Help stocking my 200g marine tank :)

Cksnffr · Nov 14, 2013

My new 200g tank (with 40 breeder DIY sump/fuge) currently has my first-ever batch of saltwater (SG 1.025) coursing through its plumbing. The live rock arrives today, and I'll be setting up my aquascaping over the next few days.

I've been reading everything I can and using this article as my main guide. The goal is to get cycled over the next 6 weeks or so and then to add my cleanup crew in the beginning of 2014.

I was originally planning on doing a FOWLR tank, but I know how I operate, so I expect to want corals and anemones after the tank has been established for a while. Given that, most of my fish stocking questions revolve around (1) the inhabitants (fish and inverts) getting along with each other and (2) suitability for a reef setup in the future.

Because I already have some regular freshwater community tanks, my goal with this large marine tank is to have a few large, fascinating fish in contrast to my tanks of barbs, cories, etc. Given that, I've compiled a list of fish that interest me and are at least "reef-safe with caution." Please note that I'm not planning to add all of these fish to the tank. This is a comprehensive list of fish that I like.
Fish:
Clownfish pair (maroon or other large)
Other clownfish (would they get along?)
Spotted puffer or other Canthigaster species
Cardinal fish--spotted and Kaudern
Blue chromis school
Angler
Blue tang
Naso tang
Large squirrelfish
Reef-safe wrasses
Rabbitfish
Firefish
Engineer goby
Snowflake eel
Flounder
Court jester goby
Horned blenny
Blue-dot jawfish

Inverts:
Typical cleanup crew to start
Arrow crabs
Hermit crab
Starfish (what kind?)
Are hermit crabs bad?
Urchin

Here are my questions, I think:

Are there any fish on this list that a beginner simply should not have?
The presence of which fish on this list would preclude the presence of which other fish on this list? (For example, "You can't have more than one tang in a tank" or "You can't have a squirrelfish with an urchin because they'll argue about their Netflix queues."
Are there any fish on this list that simply should not be in a reef tank? (If a rabbitfish precludes turning a FOWLR into a reef tank, I just won't have a rabbitfish because I'm not too attached to them. But if you can't have an angler in a reef tank, I might just keep it a FOWLR because I love anglers--which I think are "reef safe with caution.")

And the best for last: If you had an empty 200g tank and you could create an aquarium with some of the guys on this list, what would you select and why?

Thanks!

TL1000RSquid · Nov 14, 2013

Mixing clown species or keeping more then 2 usually ends very badly percula and ocelaris's are close enough that they will pair up though. Maroons are the most aggressive of clowns.
Puffer could be a problem definitely conflicts with some of the invert's you want.
Chromis I wouldn't bother wasting my money even though they're cheap. In the end their can be only one.
Angler could be an issue with some of your inverts and smaller fish.
Tangs got to be careful mixing them, Naso's can be aggressive towards other tangs. Might want to start growing some gracilaria in your fuge if you plan to keep tangs, rabbitfish or angels.
Squirelfish I believe are mostly nocturnal and hide during lights on, they'll also eat shrimps, crabs and stars.
reefsafe wrasse are usually good to go.
rabbitfish can be nippy at corals but usually ok if well fed.
firefish and engineer goby are pretty safe, goby will stir up alot of sand. firefish might become food for angler or puffer.
Snowflakes can be tricky if well fed he MAY not bother your invert's or small fish.
Horned Blenny could become a snack for some of the fish listed here, puffer, angler and snowflake would eat him.
Don't know anything about flounders.

Other then brittle and serpent stars most reef safe stars are difficult to keep would hold off until the tank is well established.
Are hermits bad difficult question the most commonly kept ones are coral safe, they may murder snails or other hermits to take their shells though, personally I find them more interesting then snails so I'm willing to buy a few new snails every once in awhile.

If you gotta have the angler ditch the smaller fish with reef safe with caution for anglers means they eat some reef dwellers but pose no danger at all to corals. I'd also go with a wartskin they stay around 4" but still wouldn't mixem with the horned blenny, or court jester.

