90 Gallon Stocking Ideas

[mythesis]

Still a new tank, so a long ways from filling it up, but want to make a plan so we don't box ourselves in....

90 Gallon + 20 gal sump
Live Rock w/ deep sand bed

First saltwater tank, so will likely be predominantly LPS / Softies --- will be a while until we're ready to try a SPS most likely

Looking for a good mix of color and movement throughout the tank.

Thinking we'll add our next occupant at the start of September

Current Occupants (added June 21)​

• 2 clowns
• 2 Blood Red Fire Shrimp
• Snails & Hermit Crabs

Next Occupants​

(added slowly, 1-2 at a time, waiting weeks in between)
(looking for a lot of feedback/ideas here)

• Anthias --- good color / personality
• Watchman Goby + Pistol Shrimp pair --- the kids are really excited about this idea and watching them move around / create homes in the sand
• Aiptasia Eating Filefish --- control the inevitable outbreaks of Aiptasia
• Blennys? --- Not sure if these get along with goby & how many we can support?
• Wrasse --- Pink or McCoskers? Heard the Sixline will get aggressive as it ages

Like add a Conch & some kind of sea star (brittle? sand sifting?) once tank is able to support their foraging needs.

Going back and forth on Anemone --- watching all those "would you or wouldn't you do it again?" threads about them...

Other Ideas?​

Seems like our plan is light on fish that actually hang out and swim in the water column. Clowns seem to stay put; goby/blenny chill on the bottom. Ideas for more stuff that actually...swims?

• Benggai Cardinalfish --- like the "angel shape" and these are more reef safe. Thinking maybe 3-5 of these?
• Others?

Final Goals​

(these are two that we really want to make happen if possible; both are very late additions we know)

• Mandarin Dragonette (will need established tank & breeding ground for copepods; may need to figure out a refugium by then)
• Yellow Tang (last occupant for territorial/aggression purposes)

Corals​

Not really the focus of this post, but we currently have a single Duncan that seems to be healthy and a tiny frag of GSP we've leaned against the back wall on a piece of rubble to keep isolated from the rock work.

Likely going to slowly add torches / hammers / other "easier" corals over time as we get our parameters stable.

 

[1112-425XL]

Great looking tank! Your patience is commendable.
The file fish I had enjoyed nipping at my Duncan and candy cane corals. I add a handful of Berghia Nudibranch every year or so to deal with Aiptasia. Some other fish to consider are the Bristletooth Tomini tang, (great at picking algae off rocks). The Japanese Swallowtail Angelfish and Male Lyretail Anthia are very active and colorful. Good luck!

 

[mythesis]

Great looking tank! Your patience is commendable.
The file fish I had enjoyed nipping at my Duncan and candy cane corals. I add a handful of Berghia Nudibranch every year or so to deal with Aiptasia. Some other fish to consider are the Bristletooth Tomini tang, (great at picking algae off rocks). The Japanese Swallowtail Angelfish and Male Lyretail Anthia are very active and colorful. Good luck!

Are Angelfish going to be ok with the more docile members of the tank?

Can the Tomini Tang get along with the Yellow? I assume both are towards the end of the stocking plan?

Thanks for the heads up on the Filefish!

 

[1112-425XL]

Are Angelfish going to be ok with the more docile members of the tank?

Can the Tomini Tang get along with the Yellow? I assume both are towards the end of the stocking plan?

Thanks for the heads up on the Filefish!

I have a Tomini with a Purple they get along fine, but I added them together when they were the size of a nickel. My Swallowtail Angelfish seems to get along with everything.

 

[mythesis]

I have a Tomini with a Purple they get along fine, but I added them together when they were the size of a nickel. My Swallowtail Angelfish seems to get along with everything.

Awesome, thanks!

LiveAquaria suggets 120gal for the Angelfish, looks like they get to be 8" eventually! So maybe would have to be rehomed after a while....or be the impetus to build the monster tank that I really want someday

 

[1112-425XL]

Awesome, thanks!

LiveAquaria suggets 120gal for the Angelfish, looks like they get to be 8" eventually! So maybe would have to be rehomed after a while....or be the impetus to build the monster tank that I really want someday

I've had my Angelfish for a couple years. She has definitely grown, but still has lots of room in my 4' tank. My Bristletooth is at least 3 1/2 yrs old and still under 3"

 

[mythesis]

Appreciate your help! Beautiful reef! Just checked out your tank build...here's hoping I'm not in for a year of headaches before things start going smoothly...

 

[Cali Reef Life]

Go slow and can't tell if you have a lid that depends on fish you can get. In the process of building a permanent one after 3 years without one. One of my fish has survived 3 jumps.

Foxface are a great fish just know there spikes feel like a bee sting or a little worse if you get spiked. Melanurus Wrasse are also good but need a mesh lid.

Learn from my mistake put fast growing soft corals on an island... I got lazy and have weeks worth of removing shrooms ahead of me...

Good luck and having an alert system like inkbird to control the heater will save you a crash like mine...

 

[1112-425XL]

Appreciate your help! Beautiful reef! Just checked out your tank build...here's hoping I'm not in for a year of headaches before things start going smoothly...

Happy to help, thanks. Ugly stage was a pain but as I mentioned earlier you're patience is commendable.

 

[mythesis]

Go slow and can't tell if you have a lid that depends on fish you can get. In the process of building a permanent one after 3 years without one. One of my fish has survived 3 jumps.

Foxface are a great fish just know there spikes feel like a bee sting or a little worse if you get spiked. Melanurus Wrasse are also good but need a mesh lid.

