Need help deciding on whether or not a fish is right for your tank? Post here and we'll help!

Bob Escher

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I have a yellow tang and a flame they're getting along fine but thinking about adding a Pygmy angel as well all three are very young
 

MaiReef

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I added the Coral Beauty after the other two were in the tank for months and things went okay. Luck? I don't know, but the Flame and the Beauty were my wife's picks so I had to try.
 

James Jordan

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Getting ready to launch my first tank. I am more interested in corals (softies and zoas) but I would love a few beautiful fish. Can someone recommend a livestock list for me for a Innovative Marine 40 gallon. Low maintenance, entertaining for 3 young kids.

I like the Flame Angel. I like the black and white or the Wyoming White clowns.

Also, a schedule of when I should add them would be great.
 

wadew

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How hard is it to raise clowns? Is it possible for a newb like me?
 

Bob Escher

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Absolutelymy first fish were clowns ( in Saltwater) had them for ten months until they were electrified by a bad heater
 

Maritimer

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Getting ready to launch my first tank. I am more interested in corals (softies and zoas) but I would love a few beautiful fish. Can someone recommend a livestock list for me for a Innovative Marine 40 gallon. Low maintenance, entertaining for 3 young kids.

I like the Flame Angel. I like the black and white or the Wyoming White clowns.

Also, a schedule of when I should add them would be great.

That'll put three bright colors in your tank, right from the get-go! If you get the clowns a juveniles (one larger than the other, by preference) they should pair up - which may cause trouble down the line, should they decide those eggs they just laid need protecting. (And yes - a black&white and Wyoming white will pair up just fine, as they're both the same species.) Some fish you could think about adding before the above might be a goby/shrimp pair to live down on the sandbed, one or a small group of zebra dartfish, who will occupy the space just below the surface, or a firefish who will flick his fins mid-water. Both clowns and angels can be feisty with newcomers (though my clowns haven't been a problem - then again, they're still young) so I'd think about adding the angel close to last, but if the clownfish are on the smaller side, they can go in early on. A flasher wrasse or one of the smaller fairy wrasses could also work.

Do keep in mind that although flame angels are among the more reef-safe angelfish, they're not 100%, especially around LPS corals.


How hard is it to raise clowns? Is it possible for a newb like me?

Being a branch of the damselfish clade, clownfish are one of the hardier marine fish out there. They're among the easier first-fish to get your feet wet with, and among the easiest saltwater fish to breed.

~Bruce
 

James Jordan

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That'll put three bright colors in your tank, right from the get-go! If you get the clowns a juveniles (one larger than the other, by preference) they should pair up - which may cause trouble down the line, should they decide those eggs they just laid need protecting. (And yes - a black&white and Wyoming white will pair up just fine, as they're both the same species.) Some fish you could think about adding before the above might be a goby/shrimp pair to live down on the sandbed, one or a small group of zebra dartfish, who will occupy the space just below the surface, or a firefish who will flick his fins mid-water. Both clowns and angels can be feisty with newcomers (though my clowns haven't been a problem - then again, they're still young) so I'd think about adding the angel close to last, but if the clownfish are on the smaller side, they can go in early on. A flasher wrasse or one of the smaller fairy wrasses could also work.

Do keep in mind that although flame angels are among the more reef-safe angelfish, they're not 100%, especially around LPS corals.

~Bruce

Thanks for the post @Maritimer Bruce!

I have a guy here about a mile away that sells really small black/white clowns. I am thinking about getting 2 small babies and letting them pair. I just looked them up and the watchman goby / pistol shrimp pair looks pretty adorable. Definitely something I can use to teach my kids who seems to fight all the time! I didn't know the flame angels ate LPS. That simply won't do. He's got to go at this point!

Here is the new plan using your advice and some research tonight. PS yay for researching fish and corals now and not equipment. I can see the end of the prep phase!!!!

2 white/black baby clowns
1 yellow watchman goby
1 pistol shrimp
1 Royal Gramma
3 pajama cardinal

What should I look at for a clean up crew? It looks like some people recommend a half million snails for a 40 gallon and some recommend 10-15 snails. I am at a loss for what the best # to get is.
 

Maritimer

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You're welcome, James!

Flames aren't guaranteed to eat corals - the last chart I saw that tried to quantify such things had them labeled at about 80% safe. It's just a risk that you've got to keep your eyes open to if you want angelfish on a reef.

I like your new list a lot - peaceful, diverse in form, habit and habitat, and pleasing to the eye.

My recommendation for cleanup crew is - when you see a problem cropping up, stop by the LFS and pick up a few of the creatures that can help you deal with it. If you see that there are diatoms on your rocks, pick up some snails that eat diatoms. When you start feeding fish, and there may be bits of uneaten food on the sand or in crevices in the rock, pick up some Nassarius and hermit crabs to help deal. I was tempted by the "X-per-gallon" cleaner packages, but realized that my new tank (when it was new) wouldn't support them all. And by the time it would ... there were already a pretty diverse group in residence!

~Bruce
 

eatbreakfast

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I have a yellow tang and a flame they're getting along fine but thinking about adding a Pygmy angel as well all three are very young
I would be wary of adding a pygmy angel to a tank with another Centropyge. Definitely utilize a social acclimation box for introduction.
 

KJoFan

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Starting to think about stocking list for a new build coming up. Tank is 66g, 32x24x20 and planning for mixed reef, but sps dominant. Would like input on some prelim stocking ideas and order of introduction especially.

