Starting reefer 350

[helwrj28]

I'm gonna be starting a reefer 350 tank soon (91g with sump), and looking for advice on starting fish and cleanup crew (recommendations on various options and approximations). I understand with a new tank with cycling and slowly adding fish and cleanup crew to ensure they have a food source. Here is what I am thinking so far but open to suggestions on approximations and ordering!

1 pair of clownfish
1 blenny
1 goby
1 rabbitfish
1-2 damsel fish
??? Various cleanup crew (emerald crab, sea urchin, snails)

What do you think would be best order after adding clownfish? How soon before adding cleanup crew and what to start with? Any other beginner fish I'm missing?

 

[GoVols]

I'm gonna be starting a reefer 350 tank soon (91g with sump), and looking for advice on starting fish and cleanup crew (recommendations on various options and approximations). I understand with a new tank with cycling and slowly adding fish and cleanup crew to ensure they have a food source. Here is what I am thinking so far but open to suggestions on approximations and ordering!

1 pair of clownfish
1 blenny
1 goby
1 rabbitfish
1-2 damsel fish
??? Various cleanup crew (emerald crab, sea urchin, snails)

What do you think would be best order after adding clownfish? How soon before adding cleanup crew and what to start with? Any other beginner fish I'm missing?

First off I would highly recommend buying a four-stage RO/DI unit with a built-in TDS meter and use that pure RO/DI water for everything that you do, including your top off water.

The proper way to cycle a new reef

Cycling an Aquarium

Cycling a new aquarium. One of the earliest topics a new aquarium hobbyist needs to learn is how to properly cycle their aquarium. There is a ton of information on this process and many different methods on how to accomplish it. There are many different chemical and biological cycles our tank...

www.reef2reef.com

Another great read

Cycling an Aquarium

Cycling a new aquarium. One of the earliest topics a new aquarium hobbyist needs to learn is how to properly cycle their aquarium. There is a ton of information on this process and many different methods on how to accomplish it. There are many different chemical and biological cycles our tank...

www.reef2reef.com

To have success you need to base things on testing your water, the below test kits have served me well.

Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates levels / Salifert test kits.

Calcium level / API cal test will do the job

Magnesium level / Salifert

Alkalinity level / Hanna alk checker

Alkalinity DKH Colorimeter HI772 Hanna Checker - Marine Water

Why does BRS recommend this? The Hanna Alkalinity checker is an awesome little tool that now will give results in DKH values that are much more common in the aquarium hobby. It will also give you accurate easy to read results with the large LCD display. We like the repeatable results and ability...

www.marinedepot.com

HI772-26 Alkalinity Checker Reagents - Hanna

Reagent refill for Alkalinity Colorimeter HI772 or HI755 Hanna Checker HC Marine Water, as well as the Marine Master HI97105 Multiparameter Photometer. Enough reagent for 25 tests. Item #: HI755-26

www.marinedepot.com

Phosphate level / the new Hanna phosphate ULR ppm checker

Phosphate Ultra Low Range PPM Colorimeter HI774 Hanna Checker - Marine Water

The HI774 Ultra Low Range Phosphate Checker® is a cost-effective way to measure phosphate in marine systems, including reef tanks. Excessive phosphate levels can prevent calcification, skeletal formation, and growth of many coral species, particularly those referred to as SPS or small-polyp...

www.marinedepot.com

HI774-25 Phosphate ULR Reagents - Marine Water

Phosphate Ultra Low Range reagent refills for the easy to use, handheld Phosphate ULR ppm Colorimeter HI774 Hanna Checker HC - Marine Water, as well as the Marine Master HI97105 Multiparameter Photometer. 25 packets of reagent Item #: HI 774 -25

www.marinedepot.com

Agree:
Add the pair of clowns after you go through the complete cycling stage.

Bring in the cleanup crew right when you hit the algae ugly stage so that they don't starve beforehand. I would consider bringing in some blue legged hermits as well. Love those small pincushions and Royal (Tuxedo), sea urchins.

