180 Gallon Stocking Opinions

[tony34]

Hello everyone! Looking for opinions/concerns regarding my stocking wishlist for my new 6'x2'x2' 180 bare bottom tank. Plan to do some soft coral to start as I'm new to reef keeping but then gradually move on to an LPS reef.

I plan to stock in the order of appearance with spaces signifying a period of time between the next additions.

1x McCosker's wrasse
1x Scott's greenback fairy wrasse

2x percula clownfish

2x Genicanthus melanospilos(1m,1f)

3x Azure damselfish
1x Sixline wrasse

1x White tail bristletooth tang
1x Yellow tang
1x Powder brown tang

Being so new to the salt side of things I greatly appreciate any tips or insight to this plan of stocking. Thank you!

 

[therootcause]

If you are insistent on spacing out the stocking, I would add the pair of clowns first then the two wrasses at the same time, then the tangs.

I would skip these altogether and sub for a school of chromis or cardinals.
2x spotbreast angelfish
3x Azure damselfish
1x Sixline wrasse

 

[williamCreery]

Agreeing with the top comment

 

[tony34]

Thanks for the reply. Minus the recommened fish would you consider the tank then fully stocked? The genicanthus was probably my fav on the list then powder brown.

 

[therootcause]

Thanks for the reply. Minus the recommened fish would you consider the tank then fully stocked? The genicanthus was probably my fav on the list then powder brown.

To be honest, SW community is more focused on fish compatibility (temperament, individual fish size and growth within a tank) rather than traditional FW stocking lists as it relates to "what the tank (size) can handle". How many fish your system can handle will depend on your ability to manage and export nutrients.

I have a Waterbox 180.5 with a total water volume of about 240 gallons including the sump and frag tank.

I have the following fish: Nitrates 20, Phosphates .12
7x chromis (peaceful)
7x pajama cardinal (peaceful)
1x huge clarkii clown (old lady, mad)
1x zombie clown (peaceful)
1x ocellaris clown (peaceful)
1x black clown (peaceful; in frag tank)
1x 6" sailfin tang (excitable but peaceful)
1x black speckled molly (belligerent)
1x dwarf pygmy angel (belligerent)
1x starry blenny (belligerent and MIA)

 

[nereefpat]

1x McCosker's wrasse
1x Scott's greenback fairy wrasse

2x percula clownfish

2x Genicanthus melanospilos(1m,1f)

3x Azure damselfish
1x Sixline wrasse

1x White tail bristletooth tang
1x Yellow tang
1x Powder brown tang

Being so new to the salt side of things I greatly appreciate any tips or insight to this plan of stocking. Thank you!

Scott's fairy apparently lose their color in captivity and are aggressive. Lots of other good fairies to choose from.

Sixlines aren't very compatible with other wrasses. Just add another fairy or 2 or 3 instead.

The rest looks good to me.

 

[Digimes]

Hello everyone! Looking for opinions/concerns regarding my stocking wishlist for my new 6'x2'x2' 180 bare bottom tank. Plan to do some soft coral to start as I'm new to reef keeping but then gradually move on to an LPS reef.

I plan to stock in the order of appearance with spaces signifying a period of time between the next additions.

1x McCosker's wrasse
1x Scott's greenback fairy wrasse

2x percula clownfish

2x Genicanthus melanospilos(1m,1f)

3x Azure damselfish
1x Sixline wrasse

1x White tail bristletooth tang
1x Yellow tang
1x Powder brown tang

Being so new to the salt side of things I greatly appreciate any tips or insight to this plan of stocking. Thank you!

Gives me flashbacks to my 180g and 50% of that wasbin my tank. I also went with the cardinals though.

 

[tony34]

To be honest, SW community is more focused on fish compatibility (temperament, individual fish size and growth within a tank) rather than traditional FW stocking lists as it relates to "what the tank (size) can handle". How many fish your system can handle will depend on your ability to manage and export nutrients.

I have a Waterbox 180.5 with a total water volume of about 240 gallons including the sump and frag tank.

I have the following fish: Nitrates 20, Phosphates .12
7x chromis (peaceful)
7x pajama cardinal (peaceful)
1x huge clarkii clown (old lady, mad)
1x zombie clown (peaceful)
1x ocellaris clown (peaceful)
1x black clown (peaceful; in frag tank)
1x 6" sailfin tang (excitable but peaceful)
1x black speckled molly (belligerent)
1x dwarf pygmy angel (belligerent)
1x starry blenny (belligerent and MIA)

Thanks for the answers! I too have a total of 240g between display and 6ft 135g sump I diy'd with a 50g refugium section. Right now just extra rock and a single piece of live rock in there but plan on adding a couple macro strains once fish start being added. Also an aquamaxx cone s2 skimmer, its pulling lots of brown skimmate since a couple wks after start up.
I have reactors for gfo and carbon but they are not online right now, hoping that the refugium will help keep nutrients low with out them. In addition will be using the apex doser for auto water changes when those become a necessity.
Do you not typically space out stocking over a time period? I can certainly see the advantages of not doing so but it seems like it'd be a guessing game trying to determine how much ammonia would need to be processed per day to quickly home so many fish. Tony

 

[tony34]

Scott's fairy apparently lose their color in captivity and are aggressive. Lots of other good fairies to choose from.

Sixlines aren't very compatible with other wrasses. Just add another fairy or 2 or 3 instead.

The rest looks good to me.

Thanks for your reply, I will nix the six line, read they were good for pest control if that ever became a need. Any recommendations on fairies that would be compatible that dont lose their color and are huge jerks ha!

Gives me flashbacks to my 180g and 50% of that wasbin my tank. I also went with the cardinals though.

I appreciate your reply! I like your style! Did you have the genicanthus? Any experiences with them and tangs? as I assume that may be a concern. Can't find much info online for their care.

 

[therootcause]

Thanks for the answers! I too have a total of 240g between display and 6ft 135g sump I diy'd with a 50g refugium section. Right now just extra rock and a single piece of live rock in there but plan on adding a couple macro strains once fish start being added. Also an aquamaxx cone s2 skimmer, its pulling lots of brown skimmate since a couple wks after start up.
I have reactors for gfo and carbon but they are not online right now, hoping that the refugium will help keep nutrients low with out them. In addition will be using the apex doser for auto water changes when those become a necessity.
Do you not typically space out stocking over a time period? I can certainly see the advantages of not doing so but it seems like it'd be a guessing game trying to determine how much ammonia would need to be processed per day to quickly home so many fish. Tony

There is merit in spacing out the addition of fish to allow bacteria in the tank to accumulate and process waste. I would start with the clowns. They are part of the damsel family, and hardy fish. I used a Fritz bacteria product that came in a gallon jug called Fritz Zyme 9 when adding my first few fish to the waterbox. There are plenty of bacteria products and opinions regarding the use of nitrifying bacteria so I will let you do your own reading on that. These products sometimes cloud the water until bacteria can equalize with the amount of waste produced. No big deal, water clears up in a few days, not harmful to the fish. You can ghost feed the tank now to keep building bacteria and when nitrates are detectable add some fish.

 

[nereefpat]

Thanks for your reply, I will nix the six line, read they were good for pest control if that ever became a need. Any recommendations on fairies that would be compatible that dont lose their color and are huge jerks ha!

Halichoeres genus (like melanurus, chrysus, biocellatus, etc) would be the best pest control, but they require sand.

For fairies, it depends on what you can find and what your budget it. If I picked 3-4 fairies for a new 180, maybe: lubbock, pintail, exquisite, cyanopluera.