Stocking

[nafuzy]

Okay, assuming one simulates to the best of his ability the real ocean that actually isn't bad, what's y'alls opinion on my pre-planned stock list (fish wise; doing Lps, softie, ploys, clams reef) on a 75 gal main, 55gal sump/refuge, and a separate 20gal refuge-stand alone??? I mean you never see random fish in reefs they school assuming you have good parameters water flow and volume etc!!!??

Ok:

(not in order of obtaining):

-5-7 blue chromis (extra 2 in debate with anthias quantity)
- 4-5 lyre tail anthias (1 male, 2-3 females)
-2 ocelaris clownfish
-1 yellow tang
-1 blue throat trigger
-1 green mandarin
-1 spotted mandarin

I think it's possible and by possible I mean realistic. Sort of.

Help me out guys!!
Thank you so much!

[Sharklover]

The only one im not sure of is the trigger but minus him it should be ok,may i suggest a blenny or goby of some sort to replace him because i think the trigger may eat your smaller fish and upset your tang

[nafuzy]

I appreciate your input!! Initially I wasn't thinking of him but I know a very successful hobbyist getting away with a pair in his tank and I've always wanted one! . Plus they're the least aggressive of triggs aside from pinktails and nigers, right??


But if you really think that he'd go after my chroms or mandarins, maybe I will go with a diff tang or something.. :/

[Sharklover]

Only yellow or kole tangs fit in a 75 but i think that those 2 together may cause fights because the look simmilar and are close in size,but did you consider a flame angel,they are supposedly aggressive but if you add it last,into a tank of that size,and with a stock like that i think it might work,plus there hardy and good looking,but to help lower aggressions even more get a cleaner shrimp and when you add the angel turn out lights for like 2 days,your tank will be fine or like i said before mabey a scooter blenny or watchman goby or a bicolored blenny

[nafuzy]

I've thought a great deal about my favorite dwarf angel; but are they reef safe..???

Maybe I will go with a flame angel in that case, I'm just wondering if with my gorgeous lyre tails, and the clowns, of there would be too much orange colorations in there; I mean the corals won't have too much orange, but eh....I'm over analyzing.

Oh wait werent flames one of "the only" reef safe dwarfs..??? I don't want it nibbling my zoas or anything!!

[Nu-Nu the eel]

All of the dwarf angels are reef safe with caution. The best bet for a reef safe one is the cherub angel, then the flame, then maybe a bicolor or something. 1 tang in a 75 gallon is good in my opinion

[NyteGTI]

truthfully dwarf angels are hit or miss. they lean more towards the coral nipping side than they do the reef safe side. will people have success with dwarf angels in reef tanks? yes, but just take it with a lot of caution.

[nafuzy]

I'm probably going to end up getting my lovely blue chin. They can be very shy and the tang and anthias can hold their own, and a school of chroms might be ok too

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Haha trigger with chromis? Yup those chromis will be schooling alright... But i doubt they will be seen much. Lol

[NyteGTI]

also the 2 mandarins probably wont be feasible in a 75G. they go through pods like crazy and the 55 fuge + 20 fuge probably wont be enough for the pod farm you'd need. but I'll let somebody with mandarin experience chime in

[Sharklover]

You can buy pods and seed evry once in a while and a trigger really wont turn out well for small fish,they will be eaten and it will prob stress the tang out,which will give it ich(tangs are highly susseptible to it) and youll have a possible wipeout also it may border on overstocking and they can occasionally nibble corrals so i wouldnt do any trigger for a reef but dnt get me wrong its a cool fish

[carey]

I hate to pick apart your stocking list, so forgive me....

I would for sure wait a good long time, like a year before considering mandarins. I have a scooter and mandarin dragonets and was able to wean them onto frozen food because they are in a small tank, not sure you could replicate that with a large tank.
The chromis, I would start with 5 and see what you end up with. I started with 5 and now have 3 left, one jumped and the other was most likely picked off by the others.
I would also cut the number of lyretails down. I have a male and single female squareback anthias pair and they seem more than fine. Maybe 2 females but I wouldnt make a huge harem in a 75g.

