Ideas for First Livestock

[Monad]

I've just got a quick question for some people. I have a new tank. No animals in it yet (that I know of), just bacteria. My cycle should be finished by the end of the week (If it doesn't stall again.)

What are people's advice for the first livestock I should add? My LFS recommended I start with just a couple snails as a CUC, but so far there's no sign of dinos yet.

It's a 90 gallon display. Should I just go straight for a pair of clowns or do what my LFS says and add a cleanup crew first? Any other recommendations?

I'm trying to make the tank as low maintenance as possible. It's at my parents. I'll be around at least once a month to do a large water change, but I'm not looking for livestock that need to be fed constantly. I advised my dad that when he feeds the dogs, he should feed the fish.

 

[Reef Wizard]

I've just got a quick question for some people. I have a new tank. No animals in it yet (that I know of), just bacteria. My cycle should be finished by the end of the week (If it doesn't stall again.)

What are people's advice for the first livestock I should add? My LFS recommended I start with just a couple snails as a CUC, but so far there's no sign of dinos yet.

It's a 90 gallon display. Should I just go straight for a pair of clowns or do what my LFS says and add a cleanup crew first? Any other recommendations?

I'm trying to make the tank as low maintenance as possible. It's at my parents. I'll be around at least once a month to do a large water change, but I'm not looking for livestock that need to be fed constantly. I advised my dad that when he feeds the dogs, he should feed the fish.

So basically this is going to be your dads tank?

what kind of rock was used?

With the tank so new. The snails wont have anything to eat on really. I usually wait until the Green hair algae stage to add CUC.

Not sure of any CUC that outright eats dinos

I would get a slow moving fish fast swimming fish such as tangs anthias and wrasse are going to have a higher metabolism and burn all the calories off quickly

A pair of clownfish would be fine or something like a royal gramma or firefish.

With it being a 90 Gallon tank two small fish would be pretty low bioload

A cleaner shrimp would be a nice add.

 

[Monad]

So basically this is going to be your dads tank?

what kind of rock was used?

With the tank so new. The snails wont have anything to eat on really. I usually wait until the Green hair algae stage to add CUC.

Not sure of any CUC that outright eats dinos

I would get a slow moving fish fast swimming fish such as tangs anthias and wrasse are going to have a higher metabolism and burn all the calories off quickly

A pair of clownfish would be fine or something like a royal gramma or firefish.

With it being a 90 Gallon tank two small fish would be pretty low bioload

A cleaner shrimp would be a nice add.

It was all dry rock. Some used to be live rock, but it was stored in the garage if the guy who I bought the used tank from.

I’d say it’s a 50/50 thing with me and my dad. I live there half the time.

I’m mainly thinking of the corals for maintenance reasons. Taking care of the fish is perfectly doable except if they need to be fed more than twice a day.

 

[fishywishy]

No need for a cleanup crew first, especially in a brand new tank because they wont have anything to eat.

A couple of clowns would be perfect, you only need to feed clowns once every day. And that goes for 99% of fish tbh.

If you want it to be as low maintenance as possible just get a few fish, around 7-10, give or take, have good filtration, and if you want corals just get some soft corals and maybe some beginner friendly LPS corals for the least amount of maintenance.

 

[Reef Wizard]

It was all dry rock. Some used to be live rock, but it was stored in the garage if the guy who I bought the used tank from.

I’d say it’s a 50/50 thing with me and my dad. I live there half the time.

I’m mainly thinking of the corals for maintenance reasons. Taking care of the fish is perfectly doable except if they need to be fed more than twice a day.

There is no one size fits all with feeding fish. 1-2 times a day is perfectly fine for slower moving fish most beginner fish are slow moving.

Once your tank is established softie an LPS corals will be completely fine with some kind of lighting

SPS are the ones that are more required to have calcium alkalinity and magnesium in check.

Congratz on started the tank btw