How many more fish can my tank handle longterm

[RollTideReefer]

So my RedSea 525XL (139 gallons, 5' tank) has been up and running for a couple of months now. I have some zoas, a few duncans, a leather, a couple of acans, and one frogspawn currently doing well in the system. My current fish stock is 4 small clowns and one 3.5" purple tang. I have had a whitetail bristle tooth (3.25" in quarantine for a few weeks now and plan to add him and a small blue hippo (3.75", and I realize I may have to give him up years down the road) at the same time to stem aggression form the purple tang. I plan to mostly have LPS and softies when it comes to coral. Roughly how many more fish can I add over the life of the tank? I realize I will not be adding any other large fish such as tangs. I am speaking more of Chromis, Dottybacks, Pseudochromis, etc. I appreciate the input.

139 Gallon 5' mixed reef tank - LPS & Softy Focus
Currently:
4 small clowns
1 small purple tang
Adding:
1 small whitetail bristle tooth
1 small blue hippo

 

[Angel_Anthias lover]

Can you send a photo of your tank, if im being honest every tank will be different, the amount of rock for territories and coral growth over the years will change things up, and your filtration too to handle all the fish.

 

[hyeclass]

i would say it depends size of your fish

 

[NS Mike D]

While there are general rules with per inch per gallon, the reality is that fish have different territorial needs. Nook, crannie and caves for them to call their own home at night or dart into when frightened. Some fish stay at home while others like to call the entire tank their turf.

Some like the top of the tank while others stay on the sand bed.


Understanding their habitat (as opposed to impulse buys) is a cool part of stocking

 

[Tastee]

My RSR 525XL was installed in mid Feb and has just taken charge of it’s first Piscine inhabitants - a clown pair. Inhabitant 3 is in QT now, a Lawnmower Blennie. I am planning about 12 fish with the largest being a Blue Tang, but haven’t decided on the entire stocking list yet. It will be a mix of reef safe fish, I am planning much the same as you, LPS and Softie dominant. Plus a range of inverts. Good luck!

 

[OrionN]

I jams my tank full with the best of them. However, the most important information you did not mention in your post. You can really add appropriate fish and they would live in harmony but the total nutrient input to feed them may exceed the ability of the tank process and eliminate the waste.

It is really not how many fishes, but which species of fishes, and how much nutrient export capacity. Depends on the species, the aqua-scape is very important. There are fishes that live in the reef-rocks, darts in and out, and there are fishes that live in open water, and swim a lot. Those that live in structure they build in the sand rock with dents they build. Then there are those that live with invertebrates in a commensal relationship, and ... ... ...

 

[RollTideReefer]

My RSR 525XL was installed in mid Feb and has just taken charge of it’s first Piscine inhabitants - a clown pair. Inhabitant 3 is in QT now, a Lawnmower Blennie. I am planning about 12 fish with the largest being a Blue Tang, but haven’t decided on the entire stocking list yet. It will be a mix of reef safe fish, I am planning much the same as you, LPS and Softie dominant. Plus a range of inverts. Good luck!

Thanks! my tank has about 1/3 more rock than yours does currently. I will try and post pictures soon but even with the Aquarium Cam App I have issues with the lighting in pictures. I am thinking about maxing out at around 12 fish as well. Everything past the seven I will have soon will be smaller fish. I am likely to stick to pseudochromis, basslets, gobies, etc. I am still debating on whether to get the Flame Angel or not haha. I talked myself out of the Flame Angel a month back because of its nipping habbit.

 

[Tastee]

As @OrionN said you also need to consider a few more factors. 1) Will the fish be compatible with each other. 2) Are there sufficient hiding/sleeping spaces in the tank for the mix you are planning. 3) What order should you add the fish. 4) What is your nutrient export capability.

For 3) the general rule is the more aggressive/territorial the fish is the later you should add it. It also helps to add more aggressive fish as juveniles, they tend to assimilate with the other tank inhabitants better that way.

4) is a bit more complicated. The simple part is how much ammonia and nitrite your tank can cope with. This is all to do with surface area of your rocks and filter material including Marine Pure etc. The more complicated part is how your tank deals with Phosphates and Nitrates. This has a lot to do with your overall Coral population. They will consume some of this. Beyond that you start looking at GFO, Refugiums, Carbon dosing etc.

In my case in my existing RSR 250 with 6 fish and a bunch of inverts I dose a small amount of carbon daily (1 ml) and the corals take care of the rest. This is very much situational - every tank is different. How my new RSR 525XL will end up I don‘t yet know - as I stock it up I will keep testing water to understand how it is travelling and carbon dose as I feel I need to. It will take a year or more to reach stabilty in any case, so until then it’s a moving target. I may add a refugium later, not sure yet. Happily the 525 is ‘fuge ready. All I will need to do is add a light and baffles to the sump (in theory!).