What is your recommended fish list for 75 gallon reef.

[Dragon Reef]

Hey All,

What is your recommended fish list for a 75 gallon reef ( 125 lbs of LR and bare bottom with 6 NO Fl. as lighting ). I only have a lawnmower blenny and want to add more fish ( at the request of the wife ) and also to keep the algae at a minimum. I am thinking of:

Flame Angel (1)
Kole Tang (1)
Sailfin Tang (1)
Royal Gramma (1)
Percula Clownfish (3-5)

I am mainly looking for herbivories ( I know that the current list is not all Herbivories ). I think that the less number of carinvories/omnivories in the tank will help the little crawlies in the LR, I may be wrong. I had thought about a 6 line wrasse and Flame Hawk but all of the bad press is scaring me off. What fish would you add? Corals will be mainly leathers, toadstools, fingers, Colts and mushrooms. Maybe bubble, torch, hammer and elegance later.

Regards,

Dave
.

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Jesus said "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men".

[Steve Richardson]

yeah agree. Thats too much for a 75. (I have a 75 too.)

My purple tang keeps the tank completely free of algea, and is perhap[s happier with more empty space in there. The flame angel is a pretty good bet to start picking at things, and the percula clowns get bigger than you think...3.5"-ish)

If you want to stick with that list, I would say:

sailfin tang, 2 (3?) percula, royal gramma, and your lawnmower blenny.

-Steve

[Jeff B]

Dragon,

I have a 125 gallon reef that is filled with the soft corals that you plan on adding to your tank. My first recommendation would be to make sure you add some snails and hermit crabs for their cleaning skills. I would also be wary of adding too many herbivores. Perhaps 1 tang instead of 2. I know the lawnmower blenny is very proficient at eating algae and there may not be enough to keep all the herbivores healthy. I also found the "lawnmower" to be more territorial and aggressive than most blennies. Watch smaller new additions carefully to make sure they are not unduly harassed. Also, how much volume in the tank does your LR take up? Tangs need room to swim and I find they stress easily in confined spaces. Be wary of the flame angel. I have had one now for 4 months. The first 3 months it was fine but then began picking on one of my finger leathers. As beautiful and interesting as all the dwarf angels are they are a risk in a reef tank. In addition to the fish on your list here a few that are doing well in my system. Pseudochromis fridmani, the orchid dottyback, is one of my personal favorites. Reef safe, not too feisty and full of personality. I am also a big fan of the Paracheilinus (flasher) and Cirrhilibrus (fairy) wrasses. Neither seem to be extremely popular but they are great reef fishes. They do not bury in the substrate at night but wedge themslves between rocks. The flashers are a bit more timid than most wrasses and should be one of the first fish in the tank. Firefish will also do well and should be added before more aggressive fish. FYI, many of these fish occupy the same niche as the Royal Gramma and the 6- line wrasse on your list so I would be careful about how many of these types of fishes you add as well as the order they go in. I'm sure others will have more recommendations but these are some of my favorites for a reef tank.

[C-Dah]

I currently have a 55 g that is soon to be relocated into a 180 g. Current stocking as follows:

1 flame angel
1 eibli angel
1 pastel or multicolor pygmy angel
1 scopas tang
1 peach blenny
shrimp/crabs/snails etc

This is as packed as I was comfortable with. BTW, this flame doesn't pick. The pygmy angels can be very different in personality and "grazing" habits. Some will nip, others won't. IMO, the lemonpeel is the worst for coral nipping. The Kole will need plenty of surface area to graze, including open sand bed areas.

I am interested in any comments on additional stocking tips for the 180g. (I hate to ask another question in someones post, but it fits along this same line of questions. Tks :) )

[This message has been edited by C-Dah (edited 12-28-1999).]

[Dragon Reef]

Hey All,

Thanks for replying. I am caught in the middle of being torn between which fish to stock my tank with. I would like to be able to put together a decent group of fish that will not only do their part in the reefs ecosystem but also fulfill my selfish desire to have a beautiful tank. I am leaning towards:

Purple Tang
Convict Tang
Flame Hawk
Bangaii Cardinal (3 of them)
Royal Gramma
Six Line Wrasse

I know, I know I said no wrasse or hawk. I once had a six line and he was the neatest character. I am still torn and will continually toss and turn in bed until Devine Intervention sets my mind at ease.

Regards,

Dave
.

------------------
Jesus said "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men".