60 Gallon Mixed Reef Stocking

Reeferinthe505 · Jan 27, 2022

Hi, hope everyone's having a good day

I'm currently setting a 4' 60 gallon tank that I'm planning on being a mixed reef with mainly soft and lps coral with a few easier sps. For filtration I have about 55-70 lbs of rock, it's plumbed to a 33 gallon sump with a refugium and a Eshopps skimmer rated for 150 gallons. I had already set up this tank for a few years but took it down after moving and want to turn it into a proper reef. For the potential stocking I'm thinking around 9-12 fish maximum, and I want to know your thoughts and recommendations.

Fish I already have in another tank:
-Pair of clownfish
-Yellow watchman goby with tiger pistol shrimp

Potential stocking:
-Blenny (either tailspot or bicolor)
-Mccosker's Flasher Wrasse
-Exquisite Fairy Wrasse
-Pink Streaked Wrasse (or the most invert safe halichoeres wrasse)
-Pair of chalk bass
-Either royal gramma or an assessor
-Centerpiece fish (either tomini tang, dwarf angel, or fathead anthias)
-A bottom or rock dwelling fish

I'd also have a variety of shrimps, snails, and crabs so it would have to be safe with them. This is just a potential list with the clowns and shrimp goby being set in stone, so I'm open for suggestions. Thanks in advance

i cant think · Jan 28, 2022

Reeferinthe505 said:
Hi, hope everyone's having a good day

I'm currently setting a 4' 60 gallon tank that I'm planning on being a mixed reef with mainly soft and lps coral with a few easier sps. For filtration I have about 55-70 lbs of rock, it's plumbed to a 33 gallon sump with a refugium and a Eshopps skimmer rated for 150 gallons. I had already set up this tank for a few years but took it down after moving and want to turn it into a proper reef. For the potential stocking I'm thinking around 9-12 fish maximum, and I want to know your thoughts and recommendations.

Fish I already have in another tank:
-Pair of clownfish
-Yellow watchman goby with tiger pistol shrimp

Potential stocking:
-Blenny (either tailspot or bicolor)
-Mccosker's Flasher Wrasse
-Exquisite Fairy Wrasse
-Pink Streaked Wrasse (or the most invert safe halichoeres wrasse)
-Pair of chalk bass
-Either royal gramma or an assessor
-Centerpiece fish (either tomini tang, dwarf angel, or fathead anthias)
-A bottom or rock dwelling fish

I'd also have a variety of shrimps, snails, and crabs so it would have to be safe with them. This is just a potential list with the clowns and shrimp goby being set in stone, so I'm open for suggestions. Thanks in advance

I don’t think anything is truly reef safe, also with dwarf Angel how “dwarf” would you want?

A lot of the smaller Halichoeres never touch inverts aswell.
Here’s my Halichoeres iridis:

She doesn’t touch any inverts whereas my larger Halichoeres chloropterus destroys snails. Also if you don’t mind ignoring fleshy LPS like scolymia then Chelmon rostratus could be a good one to research. With ANY wrasse you must have a lid or it winds up as a piece of your floor. I’d recommend a tailspot blenny since bicolors can be a bit iffy with coral.

nereefpat · Jan 28, 2022

That list is pretty reasonable. A lot of fish, but most are small. What are the other dimensions?

I most likely wouldn't do the tang. Some species of dwarf angel could work. Some get too big.

Reeferinthe505 · Jan 28, 2022

It’s 48’x16’x18’. My favorite angels are the bellus, but they need a bigger tank. I was leaning towards a cherub pygmy or a coral beauty since I’ve heard they are the least aggressive and most reef safe

PR_nano · Jan 28, 2022

That's a good list, I started building one for when I move and upgrade to a 60+

Purple Firefish (Owned)
Yellow watchman goby (Owned)
Pink Streak Wrasse (Owned)
McCosker Flasher
Blenny
Cherub

nereefpat · Jan 28, 2022

Reeferinthe505 said:
I was leaning towards a cherub pygmy or a coral beauty

Either one would be fine in a 48x16"

Reeferinthe505 · Jan 28, 2022

nereefpat said:
Either one would be fine in a 48x16"

Which of the two is more coral safe?

i cant think · Jan 28, 2022

Reeferinthe505 said:
Which of the two is more coral safe?

