Order of adding fish - stocking 72

[txaggies07]

I plan to put the following fish in my 72g:

Tomato Clown
Valentini Puffer
Yellow Tang
Powder Brown Tang
Longnose Hawkfish
Cleaner Wrasse
Humu Triggerfish

I am curious as to what the best order would be to add the fish. I am putting the tomato in first, as I already own him and he needs to be released from his prison (he is in a container to keep him separated from my maroon clowns while the 72g is cycling - He seems perfectly happy because I put his anemone in with him and he never leaves it). I was going to put the Trigger in next. The store has a baby picasso that is about an inch long. I was going to then put the puffer in. The babies are generally about an inch. Next, I was planning to put the two tangs in simultaneously (they will probably both be around 3-4 inches). Then I was going to add the cleaner wrasse and lastly, the hawkfish.

The order and sizes (size at introduction) are thus as follows:

Tomato Clown - 2.5"
Picasso Trigger - 1"
Valentini Puffer - 1"
Yellow and Powder blue (or brown) Tang - 4"
Cleaner Wrasse - ?
Longnose Hawkfish - 2"

Does seem like a good plan? This is of course spread over some time.

 

[sharkmatt]

I'd only stock one of the tangs. 72g is enough for 1 tang but you'd be pushing it with 2. The puffer, hawkfish and trigger will mean any crustaceans you might want to put in there (crabs, shrimps etc) won't last very long. The Picasso trigger is a nice fish but it can turn mean with age and again I think 72g is pushing it for an adult one. One last plea - Leave the cleaner wrasse in the ocean. These fish live off parasites on other fish and invariably starve to death in the home aquarium unless it's a massive tank (hundreds if not thousands of gallons) with a lot of fish to 'clean'. Kudos on planning ahead though and adding slowly. If there's one golden rule for marine tanks it's go slow and plan ahead! Just my opinions, someone else more experienced may correct me. Good Luck.

 

[txaggies07]

I wasn't going to keep inverts. My fiance really wanted the puffer and the trigger, so that meant removing the snails and shrimp. That is why I was looking at the cleaner wrasse, since I can't have a cleaner shrimp. Isn't there a cleaner goby or something else that I could use? I am going to try the two tangs. We will see.

 

[FeatherDuster]

I would add the clown towards the end. They tend to be very protective of "their" homes once they settle in and this can stress other fish out since they are bold. This usually lessons overtime but Tangs need the less stress possible.

 

[sharkmatt]

Yes, there's the Sharknose Goby also known as the Cleaner Goby (Gobiosoma evelynae). It grows to approx. 1.6 in. and is a lot less finicky in it's tastes for food, it will accept most foods offered. Make sure it's getting enough food in your setup because the aggressive fish may prevent it eating a lot. It will clean all sorts of parasites including nipping ich cysts off fish. Good luck with the Tangs.

 

[jowek7]

you can add snails but i would make sure to do so befor you add the puffer i have a neon puffer and he wont bother the snails or crabs that were in there befor him but the new snails i just added he whent after but not the crabs. my g/f's dad has the same puffer as you want and it dose not bother any of his snails crabs or star fish. but each one is diffrent also and his is only in a 55gal tank so you may get lucky like him. mine is doing great just no srimp or new inverts for him or he will eat them. just how mine and his act and some more info for you.

 

[Grins]

I think you'll be overstocked. I agree with the plea to leave the cleaner wrasse in the ocean and try a cleaner goby instead. I'd only do one tang, probably the yellow as the Powder Blue needs a larger tank. The Picasso Trigger does as well.