Stocking order question.

[ccotter]

I have had my 65g up and running for about 6 weeks now. Been thru the brown and green algae outbreaks and now the tank is algae is under control. Water parameters are rock solid and I think I am ready for fish. This is my first sw tank, so I am wondering what order to add the fish. My stocking plan is as follows:

Blue Stripe Neon Goby
Six Line Wrasse
Blue Reef Chromis
2 Ocellaris Clownfish

Any advice on what order to add the fish? I am preparing to setup my QT tank now.

Thanks!

[keefsama2003]

I would get the 2 clowns established first.

let them settle in for about 3 weeks make sure they are eating and doing good then go with the goby for the same time then the chromis and save the wrasse for last as 6lines get rather snippy so to say

[naterealbig]

I'd have to agree with keefsama.

[keefsama2003]

also the reason we want to wait is your adding extra bio load on the tank. add too much too fast and you get algae break outs again.

let the tank adjust to the extra food being fed and the fish waste being produced bout 3 weeks is good to let the tank itself adjust.

kinda like a livestock cycle so to say.

[papagimp]

FWIW, neon gobies have extremely short life spans, about a year from what i've read. Best to keep a small group, 3 or 4 as they will readily spawn in captivity. Mine never attempted to show any cleaning behavior with my clowns or similar sized fish, my larger Coral Beauty got a daily cleansing though, as well as myself everytime my hand was in the tank.

[ccotter]

Thanks for the replies / advice. I'll start with the Clowns in the QT first. When they move to the display tank, I will add the next fish to the QT. The QT time should allow my tank to adjust to the added bio load.

Papagimp, do you have a recommendation for something other than the neon goby? I put the list together based upon my reading and have not received advice from anyone on it. Also, a mistake in my first post. I am planning for 3 of the Blue Reef Chromis, not 1.

Anyone else have any recommendations on modifying my stocking list? As I mentioned, I have a 65 gal with a 20 gal sump. Euroreef CS80 Skimmer, 60lbs of liverock, 215W T5 light, with a phosban reactor. I hope to start with the fish and add some soft corals later when my experience level increases.

Thanks!