Livestock build. Critique me please.

[Paul V]

Hello R2R community.

I recently bought a SW setup off Craigslist, and am working on getting the tank populated. I am trying to plan ahead, and get a good idea of what I want to get, so that I can be prepared, and avoid some unfortunate surprises. I am hoping I can propose what I would like to get, and get some feedback on whether I am being reasonable, need to make a few tweaks, or if I just need a slap on the back of the head. Thanks in advance for anyone who can help me! I appreciate all of the knowledge and expertise on this site!

My setup

80G bowfront tank
approx 80Lbs liverock
2-3" sandbed
x2 150W MH and T5H0 lighting fixture
x2 Power head
30G sump/refugium
approx 15 Lbs LR
cheato
100 micron filter sock
protein skimmer (dont know the brand, came with the setup)

Current livestock:

x4 perc clowns (came with the setup)
x1 Blue hippo tang
tons of snails/hermits
a thriving little colony of copepods

Desired Livestock

x1 Flame angel
x1 Lawn Mower Blenny
x1 sand sifting starfish
x1 cleaner shrimp
x1 carpet anemone

Livestock Im interested in
x1 Brittle Starfish
x1 horseshoe crab
x1 Long spine urchin
x1 brittle starfish
x1 mandarin dragonet
x1-3 feather dusters
x1 blue tuxedo urchin
x1 6 line wrasse

 

[melypr1985]

This is my opinion, so take it for what it's worth. Get rid of one pair of the clowns to make more room for other fish.
Ditch the horseshoe crab- those are better off left in the ocean. Did you know you had brittle star on there twice? It's ok to get two i think. The tuxedo urchin will pick things up and carry them around the tank like frags and snails - not terrible, just something to know about them. Watch out for the long spine as I hear it hurts pretty good when they stick ya. Also, a six line wrasse is a little terror and impossible to get back out of the tank once in there. I think that's it, might have missed one... I hope that helps! I'm rereading it thinking it sounds awfully negative.

I bet your tank looks beautiful! It sure is fun picking out future fish isn't it? - there that's better lol

 

[PatW]

The hippo tang really needs a far larger tank. 80 gallons is pretty small for any tang. A yellow tang or a kole tang might work.

 

[Duke4Life]

The hippo tang really needs a far larger tank. 80 gallons is pretty small for any tang. A yellow tang or a kole tang might work.

This is my opinion, so take it for what it's worth. Get rid of one pair of the clowns to make more room for other fish.
Ditch the horseshoe crab- those are better off left in the ocean. Did you know you had brittle star on there twice? It's ok to get two i think. The tuxedo urchin will pick things up and carry them around the tank like frags and snails - not terrible, just something to know about them. Watch out for the long spine as I hear it hurts pretty good when they stick ya. Also, a six line wrasse is a little terror and impossible to get back out of the tank once in there. I think that's it, might have missed one... I hope that helps! I'm rereading it thinking it sounds awfully negative.

I bet your tank looks beautiful! It sure is fun picking out future fish isn't it? - there that's better lol

I'm with these folks, Ditch the hippo and 1 set of clowns. Have you looked into the fairy and flasher wrasses?

 

[mrtian97]

is there difference between fairy and flasher wrasses?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yes ditch the horseshoe crab. I love them but we I have not read a success story yet.
If anyone has one please share it.

 

[Paul V]

This is my opinion, so take it for what it's worth. Get rid of one pair of the clowns to make more room for other fish.
Ditch the horseshoe crab- those are better off left in the ocean. Did you know you had brittle star on there twice? It's ok to get two i think. The tuxedo urchin will pick things up and carry them around the tank like frags and snails - not terrible, just something to know about them. Watch out for the long spine as I hear it hurts pretty good when they stick ya. Also, a six line wrasse is a little terror and impossible to get back out of the tank once in there. I think that's it, might have missed one... I hope that helps! I'm rereading it thinking it sounds awfully negative.

I bet your tank looks beautiful! It sure is fun picking out future fish isn't it? - there that's better lol

HA HA. Dont worry about being negative. Its hard to say "bad choice" without a little bit of negativity. Besides, your nothing less than a help to me

Thanks for the input. I did a little more reading on your suggestions and I think you're leading me in the right direction. The only problem that I have is with my clowns. of the 4 clowns, 3 of them are larger, false perc clowns, and one of them is a much smaller snowflake clown. there doesn't seem to be any "pairs". Is getting rid of a paired clownfish something I should be concerned with, or can i just off load 2 of them without mush concern for the "pair" itself?

