I need help seting up my stocking list

[JoshsReef]

I have a 75 gallon tank currently cycling with 90 pounds of live rock. i also have a 40 pound bag of live sand that i am going to add as soon as the tank cycles. I am trying to set up a stocking list and a order in which i should add the fish. Keep in mind my over all goal is to have a reef tank however i want to get it all my fish in there first and slowly add corals in roughly 9 months to a year. I also have a question about angelfish, Everything i read about them tends to state only put in a reef tank with caution and i was kinda wondering which angels are better with reefs and which ones are not. I would also like feedback on my stocking plan. I plan on housing smaller tangs and giving them back to the lfs when the grow larger or housing them in a different tank when the time comes. Would this tank be way to crowded?

My anticipated stocking list is as follows:


3-5 bangii cardinals
3 blue green chromis
2 percula clownfish
1 six line wrasse
1 cleener wrasse
1 yellow tang (small)
1 hippo tang (small)

[Innovator]

Looks fine except that the cleaner wrasse, Labroides, are not long lived and have been reported to continually pick at fish creating scars when there are no parasites. Your sixline might have issues with the cleaner as well. The yellow tang will be fine indefinitely, but the hippo will eventually outgrow the tank and needing placement in a 125g+

Almost forgot, most of your large angels such as Pomacanthus and Holacanthus will consume sponges and other soft invertebrates along with algaes. Genus Centropyge and Genicanthus are considered 50/50 when it comes to invertebrate palletability. IME, I've never had an issue with Genicanthus species, specifically lamarck and watanabei.

[JoshsReef]

What about a flame, bicolor, or the coral beauty angels. according to saltwaterfish.com they are reef safe and according to live aquaria they will nip on corals.

[Innovator]

Yet neither will tell you not to buy them. All Centropyge are hit and miss. I personally think they are worth the risk, but others say not.

[Kurt_Nelson]

All Centropyge are hit and miss.

And even then it sounds like they can be fine for several years, and then suddenly one day decide they're going to start snacking on your prize coral.

[JoshsReef]

Would my tank be to crowded? or does my stocking list sound ok

[Innovator]

Take out the cleaner and hippo and you'd actually be undercrowded. Keep the hippo and you'd be ok until growout

[melosu58]

I agree as far as the angels. They will be hit and miss . I had two that went 4 yrs with good behavior but then went crazy and had to go. IMO if you are going to have corals I `d leave them out. Also the cleaner wrasse will not last longer than 4 months IME. Dont waste your money on them.