80 Gallon Fish Stocking List

[Soey]

Hello! Im working out what fish I would like to keep for a waterbox 110.4, which is 48 inches long. and around 20 inches deep. I plan on making it a sps tank.

Can anyone review the fish choices here? From my research i don't see any major conflicts going on, but i would like to make sure just in case. The order of the list is the order I plan on adding them to my tank.

Firefish goby
Royal Gramma
Cleaner shrimp
Halichoeres wrasse
Midas Blenny
One spot Foxface
ocellaris clownfish x2
6line Wrasse
Yellow Tang
Flame Angel
Copperband Butterfly Fish (Future)
Mandarin Goby (Far Future)

Thanks!

 

[i cant think]

Hello! Im working out what fish I would like to keep for a waterbox 110.4, which is 48 inches long. and around 20 inches deep. I plan on making it a sps tank.

Can anyone review the fish choices here? From my research i don't see any major conflicts going on, but i would like to make sure just in case. The order of the list is the order I plan on adding them to my tank.

Firefish goby
Royal Gramma
Cleaner shrimp
Halichoeres wrasse
Midas Blenny
One spot Foxface
ocellaris clownfish x2
6line Wrasse
Yellow Tang
Flame Angel
Copperband Butterfly Fish (Future)
Mandarin Goby (Far Future)

Thanks!

The six line with a Halichoeres is a risky idea. I would personally ditch the sixline and add a few more wrasses from different genera. So another one or two from Halichoeres, a couple from Cirrhilabrus/Paracheilinus and maybe a few from some other genera.

Ditch the Yellow Tang. These get too active for this size tank, as someone with a less active species of tang in the same tank (4’x2’x18”) it’s really not a good move going for a Zebrasoma. These guys also get quite aggressive as they age, stick to one from Ctenochaetus. Those guys are much more laid back, I personally recommend sticking with one of these;
- Binotatus
- Flavicauda
- Cf. striatus
- Trunctatus

You’ll want to add the CBB in BEFORE the tang. These guys are extremely easy if you follow this;
- Make sure the one you get feeds aggressively
- Don’t QT them. This is a fish that is highly sensitive to medications.
- Make sure it has been in the LFS for a few weeks (if not a month or two).

If you add the CBB as one of the first fish then you should have better luck. Adding them into a busy tank is a bad move. I added my CBB in around 1 month after my tank was setup, now 2 years later he’s the most aggressive feeder.

 

[Soey]

The six line with a Halichoeres is a risky idea. I would personally ditch the sixline and add a few more wrasses from different genera. So another one or two from Halichoeres, a couple from Cirrhilabrus/Paracheilinus and maybe a few from some other genera.

Ditch the Yellow Tang. These get too active for this size tank, as someone with a less active species of tang in the same tank (4’x2’x18”) it’s really not a good move going for a Zebrasoma. These guys also get quite aggressive as they age, stick to one from Ctenochaetus. Those guys are much more laid back, I personally recommend sticking with one of these;
- Binotatus
- Flavicauda
- Cf. striatus
- Trunctatus

You’ll want to add the CBB in BEFORE the tang. These guys are extremely easy if you follow this;
- Make sure the one you get feeds aggressively
- Don’t QT them. This is a fish that is highly sensitive to medications.
- Make sure it has been in the LFS for a few weeks (if not a month or two).

If you add the CBB as one of the first fish then you should have better luck. Adding them into a busy tank is a bad move. I added my CBB in around 1 month after my tank was setup, now 2 years later he’s the most aggressive feeder.

I’ve head bad things about the six line wrasse. I think other genesis of wrasse would work better as well.

I really wanted a yellow tang because ive head of fox faces and yellow tangs being friends, and I think that would be pretty cool. Ive also heard of yellow tangs becoming jerks in smaller tangs, so i think its best to avoid it. I will check out Ctenochaetus tangs.

I’m still not 100% sure about getting a copper banded butterfly. They seem like a pain to keep and a lot of work, but the stripes are so pretty! Adding it first seems like a great idea.

Thanks for the tips and feedback!

 

[i cant think]

I’ve head bad things about the six line wrasse. I think other genesis of wrasse would work better as well.

I really wanted a yellow tang because ive head of fox faces and yellow tangs being friends, and I think that would be pretty cool. Ive also heard of yellow tangs becoming jerks in smaller tangs, so i think its best to avoid it. I will check out Ctenochaetus tangs.

I’m still not 100% sure about getting a copper banded butterfly. They seem like a pain to keep and a lot of work, but the stripes are so pretty! Adding it first seems like a great idea.

Thanks for the tips and feedback!

Honestly, after owning several CBBs… it’s got to be the easiest fish I’ve ever owned.

 

[OrionN]

Hello! Im working out what fish I would like to keep for a waterbox 110.4, which is 48 inches long. and around 20 inches deep. I plan on making it a sps tank.

Can anyone review the fish choices here? From my research i don't see any major conflicts going on, but i would like to make sure just in case. The order of the list is the order I plan on adding them to my tank.

Firefish goby
Royal Gramma
Cleaner shrimp
Halichoeres wrasse
Midas Blenny
One spot Foxface
ocellaris clownfish x2
6line Wrasse
Yellow Tang
Flame Angel
Copperband Butterfly Fish (Future)
Mandarin Goby (Far Future)

Thanks!