1x Kole Tang
1x Potter's Angel
1x Wyoming White clownfish (maybe 2x?)
1x Midas blenny
? Anthias (suggestions on which flavor to go with and # welcome)
Flasher/Fairy wrasses (yet to be determined)

I'd love to have Leopard wrasses again but am thus far planning a bare bottom tank so they are out for now. Unless I decide to add some sand.

Ok, go.
 

tgfitz1

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I'm pretty new to wrasse, I've only kept the one that I currently own and love which is an Anampses Lineatus (White Spotted Wrasse). It's their compatibility that I don't know a lot of information about, and as I've purchased a new tank (120g) there's definitely a couple on my radar that I'm wanting to keep:

Ruby-Head Wrasse
Canary Wrasse
and the White Spotted Wrasse that I'll be taking over to the new tank.

Any problems??

Thanks!!
 

eatbreakfast

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Starting to think about stocking list for a new build coming up. Tank is 66g, 32x24x20 and planning for mixed reef, but sps dominant. Would like input on some prelim stocking ideas and order of introduction especially.

1x Kole Tang
1x Potter's Angel
1x Wyoming White clownfish (maybe 2x?)
1x Midas blenny
? Anthias (suggestions on which flavor to go with and # welcome)
Flasher/Fairy wrasses (yet to be determined)

I'd love to have Leopard wrasses again but am thus far planning a bare bottom tank so they are out for now. Unless I decide to add some sand.

Ok, go.
Add the tang last.

You can always keep a container of sand behind the rockwork for a leopard to sleep in.

Dispars and randalls are easier, peaceful anthias.

Any of the flashers except octotaenia would work. In a 66g I would stick with smaller fairy species such as lubbocki or the lunatus complex.
I'm pretty new to wrasse, I've only kept the one that I currently own and love which is an Anampses Lineatus (White Spotted Wrasse). It's their compatibility that I don't know a lot of information about, and as I've purchased a new tank (120g) there's definitely a couple on my radar that I'm wanting to keep:

Ruby-Head Wrasse
Canary Wrasse
and the White Spotted Wrasse that I'll be taking over to the new tank.

Any problems??

Thanks!!
Those are all compatible.
 

KJoFan

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Add the tang last.

You can always keep a container of sand behind the rockwork for a leopard to sleep in.

Dispars and randalls are easier, peaceful anthias.

Any of the flashers except octotaenia would work. In a 66g I would stick with smaller fairy species such as lubbocki or the lunatus complex.

Any specific order for the rest besides tang last?
 

Michael Joye

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Hello,

I have a 40 gal tank. Here is a list of fish I was thinking about getting(not all at once but over time):

a pair Ocellaris Clownfish
a pair of royal gramma
Coral Beauty Angelfish
Green Mandarin Dragonet(after my fuge is going well and pods are good for it to live)

2 Emerald Crab
6 Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs
6 Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
1 Emerald Crab(maybe 2 depending on rock space)
2 Astraea Turbo Snails
 

eatbreakfast

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Hello,

I have a 40 gal tank. Here is a list of fish I was thinking about getting(not all at once but over time):

a pair Ocellaris Clownfish
a pair of royal gramma
Coral Beauty Angelfish
Green Mandarin Dragonet(after my fuge is going well and pods are good for it to live)

2 Emerald Crab
6 Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs
6 Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
1 Emerald Crab(maybe 2 depending on rock space)
2 Astraea Turbo Snails
I don't see too much of an issue. The coral beauty will be borderline too big, but doable.
 

GraphicReefer

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Hey Folks! So I have an interesting one. I am doing a 45 Gallon Shallow Reef Build ( 48" x 18" 12" ). And I will start the plumbing and the cycling process soon. While it is cycling I want to get my stocking ideas together so I can start a QT as well. So once its done cycling and parameters are correct I will add my livestock. Now I'd like the reefing communities help in deciding my stock list. I want to keep it relatively light and don't want to "rent a fish" only to have it outgrow my setup and have to trade it back ( I get attached to my finned friends ). I've toyed around with an all invert tank but I do love some swimmers too. Once its done ( planning a 2" sand bed so I know there won't be a ton of "swimming area" so I was leaning towards a rare goby or blenny ect. designer clown? I know there is a lot of "grey area" in-between 30 Gallon and 55 Gallon. It will be a mixed reef so reef safe only. Thanks!
IMG_9268 2.JPG
 

eatbreakfast

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Hey Folks! So I have an interesting one. I am doing a 45 Gallon Shallow Reef Build ( 48" x 18" 12" ). And I will start the plumbing and the cycling process soon. While it is cycling I want to get my stocking ideas together so I can start a QT as well. So once its done cycling and parameters are correct I will add my livestock. Now I'd like the reefing communities help in deciding my stock list. I want to keep it relatively light and don't want to "rent a fish" only to have it outgrow my setup and have to trade it back ( I get attached to my finned friends ). I've toyed around with an all invert tank but I do love some swimmers too. Once its done ( planning a 2" sand bed so I know there won't be a ton of "swimming area" so I was leaning towards a rare goby or blenny ect. designer clown? I know there is a lot of "grey area" in-between 30 Gallon and 55 Gallon. It will be a mixed reef so reef safe only. Thanks!
IMG_9268 2.JPG
Some possibilities include a group of dartfish, a pr of flame or longnose hawks, a group of Chrysiptera damsels, royal gramma or blackcap basslet.
 

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