Need some Stock Ideas

[Thomas Jedlicka]

Hi everybody!

I am converting my 450 Gallon 5L X 3W X 4H Predatory FOWLR into a reef tank. I am trying to brainstorm some nice stocking ideas. Over the past years that I have kept fish, i have pretty much kept the whole spectrum. So for this tank, I am looking to do higher-end or more showpiece/unique fish. I don't necessarily mean black tangs, but I mean, I've kept one too many standard fire fish for my liking . I'd love to hear more unique ideas or other fish you all have kept and enjoyed. I will remove two more fish from my tank before I would truly be comfortable loading my tank with fish. Now I don't think overstocking is possible for this tank on the bio load side of things. This tank was designed to house 15 massive predatory fish, and I have a skimmer designed to maintain over 1000 gallons of REAL heavy bio load.

The tank is definitely on the taller scale of fish tanks, so vertical height is a bigger factor, but still being 450 gallons, I think I can get away with it. I am away from my tank for the majority of the year as I am currently in college, and my parents are the ones who feed me while I am gone. I have the tank professionally serviced while away (I would commute to clean myself, but I live 12 hours away from home). Because of this, I will also be stocking extremely easy corals that spread like crazy and are low stakes if munched on by the permanent residents. Potentially GSP and pulsating Xenia. If I get to the point where I want to do real corals, I will deal with that when I get there, but I am not fully sure I ever will. Also, my lights are pretty basic. I have fluval reef strip lights. I didn't want to drop thousands on reef lights when I only had fish at the time.

My parents are tired of the big "mean" fish and want the pretty "nemos and dorys." I have been in the process of rehoming my fish and have 2 left that I need to get rid of. 1 I will be rehoming next week when I return home and already have someone to pick it up. The other I am still trying to figure it out. If anybody has any interest in a 16 Inch Emperor Snapper, let me know

My current stock list for my tank is (and Yes, they have names):


Potato the yellow belly Puffer ~7 Inches
Puppy the Stars and Stripes Puffer ~13 Inches
Maurice the Emperor Snapper ~16 Inches (PLAN TO REHOME)
Julian the Emperor Angel ~9 Inches (BEING REHOMED)
Frank the File Fish ~4 Inches
Mingii the Vlamingii Tang ~6 Inches
Clouseau the Maculosis Angel ~9 Inches (Potentially being rehomed)
Prince the Purple Tang ~4 Inches
Dory the Hippo Tang ~1.5 Inches
Rory the Hippo Tang ~1.5 Inches
Mr Clean the Cleaner Wrasse ~2 Inches
Sloth the Asfur Angel ~3 Inches
Dan the Dussumieri Tang ~3 Inches


That is my current stock list. Some things I was considering adding were:

Tahitian Gold Hawkfish (I need to do some more research on them)
Gold flake Angel
Blue dot Jawfish (I wanted to do a few but need to look into compatibility more)
Tilefish trio (Don’t know what specific ones, but want to add a new color to tank)
Costa Rica Rainbow Basslet (I am pretty deadset on these guys and have wanted one since I started the hobby)
Mystery Wrasse
Possum Wrasse
Red Scooter Blenny (One of my all-time favorite fish, I have no idea why either)
Blotchy Anthias / Borbonius Anthias (I wanted to do a trio)
Clownfish of some sort (likely Percula)


I need some sand sifters or filterers. I am going to do a full stocking of a CUC and was going to do snails, hermits, and some sand-sifting stars. I know for a fact that the puffers I have right now do not bother inverts I just got lucky with their temperaments. I am looking to get some schooling fish, but I am stumped as to what. I dont want some basic anthias or PJ cardinals. Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions? I am pretty open to anything and am trying to be flexible and realistic with what I want to add. I don't necessarily have a budget, either.

My tank tends to look empty because the height visually dwarfs any fish I add to the tank, even when they are big fish. So I was looking to have a lot of fish. I would love to hear your thoughts!.

Here is a video of the tank from a few months back.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

SO... my thoughts...

LOVE Blotchies ... and they are the predators of the Anthias family so they seem right up your alley while more like what your parents are seeking... but suspect it will find the red scooter blenny to be tasty snack sooner or later

If you go red scooter blenny aka ruby red dragonet then I'd recommend my easy lazy spirulina banana skin/peel culture method. Its next to no work so good given you are mostly away - yet massive pod rewards - recommend Tigger pods because if someone forgets to take out the days pods this breed doesn't go cannibalistic at higher densities ... so its way more food for your fish to enjoy:

raising tig pods - tiny 2.5g tank experimental culture #2

2nd attempt at raising tig pods is officially underway. Original attempt was outdoor lazy banana leaf method I found online - that is still underway but seems to be failing. Suspect Texas temperature and full day direct sunshine is too much, but that pod culture experiment still underway. 2nd...

forum.dfwmas.org

Sand sifters the classic answer is diamond goby, but also on my wishlist is a bella goby - nearly the same but way more attractive. Likely you can only get 1 and not both

Regarding that 'empty' look due to height of your tank - recommend looking into Reef Rax's Frag Racks. They'll give you some visual interest and remind me of scuba diving along reef outcroping where the rock just sticks out. Depending size and quantity you go with, you may end up with a new 'bottom in the air' ... though shallow depth it will encourage some of your fish that linger at the bottom to go linger up higher in your water column because to them it SEEMS like the bottom. Fish that like to perch will have nice shelf. Start a frag on it and over time it will grow over. We used a saw to cut horizontal slice out of one of ours, put a plating monti in there, and its going to be an airborn showstopper once it grows out!

