Stocking Order

[KaylNeko]

Hi guys. I'm working on getting a 180g reef set up (very slow going--I need to win the lottery ). I wanted to check with y'all on the stock list and stocking order.

In order:

Trio of Chalk Basslets
Carpenter Flasher Wrasse
Orchid Dottyback
Yellow Prawn Goby & Pistol Shrimp
Pair of Firefish
Blue Dot Jawfish
Starry Blenny
Hippo Tang
One Spot Foxface
Tomini Tang
Ocellaris Clownfish
Flame Angel
Blue throat Trigger
Mandarin

The Hippo Tang and the Clown are the fish that I have to have -- they are what got me permission to put the tank together.

The Mandarin, I intend to get an ORA fish, plus the sump will have a refugium in it for pods, and the tank will be over a year old by the time I get to it if I stick with my plan to add fish every month after a month's quarantine.

I am willing to risk the Flame Angel nipping at corals.


So what do y'all think? Will the order work, do I have too many, any conspecifics that I missed that'll cause problems, and are there any cautions you can think of that I may have missed in my research?

 

[bribo12]

Other than the blue dot jaw jumping out eventually it looks fine to me. Just wait a while to add the mandarin.

And yes the jaw will eventually carpet surf unless you make that thing inescapable. Like cover every single hole and then cover them again lol.


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[BigRedsReefs10]

I'd add the flasher first, they're pretty timid and do best when given a chance to establish themselves/get comfortable in the tank IME.


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[KaylNeko]

bribo12, how's covering the top in egg crate then a fully enclosed canopy sound? Lol. I have read that a few of the fish are accomplished carpet surfers. But I've managed to keep dojo loaches in their tank for two years and counting, so I might succeed!

BigRedsReef10, I can do that. I was more thinking adding the the chalk bass first because if I'm dosing ammonia, the bb will be there to handle them immediately, but if adding the wrasse then adding the chalk bass' won't disrupt the bb too much, that can be arranged. It's 180 gallons, I suppose the small fish won't affect it as much with the amount of dilution at that point.

Ok, so I'm going to ask, because I know I'm going to get asked--would shifting the hippo tang to being added, say, after the firefish and before the jawfish be all right if I'm going for a youngster? I'm going to get whined at about wanting Dory and Marlin in the tank. Marlin is staying at the end of the stock list, but if I can bump Dory up, it'll make the housemates happy.

If not, they can deal with it... not sure how their timidity balances with their territoriality as youngsters.

 

[Sniperhank]

A cover like egg crate will be great for carpet surfers. I use it to keep all the fish in my tank and works quite well.

 

[BLUEaquarium06]

I could be way off here but I wanted to make sure for my own purpose and the ops. It was my understanding that fish like orchid dotty backs, basslets, and firefish should not be kept together because they get aggressive towards each other?

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[bribo12]

I could be way off here but I wanted to make sure for my own purpose and the ops. It was my understanding that fish like orchid dotty backs, basslets, and firefish should not be kept together because they get aggressive towards each other?

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In small tanks. This I a 180 gallon with what will I'm sure have a lot of live rock. So plenty of hiding spots and escape routes.

The egg crate and canopy sounds like a plan!


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[KaylNeko]

Oh yes, there will be plenty of live rock structure. I also went with the chalk and the orchid dottyback because everything I've read about those two species indicates they are among the most easygoing of their species, in general. I crossed a Royal Gramma off the list to avoid possible aggression from it when I realized it was a basslet. Little begger. I was looking at the Gold Assessor Basslet too, and crossed that one off for the same reason. C'est la vie. If I ever win the lottery, I'll set up a 350 or larger and take another look at them *lol*.

What sort of egg crate do y'all use and where do you get it? Is it something you can get at a hobby store like Hobby Lobby or Michael's, or do you use the stuff they use in fluorescent lights in large buildings? That is one question to which I've never quite seen an answer (I could also have missed it easily).

 

[Sniperhank]

Lowes or similar. It's called light defuser.


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[KaylNeko]

Is that the same sort you would put on the bottom between the glass and the rock to cushion it?

 

[bribo12]

Is that the same sort you would put on the bottom between the glass and the rock to cushion it?

Yes it is. Awh royal grammas are awesome, I love mine. Black cap basslets are super cool too


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[KaylNeko]

Sweet. Thanks. ^.^

And yeah, love the coloring of the grammas. I was a little disappointed when I read that they don't care for other basslets in their tanks, as I really, really want the chalk basslets. Hence the Orchid Dottyback! At least I still can give my housemate a purple fish that'll work for the tank.