Stocking Question

[DKQuinn]

Hey guys! I’m trying to figure out where I am in the stocking process with my tank. I have the 40 gallon aqua top cube. Right now I have an orchid dottyback, bi color blenny, cardinal, and a pair of Picasso clowns. Am I over stocked, good, or could I add more. Trying to do this right the first time so asking those that know. Thanks!

 

[SilverRanger]

Adding inverts probably wouldn’t hurt. Perhaps a skunk cleaner shrimp?

 

[DKQuinn]

Adding inverts probably wouldn’t hurt. Perhaps a skunk cleaner shrimp?

Oh I didn’t even think of that. I love this idea! I did forget to mention I have 2 turbo snails and 2 trochus snails for past algae blooms.

 

[SilverRanger]

Yeah a cleaner shrimp or Fire cleaner shrimp would be beneficial in cleaning parasites off your current inhabitants and would have a low bio load

 

[dedragon]

Oh I didn’t even think of that. I love this idea! I did forget to mention I have 2 turbo snails and 2 trochus snails for past algae blooms.

Dont add the cleaner shrimp if you fully qt your stuff though as it isnt necessary and usually eats all the food directly from corals mouths (bothering the heck out of them), They start as being cool and then u realize your lps coral can never be fed again, ugh sorry this is more a personal hatred of my own cleaner shrimp, lol

 

[MaxTremors]

I think you’re right around a perfect bioload for the size of aquarium, but you could add another small fish or two and still not be dangerously overstocked. It just depends on what you want to keep in the tank, what kind of filtration you have, and how much/what kind of live rock you have. If you’re mostly interested in keeping softies with some LPS, you could add another fish or two, if you’re planning on a mixed reef or SPS dominant tank, I’d probably stay where you’re at (but this depends on how effective your nutrient export is, if you have a productive refugium, or can effectively keep your nutrients in check through water changes or carbon dosing, or maybe all of these methods, you could probably still add another small fish or two). There are just a lot of factors to think about and what your plan for the tank is.

 

[dedragon]

forgot to say, my vote would be one small/medium size fish like a dwarf angelfish or leopard wrasse. Or 2 small fish like springeri or azures damselfish. like tremors said, it is going to matter on the nutrient export as well

 

[DKQuinn]

Dont add the cleaner shrimp if you fully qt your stuff though as it isnt necessary and usually eats all the food directly from corals mouths (bothering the heck out of them), They start as being cool and then u realize your lps coral can never be fed again, ugh sorry this is more a personal hatred of my own cleaner shrimp, lol

I have heard of this. I thought it was only undigested food. Good to know!

 

[DKQuinn]

I think you’re right around a perfect bioload for the size of aquarium, but you could add another small fish or two and still not be dangerously overstocked. It just depends on what you want to keep in the tank, what kind of filtration you have, and how much/what kind of live rock you have. If you’re mostly interested in keeping softies with some LPS, you could add another fish or two, if you’re planning on a mixed reef or SPS dominant tank, I’d probably stay where you’re at (but this depends on how effective your nutrient export is, if you have a productive refugium, or can effectively keep your nutrients in check through water changes or carbon dosing, or maybe all of these methods, you could probably still add another small fish or two). There are just a lot of factors to think about and what your plan for the tank is.

I do plan to do mostly soft corals with maybe a few hard. This is my first salt and don’t want to go crazy lol. Learning with this one and plan to do a 100+ gallon in the future. I have some zoas, hammer, and favia in a QT right now. I plan to add more softies. With that, would you think a hawk fish or fire fish would put me overboard with bio load?

 

[dedragon]

I do plan to do mostly soft corals with maybe a few hard. This is my first salt and don’t want to go crazy lol. Learning with this one and plan to do a 100+ gallon in the future. I have some zoas, hammer, and favia in a QT right now. I plan to add more softies. With that, would you think a hawk fish or fire fish would put me overboard with bio load?

no but hawkfish can eat smaller fish, their mouths are surprisingly expansive. firefish you could add 2 no problem, watch out if you dont have a lid though as they jump more than even wrasses

 

[DKQuinn]

no but hawkfish can eat smaller fish, their mouths are surprisingly expansive. firefish you could add 2 no problem, watch out if you dont have a lid though as they jump more than even wrasses

Oooh, good to know about the fire fish! I learned that the hard way about wrasses. Lost a carpenter flasher wrasses (my favorite fish) that way. Still trying to make a net type lid I like to fix that problem.

 

[dedragon]

diy net by bulkreefsupply.com isnt bad and pretty easy to build if you were looking for a net top... i bought one a year ago and havent set it up, lazy/want to set up a new tank myself.
TG my leopard wrasse only likes to jump into and out of the overflow box whenever it wants, literally scared me cuz i though it was dead a few times but it's just really smart i guess.

 

[DKQuinn]

diy net by bulkreefsupply.com isnt bad and pretty easy to build if you were looking for a net top... i bought one a year ago and havent set it up, lazy/want to set up a new tank myself.
TG my leopard wrasse only likes to jump into and out of the overflow box whenever it wants, literally scared me cuz i though it was dead a few times but it's just really smart i guess.

Thanks, ill check them out today!

 

[hds4216]

I think you could consider other inverts - pistol shrimp/goby would be awesome and not strain the bioload too much. Urchins are also super cool. Sexy shrimp are really interesting too.