Greetings & looking for fish stocking list feedback

[schatzi]

Hi! I've been lurking for a bit now, I guess waiting for the right time (or maybe right question) for that all important first post. Not from the NY area, I was referred here by a fellow reefer who indicated you guys knew quite a bit so I thought I'd give it a shot. My tank info is in my sig, it's a new system, I started the cycle on 10/1/11 and hit zeros on 11/10. No livestock in there yet (save a few dusters and snails that came on the LR), my clown should be ready to leave the QT this saturday.

I'm planning a mixed reef althought I really have no specific corals I want. I'm just going to start with some easy ones and see where it takes me. Figure I might get my first coral in December, or maybe start buying them in January. Would like to have a couple of fish first.

So...that brings me to my next fish purchase. Here's what I'd like to do, in order and ANY feedback would be great. In fact that's what I'm hoping for. I've made a couple of notes along the way.

Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) I have this guy already, he's almost done with QT
Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani)
Blue/Green Reef Chromis (Chromis viridis) I'd like more than one, how are 3? What do you suggest? I've gotten mixed feedback on the success of groups.
Spotted Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera) Would like more than one, what's an ideal number?
Resplendent Anthias (Pseudanthias pulcherrimus)
Schooling Bannerfish (Heniochus diphreutes)
Clown Goby, Green (Gobiodon atrangulatus)
Six Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) Not set on this one, hear they can be a bit aggressive, would like a wrasse of some kind
Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loriculus) I'd really like this guy, any coral types he can work with?
Green Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus)
Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)

The Tang is the only one I can't take off the list (wife's choice), and I will probably only buy one at a time (except for the the groups), so it will be many months before I get to the Mandarin. I guess I should point out I will be adding a CUC once I get something in there for them to clean up. Snails, shrimp, maybe a couple hermits but everyone says they eat the snails.

Here's a FTS from just after I started the cycle.

Been working on this for FOUR years and it's FINALLY here. Pretty much DIY everything, sump system is in the basement.

Thanks for the input!!

 

[masterswimmer]

Welcome to MR. Looks like some nice planning and certainly commendable patience.

Best of luck

Russ

 

[rebelson]

Welcome aboard!

 

[thirty6]

thats a great list. i really like the wrasse family, and the 6line has great colorings. many on the forum would suggest against that specific one, but with so many to choose from its easy to find a different one. i really like the mystery or melanarus wrasse. instead of school of chromis, how bout school of anthias?

tank and stand look great

 

[rookie07]

6 line will be a pain later...chases most other wrasse.
Flame angel most likely pick at polyps (flame was the reason I got into sw tanks, and I've never had one be good with zoas)
Mandarin needs lots of pods to eat, your tank looks big so he should have enough rock to pick at...but sixline will eat pods faster than mandarin, as will other wrasses and many other fish eat pods also.
Chromis generally kill each other in captivity.
Your snails will die from time to time so you will need to replace them. Thus, hermits are worth the risk bc you will need to replace snails anyway. Hermits are good scavengers in the tank, and your tabk is big so they should have enough to eat. They will only kill for shells, not food, here and there.

I love wrasses....as mentioned above I would add lineatus wrasse, pink margin wrasse, xmas wrasse to the list above as great fish that are compatible with most fish.


If you plan to add a 2 nd clown, you may as well do it early, bc they take time to pair up....might as well get it out of the way early.

 

[yogi]

very nice.
Can't wait to see it stocked.

 

[tentacles]

as far as the snails/hermits debacle goes, if you get snails that are either much larger or much smaller than the hermits, they won't get eaten. I've had a decent amount of success with dwarf ceriths (you would need a lot for your tank, but you can get them very cheap).

 

[basiab]

The chromis and cardinals are both schooling fish. But it does seem that in captivity there are times they kill each other off until there is one. It is worth trying for 3 or more of each. The sixline is a really active and pretty fish. Just put him in last maybe together with the yellow tang. A Royal gramma is also very colorful and active fish. The green clown goby will be hard to find in that tank. I have one in a 24 gallon and they are really cute. A yellow clown will show up more but may nip corals.
In any case be carefull of the sequence you put them in. The most peacefull go first. And I would not consider the clownfish peaceful. This looks like a nice size tank so hopefully he won't feel like he owns it all before you put in another fish.
Good luck.

 

[schatzi]

Awesome feedback guys, thanks! I appreciate it.

I'm not commited to the chromis, just liked the idea of a fish you could have a few of that "might" hang together. They're pretty but I think I like the idea of multiple anthias or wrasse better. Do you need to mix them up or, for example, would 3 Resplendent work together? Same question for the wrasse' too.

tentacles the tip on the hermits sounds great.

again thanks for the input.