

Bo Lin said:
Flasher or small non-aggressive fairy. @evolved has a great compatibility chart here:

Cirrhilabrus Complexes: Inferiority Need Not Apply (1st Revision)

Cirrhilabrus, the “Fairy Wrasses”, are one of the most elegant, active, and colorful reef fish. Their appeal in a reef tank is common to many, but not all have a well-rounded understanding of the compatibility amongst them. Enter the notion of...

www.reef2reef.com

I think that chart talks about if you want to get more than one wrasse in one tank. I am just looking for one though.

canadianeh · May 29, 2020

Can you mix two clownfish with one or two azure damselfish?

Enerderek · May 29, 2020

For wrasse, stick with pintail fairy or mccosker flasher. You will need a tank for wrasses. They stay relatively small and are peaceful. Id stay away from damsel fish due to their high aggression (unless you add them last). Anthias are great but very finicky since they are deep water fish.

canadianeh · May 30, 2020

Enerderek said:
For wrasse, stick with pintail fairy or mccosker flasher. You will need a tank for wrasses. They stay relatively small and are peaceful. Id stay away from damsel fish due to their high aggression (unless you add them last). Anthias are great but very finicky since they are deep water fish.

The pintail wrasse can grow to 5” and requires 90 gallons. Too big for my tank.

I need a wrasse that eats pests and not mean to other fish

Zionas · May 30, 2020

x2 Clownfish- Ocellaris, the others get bigger and are more aggressive. (3”)

x1 Dwarf Angel- For your size tank, a Pygmy angel (Atlantic Cherub, Pacific Pygmy, African Flameback, Fisher’s) would work the best. (All get to about 3”)

x1 Yellow Watchman Goby + a kind of Pistol Shrimp (YWG is 4”)

x1Lawnmower Blenny (5.5”)

x1 Royal Gramma / Blackcap Basslet / Swissguard Basslet / Yellow Assessor / McNeill’s Assessor (RG, Swissguard, Assessors 3”, Blackcap 4”)

x1 Pajama Cardinal (3.5”)

x1 Red Lined Wrasse (4”) / Melanurus Wrasse (4.5”)

Just my opinion.

You will have 8 fish but the only really active swimmers will be the Pygmy angel and the wrasse. Clownfish pair, Basslet aren’t overly active swimmers. PJ Cardinal is a very slow fish. YWG, Lawnmower Blenny are bottom dwellers with a small bioload.

Angel_Anthias lover · May 30, 2020

canadianeh said:
The pintail wrasse can grow to 5” and requires 90 gallons. Too big for my tank.

I need a wrasse that eats pests and not mean to other fish

The pink streaked wrasse stays, small and eats pests. Possum wrasses stay small too and can eat pests too

canadianeh · May 30, 2020

Zionas said:
x2 Clownfish- Ocellaris, the others get bigger and are more aggressive. (3”)

x1 Dwarf Angel- For your size tank, a Pygmy angel (Atlantic Cherub, Pacific Pygmy, African Flameback, Fisher’s) would work the best. (All get to about 3”)

x1 Yellow Watchman Goby + a kind of Pistol Shrimp (YWG is 4”)

x1Lawnmower Blenny (5.5”)

x1 Royal Gramma / Blackcap Basslet / Swissguard Basslet / Yellow Assessor / McNeill’s Assessor (RG, Swissguard, Assessors 3”, Blackcap 4”)

x1 Pajama Cardinal (3.5”)

x1 Red Lined Wrasse (4”) / Melanurus Wrasse (4.5”)

Just my opinion.

You will have 8 fish but the only really active swimmers will be the Pygmy angel and the wrasse. Clownfish pair, Basslet aren’t overly active swimmers. PJ Cardinal is a very slow fish. YWG, Lawnmower Blenny are bottom dwellers with a small bioload.

For angelfish, how about flame angelfish or multibar?

Yellow watchmen moves sand around and build sand dune everywhere? If that’s the case, I prefer not having it. I don’t like to see sand dunes everywhere’s. Any alternative that doesn’t build sand dunes?

canadianeh · May 30, 2020

Angel_Anthias lover said:
The pink streaked wrasse stays, small and eats pests. Possum wrasses stay small too and can eat pests too

The wrasse expert, evolved, also recommended pink stripe wrasse and only it. He said due to my tank size and I want peaceful and eat pests wrasse, pink stripe is the only option.

Zionas · May 30, 2020

No. They are not a sand sifting Goby. I think you may have confused it with the Diamond Watchman which belongs to the genus Valencianna (is that how it’s spelled?). The Flame Angel, or a Coral Beauty, or any of the 4” dwarf angels IMO can go into a tank of your size as long as it’s 3-foot long but IMO long term a 4-foot tank would be even more ideal. The Multibar is a difficult fish, many refuse to eat and wither away. I wouldn’t recommend it over a Flame or Coral Beauty or any of the pygmy angels.