Stock My Tank....... Please

[mwb1978]

This is my first SW undertaking. I'm looking for stocking suggestions. The only thing I "must have" is 1 or 2 oc. clownfish. I would like a few really colorful fish, but I'm not sure which yet. I would like to get maybe a coral banded shrimp or a lobster (super-cool). Eventually I would like to add some corals, so I'll go easy on the stocking.

Goby's seem neat, but which ones will not sand-bomb everything? I like the 6-line wrasse's too, but don't know much about them. I like the coral beauties also. And maybe the bi-color psuedochromis.

Any other suggestions for colorful, peaceful and easy to care for fish?

Also, let's not break the bank any more than it already is, no $100 fish for me, please.

Just about everything I have learned about SW fish is from this forum. I've been lurking a long time, and now I'm finally getting to build my very own SW tank.

Thanks guys

[alcohologist]

longnose hawkfish, midas blenny, neon gobies, the sixline wrasse is a good choice
i'd dump the bicolour dotty for a royal gramma, or better a orchid dotty.

[Catpicklesdog]

From what I've heard, the bi-color psuedochromis can be an aggressive fish. From my experience so is the six-line wrasse. If you're definately going Reef, then Coral beauties can be hit and miss. A coral banded shrimp will probably go for any other inverts you may want such as cleaner shrimp etc. A lot of people will tell you staty away from a Reef Lobster, however, I have one and he has never gone for anything in my tank. The downside, is that I hardly ever see him - so not that cute to watch!!!

If we're referring to your 180 gal tank then you've got a fair bit of choice regarding the fish you can keep - size wise. My suggestion is to buy a book (I recommend PocketExpert Guide Marine Fishes (red) or Reef fishes (blue)). Have a look through and see which fish you like the look of and come back to us!!! In that size tank you may want to keep a yellow tang or some of the larger wrasses for example.

If you don't do corals you can even look at some of the angels and butterfly fish - and I'd be dead envious if you had them:grinyes:

[mwb1978]

I like the corals too much to abandon the idea just so I have more of a fish selection.

As far as agressive/peaceful i'm just going by the liveaquaria.com descriptions. It said that the CBS is ref safe and peaceful. That's why I'm asking you guys. You're not trying to sell me anything.

To demonstrate my noob-ism, why would I need a larger wrasse or a yellow tang in a tank of my size?

[Catpicklesdog]

You wouldn't need, it's just that you can:grinyes:

Yellow Tangs are probably the easiest of the Tangs to care for IMO. Some of the Flasher wrasses are quite nice and colourful and more peaceful than the sixline!!!

I'd also recommend a lawnmower blenny. Useful and full of character!!

[mwb1978]

Cool, I'll look into the yellow tangs.

What is a good sand sifter? I like the watchman goby's but I'm not sure if they will cover everything in sand. Are the lawnmower blennies good sand-sifters?

[FeatherDuster]

Lawnmower blennies are pretty active and will usually stay on the rocks so not much of a sand shifter. You don't really need a sand shifter if you have enough flow, but I would recommend nassarius snails instead of a fish for sand shifting.

Yellow tangs are also a nice choice. But I wouldn't get one until the rest of the live stock is settled in and you got the hang of QT tank. Definitely QT the tang for about 6 weeks. The chances of them getting ich and spreading it towards your other fish are very high without QT.

As for colorful fish. If you don't get the lawnmower blenny then I would get a bicolor blenny. They are very colorful fish and eye catching. Bangaii are also pretty fish. I would get a pair. They look nice hanging out together.

[rxdoc_85]

the twin spot gobies don't cover stuff with sand, they stay on the bottom. but they're really small, with a max size of like 2 inches. so you could have several, or maybe another type of goby i'm not familiar with. and i agree with cpd about the tang. the yellow ones are easy, as are the blue (aka regal or hippo tang) ones. they're georgous fish, and would do great in your 180 g tank.

