Stocking my first tank...

[AbjectMaelstroM]

The assembly portion of my 120g mixed reef is slowly approaching completion and its time to nail down the stocking list. This has changed 10 times over since July but I think I'm getting close to what I/we want.

So this is what I would like in no particular order:

Levels of want
*** - high
** - med
* - low.

***- Yellow tang
***- White tail bristletooth tang
**- Purple tang (3 tangs might be pushing it in a 4ft tank)
***- A pair of Clowns, originally wanted maroons but after doing some reading it seems they're ******s alot of the time, going to try some more peaceful... But they're damsels so I guess I'm asking to too much.
*- 2-3 firefish or a pair of Cardinals - I like how they hover.
***- Diamond or Watchman Goby
**- Starry Blenny
**- Flame Hawkfish
***- DRAGONET... this is the one I REALLY want in my tank eventually, but probably not for another year if not more.
***- Coral Beauty -wife really wants one of these.
** - 2 Wrasses (fairy?)

As much as I would live to have all of these, it may not be realistic in a 120.


OK boys and girls, let me have it. Any glaring issues? Substitutions? Order of stocking... Clowns first, but after that?

QT is only a 20g so can't do too many at a time.

 

[Jon Fishman]

Levels of want
*** - high
** - med
* - low.

***- Yellow tang
***- White tail bristletooth tang
**- Purple tang (3 tangs might be pushing it in a 4ft tank)

Maybe a yellow or bristletooth by itself is the only tang I would consider in a 4’. 1 or the other, not both.

I probably wouldn’t do either though

 

[Jesterrace]

The Yellow and Purple should be out. IMHO 5-6 feet of length at least for those guys. They tend to become bullies when they are the biggest fish in the tank with nothing to keep their attitude in check. I have a 90 gallon (same as a standard 120, just with 6 inches less of width) and my 4 inch Yellow Tang turned into an unholy terror on my Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel (took a chunk out of it's lower fin and repeatedly cut it with it's tail scalpel). Bristletooth should be okay as they stay smaller and tend to be better behaved. F

For Clownfish, stick with the Ocellaris or Percula varieties as they tend to be the best behaved

Cardinalfish, may or may not work as multiples. Sometimes they get along and others they pick each other off. Firefish will kill each other unless they are a mated pair and are very easily bullied.

Diamond Watchman Goby-Great Choice, just be aware they can create sandstorms in your tank and dump it where you don't want it.

Starry Blenny-Good Choice, although be aware that it may have issues with the goby given that they occupy similar space and have a similar shape.

Flame Hawkfish-Good Choice, just don't put it with small fish or they may become dinner

Dragonet: Wait 6 months to a year to get a really solid and healthy breeding pod population for one and then you should be fine.

Coral Beauty-Only issue with these is potential Coral Nipping habits and it comes down to the individual fish. That said it does improve your odds of success with any dwarf angel to have an established tank with algae growing and to do daily feedings of Nori/Seaweed and in general keep it well fed. I did this with my Coral Beauty and it has been a near model citizen for the 18 months or so I have had it and it has been pretty well behaved with my Zoanthid, Frogspawn and Hammer Corals. Of the Dwarf Angels it's one of the better choices for behavior and less aggressive in general than say a Flame Angel.

Wrasses-As long as they are the generally peaceful ones (ie Fairy, Flasher, Halichoeres) you should be good, just make sure you do different species as Wrasses don't pair up and in captivity most transition to male.

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

Dang, OK that sucks for the yellow tang as they bring a lot of pop to the tank. Any other "small" options for a tang other than bristletooth.

I guess firefish is out. Cardinals may be in... Everytime I've seen them (pair) they just seem super chill and just hover.

As far as the oder of stocking... :
1. Clowns + Goby + Blenny + Cardinals? (maybe too much at once) or split them up to Clowns + Goby, then Blenny + Cardinals?
2. Tang(s)
3. Hawkfish / Wrasses (1 fairy, 1 flasher, 1 Hali?)
4. Wrasses (1 fairy, 1 flasher, 1 Hali?) / Hawkfish
5. Coral Beauty
6. Mandarin (waaaaayyy down the line)

PS. Thoughts on Dotty Backs and or Royal Gramma?

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

Bumpidy-bump.

 

[nereefpat]

Dang, OK that sucks for the yellow tang as they bring a lot of pop to the tank. Any other "small" options for a tang other than bristletooth.

I guess firefish is out. Cardinals may be in... Everytime I've seen them (pair) they just seem super chill and just hover.

