Suggestions On Fish Needed

[xxBarneyxx]

Well I'm getting closer to getting my tank up and running and as it is now bigger then I was planning originally my ideas on fish stocking can be changed.

Tank size will be 5ftX2ftX2ft, maybe slightly bigger but wont be any smaller. Starting as a FOWLR but will be going for a full reef set up so reef friendly tank mates only.
Volume in litres: 566.336932
Volume in imperial gallons: 124.592879
Volume in US gallons: 149.626671

Fish that I currently have looked at (possibly not all together though):

X2 Clown fish
X? Blue Reef Chromis, I have read that these chromis can be kept in a group unlike many others. I have not been able to find any recommend group sizes though?
X1 Watchkeeper Goby
X1 Neon Goby (have read that Goby's are territorial but I think two will be ok in a large tank?)
X1 Scooter Blenny (will probably be the last fish to be added)
X4-5 Firefish. I have read that these can be kept in a group at around 1 fish per 1ft sq of water (as long as there are lots of hiding holes). Would you all agree with this?
X4-5 Cardinalfish. Not sure on these, if I can get tank bread Banggai's I will but if not I will skip them.
X1 Regal Tang (will make sure there is plenty of swim room and would be one of the last fish to put be put in, still not covinced even a 5ft tank is big enough though?)

Wrasse: I have seen some very pretty Wrasse's but from what I have read the large wrasses are not generally reef safe and you can only keep one dwarf wrasse per tank as they will fight.

If my math is correct I still have a lot of room left and could get at least a couple of larger fish or a small shoal of smaller fish. I prefer to be understocked and I haven't yet taken into account territory for each fish/group of fish which is something I'm still trying to find out for most of the above fish.

This list is in no way set in stone so if you see any problems or have a better stocking alternative I would like to hear it. in most of my FW tanks I have tended to go for smaller shoaling fish so it might be interesting in such a big tank to go the other way and just get a few big fish.

 

[shibby]

chromis you want an odd shoaling number 3.5.7 etc


as for 'dwarf' wrasses you can easily keep more then one in a tank, either introduce at the same time or rearrange rock work. whn i put in my six line my flasher wrasse was too busy trying to impress then attack it.

 

[SkiFletch]

Agree with what Shibby said. You pretty much have 3 choices with fairy/flasher wrasses:

One male of any species

Multiple males of different species. As shib mentioned, they don't bother one another too much if they're different species. The only exception is the pseudochillenus genus (mystery wrasse, 12 line wrasse, 6 line wrasse), you can't mix any of those 3 but you can mix a pseudochillenus with any parachillenus or cirhillabrus genus wrasses.

If you wanna get really cool, get a Harem of wrasses... Pick your favorite species and get say 4-5 females and one male. The male will exhibit stunning courtship displays in the presence of a harem of females. They really flash their fins and display their true colors when in the presence of females. Having multiple harems though is a bad idea, stick to one . I commonly see C. Pylei, C. Rubrimarginatus, C. Scottorum, C. Punctatus, and C. Temnicki females available to make a good harem . You'll likely have to work with an LFS to get that accomplished, but man do they look cool.

Edit, and I almoast forgot. Look into Anthias and Pseudoanthias in a tank that big. Make much more beautiful schooling fish than chromis IMO

 

[pengy666]

Yeah I really like the anthias thats what I getting next then my two spot goby and I'm done!!

Just gotta find the right LFS to get them, the one I go to a lot doesnt do no discount at all!!

Bit pants really but The one where I get my fish is a lot more willing to deal so I think they will order specially for me!!

 

[shibby]

ooo and il also add make sure the tanks covered!! loads of times my wrasses have pinged off the lid ...

i liek the anthias that looks like its been used as a paint tester with a square paint like patch on it name i cannot remeber, looks at schooling bannerfish as well there pretty cool

and pengy sanders discount haha! we have 2 people who think they run it and constantly fight about it! i recon your be able to swing a discount there now though after the takeover n all.

 

[pengy666]

by any chance are the two guys who argue about running it Phil the dude with glasses and the tall dude with no hair?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

hmm anthias are much nicer, hadnt seen them before.

Thanks for the suggestions all, gives me some things to read up on.

 

[pengy666]

This is my stock list

* = In tank currently

2 x Percula clowns*
1 x Regal tang*
2 x Chromis*
1 x Redhead fairy wrasse*
2 x anthia's (maybe 1)
1 x Two spot goby
1 x domino damsel
1 x sand sifter
3 x blue leg hermits*
1 x blue black hermits
5 x Red leg hermits*
14 x turbo snails*
2 x cleaner shrimp*

1 x 1/2 kg rock of green star polyps*
1 malu anemone*


I have the domino in my nano, I'm gonna pop him into new tank when I have all others in tank I hope he'll work out, He may not

The snails were all hitch hikers and my blue legs are tiny! and 3 of my red legs are tiny too!

 

[Lynden]

I cringed when I looked at the original stock list... Reason being there's so many awesome fish you could have in that sized tank. You don't need to stick to the tiny little bastards us nano keepers are "stuck" with.

Heniochus diphreutes: a sweet medium-sized butterflyfish that looks a bit like a moorish idol and is as magnificent as anything in a group (5-7). Feeds on plankton and algae and is rarely, if ever, a threat to animal tankmates. Beware, though; make sure the species (if you so choose) is in fact H. diphreutes and not any of the others.

Odonus niger: a beautifully coloured triggerfish. Feeds on plankton (not corals or anything but the smallest of shrimp), is amoung the most peaceful triggerfish, and can be kept in groups. Best to place last, after motile inverts are settled.

Melichthys/Xanthichthys sp.: peaceful, striking triggerfish. Generally reef-safe, as above. Never eats corals.

Gymnomuraena/Echidna sp.: the former especially is a gentle giant, with little taste for even small fish (can be kept with larger seahorses, even). Does like to crunch true crabs (but not hermits) and non-cleaner shrimp.

Naso/Acanthurus sp.: the smaller of these two genera are beautiful and can be kept in your sized tank. Will eat some algae, and Naso species are very peaceful.

Choerodon fasciatus: another striking and gentle "giant" that despite it's ferocious appearance (very cool) can be kept with most invertebrates, barring small shrimps and small true crabs.

Arius sp.: a medium-sized euryhaline catfish that is usually sold as a freshwater fish. Is graceful and beautiful, but may eat small shrimp, and can dig up and eat useful sand bed critters.

Diodon sp.: the smaller species will fit in well to most large reefs. If bought as young specimens, they will rarely harm most invertebrates (barring non-cleaner shrimp and small snails). Is incredibly personable and intelligent. Comparable to an aquatic dog.

Those are a few of my suggestions.

 

[SkiFletch]

Oooh yeah, a Naso tang or a Powder Blue Tang. PBT's are TOUGH to keep (ich magnets) but Nasos are pretty easy

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Thanks a lot Lynden will have a good read through when I get home (at work atm so can only skim through while I'm on the phone). I was kind of having the same thought that a tank that size was kind of going to waste on the usual suspects

My original tank I had planned was going to be somewhere between around the 80G mark so all the fish I have been reading about for the last couple of months have been suitable for smaller tanks (hence the original list)

Got a lot more reading to do now but it will keep me busy until I actually get some hardware to play with