Stocking a 220 gallon reef

[dooz]

I’ve been in the hobby for multiple years on and off but this is my first larger tank. Previously had a 90 gallon reef and nano tank. Looking for advice on my stocking plan. My tank is only 50” long (only had so much room in the wall I’m building it into) but 32” wide and 32” deep.

Curious to get opinions on number of fish in each category and also opinions on whether or not some of the “reef safe with caution” options would be ok or not. I plan on having mostly LPS and some inverts too.

Tangs
Powder Blue
White Tail Kole Tang
Dussumieri Tang (too big? hard to get?)
Purple Tang (maybe)
Yellow Tang (maybe)
Other options: Blonde Naso Tang (had one before), Chevron Tang, Maculiceps tang
*Understand that some of these get pretty big and might be best to keep it to 4 total

Wrasses
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
Earmuff Wrasse
Dusky Wrasse
Lineatus Fairy Wrasse
Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse
Other options: Melanurus, Labouts Fairy, Green or Yellow Coris, Richmonds Wrasse

Angels
Not a must have but we like the Flame angel and Potter's

Schooling Fish
Like Anthias but also open to chromis or cardinalfish. Like the Banggai cardinalfish too

Triggers
I have always loved triggers but I know most of them are not reef safe and eat inverts.
What are your thoughts on the Blue throat or Cross Hatch triggers? I've read those are about the closest to being reef safe / peaceful you can get but I'm sure there's still always a risk

Other fish deemed as reef safe with caution
-Dwarf Lionfish - Had one in my 90 gallon years ago and it was fine until it jumped out
-Saddle Valenti Puffer - I've heard they can be reef safe but sounds risky

Smaller fish:
Blue Dot Jawfish
Bi-color blenny / Midas blenny or Lawnmower
Watchman Goby or Yasha Goby

 

[blaxsun]

Tangs - @vetteguy53081.
Wrasses - @i cant think.
..........

Flame, flameback, coral beauty, eibli and midnight are good choices for dwarf angels. Banggai, blue eye and pajama cardinals go well together. I've had fairly consistent results with various types of damsels, chromis and anthias, Midas blennies are also great!

 

[i cant think]

I’ve been in the hobby for multiple years on and off but this is my first larger tank. Previously had a 90 gallon reef and nano tank. Looking for advice on my stocking plan. My tank is only 50” long (only had so much room in the wall I’m building it into) but 32” wide and 32” deep.

Curious to get opinions on number of fish in each category and also opinions on whether or not some of the “reef safe with caution” options would be ok or not. I plan on having mostly LPS and some inverts too.

Tangs
Powder Blue
White Tail Kole Tang
Dussumieri Tang (too big? hard to get?)
Purple Tang (maybe)
Yellow Tang (maybe)
Other options: Blonde Naso Tang (had one before), Chevron Tang, Maculiceps tang
*Understand that some of these get pretty big and might be best to keep it to 4 total

Wrasses
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
Earmuff Wrasse
Dusky Wrasse
Lineatus Fairy Wrasse
Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse
Other options: Melanurus, Labouts Fairy, Green or Yellow Coris, Richmonds Wrasse

Angels
Not a must have but we like the Flame angel and Potter's

Schooling Fish
Like Anthias but also open to chromis or cardinalfish. Like the Banggai cardinalfish too

Triggers
I have always loved triggers but I know most of them are not reef safe and eat inverts.
What are your thoughts on the Blue throat or Cross Hatch triggers? I've read those are about the closest to being reef safe / peaceful you can get but I'm sure there's still always a risk

Other fish deemed as reef safe with caution
-Dwarf Lionfish - Had one in my 90 gallon years ago and it was fine until it jumped out
-Saddle Valenti Puffer - I've heard they can be reef safe but sounds risky

Smaller fish:
Blue Dot Jawfish
Bi-color blenny / Midas blenny or Lawnmower
Watchman Goby or Yasha Goby

Tang Wise, you absolutely should get an Acanthurus maculiceps. These are the most gorgeous tangs out there and are highly underrated. The others are meh if I’m honest (albeit I’m not a huge tang fan). Acanthurus mata are another I’d consider as they are beautiful when big (even when they’re about 5-6” they’re still adorable).