Learn from my mistake put fast growing soft corals on an island... I got lazy and have weeks worth of removing shrooms ahead of me...

Good luck and having an alert system like inkbird to control the heater will save you a crash like mine...

I did put 2x of these one (one on each side of the split): Aqua Gadget Safescreen DIY Mesh Lid Kit

I need to make a cutout for the back-mounted lights, but I have time.

Thanks for the tip on the heater...right now I don't even have mine plugged in. The tank is in my home office and stays almost 78 on its own ambient temp.

 

[mythesis]

Would a Royal Gramma Basslet go well with my tank?

Someone pointed out in another thread that an Anthias would require frequent feedings and may not be an ideal next fish.

 

[Cali Reef Life]

Royals are a chill fish to have. I feed my tank twice to once a day and have a healthy anthias. A pinch of dry after work and a cube later in the night. You can also get copepods which they snack on I add some to tank once a year or so.

 

[steveschuerger]

Some suggestions for fish. In my 90 I have the usual pair of clowns, 2 Bangaii cardinalfish, leopard wrasse, Melanurus wrasse, Foxface , Copperband butterfly, pearly jawfish and a hectors wrasse
Hectors

Leopard, Fox, Copperband

Whole tank

 

[mythesis]

Some suggestions for fish. In my 90 I have the usual pair of clowns, 2 Bangaii cardinalfish, leopard wrasse, Melanurus wrasse, Foxface , Copperband butterfly, pearly jawfish and a hectors wrasse
Hectors

Leopard, Fox, Copperband

Whole tank

Oh man, that's a great setup. How old is your tank?

I saw Biota has Royal Grammas & Lyretails available, although it sounds like Lyretails can become a problem potentially (a pretty schooling fish would be nice though)

 

[littlefoxx]

Still a new tank, so a long ways from filling it up, but want to make a plan so we don't box ourselves in....

90 Gallon + 20 gal sump
Live Rock w/ deep sand bed

First saltwater tank, so will likely be predominantly LPS / Softies --- will be a while until we're ready to try a SPS most likely

Looking for a good mix of color and movement throughout the tank.

Thinking we'll add our next occupant at the start of September

Current Occupants (added June 21)​

• 2 clowns
• 2 Blood Red Fire Shrimp
• Snails & Hermit Crabs

Next Occupants​

(added slowly, 1-2 at a time, waiting weeks in between)
(looking for a lot of feedback/ideas here)

• Anthias --- good color / personality
• Watchman Goby + Pistol Shrimp pair --- the kids are really excited about this idea and watching them move around / create homes in the sand
• Aiptasia Eating Filefish --- control the inevitable outbreaks of Aiptasia
• Blennys? --- Not sure if these get along with goby & how many we can support?
• Wrasse --- Pink or McCoskers? Heard the Sixline will get aggressive as it ages

Like add a Conch & some kind of sea star (brittle? sand sifting?) once tank is able to support their foraging needs.

Going back and forth on Anemone --- watching all those "would you or wouldn't you do it again?" threads about them...

Other Ideas?​

Seems like our plan is light on fish that actually hang out and swim in the water column. Clowns seem to stay put; goby/blenny chill on the bottom. Ideas for more stuff that actually...swims?

• Benggai Cardinalfish --- like the "angel shape" and these are more reef safe. Thinking maybe 3-5 of these?
• Others?

Final Goals​

(these are two that we really want to make happen if possible; both are very late additions we know)

• Mandarin Dragonette (will need established tank & breeding ground for copepods; may need to figure out a refugium by then)
• Yellow Tang (last occupant for territorial/aggression purposes)

Corals​

Not really the focus of this post, but we currently have a single Duncan that seems to be healthy and a tiny frag of GSP we've leaned against the back wall on a piece of rubble to keep isolated from the rock work.

Likely going to slowly add torches / hammers / other "easier" corals over time as we get our parameters stable.

Cardinals need to be in a male/female pair or they pick each other off until there is just a male and female. Blenny will be fine with the goby! Blennies are awesome. Anthias should be in a harem of 5 or more, one male to 4 females for example. Also the filefish is notorious for eating corals too

 

[1112-425XL]

Would a Royal Gramma Basslet go well with my tank?

Someone pointed out in another thread that an Anthias would require frequent feedings and may not be an ideal next fish.

I've had a male lyretail anthia for over two years with no issues. He eats when everyone else eats. He's healthy and happy. No extra feedings.

 

[Shawnd08]

Are Angelfish going to be ok with the more docile members of the tank?

Can the Tomini Tang get along with the Yellow? I assume both are towards the end of the stocking plan?

Thanks for the heads up on the Filefish!

I have a tomini tang and a yellow tang. I added the yellow tang after the tomini tang, The tomini tang chased the yellow around the first day and then the next day they were fine. they have shown no aggression towards one another in 6 months.

 

[mythesis]

Cardinals need to be in a male/female pair or they pick each other off until there is just a male and female. Blenny will be fine with the goby! Blennies are awesome. Anthias should be in a harem of 5 or more, one male to 4 females for example. Also the filefish is notorious for eating corals too

Not sure I have room for 5+ Anthias in a 90 gal, do I? Would have to run a solo one in that case I think.

 

[littlefoxx]

Tank is too small for two tangs in my opinion. A dwarf angel would be a great edition though!

 

[littlefoxx]

Not sure I have room for 5+ Anthias in a 90 gal, do I? Would have to run a solo one in that case I think.

You could if you got rid of other fish on the list. Can you do 3? 2 females one male? They really need harems to thrive, just how they are