Stock list help

[royalturtle]

Hi guys,
Thanks in advance for the help! I currently have a tank cycling so would like to start narrowing down my purchase list. I have a 75g (48") with 90lbs live sand and 75lbs live rock. I also have a Reef Octopus BH2000 skimmer (rated to 125g). I do intend to add coral to the tank, slowly; probably start with zoas until I build confidence. So here is the list of fish I like the best - I know I cannot have them all, so any advice on the best combination and order of purchase would be greatly appreciated! Also, I presume I should have the fish all settled in before adding coral - true?
One Spot Foxface
Kole Yellow Eye Tang
Ocellaris Clowns (2)
Green Chromis small school - or Yellowtail Damsels if they would work instead, worried about aggression but love the coloring
Firefish
Pajama Cardinal (3?)
Royal Gramma Basslet
Green Clown Goby
A Watchman Goby/Pistol shrimp combo
Also feel free to tell me if any of those are just a terrible idea - I am a beginner so I appreciate any advice!

 

[alco1]

WELCOME!!!

I would probably go with the chromis rather than the damsels they can be quite aggressive at times.

And the kole tang is an awesome fish to choose but some can be fairly territorial to newcomers, maybe leave that one for one of last ones to put in lol

Foxface is a really good choice, very docile.... but if you are getting one, should just look into a fairly small one, they do like to swim and they grow quite large but they grow very slowly.... in a few years if it starts to get too big for the tank or doesn't look too happy, might be time for an upgrade or giving it to LFS.

 

[royalturtle]

Thank you! I hate to give up the damsels but I'm sure you're right - I'll go with the chromis. I have a little trouble knowing how many fish I can put in my tank - for example, the Foxface and the Kole Tang both say 70-75g tank is needed, but I assume I should only have one of them as they are both larger. So how do I decide how many smaller fish I can safely/reasonably add?

 

[alco1]

yea the pretty ones are always the aggressive ones lol. I honesty think that both the kole tang and foxface will be fine in your tank, majority of your other choices are quite small. unfortunately you cant really put a number on it on the amount of fish you can have.

either way you should add fish in there very slowly eg: 1 large fish or a small school every 2-3 weeks minimal just so you don't upset the tank system with a mass increase of bioload.

as you slowly add those fish, you will get more familiar with your filtration system and what it can handle and you can really tell if it looks overstocked.

 

[royalturtle]

Thanks again - you have been super helpful. Everybody seems to have a different guideline for how to determine number of fish to add, and it gets very confusing, but I really like your approach to it.

 

[Rmckoy]

Thanks again - you have been super helpful. Everybody seems to have a different guideline for how to determine number of fish to add, and it gets very confusing, but I really like your approach to it.

There is no rule saying for that tank volume you can only have that many fish.
It has more to do with the system specifics ,
Filtration , how much and how often they get fed ,
Beneficial bacteria colonized big enough to handle waste produced ,
I have a 75 gal and have 10 Fish .
I do a PWC once a week ,
I'm inly running a skimmer and canister filter .
But I also have 150 lbs of live rock that helps with filtration . ( actually my main source of filtration .

 

[Mebbid]

I am gonna agree with r mckoy on this but add to what is being said. It boils down to both excess nutrients and fish temperament. Aggression seems to be quite a big issue for most salt tanks and that will play a part in limiting stocking as well.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I am gonna agree with r mckoy on this but add to what is being said. It boils down to both excess nutrients and fish temperament. Aggression seems to be quite a big issue for most salt tanks and that will play a part in limiting stocking as well.

+1 you can ruin your day by adding the wrong fish. Try hard to not make snap decisions at the LFS, a very hard thing to do. But there is that time when you encounter at the LFS that occasional fish you've always wanted, just do your research. It shouldn't be a shocker that when you mix creatures from all over the world and place them in a confined environment, that some of them don't get along.

But even fish that don't get along can prosper if they have an environment that allows escape. Out of sight, out of mind is also appropriate with fish. My dwarf angels hate each other, but because of lots of caves they haven't hurt each other over the years.