Wrasses are a family I love and I would personally throw in more than just 6-7 - I have 20 fish in my 4’ tank but 10 of them are wrasses in this tank you could have 20-25 Wrasses if you wanted.

Now, in terms of compatibility most of those are compatible however some will need to be in sooner rather than later.
Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis will need to go in before other boisterous fish as these guys can be shy. The same occurs with the Paracheilinus mccoskeri. These guys can be very timid once the larger more aggressive fish are in the tank. The Cirrhilabrus lineatus is a slightly more boisterous species however isn’t out right aggressive - I would add this guy before the tangs but they can go in after some of the other species like angels. If you went the Lineatus route then I would forget about the laboutei as they are close relatives and can be aggressive towards eachother.

Then I’d add a few other species of Cirrhilabrus and Paracheilinus wrasses, for example;
Cirrhilabrus aquamarinus
Cirrhilabrus naokoae
Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa
Cirrhilabrus isosceles
Paracheilinus cyaneus
Paracheilinus attenuatus
Paracheilinus lineopunctatus
Paracheilinus rubricaudalis
Paracheilinus flavianalis
Paracheilinus carpenteri
Then, I would add your Halichoeres wrasses. The Halichoeres marginatus should go in as one of the first wrasses from this genus since they can be shier. Then I would add your Halichoeres melasmapomus and since these can be slightly better with acclimation you could add this species after your angels but again, I would make it so they’re before your triggers and such. Then I would also go for a Halichoeres leucoxanthus over the yellow ‘coris’ (Halichoeres chrysus) since they are more different - Not many fish are yellow with a white belly. I recommend avoiding the Green ‘Coris’ (Halichoeres chloropterus) and the Richmondi (Halichoeres richmondi) as these two may be an issue towards your current options. I would however add a Halichoeres iridis to the list as these are just stunning throughout their whole life.

Another thing I should add is all the Halichoeres wrasses on your list are needing of a sandbed to thrive best. Other genera I’d consider if you have this sandbed are Anampses and Macropharyngodon. These two genera are filled with beautiful wrasses such as the Black Leopards (Macropharyngodon bipartitis) and the China Wrasses (Anampses neoguinaicus).

One last thing I will say on all of these wrasses is; Get them as females! When you get mature males or ‘super males’ these are likely only going to live for 2-3 years in your tank. Females and transitioning/young males will live for closer to 5-6 years.

In terms of angels you could have a couple, I’d recommend a pair of Pygoplites diacanthus flavescens for sure. These are just beautiful and give a splash of yellow and blue. Then I’d also recommend a Pomacanthus navarchus as another nice larger species - These are classed as large angels but rarely get over 6-7” in captivity.
Here’s my Regal - Pygoplites diacanthus flavescens. I also have a Majestic but she doesn’t pose too often for photos.

Then I recommend a couple of Dwarf Angels like C. loricula, C. fisheri, C. multicolour, C. bispinosa and so on for a nice small group of not schooling fish but fish that will hang near to the rocks. You can also have some of these in pairs and harems of 3-4 and they add to the natural look of a tank IMO.

And finally, I would avoid the Blue Spot Jawfish as these are a temperate species that don’t last too long when kept in our much warmer tanks.

 

[Pickle_soup]

I’ve been in the hobby for multiple years on and off but this is my first larger tank. Previously had a 90 gallon reef and nano tank. Looking for advice on my stocking plan. My tank is only 50” long (only had so much room in the wall I’m building it into) but 32” wide and 32” deep.

Curious to get opinions on number of fish in each category and also opinions on whether or not some of the “reef safe with caution” options would be ok or not. I plan on having mostly LPS and some inverts too.

