Stocking List

Haydn · Dec 16, 2019

I have just spotted a stocking list from when I re-built my Tank in June 2016-

'Pair of Majestic angels- Yep but it took 2 years to find the right fish. Not yet a bonded pair but they are both still young.
Fusilier damsels- Yep I have 9 but it took 3 years, an accidental import and a tip off from a friend.
Fang blennies- Yep but they have died over the 3 years and not been replaced.
Harem of dwarf angels- Nope
Shrimp/Goby pairs-Nope
Jawfish- Nope
No Tangs- Yep stuck to that but have been tempted on a number of occasions.
Retrofaciatus Damsels- Nope
Wild clowns and an anemone- Nope
A group of Flasher wrasse- Nope
What do I have- A large group of different species of Anthias, a harem of Royal Grammas and some Emperor Cardinals. Am I happy with the tank, do I miss any of the fish- I am happy and I don't miss anything (except Shrimp/goby pairs but there is still space for them.

Anyone else fancy sharing there original stock list...

Sashaka · Dec 17, 2019

I'm envious of your pair of majestic angels. They are one of my favorite fish! I've never heard of a harem of dwarf angels being done before. They're such a territorial fish, but we now have successful harems of clownfish, so I guess anything is possible.

I went back to my original post about a stocking list for the 180 gal and reposted it below

Regal and yellow tang (need to be purchased) (Yup -2 failed tries for the Regal-one tiny, one large, both fish arrived very sick and didn't make it out of sick tank) 3rd try from NY Aquatics was the charm and it came through copper like a champ! Yellow still in the tank.

midas and stary eyed blenny (may not get along with each other and stary eyed would then be removed)
(Yup-Midas passed after 1-1/2 years-was full grown when I got it, but not sure of cause of death. Starry eyed still in tank)

coral beauty (may not get along with majestic angel, so coral beauty would then be removed) (Decided to keep it in another tank..still going strong. Instead I moved a flame angel from a different tank to the 180. It is fat and happy.)

wrasses (3 seem to get along in the smaller tanks and I may purchase a few more) (Yup-I did lose my ruby head during tank cleaning but Mel and a leopard wrasse transferred well to the 180 gal.)

majestic angel (the star of the tank!) (Still the star of the tank)

4 butterfly fish (Yup-all get along in current tank: spot band, two black and whites, vagabond) (Yup-I lost the spot band by accidental overdose of meds before I got my digital copper meter but other butterfly fish all doing well.)

engineer goby (Yup-Ended up getting two. These guys weathered some serious diseases when I got them and they survived aggressive med treatments. Awesome hardy fish)

cleaner fish (Yup-got a blue streak..was doing great.. then it went rug surfing..managing to jump through a hole less than 1" in diameter, did not replace it but I may one day)

male anthias (Nope...decided they look too much like goldfish...though if I see a great deal on a bright pink trio I might change my mind. I LOVE bright pink colored fish but I'm still looking. LOL)

Puff Daddy (as long as he behaves himself) (Came in with some internal parasite that caused its back to curve. I can't remember what the parasite is called now. No matter what meds I used, I could not cure it. The fish finally passed after about 6 months)

Update a few years later...

Kole tang (yup-2 returns due to aggression, 3rd try purchased small and is only about 3 months in and starting to show aggression. I love how well the Kole tang keeps a tank clean, but this one may have to go too, sigh)

Melanuarus wrasse (Lived 10 years between two different tanks. Sadly, Mel has passed on)
Ruby head wrasse (lost during tank cleaning accident) Beautiful fish! So sad. Added another leopard and a pin tail, both doing great.

Just added a CB a few months ago..doing well. I wasn't sure it would fair well with the tangs and other butterflies in the tank, but I had another tank I could transfer it to if things didn't work out. I purchased a large 4 in fish so it would not be as easily bullied and so far it seems to have worked. Only the vagabond chases it when I drop in a clam for dinner. Actually, the vagabond chases ANY fish away from clam on a half shell. It just does not want to share. I buy a dozen clams, freeze them, and then three times a week I split a clam in half and drop the halves on the two separate sides of the tank to help diffuse the vagabond's food aggression, but it still tries to protect both halves! Such a pig. LOL. )

Haydn · Dec 17, 2019

Sashaka said:
I'm envious of your pair of majestic angels. They are one of my favorite fish! I've never heard of a harem of dwarf angels being done before. They're such a territorial fish, but we now have successful harems of clownfish, so I guess anything is possible.

