Choosing the right fish for my tank

[TomStav]

Hi, I have a 72G bow FOLR with a 30G sump and am looking for the right fish to stock it with. The tank has been running for a couple of years, just have not really added to much livestock yet!

I would like to plan so that all fish are reef safe invade I decide to go there in the future.

Currently I have a pair of small percula clowns, a firefish, couple of turbo snails, cerith snails, nassarius snails, Asterina stars, baby brittle stars, Blue legged hermits.

I also have (and am looking to get rid of) a black damselfish and a green brittle star.


Here is what was thinking of getting in the future...

- flame angelfish
- kole tang
- 2 cleaner shrimp
- fire shrimp
- some small reef safe stars (not sure what kind would be best, I have enough brittles growing)
- a colorful blenny (not sure which one yet)
- what would you get if this was your setup?

I would really appreciate your knowledge of these fish plus any opinions, ideas, and suggestions!

Thanks

Tom

Sent from my iPad using Aquarium

 

[austinsdad]

Not doing reef? Angels can be dicey in a reef.

Do a midas blenny for great golden/yellow color. Look at some of the other forktail, fang blennies to. Great blu/yellow colors and VERY cute fish i their habits. I'd do 3 cleeaner shrimp or a mated pair of coral banded. Good move on the green brittle. Look for a grey one. Very mild and would eat of of my hands. Either the kole or tomini tang Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Bristletooth Tomini Tang.

Add 3 schooling cardinals. Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Kaudern's Cardinal - Tank-Bred

And a goby (shrimp or regular) Gobies for Sale: Goby Fish Species Including Shrimp Gobies

 

[TomStav]

Hi, thanks for the great reply!

The green brittle star will likely go, he has grown huge and although he is yet to attack anything, it's an risk I don't want. Currently I'm keeping him full with raw shrimp! I have literally hundreds of baby brittles in the tank that hitchhiked some live rock, I think they are too small to identify but they appear white and black striped. I saw some small red stars at the lfs that looked awesome and are reef safe, not sure what kind but they only grow about 1 inch and have the traditional star shape.

I have no corals yet (except for a couple of small polyps and some anemones that occasionally sprout up) but would like to in a year or so.

I have always wanted a flame angel and have heard that some do fine with corals, I wouldn't mind if it nipped at the odd one but would it be incompatible?

That tang looks nice, I think I may prefer it to the kole tang, thanks!

Would a mated pair of coral banded shrimp be okay housed with a regular cleaner shrimp?

I like the goby!

I have heard cardinals can be a bit aggressive once they get big?

Also, forgive my ignorance, but I recently saw a dwarf purple lobster, how would that do in a tank with the above livestock? Just curious on this one because they look really cool!

Thanks!

Tom

 

[austinsdad]

Saltwater Aquarium Inverts for Marine Reef Aquariums: Debelius' Reef Lobster Consider a pistol shrimp and goby combo instead. I've hear directly from folks who've had angels do fin in their reef for years, so they add more coral. Then, one day..... OMG!!!

I forgot about the cleaner you had already. I had one before and my cleaners weren't harmed in the 155g. Actually, I had 1 CB, 3 skunks cleaner and 3 fire cleaners. After a while the skunks disappeared. Not sure why, but my fire cleaners always did well.

 

[austinsdad]

Try this version maybe. Not big enuf to bother others, for sure. And a beaut too! FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "Blue Banded Coral Shrimp"

Here's the happy couple too. FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "Yellow Pistol shrimp"