Stocking thoughts

[r33fermaddness]

Still fairly new to this, I’m curious of more experienced reefers thoughts on my stocking plan. I think it’s a solid list that will provide my tank a decent balance of color and life but I also want to make sure this wouldn’t be over stocking. I’m running a 90g FOWLR (which I may end up turning into a reef instead of getting the pearlscale, I believe everything else on my list is reef safe) with a Reef Octopus 150 skimmer.

I’ve researched all of them and am aware of some of their special dietary requirements (namely the harlequin and mandarin). I’m on the fence about the foxface, not totally sure yet if I want to deal with something venomous, plus I know its size is bordering on too big for my tank.

Anyone have any critiques or suggestions?

 

[polyppal]

I would wait on the mandarin for a while until the tank is well established with a natural pod population (don't rely on dosing pods) and you have some experience under your belt. Coral Beauty is not reef safe if you go that route (really no angelfish are). Small schools of Banggais (like 3) are really nice to watch.

If I were you and you end up going the FOWLR route, I would stock with those cool non-reef safe fish reefkeepers wish we could have :*(

 

[r33fermaddness]

I would wait on the mandarin for a while until the tank is well established with a natural pod population (don't rely on dosing pods) and you have some experience under your belt. Coral Beauty is not reef safe if you go that route (really no angelfish are). Small schools of Banggais (like 3) are really nice to watch.

If I were you and you end up going the FOWLR route, I would stock with those cool non-reef safe fish reefkeepers wish we could have :*(

Yup mandarin will definitely be a while off, probably a close to a year from now, eventually I want to set up a refugium.
Good to know about the coral beauty though, I may just stick with FOWLR then cuz that’s one I really want, soo pretty, same with the pearlscale.
Unfortunately it seems tank size kinda limits FOWLRs, as I’d love a copperband, regal, dogface puffer but 90 is just too small, and I don’t like the idea of rehoming when they outgrow it.

 

[polyppal]

Yup mandarin will definitely be a while off, probably a close to a year from now, eventually I want to set up a refugium.
Good to know about the coral beauty though, I may just stick with FOWLR then cuz that’s one I really want, soo pretty, same with the pearlscale.
Unfortunately it seems tank size kinda limits FOWLRs, as I’d love a copperband, regal, dogface puffer but 90 is just too small, and I don’t like the idea of rehoming when they outgrow it.

If its a 48" tank or more, then 90 isnt that small for FOWLR, you could get away with a lot comfortably in there. The dwarf angels, butterfly and all but the biggest tangs or 'true' Angels would do fine in there. Trick to FOWLRs is keeping nutrients down because big fish are sloppy eaters and poop alot. If I were to do another FOWLR I would do it bare bottom for easy cleaning

 

[flfish]

If you stick with the FOWLR route, you could always switch from the foxface to another type of butterfly. Something like a Klein's or false Falcula seems like a good fit and would still give you the yellow look. I wish there were more butterflies that we could keep in a reef, they're some of my favorite fish

 

[GraveKone]

Still fairly new to this, I’m curious of more experienced reefers thoughts on my stocking plan. I think it’s a solid list that will provide my tank a decent balance of color and life but I also want to make sure this wouldn’t be over stocking. I’m running a 90g FOWLR (which I may end up turning into a reef instead of getting the pearlscale, I believe everything else on my list is reef safe) with a Reef Octopus 150 skimmer.

I’ve researched all of them and am aware of some of their special dietary requirements (namely the harlequin and mandarin). I’m on the fence about the foxface, not totally sure yet if I want to deal with something venomous, plus I know its size is bordering on too big for my tank.

Anyone have any critiques or suggestions?

I wouldn’t do harlequins, they can be finicky and pricey to maintain as well because they only eat stars