I went back to my original post about a stocking list for the 180 gal and reposted it below

Regal and yellow tang (need to be purchased) (Yup -2 failed tries for the Regal-one tiny, one large, both fish arrived very sick and didn't make it out of sick tank) 3rd try from NY Aquatics was the charm and it came through copper like a champ! Yellow still in the tank.

midas and stary eyed blenny (may not get along with each other and stary eyed would then be removed)
(Yup-Midas passed after 1-1/2 years-was full grown when I got it, but not sure of cause of death. Starry eyed still in tank)

coral beauty (may not get along with majestic angel, so coral beauty would then be removed) (Decided to keep it in another tank..still going strong. Instead I moved a flame angel from a different tank to the 180. It is fat and happy.)

wrasses (3 seem to get along in the smaller tanks and I may purchase a few more) (Yup-I did lose my ruby head during tank cleaning but Mel and a leopard wrasse transferred well to the 180 gal.)

majestic angel (the star of the tank!) (Still the star of the tank)

4 butterfly fish (Yup-all get along in current tank: spot band, two black and whites, vagabond) (Yup-I lost the spot band by accidental overdose of meds before I got my digital copper meter but other butterfly fish all doing well.)

engineer goby (Yup-Ended up getting two. These guys weathered some serious diseases when I got them and they survived aggressive med treatments. Awesome hardy fish)

cleaner fish (Yup-got a blue streak..was doing great.. then it went rug surfing..managing to jump through a hole less than 1" in diameter, did not replace it but I may one day)

male anthias (Nope...decided they look too much like goldfish...though if I see a great deal on a bright pink trio I might change my mind. I LOVE bright pink colored fish but I'm still looking. LOL)

Puff Daddy (as long as he behaves himself) (Came in with some internal parasite that caused its back to curve. I can't remember what the parasite is called now. No matter what meds I used, I could not cure it. The fish finally passed after about 6 months)

Update a few years later...

Kole tang (yup-2 returns due to aggression, 3rd try purchased small and is only about 3 months in and starting to show aggression. I love how well the Kole tang keeps a tank clean, but this one may have to go too, sigh)

Melanuarus wrasse (Lived 10 years between two different tanks. Sadly, Mel has passed on)
Ruby head wrasse (lost during tank cleaning accident) Beautiful fish! So sad. Added another leopard and a pin tail, both doing great.

Just added a CB a few months ago..doing well. I wasn't sure it would fair well with the tangs and other butterflies in the tank, but I had another tank I could transfer it to if things didn't work out. I purchased a large 4 in fish so it would not be as easily bullied and so far it seems to have worked. Only the vagabond chases it when I drop in a clam for dinner. Actually, the vagabond chases ANY fish away from clam on a half shell. It just does not want to share. I buy a dozen clams, freeze them, and then three times a week I split a clam in half and drop the halves on the two separate sides of the tank to help diffuse the vagabond's food aggression, but it still tries to protect both halves! Such a pig. LOL. )

Unfortunately I don't yet have a 'bonded' pair, I have two young (but with adult colours) Majestics which tolerate each other in the same tank. One is dominant and hopefully should become the male, the dominated one I hope will stay female.
Dwarf angelfish (Centropyge) are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that they all start life as females and can then change to male if the opportunity arises. Many live in harem groups with a dominant male and a number of females, I had a harem of Flame angels a while ago.

I think you did well sticking to your origional list, some of the fish on there are difficult to source.

How did others get on sticking to their lists?

Jon Fishman · Dec 17, 2019

I never commit to a “list”

jk1151 · Jan 1, 2020

What a cool idea. I am just getting started and have dreamed up a list but I also agree that it is hard to commit so I am sure I will be talked in to many changes. Mine seems so boring after reading others, maybe that is what happens when you are just getting in to the hobby?

1- 2x clowns
2- yellow tang
3- Tomini Tang or Kole Tang
4- 6 line wrasse
5- Sailfin Blenny
6- Royal Grammas maybe a few if I can, I like schooling fish they seem fun
7- Zebra Dart Fish
8- some type of goby and shrimp pair
9- 2-3 Firefish
10- Mandarin (only if I feel like I have a good pod population going.
11-Cleaner Wrasse