Stocking my 180 reef

ibryson · Mar 18, 2019

hey reefers! I’ll be starting to add water this week (it’ll be a long process to fill up 180+ gallons) and I’m looking for fish stocking suggestions. Yes, I will be quarantining. From what I’ve gathered, my first phase of fish should be more docile so they can get comfortable and established first. What’s a good schooling fish that works best in groups of roughly 5? Also, I will be moving a pair of clownfish over from my current tank. Will I be able to add more clownfish to them or will that not end well?

Also, any other “must have” fish that you all think I should get?

Blackice615 · Mar 18, 2019

Blonde naso tang!

ibryson · Mar 18, 2019

Blackice615 said:
Blonde naso tang!

I should have mentioned one of my “must have” fish is an Achilles tang. The blonde naso is less aggressive than the Achilles usually, right? I think I could get by with having two tangs in this tank...

Blackice615 · Mar 18, 2019

Yes. That is correct. Achilles is very nice

nereefpat · Mar 18, 2019

Blonde Naso tangs are gentle Giants. But they get too big for a 180, in my opinion.

DanInMichigan · Mar 19, 2019

first round of intros to a new aquarium should be the small shy guys. Do you plan on any of those?

Musovski · Mar 19, 2019

id add fish slowly, so that bioload can catch up. do you like schooling fish?

eatbreakfast · Mar 19, 2019

Dispar or randalls anthias are relatively hardy, inexpensive, social anthias.

Fusilier damsels are hardy social fish that behave like anthias.

Zebra and scissortail dartfish are also social.

Other popular choices include: flame or longnose hawk, royal gramma, midas blenny, fairy or flasher wrasses, yellow coris wrasse, pyramid butterfly, swallowtail angel.

ibryson · Mar 19, 2019

DanInMichigan said:
first round of intros to a new aquarium should be the small shy guys. Do you plan on any of those?

Yeah for sure! I’d like a group of schooling fish as well.

eatbreakfast · Mar 19, 2019

It's better to put peaceful, outgoing fish in before shy fish, as the activity of the peaceful fish will make the shy fish a little more outgoing.

ibryson · Mar 19, 2019

Musovski said:
id add fish slowly, so that bioload can catch up. do you like schooling fish?

Yeah so I’m looking for suggestions on colorful, active schooling fish that stay relatively small. Maybe a group of 5

AWIL57 · Mar 19, 2019

There are a lot of cool ones out there but most seem to be kind of mean. I put 3 firefish in together and now that they are comfortable they hang out and dart around all day together. I love their look and their movements are fun.