Tangs
Powder Blue
White Tail Kole Tang
Dussumieri Tang (too big? hard to get?)
Purple Tang (maybe)
Yellow Tang (maybe)
Other options: Blonde Naso Tang (had one before), Chevron Tang, Maculiceps tang
*Understand that some of these get pretty big and might be best to keep it to 4 total

Wrasses
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
Earmuff Wrasse
Dusky Wrasse
Lineatus Fairy Wrasse
Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse
Other options: Melanurus, Labouts Fairy, Green or Yellow Coris, Richmonds Wrasse

Angels
Not a must have but we like the Flame angel and Potter's

Schooling Fish
Like Anthias but also open to chromis or cardinalfish. Like the Banggai cardinalfish too

Triggers
I have always loved triggers but I know most of them are not reef safe and eat inverts.
What are your thoughts on the Blue throat or Cross Hatch triggers? I've read those are about the closest to being reef safe / peaceful you can get but I'm sure there's still always a risk

Other fish deemed as reef safe with caution
-Dwarf Lionfish - Had one in my 90 gallon years ago and it was fine until it jumped out
-Saddle Valenti Puffer - I've heard they can be reef safe but sounds risky

Smaller fish:
Blue Dot Jawfish
Bi-color blenny / Midas blenny or Lawnmower
Watchman Goby or Yasha Goby

Naso is also too big, and blondes have been dying lately in alarming numbers.

 

[Debramb]

I’ve been in the hobby for multiple years on and off but this is my first larger tank. Previously had a 90 gallon reef and nano tank. Looking for advice on my stocking plan. My tank is only 50” long (only had so much room in the wall I’m building it into) but 32” wide and 32” deep.

Curious to get opinions on number of fish in each category and also opinions on whether or not some of the “reef safe with caution” options would be ok or not. I plan on having mostly LPS and some inverts too.

Tangs
Powder Blue
White Tail Kole Tang
Dussumieri Tang (too big? hard to get?)
Purple Tang (maybe)
Yellow Tang (maybe)
Other options: Blonde Naso Tang (had one before), Chevron Tang, Maculiceps tang
*Understand that some of these get pretty big and might be best to keep it to 4 total

Wrasses
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
Earmuff Wrasse
Dusky Wrasse
Lineatus Fairy Wrasse
Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse
Other options: Melanurus, Labouts Fairy, Green or Yellow Coris, Richmonds Wrasse

Angels
Not a must have but we like the Flame angel and Potter's

Schooling Fish
Like Anthias but also open to chromis or cardinalfish. Like the Banggai cardinalfish too

Triggers
I have always loved triggers but I know most of them are not reef safe and eat inverts.
What are your thoughts on the Blue throat or Cross Hatch triggers? I've read those are about the closest to being reef safe / peaceful you can get but I'm sure there's still always a risk

Other fish deemed as reef safe with caution
-Dwarf Lionfish - Had one in my 90 gallon years ago and it was fine until it jumped out
-Saddle Valenti Puffer - I've heard they can be reef safe but sounds risky

Smaller fish:
Blue Dot Jawfish
Bi-color blenny / Midas blenny or Lawnmower
Watchman Goby or Yasha Goby

Woohoo! Congrats

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’ve been in the hobby for multiple years on and off but this is my first larger tank. Previously had a 90 gallon reef and nano tank. Looking for advice on my stocking plan. My tank is only 50” long (only had so much room in the wall I’m building it into) but 32” wide and 32” deep.

Curious to get opinions on number of fish in each category and also opinions on whether or not some of the “reef safe with caution” options would be ok or not. I plan on having mostly LPS and some inverts too.