Snail type?
These

Trochus Snail

Trochus Snails are great for overall aquarium cleaning. They eat green film algae and diatoms. See below for more information.

www.algaebarn.com

I would take a pass on adding any more damsels, other than your clownfish, too aggressive.
Even Blue Green Chromis will kill each other off in a home's reef aquarium.

Instead: Consider bringing in one Royal Gramma or one Black Cap Basset.

I'd bring in your rabbitfish in last to make sure that your reef can handle that much bio-load.
I get a One Spot Foxface (for your rabbitfish) because it's size is within a 70-gallon min. tank.

Test your ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates levels before adding any new fish and test again before adding each new fish.

To be honest, I would not go above the fish (bio-load) list that you have, please don't add any damsels (other than your clownfish), when those fully mature, it's just not worth having to get those out from beating up on your other fish.

If you're willing to screen top cover your 350, a Diamond goby is cool to watch and do a great job of turning over (getting the funk out of) a sand bed.

lol,
Hope some of your questions have been answered.

 

[HermitFish]

If you add a diamond goby, you should consider wait until your sand bed has built up a solid food source and that the sand is the right size for sifting fish such as the goby. I’ve heard sources like BRS mention waiting as much as 1year.

 

[GoVols]

If you add a diamond goby, you should consider wait until your sand bed has built up a solid food source and that the sand is the right size for sifting fish such as the goby. I’ve heard sources like BRS mention waiting as much as 1year.

Agree,
If it won't take to mysis shrimp at the start, it would starve.

 

[helwrj28]

Thank you everybody for the assistance! I see you mentioned not adding any more fish than I listed based on the bioload demands.. so I should only add about 6-8 fish then? Which of the fish listed have the most demands? What is a rough estimate for the number and size of fish I can add?

 

[GoVols]

Thank you everybody for the assistance! I see you mentioned not adding any more fish than I listed based on the bioload demands.. so I should only add about 6-8 fish then? Which of the fish listed have the most demands? What is a rough estimate for the number and size of fish I can add?

Add the One Spot Foxface last, the other rabbitfish get too big for your 350, and please do not add any more damsels other than your clownfish.

You have to test your phosphates and nitrates before adding each new fish to make sure those two parameters are still in range so you can grow corals.

If you pack a saltwater tank with too many fish they will fight, each fish needs its own space on a natural coral reef.

It's not so much about a guessimate, it's how your phosphates and nitrates test too, and don't go overboard so your fish will not fight.

You have to test, my friend...

 

[helwrj28]

Again appreciate the information, I'll avoid the damsel fish. What are thoughts about a chromis or dottyback? (Would love a purple or blue/green fish to add to color variety)

 

[Scubafrog]

Again appreciate the information, I'll avoid the damsel fish. What are thoughts about a chromis or dottyback? (Would love a purple or blue/green fish to add to color variety)

Dottybacks can be a little aggressive so you may want to look at a basslet. Royal Gramma Basslet is yellow/purple similar to the bi-color dottyback.

Great information here. I started a Red Sea Reefer 350 this summer. I transferred over (2) ocellaris clownfish, a bi-color dottyback, and a yellow eye kole tang from a BioCube. My dottyback died recently (was six years old) so I added a diamond watchman goby (eats mysis) and a dwarf flame angel. My clownfish are six years old as well and the female can be quite territorial and mean. It took about a week for the clowns and tang to accept the new inhabitants when I introduced them one at a time.

Good luck with the Reefer.

 

[GoVols]

Again appreciate the information, I'll avoid the damsel fish. What are thoughts about a chromis or dottyback? (Would love a purple or blue/green fish to add to color variety)

Chromis school in nature for protection.

Once Blue Green Chromis get in a home reef, they'll stop schooling over time.

They will lose the schooling behavior, due to the lack of predators in a home environment. (not scared anymore)

The bulling will begin until you're left with one Chromis.