Updated 180g stock list

[floridabromo]

So my 180 gallon tank is about to be done cycling so I think I've updated my stock list but would love any feedback or experience from anyone that has had any of these fish before! I also have a Eshopps R300 for my refugium, which I plan on putting macro algae and pods in the refugium. So please let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions.
-Black Cap Basslet
-Copperband Butterfly
-Magnificent Foxface (which is currently a juvenile in my 55g)
-Exquisite FireFish
-Green Mandarin 2x
-Bicolor Dottyback
-Dwarf Lionfish
-Orange back Fairy Wrasse
-Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse
-Powder Brown Tang
-Blue Tang
-Yellow Tang
-Paired Lightning Maroon Clowns
INVERTS
-Rainbow Urchin
-Halloween Urchin
-Scarlet Reef Hermits
-Electric Blue Hermits

 

[cracker]

May I suggest adding the CopperBand before the tangs. I feel they can be aggressive to fishes with a similar shape. Tough enough to get a Copper Band to eat & settle in. without some rowdy tang chasing it around.

 

[floridabromo]

May I suggest adding the CopperBand before the tangs. I feel they can be aggressive to fishes with a similar shape. Tough enough to get a Copper Band to eat & settle in. without some rowdy tang chasing it around.

I'll have to do that for sure, the only one I have so far is my foxface. I also just wanted to make sure that I have enough room in the tank and this isn't "over stocking"

 

[Gablami]

For a 180 I don't think you are "overstocked" or even "heavily stocked." I would say it's moderate.

 

[nervousmonkey]

I'll have to do that for sure, the only one I have so far is my foxface. I also just wanted to make sure that I have enough room in the tank and this isn't "over stocking"

Some will disagree with me, but I think it's fine, not overstocking. IMO, if you have excellent nutrient export methods, and the fish get along, I wouldn't worry.

You may want to add the mandarins later though once you have a really good pod population. Now would be the perfect time to start adding pods, since you don't have many fish that will eat them. Wait a few weeks at least, and while waiting, keep adding pods until they are all over your tank and in your sump. I do not think that the pods added to the sump will provide enough pods. You may want to think about growing them. AquaMedic has a great phytoplankton reactor that you can grow pods in all day. I have one and can get a cup of pods out every day to feed the mandarin and other fish that like pods. Also think about growing brine shrimp; you don't have to do both, I mean one or the other, although both would be awesome. The pod culture will take a week or two to get established but once you get it going, you'll have pods all day, just have to add live phytoplankton (I've used dead and still works, but instructions state live so I do that).

Otherwise, stocking list looks good to me; but I'm no fish expert at all, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

 

[floridabromo]

Some will disagree with me, but I think it's fine, not overstocking. IMO, if you have excellent nutrient export methods, and the fish get along, I wouldn't worry.

You may want to add the mandarins later though once you have a really good pod population. Now would be the perfect time to start adding pods, since you don't have many fish that will eat them. Wait a few weeks at least, and while waiting, keep adding pods until they are all over your tank and in your sump. I do not think that the pods added to the sump will provide enough pods. You may want to think about growing them. AquaMedic has a great phytoplankton reactor that you can grow pods in all day. I have one and can get a cup of pods out every day to feed the mandarin and other fish that like pods. Also think about growing brine shrimp; you don't have to do both, I mean one or the other, although both would be awesome. The pod culture will take a week or two to get established but once you get it going, you'll have pods all day, just have to add live phytoplankton (I've used dead and still works, but instructions state live so I do that).

Otherwise, stocking list looks good to me; but I'm no fish expert at all, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

I will have to look into that! I would love to add some dwarf angels but I get mixed reviews about them in reef tanks all of the time

 

[nervousmonkey]

I have a dwarf angel and have had them, one of my favorite fish, and they are aggressive but don't kill anything. They are little bullies though and think they are 2 feet. HAHA

 

[floridabromo]

I have a dwarf angel and have had them, one of my favorite fish, and they are aggressive but don't kill anything. They are little bullies though and think they are 2 feet. HAHA

I wanted a coral beauty, flameback, or a potters angel.. I just assume if they're well fed then they would leave my corals alone but everyone has always said they'll destroy your tank.. I might just go for it though and if they start to destroy anything I can always give them to my LFS

 

[nervousmonkey]

Try a pygmy angel

 

[Zack K]

@4FordFamily can help you with what order to add the fish with the tangs being so aggressive words eachpther and @eatbreakfast is a fish encyclopedia and can tell you if your bioload is okay and if everyone temperamentaly will get along.

 

[4FordFamily]

The dottyback may not get along with the for fish, add the dottyback after the fire fish if you try it. I would add the tangs concurrently, if not, add the hippo first then the yellow and powder brown at the same time afterward.

The two green mandarins may not get along, even if they are the same sex -- if you do this you'll want a pair.

Also mandarins make it very difficult to preventatively treat and keep ich and velvet out of your system, you'll find that out really quickly about the time you add the powder brown, at a minimum.

 

[floridabromo]

The dottyback may not get along with the for fish, add the dottyback after the fire fish if you try it. I would add the tangs concurrently, if not, add the hippo first then the yellow and powder brown at the same time afterward.

The two green mandarins may not get along, even if they are the same sex -- if you do this you'll want a pair.

Also mandarins make it very difficult to preventatively treat and keep ich and velvet out of your system, you'll find that out really quickly about the time you add the powder brown, at a minimum.

Okay, thank you! I was unsure about mandarins and they would've been the last thing I added just because I know they're hard to take care of. The only thing that kinda worries me is adding the tangs.. my quarantine is my old 55g aquarium so I just was very unsure about adding them all to it at the same time

 

[4FordFamily]

Okay, thank you! I was unsure about mandarins and they would've been the last thing I added just because I know they're hard to take care of. The only thing that kinda worries me is adding the tangs.. my quarantine is my old 55g aquarium so I just was very unsure about adding them all to it at the same time

With enough water changes you'll be fine. Trust the ammonia alert badge by seachem.

I have kept 10 tangs in a 55 for a full QT procedure. Lots of water changes, and very small tangs, but nonetheless a 55 gal should be fine!

 

[floridabromo]

With enough water changes you'll be fine. Trust the ammonia alert badge by seachem.

I have kept 10 tangs in a 55 for a full QT procedure. Lots of water changes, and very small tangs, but nonetheless a 55 gal should be fine!

Okay cool I just wanted to make sure! How do you feel about dwarf angel fish being in a reef aquarium? I would really love to have one or two if I could.
I would also like to specifically have an Achilles tang but I've heard they are hard to keep so I might wait a bit on that one.