Tangs
Powder Blue
White Tail Kole Tang
Dussumieri Tang (too big? hard to get?)
Purple Tang (maybe)
Yellow Tang (maybe)
Other options: Blonde Naso Tang (had one before), Chevron Tang, Maculiceps tang
*Understand that some of these get pretty big and might be best to keep it to 4 total

Wrasses
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse
Earmuff Wrasse
Dusky Wrasse
Lineatus Fairy Wrasse
Golden Rhomboidalis Wrasse
Other options: Melanurus, Labouts Fairy, Green or Yellow Coris, Richmonds Wrasse

Angels
Not a must have but we like the Flame angel and Potter's

Schooling Fish
Like Anthias but also open to chromis or cardinalfish. Like the Banggai cardinalfish too

Triggers
I have always loved triggers but I know most of them are not reef safe and eat inverts.
What are your thoughts on the Blue throat or Cross Hatch triggers? I've read those are about the closest to being reef safe / peaceful you can get but I'm sure there's still always a risk

Other fish deemed as reef safe with caution
-Dwarf Lionfish - Had one in my 90 gallon years ago and it was fine until it jumped out
-Saddle Valenti Puffer - I've heard they can be reef safe but sounds risky

Smaller fish:
Blue Dot Jawfish
Bi-color blenny / Midas blenny or Lawnmower
Watchman Goby or Yasha Goby

While a 220 is a huge upgrade, be careful with how many you are planning here as you want to consider ; size growth potential, temperaments and dietary requirements. Im currently running a 400g and your wish list approached the number of fish I have in there. If you are planning coral, the angels and valentini puffer will be risk for nipping, wrasses will need sand and most of these fish require good hiding areas.
PBT tang will be your nightmare and dussomieri will attain an easy 8-10" in size or more and mine is growing at a rate of 3/4" a month.

 

[themcnertney]

More for reference, but this is what I had stocked when I had my 220 running...'

Livestock:

• (2) B&W Ocellaris clownfish
• (2) Banggai Cardinalfish
• (2) Engineering Goby
• (3) Blue/Green Chromis
• (1) Vlamingi Tang
• (1) Yellow Tang
• (1) Blue Hippo Tang
• (1) Yellow Clown Goby
• (1) Wheelers Goby
• (1) Magnificent Foxface
• (1) Lyretail Anthias
• (1) Pistol Shrimp
• (1) Black Longspined Urchin
• (1) White/Purple Shortspined Urchin

 

[jerses]

Bellus and swallowtail angels are nice.... i have one of each in a reef tank and they have been model citizens. The bellus was easier to purchase at the LFS.

 

[dooz]

Tang Wise, you absolutely should get an Acanthurus maculiceps. These are the most gorgeous tangs out there and are highly underrated. The others are meh if I’m honest (albeit I’m not a huge tang fan). Acanthurus mata are another I’d consider as they are beautiful when big (even when they’re about 5-6” they’re still adorable).

Wrasses are a family I love and I would personally throw in more than just 6-7 - I have 20 fish in my 4’ tank but 10 of them are wrasses in this tank you could have 20-25 Wrasses if you wanted.

Now, in terms of compatibility most of those are compatible however some will need to be in sooner rather than later.
Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis will need to go in before other boisterous fish as these guys can be shy. The same occurs with the Paracheilinus mccoskeri. These guys can be very timid once the larger more aggressive fish are in the tank. The Cirrhilabrus lineatus is a slightly more boisterous species however isn’t out right aggressive - I would add this guy before the tangs but they can go in after some of the other species like angels. If you went the Lineatus route then I would forget about the laboutei as they are close relatives and can be aggressive towards eachother.

Then I’d add a few other species of Cirrhilabrus and Paracheilinus wrasses, for example;
Cirrhilabrus aquamarinus
Cirrhilabrus naokoae
Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa
Cirrhilabrus isosceles
Paracheilinus cyaneus
Paracheilinus attenuatus
Paracheilinus lineopunctatus
Paracheilinus rubricaudalis
Paracheilinus flavianalis
Paracheilinus carpenteri
Then, I would add your Halichoeres wrasses. The Halichoeres marginatus should go in as one of the first wrasses from this genus since they can be shier. Then I would add your Halichoeres melasmapomus and since these can be slightly better with acclimation you could add this species after your angels but again, I would make it so they’re before your triggers and such. Then I would also go for a Halichoeres leucoxanthus over the yellow ‘coris’ (Halichoeres chrysus) since they are more different - Not many fish are yellow with a white belly. I recommend avoiding the Green ‘Coris’ (Halichoeres chloropterus) and the Richmondi (Halichoeres richmondi) as these two may be an issue towards your current options. I would however add a Halichoeres iridis to the list as these are just stunning throughout their whole life.

