Looking to stock 75 gallon with REEF friendly fish

[Cbones1979]

Hello,

Currently have a 75 gallon with below fish:
2 clowns
1 mandarin
1 clown goby
1 bi color blenny
1 canary wrasse

Looking to stock a few more fish. I had to pull a tang that decimated my octospawn coral yesterday. He was also trying to eat my cleaner shrimp.

I have no algae issues and in fact i've had to dial down skimming as my nitrates and phosphates keep going lower.

Was thinking a small school of cardinals? Possibly anthias? A few more wrasses that are compatible?

Anyone else have good experience in these types or have suggestions for others?

 

[Lavey29]

I have a similar size tank with the following fish and no aggression issues.

Yellow coris wrasse
Pintail fairy wrasse
Rohmboid wrasse
Blue streak cleaner wrasse
6 line wrasse
Coral beauty
Indigo dottyback
Tailspot blenny
Midas blenny
Fangtooth blenny
Mandarin
Purple firefish

 

[Magic031707]

Curious to know what kind of tang it was..I've heard of hippos eating on some. Flamehawk would look nice. Don't know what tang, but a white tail bristletooth would look good.

 

[Cbones1979]

I have a similar size tank with the following fish and no aggression issues.

Yellow coris wrasse
Pintail fairy wrasse
Rohmboid wrasse
Blue streak cleaner wrasse
6 line wrasse
Coral beauty
Indigo dottyback
Tailspot blenny
Midas blenny
Fangtooth blenny
Mandarin
Purple firefish

So no issues mixing blennies? Coral Beauty nipping corals?

 

[Cbones1979]

Curious to know what kind of tang it was..I've heard of hippos eating on some. Flamehawk would look nice. Don't know what tang, but a white tail bristletooth would look good.

It was a bristletooth tang

 

[Lavey29]

So no issues mixing blennies? Coral Beauty nipping corals?

The fish are fine together but I have a lot of rock and caves. The CB is interesting. No coral problems for a year but just noticed him nipping at some cyphastrea few days ago. LFS said he is probably out of sponge in the DT and is sampling things looking for more sponge to eat. This is part of their diet. Started feeding frozen angel food with sponge and no nipping 2 days now.

 

[Magic031707]

Ohhhh...not 2nd guessing you, but you sure it was nipping or was it nipping at algae? I have been fooled before with tangs

 

[Cbones1979]

Ohhhh...not 2nd guessing you, but you sure it was nipping or was it nipping at algae? I have been fooled before with tangs

Since I don’t have algae in my tank Hess be nipping at Duncan’s daily. I chase him from those. One day the spawn was good the next completely one head was shredded. He was just sitting there picking at it.

 

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[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

The fish are fine together but I have a lot of rock and caves. The CB is interesting. No coral problems for a year but just noticed him nipping at some cyphastrea few days ago. LFS said he is probably out of sponge in the DT and is sampling things looking for more sponge to eat. This is part of their diet. Started feeding frozen angel food with sponge and no nipping 2 days now.

That would have been my recommendation. I like Mega Marine Angel.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

Since I don’t have algae in my tank Hess be nipping at Duncan’s daily. I chase him from those. One day the spawn was good the next completely one head was shredded. He was just sitting there picking at it.

Do you feed nori? Tangs need a constant food source. Either algae in the tank, or something for them to pick at all day long. My tanks don’t have any visible algae, but it does film the glass and you can see some on the back wall. The tangs keep it from growing anywhere else.

If you have a refugium, you can always pull
Some macro algae from it and rubber band it to a piece of live rock for them to eat.

 

[Cbones1979]

Do you feed nori? Tangs need a constant food source. Either algae in the tank, or something for them to pick at all day long. My tanks don’t have any visible algae, but it does film the glass and you can see some on the back wall. The tangs keep it from growing anywhere else.

If you have a refugium, you can always pull
Some macro algae from it and rubber band it to a piece of live rock for them to eat.

I was putting nori in, not as much as I should have considering I don’t have algae in tank. It’s all in the scrubber

 

[MelancholyBlenny]

I have a similar size tank with the following fish and no aggression issues.

Yellow coris wrasse
Pintail fairy wrasse
Rohmboid wrasse
Blue streak cleaner wrasse
6 line wrasse
Coral beauty
Indigo dottyback
Tailspot blenny
Midas blenny
Fangtooth blenny
Mandarin
Purple firefish

No aggression between the six line and the other wrasses? Asking because I would love to add a fairy but getting my sixline out seems like a hard task.

 

[Lavey29]

No aggression between the six line and the other wrasses? Asking because I would love to add a fairy but getting my sixline out seems like a hard task.

6 line bothers no one. The big rohmboid occasionally chases the fairy wrasse at feeding but it's mild and doesn't last long. Majority of the time everyone gets along fine.

 

[MelancholyBlenny]

6 line bothers no one. The big rohmboid occasionally chases the fairy wrasse at feeding but it's mild and doesn't last long. Majority of the time everyone gets along fine.

Nice, maybe I'll try it. My sixline doesn't bother anyone in the tank, but I've heard horror stories when it comes to them and other wrasses. Appreciate it!

 

[Lavey29]

Nice, maybe I'll try it. My sixline doesn't bother anyone in the tank, but I've heard horror stories when it comes to them and other wrasses. Appreciate it!

Now I would add that I have extensive rockscape and caves so I feel it allows fish to find their own space if needed. They all seem to have their preferred spot to sleep at night.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

Now I would add that I have extensive rockscape and caves so I feel it allows fish to find their own space if needed. They all seem to have their preferred spot to sleep at night.

Size of tank matters also.

 

[Lavey29]

Size of tank matters also.

Agree, I didn't mention it because the OP indicated 75g which is fine for the small or mid size wrasses and other fish but you still need enough reef to help block line of sight sometimes and give areas for fish to hide if they feel they need to. 6 lines and other wrasses like yellow coris are pest hunters. They patrol the rocks all day looking for snacks. My 6 line hardly ever eats fish food I put in the tank because he snacks all day on what he finds in the rocks. Unfortunately this means no amphipods in my tanks.

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

Agree, I didn't mention it because the OP indicated 75g which is fine for the small or mid size wrasses and other fish but you still need enough reef to help block line of sight sometimes and give areas for fish to hide if they feel they need to. 6 lines and other wrasses like yellow coris are pest hunters. They patrol the rocks all day looking for snacks. My 6 line hardly ever eats fish food I put in the tank because he snacks all day on what he finds in the rocks. Unfortunately this means no amphipods in my tanks.

Yes I didn’t go back and see op tank size. However a 75 can be a little small if get a wrasse that is on the upper range of aggression. I have a melenarus and an exquisite wrasse in a 75 with no problem. But from the horror stories I wouldn’t put a six line in my 200. Maybe they exaggerate or don’t give them enough shelter or food supply.

 

[Lavey29]

Yes I didn’t go back and see op tank size. However a 75 can be a little small if get a wrasse that is on the upper range of aggression. I have a melenarus and an exquisite wrasse in a 75 with no problem. But from the horror stories I wouldn’t put a six line in my 200. Maybe they exaggerate or don’t give them enough shelter or food supply.

Well everyone has different tanks and experiences. Some have success with damsels, some don't. Some have a melanurus with their cleaner shrimp and others fine dead cleaners. Nothing definitive in a lot of areas of this hobby but that is what makes it challenging and fun. I put a simple nice YWG bottom dweller in my tank and the neighborhood kicked him out and I had to return him. I added a mandarin and the neighborhood loves him.