IME the CBA is more reef safe over the Cherub

nereefpat · Jan 28, 2022

Reeferinthe505 said:
Which of the two is more coral safe?

That's the 64,000 dollar question. I think either should be okay, as long as you don't freak out over some potential nipping here and there. I've had good luck with coral beauties and flames. Bad luck with Eiblii and half black. Lemonpeel is infamously bad.

Reeferinthe505 · Jan 28, 2022

I know the fathead anthias gets larger and is more difficult but how would it fair in place of the coral beauty? Also would there be any problems between the chalk bass and a gramma/assessor?

Bribo12 · Jan 29, 2022

Fathead Mathias are pretty shy fish ime. Don’t know if it would really be a “centerpiece” fish as they aren’t like other anthis that are always out swimming. I’d go with a dwarf angel. What about a potters?

Lavey29 · Jan 29, 2022

9 fish is the limit for that size as I have a 65g DT and learned that 9 was it. I went with various wrasses too. I'd recommend a yellow coris wrasse, purple firefish pintail fairy wrasse and an indigo dottyback. This will give you smaller size good swimmers with nice color variation.

Reeferinthe505 · Jan 29, 2022

Bribo12 said:
Fathead Mathias are pretty shy fish ime. Don’t know if it would really be a “centerpiece” fish as they aren’t like other anthis that are always out swimming. I’d go with a dwarf angel. What about a potters?

That potters is beautiful, but a little expensive especially since it’s from Hawaii. So I’d probably stick to the coral beauty of cherub.

Reeferinthe505 · Jan 29, 2022

After finalizing the list I came up with:

(In order of being added)
-Pair of clownfish
-Yellow watchman goby pistol
-Tailspot blenny
-Pair of chalk basslets
-Royal gramma(?)
-Mccosker's flasher wrasse
-Exquisite fairy wrasse
-Radiant wrasse
-Coral beauty angel

The only issues that might occur is the royal gramma, if it'd be too much fish and if it'd get along with the chalk basslets? Besides that, is this a good stocking list and order?

Bribo12 · Jan 29, 2022

I’d stick with one of the basletts, either the chalk or the gramma. They can be quite territorial little things!

Reeferinthe505 · Jan 29, 2022

Are there any other cave-dwelling fish that could work instead? I was thinking an assessor, but not sure since it's another basslet.

i cant think · Jan 30, 2022

Reeferinthe505 said:
Are there any other cave-dwelling fish that could work instead? I was thinking an assessor, but not sure since it's another basslet.

Tilefish will work however, you MUST have a kid in a tank that shallow.

jaganshi066 · Jan 30, 2022

Reeferinthe505 said:
Hi, hope everyone's having a good day

I'm currently setting a 4' 60 gallon tank that I'm planning on being a mixed reef with mainly soft and lps coral with a few easier sps. For filtration I have about 55-70 lbs of rock, it's plumbed to a 33 gallon sump with a refugium and a Eshopps skimmer rated for 150 gallons. I had already set up this tank for a few years but took it down after moving and want to turn it into a proper reef. For the potential stocking I'm thinking around 9-12 fish maximum, and I want to know your thoughts and recommendations.

Fish I already have in another tank:
-Pair of clownfish
-Yellow watchman goby with tiger pistol shrimp

Potential stocking:
-Blenny (either tailspot or bicolor)
-Mccosker's Flasher Wrasse
-Exquisite Fairy Wrasse
-Pink Streaked Wrasse (or the most invert safe halichoeres wrasse)
-Pair of chalk bass
-Either royal gramma or an assessor
-Centerpiece fish (either tomini tang, dwarf angel, or fathead anthias)
-A bottom or rock dwelling fish

I'd also have a variety of shrimps, snails, and crabs so it would have to be safe with them. This is just a potential list with the clowns and shrimp goby being set in stone, so I'm open for suggestions. Thanks in advance

Mccoskers are so beautiful! Get a multicolor angel, I have two, and in two years so far no corals have been touched