Another thing I should add is all the Halichoeres wrasses on your list are needing of a sandbed to thrive best. Other genera I’d consider if you have this sandbed are Anampses and Macropharyngodon. These two genera are filled with beautiful wrasses such as the Black Leopards (Macropharyngodon bipartitis) and the China Wrasses (Anampses neoguinaicus).

One last thing I will say on all of these wrasses is; Get them as females! When you get mature males or ‘super males’ these are likely only going to live for 2-3 years in your tank. Females and transitioning/young males will live for closer to 5-6 years.

In terms of angels you could have a couple, I’d recommend a pair of Pygoplites diacanthus flavescens for sure. These are just beautiful and give a splash of yellow and blue. Then I’d also recommend a Pomacanthus navarchus as another nice larger species - These are classed as large angels but rarely get over 6-7” in captivity.
Here’s my Regal - Pygoplites diacanthus flavescens. I also have a Majestic but she doesn’t pose too often for photos.

Then I recommend a couple of Dwarf Angels like C. loricula, C. fisheri, C. multicolour, C. bispinosa and so on for a nice small group of not schooling fish but fish that will hang near to the rocks. You can also have some of these in pairs and harems of 3-4 and they add to the natural look of a tank IMO.

And finally, I would avoid the Blue Spot Jawfish as these are a temperate species that don’t last too long when kept in our much warmer tanks.

 

[Marquarium]

Tang Wise, you absolutely should get an Acanthurus maculiceps. These are the most gorgeous tangs out there and are highly underrated. The others are meh if I’m honest (albeit I’m not a huge tang fan). Acanthurus mata are another I’d consider as they are beautiful when big (even when they’re about 5-6” they’re still adorable).

Wrasses are a family I love and I would personally throw in more than just 6-7 - I have 20 fish in my 4’ tank but 10 of them are wrasses in this tank you could have 20-25 Wrasses if you wanted.

Now, in terms of compatibility most of those are compatible however some will need to be in sooner rather than later.
Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis will need to go in before other boisterous fish as these guys can be shy. The same occurs with the Paracheilinus mccoskeri. These guys can be very timid once the larger more aggressive fish are in the tank. The Cirrhilabrus lineatus is a slightly more boisterous species however isn’t out right aggressive - I would add this guy before the tangs but they can go in after some of the other species like angels. If you went the Lineatus route then I would forget about the laboutei as they are close relatives and can be aggressive towards eachother.

Then I’d add a few other species of Cirrhilabrus and Paracheilinus wrasses, for example;
Cirrhilabrus aquamarinus
Cirrhilabrus naokoae
Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa
Cirrhilabrus isosceles
Paracheilinus cyaneus
Paracheilinus attenuatus
Paracheilinus lineopunctatus
Paracheilinus rubricaudalis
Paracheilinus flavianalis
Paracheilinus carpenteri
Then, I would add your Halichoeres wrasses. The Halichoeres marginatus should go in as one of the first wrasses from this genus since they can be shier. Then I would add your Halichoeres melasmapomus and since these can be slightly better with acclimation you could add this species after your angels but again, I would make it so they’re before your triggers and such. Then I would also go for a Halichoeres leucoxanthus over the yellow ‘coris’ (Halichoeres chrysus) since they are more different - Not many fish are yellow with a white belly. I recommend avoiding the Green ‘Coris’ (Halichoeres chloropterus) and the Richmondi (Halichoeres richmondi) as these two may be an issue towards your current options. I would however add a Halichoeres iridis to the list as these are just stunning throughout their whole life.