Which finally brings me to the tang. :-( I know some people have put them in smaller tanks like a 75g but in my opinion they need a 6 foot tank at least. My yellow zips around all day long and needs a good stretch of swim room to get to his high speeds and jerky movements. I call mine twitchy by the way, he is always spazzing out somewhere in the tank, very twitchy and jerky swim movements sometimes. lol

Thats not to say it cant be done, just that I wouldnt do it. lol

[nafuzy]

I have extensive experience with the mandarins. Not worries there. I won't do the trigger. Stock list will work with my volume of water. Talked to many experts about the full effect of my system.

Otherwise, the "over stock" rule is basically "beginner guidelines.". But thanks guys.

Doing the 5 chroms
2 ocelaris
4 lyretails
1 yellow tang
2 mandarins
And maybe a flame angel; not sure.

As well as having a very well established system, I will be dosing with lots of pods AFTER A YEAR MIN OF ESTABLISED TANK. Plus I'll be using cyclops etc, and I know how to ween most mandarins into other planktonic foods.

[nafuzy]

Carey-

I've respected and utilized your advice for along time now. You rule. But again the mandarins I got in the bag. As for the lyretails they're some of the more agressive of the species the male will pick on the females to keep them from trying to turn into a male; the more females, the less direct picking on, plus it lowers the males over all aggression.

I've seen a lyretail male kill off most of the fish to one of the best hobbyists I've ever seen

[nafuzy]

Including his blue chin triggers

[carey]

If youre confident on the mandarins and know what to do, good luck! Just wanted you to be aware, some people aren't but if you got it locked up then great.

[54seaweed]

Originally Posted by Nu-Nu the eel

Haha trigger with chromis? Yup those chromis will be schooling alright... But i doubt they will be seen much. Lol

NuNu I hit wrong button lol meant to hit Quote !!!

More like dinner
Triggers and reefs do not mix well all your coral will be gone in no time (Chomp Chomp and its gone )

[nafuzy]

Actually one of my "gurus" has the most gorgeous reef I've ever seen and "he" has 2 mandarins (after I taught him how to sexy up that refugium and splurge on pods), and 2 blue chins "and" a few chroms. No coral or chrom problems. Blue chins tend be more "shy" honestly.

None the less, I've finally decided on a 90gal (Carey I will not rest till I find a Craigslist steal!!)
With my 55 sump/refuge, 20 gal separate refuge

Lps, softies, some zoos/polys, ricordias and clams,

And
2 ocelaris
The 2 mandarins
1 yellow tang
4 anthias 1male 3 female
5 Bengai cardinals (not much on load cause they barely move)
And 5-7 chroms, depending on the systems functionality

With my estimated water volume and turnover rate (30+ per gph), it should be legit


P.s. Carey = amazing.

Carey, I noticed you posted about a tank with the par38s. Care to comment on their efficiency and led tactics in general???

I can't seem to get much input, but for a 90gal which i think is 48" long?? Will 2 of those par38s, angled from one corner to opposite on both sides, and one of those newer 90wat disc (forgot brand and model name) LEDs that are "supposed" to be for "up to" 48" hanging directly point center be alright in your opinion???

How do you like those PARs?? Which bulb set did you get/use??

[carey]

I used the par38 bulbs over a 4g pico tank. I then moved the bulbs over to the 20g i upgraded to from the 4g. I found with both over the 20g 24" tank that the light was splotcy and there wasnt good coverage. My corals all grew fine but the coverage issue prompted me to get a 4 bulb t5 light for the 20g and sell off the par38's.

I liked the color of the bulbs alot, the shimmer was awesome and it grew the corals in the 4g like a fiend. In my opinion you won't be happy with the dual setup even with a center led disc on your 90g. :-(

Have you considered using these panels? I have one over my 60g tank so I think 2 would be good over a 48" tank, even with the depth of it.

Amazon.com: TaoTronics Aquarium Coral Reef Tank White Blue LED Lamb Grow Light 120W: Patio, Lawn & Garden

You can get them on eBay for a bit less and even get ones that have a dimming knob. That'd be my suggestion for the lighting anyways lol.

[nafuzy]

Well no I haven't untill now. You have good fortune with these panel lights?? Man that bums me out I thought those PAR38s were supposed to be pretty decent. I'll look into those panels for sure; no way I'm using that lighting scheme, now. Thank you so much.

I just know LED is the direction this hobby is going in, but as to "which" LEDs and of fixtures; I'm lost.. Lol.