greech · Nov 14, 2013

This is a comprehensive list of fish that I like.
Fish:
Clownfish pair (maroon or other large) - Don't do it. Stick with percale or ocellaris. Yes, you have a big enough tank but these monsters can get down right mean and occupy a lot of space. Maroons are mean but my money would be on tomatoes or full grown saddles if a fight broke out .
Other clownfish (would they get along?) - As mentioned, one species, one pair at the most is highly recommended
Spotted puffer or other Canthigaster species - You picked the only species I would try in a reef but will most likely eat decorative shrimp, crabs and CUC members and may eat corals.
Cardinal fish--spotted and Kaudern - Not a fan myself but many are. Once fully grown the Kaudern can get a bit aggressive especially when the male is holding eggs.
Blue chromes school - Also not a fan but even in a big tank, you mostly likely will end up with a single or small number of chromis.
Angler - Will eat anything it can fit (or thinks it can fit) in its mouth. Not recommended in a community tank.
Blue tang - Ok but can reach the size of a small dinner plate.
Naso tang - Great fish!
Large squirrelfish - Would avoid. Eats crabs, shrimp and even some stars. Also hides most of the day and comes out at night.
Reef-safe wrasses - Gonna need to be more specific. Note that "reef safe" has multiple definitions. Some take it to mean it won't eat coral but will eat shrimp, crabs, etc.
Rabbitfish - Assume foxface? No guarantee it won't nip coral but most don't. Know they are venomous so be careful handling.
Firefish - Ok
Engineer goby - Obviously will dig a lot which can be annoying in a reef. Make sure your rock work is secure. Will get big.
Snowflake eel - Will get large, may eat small fish, definitely will eat inverts and also required a sealed top. Once they get big enough the top will need to be weighted down.
Flounder - No. Not unless you want it popping out of the sand to eat anything that it will fit in its mouth.
Court jester goby - Ok
Horned blenny - May be difficult to find and really needs algae to thrive. Doable though.
Blue-dot jawfish - Ok

Inverts:
Typical cleanup crew to start
Arrow crabs - NO!
Hermit crab - Small blue legs are best.
Starfish (what kind?) - Not for a while. You have a good tank for stars but I would still avoid linkia. Tile stars and Fromia sp. are really the only suitable decorative star for our tanks IMO.
Are hermit crabs bad? - Some are (stick with blue legs if you really want them).
Urchin - Recommend Tuxedo or halloween urchins. All others get big and are bulldozers with some get big/strong enough to lift large rocks.

Here are my questions, I think:

Are there any fish on this list that a beginner simply should not have? Yes. Just know there is a reason why certain fish are more popular than others. Its not just because they are colorful or that they were in Finding Nemo. The more unique fish tend to be either difficult to keep alive period or they simply suited for a community reef. Its just not possible to meet their needs in a community tank. More likely to have success in a biotype. We all want the ocean in a box .
The presence of which fish on this list would preclude the presence of which other fish on this list? (For example, "You can't have more than one tang in a tank" or "You can't have a squirrelfish with an urchin because they'll argue about their Netflix queues." See above.
Are there any fish on this list that simply should not be in a reef tank? (If a rabbitfish precludes turning a FOWLR into a reef tank, I just won't have a rabbitfish because I'm not too attached to them. But if you can't have an angler in a reef tank, I might just keep it a FOWLR because I love anglers--which I think are "reef safe with caution."). You can have an angler in a reef, you just may end up with a 200G full of corals and a single angler .

And the best for last: If you had an empty 200g tank and you could create an aquarium with some of the guys on this list, what would you select and why? Naso tang, firefish, bluespot jawfish, clowns, urchin.

Cksnffr · Nov 15, 2013

Wow! Thanks for the thoughtful answers, guys. Very cool.

If so many fish tend to eat shrimp and other inverts, how do you keep their tank going well with no cleanup crew?

Is a horseshoe crab (meant to put that on my list) feasible?

Why the big no for arrow crabs?

I got all my rock into the tank today. It's not put together in any nice way yet--just needed to get it into water. Here's what 210 lbs of live rock looks like in a 200g tank:

http://i.imgur.com/nEB6pt0.jpg

I actually have 90 lbs of dry base rock, sitting in boxes, that evidently I won't even need.

Next I get to rinse a wholllllle lot of special-grade sand and get it into the tank--after I arrange my rocks how I want them.

Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

Khemul · Nov 15, 2013

Arrow Crabs are tricky. The thing about crabs is that it is all about ability. Can they kill/eat it, rather then will they. With Arrow Crabs the size depends on a combination of species and gender. Many of those combinations get big enough to take out tank inhabitants.

Horseshoe Crabs are also tricky, since their diet gets increasingly difficult to keep up with as they grow. Most tanks just aren't equipped to handle more then a baby Horseshoe.


zoomed.com	hikariusa.com		aqaimports.com	Store

Search

Search

Help stocking my 200g marine tank :)

Cksnffr

AC Members

TL1000RSquid

AC Members

greech

AC Moderators

Cksnffr

AC Members

Khemul

Sea Bunny