Blue spotted jawfish - you want one... over time you may get to enjoy buying multiples because they want to build their own burrows 6" deep in coral rubble so that sand you seem to have today needs replaced with at least argonite (and no not arag-alive... bigger particles). There had been a West Carribean Reef option, but everyone is either out or its discontinued... and it was both good and too small mix but closest thing in the arag-alive line (if you like bacteria to come in new substrate). If you don't have enough depth of the right size particles, jawfish is going to jump out. Your height helps a bit, but it is going to get stressed if it can't build its own deep burrow, and a fish will look at it funny, the sun will rise, something silly like that will freak it out and it will go out for the Olympic Carpet Surfing Team. Deadly career obsession for fish... Don't get two to watch one kill the other and then the remaining one just jumps out. Just get one blue spotted jawfish (at a time).

 

[Thomas Jedlicka]

SO... my thoughts...

LOVE Blotchies ... and they are the predators of the Anthias family so they seem right up your alley while more like what your parents are seeking... but suspect it will find the red scooter blenny to be tasty snack sooner or later

If you go red scooter blenny aka ruby red dragonet then I'd recommend my easy lazy spirulina banana skin/peel culture method. Its next to no work so good given you are mostly away - yet massive pod rewards - recommend Tigger pods because if someone forgets to take out the days pods this breed doesn't go cannibalistic at higher densities ... so its way more food for your fish to enjoy:

raising tig pods - tiny 2.5g tank experimental culture #2

2nd attempt at raising tig pods is officially underway. Original attempt was outdoor lazy banana leaf method I found online - that is still underway but seems to be failing. Suspect Texas temperature and full day direct sunshine is too much, but that pod culture experiment still underway. 2nd...

forum.dfwmas.org

Sand sifters the classic answer is diamond goby, but also on my wishlist is a bella goby - nearly the same but way more attractive. Likely you can only get 1 and not both

Regarding that 'empty' look due to height of your tank - recommend looking into Reef Rax's Frag Racks. They'll give you some visual interest and remind me of scuba diving along reef outcroping where the rock just sticks out. Depending size and quantity you go with, you may end up with a new 'bottom in the air' ... though shallow depth it will encourage some of your fish that linger at the bottom to go linger up higher in your water column because to them it SEEMS like the bottom. Fish that like to perch will have nice shelf. Start a frag on it and over time it will grow over. We used a saw to cut horizontal slice out of one of ours, put a plating monti in there, and its going to be an airborn showstopper once it grows out!

Blue spotted jawfish - you want one... over time you may get to enjoy buying multiples because they want to build their own burrows 6" deep in coral rubble so that sand you seem to have today needs replaced with at least argonite (and no not arag-alive... bigger particles). There had been a West Carribean Reef option, but everyone is either out or its discontinued... and it was both good and too small mix but closest thing in the arag-alive line (if you like bacteria to come in new substrate). If you don't have enough depth of the right size particles, jawfish is going to jump out. Your height helps a bit, but it is going to get stressed if it can't build its own deep burrow, and a fish will look at it funny, the sun will rise, something silly like that will freak it out and it will go out for the Olympic Carpet Surfing Team. Deadly career obsession for fish... Don't get two to watch one kill the other and then the remaining one just jumps out. Just get one blue spotted jawfish (at a time).

I am not dead set on the blenny and care more about the blotched anthias. I like the pods idea will look into that regardless. My tank is a "fake" peninsula for the two large ends so I may not do a frag rack but can just build my rock stacks higher. The tank is in a wall inbetween two rooms visible from both sides, and unaccessible from the sides. The sand I have is aragonite or roughly the same particle size It may just not look like it. Also it is atleast 3" deep if not 4 in some areas of the tank. Luckily my tank is fully enclosed and has a "Jump proof ring" meaning the 6 inches from the edge of the tank are encapsulated so hed have to really be able to jump while I am feeding to escape I think my rock structure would provide some perfect areas for a Bluedot to burrow. Ill start off with one jawfish and if all goes well I may do another. I love diamond and bella gobies I have had both in the past and may even mix them if compatible (or try to find a pair if thats a thing). Thanks for the advice!

 

[Fish Think Pink]

I am not dead set on the blenny and care more about the blotched anthias. I like the pods idea will look into that regardless. My tank is a "fake" peninsula for the two large ends so I may not do a frag rack but can just build my rock stacks higher. The tank is in a wall inbetween two rooms visible from both sides, and unaccessible from the sides. The sand I have is aragonite or roughly the same particle size It may just not look like it. Also it is atleast 3" deep if not 4 in some areas of the tank. Luckily my tank is fully enclosed and has a "Jump proof ring" meaning the 6 inches from the edge of the tank are encapsulated so hed have to really be able to jump while I am feeding to escape I think my rock structure would provide some perfect areas for a Bluedot to burrow. Ill start off with one jawfish and if all goes well I may do another. I love diamond and bella gobies I have had both in the past and may even mix them if compatible (or try to find a pair if thats a thing). Thanks for the advice!

This may not be your thing, but I'm going to share this suggestion as my order came in. I got three to try them out, and I went with adapters to drill into my own rocks (didn't get their rocks). Based on these taller 'fake' corals I'm starting with for my FOWLR, I'm thinking of going back ordering sea fan for different look yet height. I actually have dry real sea fans but they are 50 or so years old (from my parents) that I'm not sure how long they'd last going back in a tank. It doesn't take much to snap something off sitting mostly protected on shelf in my fish room, so I'd rather preserve the actual item and instead go with something fake that is saltwater safe and will last.

https://oceanaquaria.com/shop-categories/

Part of me did think that perhaps you were peninsula but maybe those Reef Rax Frag Racks would have worked for you, too.

I've seen some fake seaweed used for height... but it LOOKED like fake seaweed and not something I'd want for my own tank.

I'll be interested to see what you end up doing.

Hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday! Good luck with your studies!