Evaluate my stocking logic...

[MACATUA]

OK, I am not a beginner in the saltwater field, I have posted here with you guys many times. Tell me what you think of my approach.

I have just set up a new 180, but with plenty of established live rock and sand, never even had a cycle and have tested fine for 3 weeks now. I also have set up a 100 gallon rubbermaid stock tank as my sump with about 70 gallons of water, more sand and rock.

So my thought is I of course want to go with some larger "show" type fish. But it struck me yesterday that if I did a quicker stocking with baby fish, I should not have bio-load problems up front because the babies don't produce much waste. Also, they can all grow up together which should solve some order of addition and aggression issues.

I have plenty of hiding places and can't wait to show you all, I will have pics soon.

So yesterday I picked up my first two fish, a beauty of a clown tang I had been watching for three weeks at the store eating, and jumped into my tank last night and grazed on the rock to his hearts desire. And a small dogface puffer, (the cutest darn thing you have ever seen!) Both are around 2 inches long.

I also want to add very soon in small batches a lion, trigger, angel, and harlequin tusk.

If I add thes all soon but as very small babies, does it stand to reason they should all grow into the tank together and have and easy transition?

[Hara]

triggers and lions usually conflict due to the trigger wanting to nip at the lions finnage. Tusks and triggers have also been known to tie up. Alot will depend on the type of trigger you decide upon.

Other then that, your plan looks pretty sound to me.

[MACATUA]

Yea, I had that in mind. I had a Blue-throat in with my volitan in my 125, and they did fine, so maybe a Niger or another Blue-throat in with the Lion in this case to keep that at bay.

So does my logic of quickly adding smaller fish to a large tank, keeping in mind future size, make sense?

[Hara]

I dont see any problems with it.

How are you going to solve the clean up crew issues?

[MACATUA]

used larger hermits last time and nassarius snails and didn't lose too many.

I think with some of the more aggressive species, it is just a "cost of living" issue to cycle through some clean up crew.

I have found that many of them won't bother the very small snails and hermits just due to not felling like dealing with it. And larger hermits can defend themselves.

Now any turbo snail or larger has been dinner within two nights of being in the tank.

[Hara]

hmm, my niger trigger pulled a giant dardanos megistos out of his shell and killed it. I have yet to solve the issue of clean up crew satisfactorily.

[MACATUA]

not sure the species, but mine were just like common hermits, probobly 2-2.5 inch across shell.

And they do pop a nassarius every once in a while, but like you, I think I just decided it is kind of one of those things you just have to deal with in a more agressive tank.

[Lance M.]

What I usually do whenever I get a new fish/invert is get the smallest one the lfs has so I can watch it grow and keep it longer. I also read somewhere that baby fish adapt easier to aquarium life than adult fish.

[roka64]

I would say your best bet would be critters that stay under the sand like nassis and conchs, but I imagine they still run the risk of being a snack.

[Innovator]

The only animal you might end up having to nix is the lionfish due to harassment by the puffer, angel, and trigger. Otherwise, the stocking list is fine. Your mobile invert list will just have to be hit and miss. As far as growing up together, demeanors change on a regular basis and I've never experienced fish getting along just because they grew up together...just my .02