What to add next

herlin518 · Apr 21, 2014

Hi folks,

Well, after a rough start, things seem to have leveled out pretty good. I still have my Snowflake Clown and Six-lined Wrasse. They appear to be doing good. I also have my hermit crabs and snails. I did lose a Black Ocellaris Clown and a Fire Shrimp. I did my first water change this weekend, it was about a 15% change. I did that on Sat. So now I am debating on what to add next and when. My future plans are for Soft Corals, more fish and some shrimp to help with cleanup. I am not going to rush at all. Oh, and at some point in the future, I do want to bring in some LPS and maybe SPS, but that is the far future when I get better at this.

So, I need some thoughts on the best way to do this and what to look at first.

As a reminder, I bought my first fish a week ago last Friday. Also, below is what my tank is and the readings

90 Gal tank
Photon 48" LED
20 Gal sump
Octopus Protein Skimmer
2 MP25s

Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates around 5, Salinity 1.026

Thanks folks

Reefing Madness · Apr 22, 2014

vlangel · Apr 22, 2014

Hi herlin, what sort of substrate do you have and how big is your tank? Those are important considerations when choosing new inhabitants. You would probably be safe with another shrimp to start with, a cleaner or coral banded are both pretty and hardy.

herlin518 · Apr 22, 2014

I mentioned my tank size in the original thread entry. But I have about 1" of rough sand substrate.

I want a couple more Wrasse, not sure which ones though. But I worry about the Six Line. I am also looking at a Copper Banded Butteryfly and a Lawnmower Benny.

vlangel · Apr 22, 2014

Oops there it is, right in front of me- 90g, sorry I missed that. Yes, six lines can get a bit nasty although they are great if you develop a bristle worm problem. Copperband butterfly can be difficult to feed and keep long term unless you are diligent about getting them live worms and baby brine. Read Paul B birthday tank 40 years thread. He has kept Copperband Butterflies successfully. Have you considered a Midas Blenny? They are a cool fish, swim like an eel and have a puppy dog face. I'd add it near the end though. They aren't so much aggressive as they are bossy.