Stocking advice needed!

[Mcass]

So here's the deal....I've been a freshwater hobbiest for years but am thinking seriously about converting my 76 gallon half round to saltwater. I love reefs. I find it enjoyable and relaxing to watch the anemones and other corals flow back and forth with the currents and I love the colors that corals can add to a tank. At the same time I love puffers, lions, and many other salts that don't to well with corals.

So what I'm asking those that might be able to offer ideas, is for two different setups. One stocking idea with a coral reef in mind, and the other with no reef.

Given these two scenarios, what complete stocking list could you suggest for a 76 gallon half round?

 

[crister13]

My favorite type of tank. A predator reef . You can do both. I have a 150 mixed reef with a trigger, grouper, eel, batfish, and tang. I would recommend a dwarf lion and a Valentini puffer. The puffer could possibly pick at the lions fins, adding the puffer after would help. Also anemones need establish tanks of 6+ months. Here's my pred reef!!!

 

[Justin0329]

I am also building a predator reef. Well, testing the waters so to say, Lol. I have a niger trigger, blue tang, sailfin tang, a blue line snapper, a one spot foxface, a lunar wrasse, a snowflake moray eel, and a blue damsel. Most are considered not reef safe because they will snack on hermits, snails and more of the clean up crew. However, I haven't lost a single snail to feeding habits. I just started to introduce my first corals. A galexea coral and a blue mushroom. So far so good and its been 2 weeks.

 

[crister13]

Ya they're awesome.

 

[Mcass]

Thanks for the ideas...I'll need to look up a few of these fish as I'm unfamiliar with them. When referring to it as a predator tank, what exactly is meant by that?

 

[Justin0329]

Predator meaning strictly carnivores. For the most part inverts like hermits and shrimp won't survive. I just introduced a pair of clowns and they haven't been bothered so far. They have hosted the anemone witch I was told wouldn't happen. I guess they are using it as protection.