Stocking 40B FOWLR

[ScottsTanks]

Hey folks,

I've got a 40B that's been running for 17 months. I previously had a peacock mantis shrimp in the tank but it recently passed. My wife would now like to use the tank as a "community" tank but I'm not 100% sure what I can stock the tank with.

The mantis has been dead since February (starvation: stopped eating frozen food idk why) and I've done a fair number of water changes and parameters look on point. Last weekend we picked up a royal gramma and a Falco hawkfish, any other suggestions on livestock? Not interested in clownfish, damsels, or cardinals just FYI.

Stats:
40B display; 20lbs LR and 40lbs substrate (50/50 mix of crushed coral and sugar sand); tank has run uninterrupted for 17 months

Aquatop cf400uv filter; running bioballs and Seachem Matrix

Koralia Evo 850gph pump

Lighting is a cheap 50/50 bulb from Petco; runs 10 hours/day only for viewing purposes

Salinity 1.024; temp 80F; pH 7.8; nitrate <5ppm; phosphate undetected

Current livestock: 1 royal gramma, 1 falco hawkfish, 1 fighting conch, 6 astrea snails, 5 super tongan nassarius

 

[eatbreakfast]

A blenny such as an algae, starry, stigmatura, or midas. Perhaps a jawfish, waspfish, firefish, Wetmorella wrasse, pink streak wrasse, watchman goby/shrimp, sunburst anthias.

 

[ScottsTanks]

A blenny such as an algae, starry, stigmatura, or midas. Perhaps a jawfish, waspfish, firefish, Wetmorella wrasse, pink streak wrasse, watchman goby/shrimp, sunburst anthias.

I like your suggestion of a starry or Midas blenny. I like jawfish except you can never predict where they'll burrow; same goes for the watchman/pistol pair.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I find that jawfish like to know what's going on, so they will end up toward the front of the tank to see out. And if you have an idea where you would like it to be, placing a lot of rubble in that area will help them decide.