I would avoid the Fox face (much too large), possibly avoid the Yellow tang. I would consider a Tomini tang instead and the lone tang in your tank. The color of the Tominy is beautiful, even if it is not as bright as the Yellow tang. I recommend adding a harem of Royal Gramma instead of just 1. A pair of fire fish. Don't add the 6 line wrasse or you will be sorry. Don't add Mandarin Dragonet. The Dwarf angel the Halichoeres wrasse and the 6lines wrasse (if you disregard my warning) will eliminate pods in your tank and will result in a starve Mandarin. In smallish tanks, you should not add Mandarin in a tank with other pod hunters. In this case, a fat Mandarin will starve after about 6 months.
Which Halichoeres wrasse? if you add a Malenurus, then add him last and get a small one, female if you can. Consider a Radiant wrasse. I think the Radiant is the most unique, and beautiful, of this genus of wrasse.
The wrasse will likely take care of the shrimp in short order, or during it's first molt, so save your money and don't add them.

 

[i cant think]

Don't add Mandarin Dragonet. The Dwarf angel the Halichoeres wrasse and the 6lines wrasse (if you disregard my warning) will eliminate pods in your tank and will result in a starve Mandarin. In smallish tanks, you should not add Mandarin in a tank with other pod hunters. In this case, a fat Mandarin will starve after about 6 months.

I’m going to disagree with you on the “In smallish tanks you should not a Mandarin with other pod hunters”. And the reason for this is;
Most other pod hunters will wait for their next meal and so doesn’t eat as many pods.

Now, I know that they do still eat pods and obviously will eat a few pods in a day however, if the OP is able to introduce pods weekly then their colony should build and build. I get small bags of pods from my LFS on the weekly basis, each bag has Atleast 100 copepods in it. I buy 8 every week (which is an estimate of 600 pods for the 4’ tank and 200 pods for my 3’ SPS system). All of my fish are feeding on pods throughout the day however I still have enough pods to feed a mandarin ontop of my 5 other pod eating fish in my 4’ tank.
If the OP does what I do then that 4’ tank can most likely house a mandarin and have it thrive. Also, if we’re saying smallish then wouldn’t that mean a 6’ tank won’t house a mandarin for longer than 6 months no matter how established the tank is?

I would avoid the Fox face (much too large), possibly avoid the Yellow tang. I would consider a Tomini tang instead and the lone tang in your tank. The color of the Tominy is beautiful, even if it is not as bright as the Yellow tang. I recommend adding a harem of Royal Gramma instead of just 1. A pair of fire fish. Don't add the 6 line wrasse or you will be sorry.

Why would you avoid the foxface? IME they don’t get over 7.5 inches (8 at a push) in captivity. I believe Jay did an experiment of what the max size of fish in captivity are and most of them stopped at around 80% of their maximum wild size.

As for the gramma harem, I personally wouldn’t advise this as they can be aggressive to their own species. If the OP got this trio as established adults then there would be a risk of getting 2 males to one female which would cause fighting.
A pair of firefish is another thing I wouldn’t do as this isn’t natural for them. Only one firefish species is communal and this is Nemateleotris magnifica. The rest are usually found solo in the wild and not normally in pairs or groups.

The rest of it I agree with you on though. Spending money on a shrimp that may die if not large enough is a risk that probably isn’t worth it. Also I do agree with depending on which species of Halichoeres greatly depends on the order or introductions.

 

[RedoubtReef]

Add the yellow tang last if you decide to add one. I had one in my 80 for almost a decade without any issue. There's no guarantee one way or the other as to whether it will be aggressive in the future.

 

[OrionN]

I’m going to disagree with you on the “In smallish tanks you should not a Mandarin with other pod hunters”. And the reason for this is;
Most other pod hunters will wait for their next meal and so doesn’t eat as many pods.

Now, I know that they do still eat pods and obviously will eat a few pods in a day however, if the OP is able to introduce pods weekly then their colony should build and build. I get small bags of pods from my LFS on the weekly basis, each bag has Atleast 100 copepods in it. I buy 8 every week (which is an estimate of 600 pods for the 4’ tank and 200 pods for my 3’ SPS system). All of my fish are feeding on pods throughout the day however I still have enough pods to feed a mandarin ontop of my 5 other pod eating fish in my 4’ tank.
If the OP does what I do then that 4’ tank can most likely house a mandarin and have it thrive. Also, if we’re saying smallish then wouldn’t that mean a 6’ tank won’t house a mandarin for longer than 6 months no matter how established the tank is?


Why would you avoid the foxface? IME they don’t get over 7.5 inches (8 at a push) in captivity. I believe Jay did an experiment of what the max size of fish in captivity are and most of them stopped at around 80% of their maximum wild size.

As for the gramma harem, I personally wouldn’t advise this as they can be aggressive to their own species. If the OP got this trio as established adults then there would be a risk of getting 2 males to one female which would cause fighting.
A pair of firefish is another thing I wouldn’t do as this isn’t natural for them. Only one firefish species is communal and this is Nemateleotris magnifica. The rest are usually found solo in the wild and not normally in pairs or groups.

The rest of it I agree with you on though. Spending money on a shrimp that may die if not large enough is a risk that probably isn’t worth it. Also I do agree with depending on which species of Halichoeres greatly depends on the order or introductions.

I think an 80 gal is a small/medium reef tank. I have the Foxface Lo which is the smallest of the fox face, very active and much larger then my Purple and yellow tangs. It is the same size as my Powder Blue tang. All these fish are really active. Because of the I don't think they are suitable for an 80 gal, 4 foot tank. I see if I can come up with a picture of my foxface sometime today.

Regarding Pod hunters, all my fish love live food. My Leopard wrasse, Dwarf Angels, Radiant and Vrolik wrasses hunt all day long. I feed a lot also, I have automated feeder that feed 8 times a day, My fish just don't fast until meal time.
My mandarin starved in a 65 gal reef with two Flame angels. I have to take him home to fatten him up again. I do really hate fish that does not have enough to eat. If I am know for anything, it is my fat fish.