Interested in fish I have no experience with

[desertrat505]

Toby puffers can be a hit or miss but if you care about your CC don't get one; they can decimate a CC causing more issues down the line like an GHA outbreak.

 

[bigbugoutfitters]

Common names strikes again.

The pixy refers to Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus. Sometimes that one is called 'spotted' too.

Usually the spotted is the bigger more aggressive Cirrhitichthys aprinus.

Yea, laziness on my part. Did a little looking around and it appears as though C. Aprinus is not very common in the hobby. I think perhaps going with the longnose could be a better call for a number of reasons.

Ribbons are very hard to keep, and are best for more experienced eel keepers.

Careful with overstocking, many of those are quite large, and the tank is somewhat small.

Lionfish are venomous and can be aggressive, so watch out.

The tank likely would not be great for corals. More hardy macro and soft coral could be good, careful of spread, it may be hard (and unsafe) to get hands inside the tank.

I think Dusky wrasse need 70 gallons or more

TBS live sand is good yeah

puffers can eat corals

Gotta figure out how to edit the original post... for some reason it isnt letting me do so...
Scratched the ribbon
Tank is going to be 75 instead
Aggressive fish are what pay my bills
Tanking a lot of inspiration from this tank: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/f...840/?msclkid=7e52a64ecfc111ec87b302dc85559fa7
I always wear gloves when working in a reef tank, but I will certainly be extra cautious of the lion.
As for corals in the tank, could you offer your thoughts on why? Is it due to the bioload or simply putting hands into the tank to work with the corals.
Dusky should be alright in the 75, would like to have a larger tank but just not feasible at the moment. Hopefully once I get my fly shop up and running a few years down the road i could do something 200+.
Reading up on the puffers it appears as thought the corals they are most likely to be nipping on are the edges of plating montis and acros. From what I understand, if you have a number of colonies spread out the damage is negligible.

Hope that clears things up

 

[bigbugoutfitters]

Toby puffers can be a hit or miss but if you care about your CC don't get one; they can decimate a CC causing more issues down the line like an GHA outbreak.

Ive been looking at getting a big ol brittlestar and a couple conches for the sandbed or a cowrie. as for something to clean the rocks themselves I might be needing to look at a fish perhaps? I am also hoping that having a large refugium will help with any hair algae issues.

 

[Bucs20fan]

Hmmm, from my experience the ghost ribbon eel is not like the ribbon eels. https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/1737/?pcatid=1737
Still can be challenging to feed but not to the level of the black and blue.
Just saw that the petco 50% off sale just began, but it looks like they dont have the 60 breeder on sale! dang! It does look like the 75 gallon is half off which is kinda peaking my interest however I am not sure how my two AI primes will do for a 75, perhaps it is pushing it?

I have the 60 breeder and my two nicrew 150's light it the heck up, if not too much light. And I run whites at 5% and blues at 60%. I think youll be fine for a good while with the ai primes, with plenty of time to replace them eventually if you wanted.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Ive been looking at getting a big ol brittlestar and a couple conches for the sandbed or a cowrie. as for something to clean the rocks themselves I might be needing to look at a fish perhaps? I am also hoping that having a large refugium will help with any hair algae issues.

I would recommend looking into:

Zig Zag perrywinkles: super cheap, and very tiny, maybe a good puffer food/distraction

Chitin: eat basically any algae on rocks, well armored and very well affixed to rock.

a bunch of florida and dwarf ceriths could help too.

 

[bigbugoutfitters]

I have the 60 breeder and my two nicrew 150's light it the heck up, if not too much light. And I run whites at 5% and blues at 60%. I think youll be fine for a good while with the ai primes, with plenty of time to replace them eventually if you wanted.

I was super excited to see the 60 breeder as a new option, but i figured with it not being part of the 50% off sale and the 75 being only 125... might as well. Especially with the heavier bioload this tank is going to have. Maybe if I decide the tank needs it ill add another 2 ai primes onto the build.

I would recommend looking into:

Zig Zag perrywinkles: super cheap, and very tiny, maybe a good puffer food/distraction

Chitin: eat basically any algae on rocks, well armored and very well affixed to rock.

a bunch of florida and dwarf ceriths could help too.