As far as the oder of stocking... :
1. Clowns + Goby + Blenny + Cardinals? (maybe too much at once) or split them up to Clowns + Goby, then Blenny + Cardinals?
2. Tang(s)
3. Hawkfish / Wrasses (1 fairy, 1 flasher, 1 Hali?)
4. Wrasses (1 fairy, 1 flasher, 1 Hali?) / Hawkfish
5. Coral Beauty
6. Mandarin (waaaaayyy down the line)

PS. Thoughts on Dotty Backs and or Royal Gramma?

I disagree that the yellow tang or purple tang is out. If it's your 'must have' fish, then get it. You just should make it your only tang. Add it last, and you most likely won't be able to keep any other tangs/butterflies.

Firefish will be fine too. Just get one or a actual "pair."

I would do your order a bit differently.
Any fairy or flashers should go in early, so move them to the top.
Move the tang to last, although the tang won't care about you adding a mandarin after it.

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

I disagree that the yellow tang or purple tang is out. If it's your 'must have' fish, then get it. You just should make it your only tang. Add it last, and you most likely won't be able to keep any other tangs/butterflies.

Firefish will be fine too. Just get one or a actual "pair."

I would do your order a bit differently.
Any fairy or flashers should go in early, so move them to the top.
Move the tang to last, although the tang won't care about you adding a mandarin after it.

Ideally I would have loved to have both the bristletooth and the yellow; unfortunately that doesn't appear to be in the cards, so I think if it comes down to one I'll probably go with the bristletooth tang for more of a workhorse.

As for the wrasses and the stocking order:
1. Clowns + goby
2. wrasses + blenny
3. Hawkfish + cardinals/dottyback
4. Coral Beauty
5. Tang
6. Mandarin

?

 

[Mmun]

The assembly portion of my 120g mixed reef is slowly approaching completion and its time to nail down the stocking list. This has changed 10 times over since July but I think I'm getting close to what I/we want.

So this is what I would like in no particular order:

Levels of want
*** - high
** - med
* - low.

***- Yellow tang
***- White tail bristletooth tang
**- Purple tang (3 tangs might be pushing it in a 4ft tank)
***- A pair of Clowns, originally wanted maroons but after doing some reading it seems they're ******s alot of the time, going to try some more peaceful... But they're damsels so I guess I'm asking to too much.
*- 2-3 firefish or a pair of Cardinals - I like how they hover.
***- Diamond or Watchman Goby
**- Starry Blenny
**- Flame Hawkfish
***- DRAGONET... this is the one I REALLY want in my tank eventually, but probably not for another year if not more.
***- Coral Beauty -wife really wants one of these.
** - 2 Wrasses (fairy?)

As much as I would live to have all of these, it may not be realistic in a 120.


OK boys and girls, let me have it. Any glaring issues? Substitutions? Order of stocking... Clowns first, but after that?

QT is only a 20g so can't do too many at a time.

The purple tang is aggressive and would bully most of those fish. Same with maroon clowns. I like bristletooth tangs. Great cleaners of algae. The mixture with the yellow tang in that size tank is 50/50 crap shoot.

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

Any issues with the other stocking options?

For wrasse I'm thinking : Carpenters Flasher, Red Head Solon or Red Head Fairy, and a Melanarus.

 

[Mmun]

Any issues with the other stocking options?

For wrasse I'm thinking : Carpenters Flasher, Red Head Solon or Red Head Fairy, and a Melanarus.

Any of those would be fine as long as your only doing just one. You could mix a couple of those but not with Melanarus. If mixing you would have to add at same time.

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

Any of those would be fine as long as your only doing just one. You could mix a couple of those but not with Melanarus. If mixing you would have to add at same time.

I was going add all 3 at once. What's the issue with melanarus? From what I've read they should be fine with fairy and Flasher (one of each). Maybe I missed something.

 

[Mmun]

I was going add all 3 at once. What's the issue with melanarus? From what I've read they should be fine with fairy and Flasher (one of each). Maybe I missed something.

There a little more aggressive. I have one now but he’s only wrasse really a model citizen. There are forums on here where people have an almost wrasse tank. You might be fine adding him into mix doing it all at once.

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

IMO, those wrasses should be fine together. Firefish are great as are royal grammas. Dottybacks are horrible jerks that don’t belong in peaceful in my experience, so I would cross that off the list. I would also do introduction order different though
1. Firefish and goby ( if you get a firefish)
2. cardinals or RG (not sure if you really want the royal gramma, just saw that you had mentioned it. You could probably do both)
3. Wrasses
4. Blenny and clowns
5. Flame hawks
6. Coral Beauty
7. Tang
8. Mandarin
You may not want all of the fish I have in this list, and you could consolidate if you don’t.