28g Nano reef - questions on stocking order

[Phranque]

I've got my 28g nano cycle started, but have a few questions for later down the road.... I know what I want to do, but am looking for some guidance on what order to do it in. I've run FOWLR's, so I'm not new to salt, but this will be my first attempt at keeping a reef.

Stocking plan is to mainly concentrate on learning reef keeping for stepping up to a bigger tank in a few years, probably using this tank as seed for the bigger reef. And, obviously, I'll also want a couple of fish for activity. The fish plan is a max of 3 fish... the two definites are an ocellaris & a purple firefish, with the third possiblity being a small wrasse, either a banded, pygmy, or six-line.
Plan with the corals is starting with couple zoas & mushrooms, then step up to a few LPS (acan brain, candy cane, & frogspawn are the goal), and then try my hand at an SPS or two, maybe something like a birdsnest.... I've got the 89w LED nano, so I believe I have the lighting to handle a high-light SPS.

With that information, the root of my post is.... should I add the fish first, get the bioload established, and then start adding a couple corals, or get some corals established first and add a fish at a time later down the road?? And, at what point should a few members of a CUC be added into the mix (thinking banded shrimp, blue legs, and either astraea or turban snails)?

Short of my wife killing me for spending too much on my hobbies, I've got all the time in the world.... just looking to do it right the first time.

Thanks for reading, and all feedback is appreciated....

[Schism]

Originally Posted by Phranque

I've got my 28g nano cycle started, but have a few questions for later down the road.... I know what I want to do, but am looking for some guidance on what order to do it in. I've run FOWLR's, so I'm not new to salt, but this will be my first attempt at keeping a reef.

Stocking plan is to mainly concentrate on learning reef keeping for stepping up to a bigger tank in a few years, probably using this tank as seed for the bigger reef. And, obviously, I'll also want a couple of fish for activity. The fish plan is a max of 3 fish... the two definites are an ocellaris & a purple firefish, with the third possiblity being a small wrasse, either a banded, pygmy, or six-line.
Plan with the corals is starting with couple zoas & mushrooms, then step up to a few LPS (acan brain, candy cane, & frogspawn are the goal), and then try my hand at an SPS or two, maybe something like a birdsnest.... I've got the 89w LED nano, so I believe I have the lighting to handle a high-light SPS.

With that information, the root of my post is.... should I add the fish first, get the bioload established, and then start adding a couple corals, or get some corals established first and add a fish at a time later down the road?? And, at what point should a few members of a CUC be added into the mix (thinking banded shrimp, blue legs, and either astraea or turban snails)?

Short of my wife killing me for spending too much on my hobbies, I've got all the time in the world.... just looking to do it right the first time.

Thanks for reading, and all feedback is appreciated....

Well as for stocking order you would probably be best off going firefish,clown, then wrasse. With plenty of time in between. You stock corals at any time just be sure to start slow and add fish slow to avoid any sudden changes in water chemistry.

CuC is usually added before fish or after the first fish. Careful with the banded shrimp. They can be aggressive, especially in smaller tanks