[salty420]

i love my new midas blenny! not as functional as the lawnmower but so pretty and full of personality. i also love my royal gramma and think that the black-cap basslet is beautiful as well (would love to get one but you can't mix basslets). i second getting a basslet rather than a dottyback or pseudochromis. i also think in your size tank a tang would be stunning as long as you have a QT tank! i'd go with flasher or fairy wrasses over the 6-line but they are quite a bit more pricey, tho under the $100 mark in most cases. there are some beautiful "reef safe" angels out there as well, look at the Genicanthus genus. i'd skip the CBS and opt for a few skunk cleaners instead, you'll see them all the time and they won't cause any trouble for you.

[wantvws]

I can vouch for the Hippo tang...I love mine. Very active swimmer and doesn't pay much attention to the other guys in my tank. I also like my papuan toby, but I think they can be fin nippers from I what I read when I was looking at getting this one. I have a CB and a half black angel....the CB is a little more prone to chasing some of the smaller chromis and the half black but it never amounts to anything more than that. I loved my bangai too....gorgeous fish. I will probably get another pair soon.
Robbie

[alpha123]

Skunk cleaner shrimp is only way to go. Other shrimps/crabs will hide you will not see them when the light is on. Especially for a 180g. 1 skunk shrimp is more visible then 10 others inverterbrates.

[mwb1978]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have some reading and research to do now that you guys have given me a list to start with. When I begin to settle on a more definate list, I'll post it here and seek your advice and approval first.

So, what I'm hearing is to avoid the Coral Banded Shrimp and Reef Lobster. Darn, those are two of my favorite critters. I guess it wouldn't really matter if I never see them anyway.

Which Macro algae is best for the rufugium? I'm building a 55g sump/refugium out of my old FW 55 glass tank (never used copper or any other meds). I just siliconed the bubble trap and dividers in yesterday. I also just ordered an 18" 40W T5 fixture yesterday also for the 'fuge. I was thinking about growing chaeto and sea lettuce in there as well as pods eventually. Is that the best way of reducing nitrates and feeding the fish occasionally? from what I've read fish don't really eat chaeto, but is suck up lots of nitrates, quickly. But they do eat sea-lettuce which more or less does the same thing but not as quick. Correct me if i'm wrong. Will they grow together in the same 'fuge?

I'm also learning that the plumbing isle at Lowe's was never intended to accomodate aquariums.

[alcohologist]

the chaeto/lettuce mix is a good idea. my sailfin and tomini tang love chaeto, we dont find sea lettuce around here.

[Sploke]

You could also look into Caulerpa varieties, I'm pretty sure a tang would eat that, and it grows very quickly, so its good for both a food source and for nutrient export. And it just so happens that I'm selling some cheap :D If you click the link in my sig you can check it out, when the time comes.

I definitely recommend a lawnmower, I was kind of on the fence about getting one, and I'm really glad I did because its a very cool fish.

[salty420]

my plumbing came from lowe's...

[mwb1978]

Thanks for making me feel retarded, Salty. Just kidding.

It's just that I've been trying to get PVC, CPCV and flexible hose to all fit together one way or another. I never did find a 3/4 FPT thread to barbed fitting at Lowe's. I had to order it from Drsfostersmith.com. I guess all these different types of pipe and hose were never meant to go together. I also had to trim and cut a bunch of fittings in order to get a 1 1/2" durso standpipe to fit inside my overflow box. I'm getting tired of plumbing stuff. I'm ready to move onto the fun stuff, like stocking and rockscaping.

What kinds of bulbs are best for chaeto and sea lettuce? I ordered a 40W 18" T5 fixture and it comes with 1 10K bulb and an actnic. Will this work or should I swap the actnic with another 10K?

[journey0820]

I give you credit for even attempting the plumbing. I get a headache seeing the work that some of you do.

[mwb1978]

No suggestions for the refugium lighting? I have an 18" T5 fixture and is has 1-10K and1-actnic.

will 1-10K and an actnic or will two 10K bulbs work better for chaeto and sea lettuce?

[alcohologist]

two 10k bulbs for sure. if you can find bulbs 6500 to 8000k they'd work even better. i've heard [and experienced] that it's not the amount of watts but the right spectrum that can make your macroalgae explode.