In the long run, reducing stress is what allows humans to live a healthy life and the same is true for all other creatures. Sorry to get long winded, but I have come to believe we make most of our problems by causing stress, which then is manifested by disease or poor eating.

 

[Rmckoy]

+1 you can ruin your day by adding the wrong fish. Try hard to not make snap decisions at the LFS, a very hard thing to do. But there is that time when you encounter at the LFS that occasional fish you've always wanted, just do your research. It shouldn't be a shocker that when you mix creatures from all over the world and place them in a confined environment, that some of them don't get along. But even fish that don't get along can prosper if they have an environment that allows escape. Out of sight, out of mind is also appropriate with fish. My dwarf angels hate each other, but because of lots of caves they haven't hurt each other over the years. In the long run, reducing stress is what allows humans to live a healthy life and the same is true for all other creatures. Sorry to get long winded, but I have come to believe we make most of our problems by causing stress, which then is manifested by disease or poor eating.

Very well said !

 

[Gregcoyote]

One Spot Foxface
Great choice, get a small one

Kole Yellow Eye Tang
Good tang choice, but can't recommend any others.

Ocellaris Clowns (2)
Must haves

Green Chromis small school - or Yellowtail Damsels
Green chromis tend to mysteriously disappear over time, yellow tails are great for a big reef full of fish larger than themselves, they mostly pick on each other and like to live at least a few feet apart.

iFirefish
Must have

Pajama Cardinal (3?)
I never had any luck with them , but others have

Royal Gramma
Must have, just don't add a purple dottyback

Basslet
Not sure

Green Clown Goby
Good choice

A Watchman Goby/Pistol shrimp combo
Why not?

 

[Rmckoy]

One Spot Foxface Great choice, get a small one Kole Yellow Eye Tang Good tang choice, but can't recommend any others. Ocellaris Clowns (2) Must haves Green Chromis small school - or Yellowtail Damsels Green chromis tend to mysteriously disappear over time, yellow tails are great for a big reef full of fish larger than themselves, they mostly pick on each other and like to live at least a few feet apart. iFirefish Must have Pajama Cardinal (3?) I never had any luck with them , but others have Royal Gramma Must have, just don't add a purple dottyback Basslet Not sure Green Clown Goby Good choice A Watchman Goby/Pistol shrimp combo Why not?

I have only had the stock I have now so can't comment on fire fish , dotty backs , basslet cardinals or gramma
But will say kole tang . Amazing fish !
Very energetic and leaves little kiss marks on the glass .
Foxface .
Nice fish , it does eat A LOT !
not the smartest fish ,
Not the toughest if you think of it as a venomous fish it should be able to hold it's weight .
No .
The first 5 mins in my tank got his butt handed to itself by my tang .
And got to meet my anemone first hand , up close and personal .
False clowns and anemone are a absolute must !
As for gobies .
I had 2 of the diamond sand sifting gobies .
They both disappear over time .
The third one is doing well .
Yellow tailed damsel I only have 1
He stays to himself .
I was told they can be VERY aggressive .

 

[royalturtle]

Very grateful to all of you! This discussion has helped me tremendously in trying to narrow my stock list. Based on your advice and aesthetics I'm currently leaning towards:
Firefish
Foxface
Clown goby
Watchman goby/pistol shrimp
Ocellaris clown pair
Kole tang
Royal gramma
Added in that order? Or maybe tang last? Thanks for the advice about the gramma with the dottyback - good to know as the dottyback does pop into my head sometimes.
And one more question - I currently have no sump. Due to space constraints the largest sump I could add is probably 10g. Would that do me any good or just be too small to be worthwhile?

 

[Reeffanman]

I have a 20 gal on my 90 reef there is about 14 gal refuge in which my macro grows like mad. I have tried cardinals before with no luck, but the trick seems to be acclimate very slowly. I have a pair that seem to be doing great.