Fish stocking and Tank Size suggestions

[benwilsonx]

I'm in the planning stages of setting up a reef, and was hoping for some input/suggestions in terms of fishes I intend to eventually keep. Right now I'm figuring on a tank size of somewhere between 75-100 gallons, with lots of LR and a DSB, plus sump and probably refugium.

My fish wish-list:

1-3 Yellowhead Jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons)
1 Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni)
1 Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica) or Purple Firefish (Nemateleotris decora)
1-2 Shrimp Gobies (undecided on species) with Pistol or other symbiotic shrimp
1 Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
1-2 Percula or Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion percula or ocellaris)

My question is, what would be an appropriate tank size for a group of such fishes? Also, would you suggest any changes in stocking order from the order I have them listed?

I'm also interested in a small school of blue or blue/green chromis (6-8 fish), a blenny (undecided on species), a sixline or flasher wrasse, and possibly a pygmy angel (flame or coral beauty) if I decided to risk it in a reef. However, would I need a substantially larger tank for these in addition to the first list?

Thanks for any suggestions,

Ben

 

[Len]

:welcome:

Anything over 75 gallons like you planned will be fine. The list looks fine from an aggression point of view. The jawfish will have minor fights but won't amount to much. I am concerned, though about the pistol shrimp snapping up one of your jawfish if the jawfish ventures too close. But it's a remote possibility.

For your additional fish, you'll want at least a 100g, preferably a bit bigger. The blenny might be a bad pick with all the other "squatter" fish you have (some have been known to forcefully evict jawfish). The chromis are not going to school in anything smaller then a few hundred gallons, so I'd probably avoid those as well unless you aren't looking for them to school

 

[benwilsonx]

Thanks for the tips... very helpful. I'll do some more research on the blennies... I might skip them if there's a chance they'd harass my jawfish.

I'm trying to decide whether to start with a 90ish gallon now, or start with a smaller (30-50 gallon) system with just a couple fish to get some reefing experience until I move into a larger house. I don't relish the idea of moving a large tank. I'm leaning towards the smaller route now, partly because I'd be able to move to a larger tank (150 gal or so) when I relocate.

Thanks again,

Ben

 

[cindre2000]

The biggest problem i had with the chromis is they would slowly die off. I am pretty sure this is a common phenominon. It is true they do not school; however, I love the way they look in the aquarium. With all the 'squatters' in your aquarium some constant movement would be nice.

Coral beauty angel is really hardy and may not pick on corals- remember with all dwarf angels it is a case by case basis depending on the individual fish. I also really like the rust angel.

Some other nice (cheap) fish include most gobies (clown, neon, etc.) or a damsel. I know a lot of people say damsels are terrors. And they can be if you have really peaceful fish and a small tank. However, if you have a larger tank they should not kill anyone. The clowns I have dealt with are much more aggresive than any of the damsels I have kept.

As to tank size, get a tank as big as possible if you want to save money. It would be fine to start with, say a 55, 75, or 90, especially if you plan to move; however, it will be more expensive than just getting bigger and putting in the elbow grease when you move. HOWEVER, a great idea is to get the smaller tank and upgrade to a 6 foot tank when you move, then keep the smaller tank and use it as a refugium or a quarentine tank.

Just my 2 cents.

Isaac

 

[benwilsonx]

Thanks for the suggestions. I like the idea of using a smaller tank now and making it a display refugium later... I think they're fascinating to look at in their own right.

Do the chromis die off because of difficulty/lack of care, or because they kill each other off? I'd like to have them for some motion around the tank.

In terms of damsels, I've also considered a yellowtail damsel (Chrysiptera parasema) in a larger tank, as I understand they're more neighborly than some other damsels.

Ben