Stock okay for a 40 gal breeder?

[squidleydidleydoo]

Hello! I am yet again making plans for starting up my first reef tank (someday I'll have the money to actually execute one of these plans ).
What do y'all think of this as potential stock in a 40 gallon breeder? Would this be too much?

• Yellow Clown Goby (Gobiodon okinawae)
• Green Clown Goby (Gobiodon atrangulatus)
• Purple Firefish (Nemateleotris decora)
• Diamond Watchman Goby (Valenciennea puellaris)
• Pintail Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus isosceles) Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lubbocki)
• Pink-Streaked Wrasse (Pseudocheilinops ataenia)
• Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus)

 

[fishface NJ]

Pintail Fairy Wrasse is a no in a 40b

 

[squidleydidleydoo]

Pintail Fairy Wrasse is a no in a 40b

Oh geez, good catch. I meant to put the Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse on there, I had them mixed up in my notes! Lubbock's might still be pushing it in a 40b, so I could swap it for a flasher (probably a McCoskers)

 

[Uncle99]

Wild Mandarin only at 1 year maturity, lots of rock, and the only exclusive pod eater, 40 would be min for me anyways.

Captive bred are @ good choice but so, so small, the ones I see are 1/2”

No mid water fish?

 

[JoJosReef]

Oh geez, good catch. I meant to put the Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse on there, I had them mixed up in my notes! Lubbock's might still be pushing it in a 40b, so I could swap it for a flasher (probably a McCoskers)

A flasher would be worse than a lubbocki in my opinion. By nature, they are very zoomy and it's recommended at least a 4ft tank for a flasher if not longer. A lubbocki might be OK in a 40b. A pintail is stretching it a bit. A C. brunneus might be a better choice. I'd go with a pair of pink streaks, as they are fun to watch together. The mandarin might have difficulty competing for pods in a smaller tank.

 

[squidleydidleydoo]

Wild Mandarin only at 1 year maturity, lots of rock, and the only exclusive pod eater, 40 would be min for me anyways.

Captive bred are @ good choice but so, so small, the ones I see are 1/2”

No mid water fish?

Mandarin would definitely be the last one added (like the finishing touch!)
They're my favorite fish, so I've done a lot of research and will make sure my tank is good and ready before dropping one into it

I've found it a bit hard to find good info online about where fish hang out in the tank. Do you have any recs for mid water fish?

 

[squidleydidleydoo]

A flasher would be worse than a lubbocki in my opinion. By nature, they are very zoomy and it's recommended at least a 4ft tank for a flasher if not longer. A lubbocki might be OK in a 40b. A pintail is stretching it a bit. A C. brunneus might be a better choice. I'd go with a pair of pink streaks, as they are fun to watch together. The mandarin might have difficulty competing for pods in a smaller tank.

I'd never heard of C. brunneus before! They look really neat though so I'll do some more digging on them!

 

[Uncle99]

Mandarin would definitely be the last one added (like the finishing touch!)
They're my favorite fish, so I've done a lot of research and will make sure my tank is good and ready before dropping one into it

I've found it a bit hard to find good info online about where fish hang out in the tank. Do you have any recs for mid water fish?

A bangaii or Pajama cardinal, out all the time hanging in the water, mid level if your into that.

Although the wrasses are going to flying in and out and might irritate it.

 

[squidleydidleydoo]

A bangaii or Pajama cardinal, out all the time hanging in the water, mid level if your into that.

Although the wrasses are going to flying in and out and might irritate it.

I like the look of cardinals, but ngl the way they just kind of hover in the water column actually kinda freaks me out a little bit

 

[squidleydidleydoo]

Also just realized that I left out another fish out of this list that I was thinking about, the royal gramma! Maybe I drop the idea of a fairy wrasse altogether and go for a gramma instead...

 

[Patx]

A flasher would be worse than a lubbocki in my opinion. By nature, they are very zoomy and it's recommended at least a 4ft tank for a flasher if not longer. A lubbocki might be OK in a 40b. A pintail is stretching it a bit. A C. brunneus might be a better choice. I'd go with a pair of pink streaks, as they are fun to watch together. The mandarin might have difficulty competing for pods in a smaller tank.

Sorry i will highjack a sec.
Can you just put 2 pink streaks together and they will become a pair ?

 

[JoJosReef]

Sorry i will highjack a sec.
Can you just put 2 pink streaks together and they will become a pair ?

Mine came as a pair that had been in QT together. One was bigger and clearly the male or male-to-be. Color change is more subtle with pinkies.

 

[Uncle99]

Also just realized that I left out another fish out of this list that I was thinking about, the royal gramma! Maybe I drop the idea of a fairy wrasse altogether and go for a gramma instead...

Great fish but hides a bit.
Typical rock dweller.

 

[Tamberav]

I would personally skip the diamond for a shrimp goby or such. They actually have a shrimp goby that looks almost the same as a diamond, orange spotted shrimp goby.

Diamonds get big and would probably have some effect on the pod population with their constant sifting for microfauna.

I would probably go for a cherub angel over the Lubbock.

 

[squidleydidleydoo]

I would personally skip the diamond for a shrimp goby or such. They actually have a shrimp goby that looks almost the same as a diamond, orange spotted shrimp goby.

Diamonds get big and would probably have some effect on the pod population with their constant sifting for microfauna.

I would probably go for a cherub angel over the Lubbock.

Ooh orange spotted shrimp goby is a good idea!
Would a cherub angel be a problem with lps/softies?

 

[Tamberav]

Ooh orange spotted shrimp goby is a good idea!
Would a cherub angel be a problem with lps/softies?

Angel problems are different among each fish. I have never had a problem with dwarf angels. I don’t believe a cherub is high on the risk scale.

 

[squidleydidleydoo]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! I've tweaked the list a bit based on your suggestions. What do y'all think?

• Yellow Clown Goby (Gobiodon okinawae)
• Green Clown Goby (Gobiodon atrangulatus)
• Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
• Purple Firefish (Nemateleotris decora)
• Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby (Amblyeleotris guttata) - paired w/ a shrimp
• Pink-Streaked Wrasse (Pseudocheilinops ataenia)
• Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus) - after at least a year of the tank being successful
• Cherub Angelfish (Centropyge argi) - this one is a maybe

 

[Roatan Reef]

My 40GB:

2 Mated Clowns (Gladiator and a Snowstorm)

1 Royal Gramma

1 Coral Beauty

1 Bangai Cardinal

1 Midas Blenni

1 Diamond Goby