Also, I did not realize that i had repeated the brittle starfish. Good catch!

 

[Duke4Life]

is there difference between fairy and flasher wrasses?

How they display is the biggest from what I've seen with my short experience with them so far. Good thing is fairies and flashers are easy to mix. Very active and colorful.

 

[Paul V]

The hippo tang really needs a far larger tank. 80 gallons is pretty small for any tang. A yellow tang or a kole tang might work.

Out of curiosity, is the concern for the hippo that the tank is to small, or is the concern that the hippo will outgrow the tank. Everything I've read echos your suggestion, however I have seen many a healthy hippo tang in tanks as big as mine. In fact the owner I bought this from had a hippo tang (approx 3-4") in this tank.

The reason I ask, is that Im curious if i need to offload the blue hippo soon, or if its more of a concern down the road. Thanks for the input!

 

[Paul V]

Yes ditch the horseshoe crab. I love them but we I have not read a success story yet.
If anyone has one please share it.

I used to catch these guys all day long at the beach when I was a kid. Its a shame that they are such a pain to keep, as they are rather nostalgic for me

 

[Paul V]

How they display is the biggest from what I've seen with my short experience with them so far. Good thing is fairies and flashers are easy to mix. Very active and colorful.

Thanks for suggesting this. I hadn't heard of a fairy wrasse before, but they look like beautiful fish. Im going to be reading up on them a bit more, as they have really caught my eye.

 

[Duke4Life]

Out of curiosity, is the concern for the hippo that the tank is to small, or is the concern that the hippo will outgrow the tank. Everything I've read echos your suggestion, however I have seen many a healthy hippo tang in tanks as big as mine. In fact the owner I bought this from had a hippo tang (approx 3-4") in this tank.

The reason I ask, is that Im curious if i need to offload the blue hippo soon, or if its more of a concern down the road. Thanks for the input!

As they grow and the space starts shrinking in their eyes, not every creature is the same, you could get lucky like others or it starts wiping its tank mates out all of a sudden 1 day.

 

[Duke4Life]

My favorite part with my wrasses in 5 months I've seen 1 a fairy transition from the initial phase to the terminal/super male and extremely vibrant colors.

 

[scardall]

A bare-bottom tank is safer and easier to keep. Sand bottoms are a (maintenance headache ) and only needed for looks or fish that use them.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

A bare-bottom tank is safer and easier to keep. Sand bottoms are a (maintenance headache ) and only needed for looks or fish that use them.

No. easier for your style and method We all have our own and follow our own.

And sandbeds many health bio benefits for a mixed reef. They are probiotic after all.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Double post

 

[eatbreakfast]

Hippo tangs can reach almost a foot and a half, so will outgrow an 80g.

Sixline wrasses get aggressive and will outcompete a mandarin for pods.

Agreed with Duke that fairy and flasher wrasses are an excellent choice.

I prefer the look and benefits of a sand bed, but a sandsifting will deplete the beneficial microfauna.

 

[scardall]

No. easier for your style and method We all have our own and follow our own.

And sandbeds many health bio benefits for a mixed reef. They are probiotic after all.

If sand bed is not maintaned you can have hydrogen sulfate build up and or cyno bacteria on the surface. To each their own I have both types of bottom. Sand bottom of mine is a fish only. bare bottom = safer

 

[eatbreakfast]

It tends to maintain itself. Only if it is too deep, or you go gravel vac, or add something that eats the microfauna do you end up with problems.

Cyano can grow on more than just sand.

 

[Reefrookie220]

Nothing about sand is unsafe.

Plus if he's interested in wrasses sand would be beneficial and keep them from stress of not being able to burrow. IMO.

Id pick my favorite of the clowns if I were you, the others go back to the lfs for credit.

A hippo tank is generally not a good idea, I've kept them in 4ft tanks and they seemed healthy , but after aßsing them to my upgrade (6ft) they fattened up almost over night and were much more showy.
Six line wrasse is a sweet little fish, for awhile, then its a major pain. Aggression and a decimation of pod population lol.