I suppose Ill just occasionally be restocking my cleanup crew. Part clean up crew, part puffer snack!

Ive been on a local lake everyday for the last couple weeks, its really just a big ol predator tank!

 

[Bucs20fan]

yeah Im in pretty good with my local Petco so When the 60b dropped, they didnt have exclusionary text on the label so they gave it to me 50% off anyway. But you cant go wrong with the 75/60 footprint.

 

[lion king]

Another thought towards the Canthigaster leoparda, they are the most coral friendly of the bunch, the other puffers can have a tendency to nip corals. It is the only one that I have received long lasting positive reviews in a reef. As far as your bioload goes, think about the addition of a refugium, I run them on my predator tanks and never do water changes. There are options, whether configured within the sump, a hob, or an algae reactor. I don't think your plans so far indicate overstocking in the least.

 

[bigbugoutfitters]

Alrighty, well, the tank is currently cycling, about 20 lbs live rock. I figure itll be solid by the end of june. I am now at the point that i am thinking about having my LFS order up some fish to throw in his qt tanks.
I am thinking of first throwing in an Oxycirrhites typus and either a Canthigaster leoparda/Cirrhilabrus rubripinnis/Halichoeres chrysus.

after deliberating on the subject for the last two weeks this is my list:
Longnose hawk
3 wrasses: 1 dusky wrasse(most desired), some type of anampses and or Macropharyngodon, or some other wrasse like a yellow coris.
Dwarf lionfish
C. Leoparda puffer
Once the tank is mature and stocking list is complete, I’ll determine whether or not the tank can handle a snowflake eel.

1.5 inch sandbed, the left side of the rockscape was redone and there is some additional live rock in the tank as well.

 

[i cant think]

Alrighty, well, the tank is currently cycling, about 20 lbs live rock. I figure itll be solid by the end of june. I am now at the point that i am thinking about having my LFS order up some fish to throw in his qt tanks.
I am thinking of first throwing in an Oxycirrhites typus and either a Canthigaster leoparda/Cirrhilabrus rubripinnis/Halichoeres chrysus.

after deliberating on the subject for the last two weeks this is my list:
Longnose hawk
3 wrasses: 1 dusky wrasse(most desired), some type of anampses and or Macropharyngodon, or some other wrasse like a yellow coris.
Dwarf lionfish
C. Leoparda puffer
Once the tank is mature and stocking list is complete, I’ll determine whether or not the tank can handle a snowflake eel.

1.5 inch sandbed, the left side of the rockscape was redone and there is some additional live rock in the tank as well.

I wouldn’t do a dusky or anampses wrasse in a 60g as they get rather large.
Stick with something smaller I.E. Radiant Wrasse or Yellow “Coris” Wrasse (The yellow coris is actually a Halichoeres and not part of the genus Coris).
If you go for a snowflake then be warned that you may lose a lot of the slim bodied fish.

 

[bigbugoutfitters]

I wouldn’t do a dusky or anampses wrasse in a 60g as they get rather large.
Stick with something smaller I.E. Radiant Wrasse or Yellow “Coris” Wrasse (The yellow coris is actually a Halichoeres and not part of the genus Coris).
If you go for a snowflake then be warned that you may lose a lot of the slim bodied fish.

Wish i knew how to edit the original thread, but went with a 75 instead. Think I mentioned that a few posts back. Yep, Halichoeres chrysus , i like it and it is a fish that i have had before but i am not 100 % set on it. As for the radiant, i suppose its just not for me. As for eel danger with the reading that i have done a 4-5” fish should be “safe” and that the biggest thing is ensuring that the eel stays on its feeding schedule.

 

[bigbugoutfitters]

Well, I’ve finally got the tank running, just a hawkfish and a tiny damsel to act as a greeter to the lion. After a lot of thought i am leaning away from the puffer for a number of reasons as well as probably just getting 2 wrasses. Instead of the puffer ive been looking at high hats. Does anyone have any experience with them?
Updated stocking is more like this:
Dwarf lion
Longnose hawk
2 wrasses
Hi Hat

Possibly an eel
Any thoughts?