Another thing I should add is all the Halichoeres wrasses on your list are needing of a sandbed to thrive best. Other genera I’d consider if you have this sandbed are Anampses and Macropharyngodon. These two genera are filled with beautiful wrasses such as the Black Leopards (Macropharyngodon bipartitis) and the China Wrasses (Anampses neoguinaicus).

One last thing I will say on all of these wrasses is; Get them as females! When you get mature males or ‘super males’ these are likely only going to live for 2-3 years in your tank. Females and transitioning/young males will live for closer to 5-6 years.

In terms of angels you could have a couple, I’d recommend a pair of Pygoplites diacanthus flavescens for sure. These are just beautiful and give a splash of yellow and blue. Then I’d also recommend a Pomacanthus navarchus as another nice larger species - These are classed as large angels but rarely get over 6-7” in captivity.
Here’s my Regal - Pygoplites diacanthus flavescens. I also have a Majestic but she doesn’t pose too often for photos.

Then I recommend a couple of Dwarf Angels like C. loricula, C. fisheri, C. multicolour, C. bispinosa and so on for a nice small group of not schooling fish but fish that will hang near to the rocks. You can also have some of these in pairs and harems of 3-4 and they add to the natural look of a tank IMO.

And finally, I would avoid the Blue Spot Jawfish as these are a temperate species that don’t last too long when kept in our much warmer tanks.

Is that true about Wrasses? I didn't know so many could be kept like that. Love them and I have some space in my tank. Would love to add a few. For some reason I thought they got pretty large so I didn't consider having a bunch.

 

[dooz]

Wow, lots of great info here, thank you for the suggestions. I have a lot more fish to research! The Maculiceps is nice too and might be better than a Dussumieri because it's a little smaller.

Are Regals reef safe / invert safe? Am I okay getting just one? I'm seeing seeing on Live Aquaria they are "EXPERT ONLY FISH" I'm by no means an expert but it's a beautiful fish and might be worth taking the risk.

Would those Triggers I suggested be ok? I've also heard the Sargassum / Red Tail is another mild mannered Trigger that can work in a reef.

Can't wait to look up all these wrasses!

 

[i cant think]

Is that true about Wrasses? I didn't know so many could be kept like that. Love them and I have some space in my tank. Would love to add a few. For some reason I thought they got pretty large so I didn't consider having a bunch.

The common Wrasses that we keep only get to about 3” with the largest getting to 7”. However on average these guys get to 3-4”.
Here’s my 4’ tank with 19 fish now - I unfortunately lost one of my favourites yesterday (The CBB).

So, can you keep huge groups of wrasses? Absolutely, just make sure you don’t keep the same species of wrasse that aren’t in the genera of Macropharyngodon and Anampses if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Wow, lots of great info here, thank you for the suggestions. I have a lot more fish to research! The Maculiceps is nice too and might be better than a Dussumieri because it's a little smaller.

Are Regals reef safe / invert safe? Am I okay getting just one? I'm seeing seeing on Live Aquaria they are "EXPERT ONLY FISH" I'm by no means an expert but it's a beautiful fish and might be worth taking the risk.

Would those Triggers I suggested be ok? I've also heard the Sargassum / Red Tail is another mild mannered Trigger that can work in a reef.

Can't wait to look up all these wrasses!

Regal Angels are one of the most reef safe of the not so reef safe angels IME. My 3 angels don’t touch any corals - I have a Majestic, Regal and a Coral Beauty.
In terms of being expert level, I disagree. If you get one that feeds then you’re good to go, that is the only thing that makes these guys so difficult IME.

In terms of the triggers, I don’t know much about them however the Xanthrichthys genus is supposed to be the most reef safe genus of them all due to the mouth shape being upwards. The Sargassum is the trigger I’d personally go for but Blue throats and Crosshatches are also good choices. The Crosshatch I believe is slightly more boisterous however I could be wrong as I’ve never cared for one. The other two however I have cared for and are very mild mannered.