Terrible at stocking fish, people tell me I don't have enough in my 450G. Please help!

[2Wheelsonly]

I have a 450 Gallon 72x48x30 SPS tank (with one huge 8 year old goni)...

Current Stock:

3 yellow tangs
1 blue hippo
2 clowns (useless hang out in rear top corner)
1 sailfin
1 powder blue
1 awesome file fish

I have always felt it's enough but some times throughout the day when the fish are swimming between/in-out of rocks the tank looks almost fishless except for my massive unit hippo and pbt that never seem to hide.

I obviously am terrified of losing my YT because of how expensive they are, I paid $35 each for them about 7 years ago.

Anthias have gotten so expensive because most LFS around me are struggling and have very limited marine fish inventory and I would have to order them. $40-60 each + shipping for a fish that dies easily seems wasteful and expensive to me. Chromis I would also have to order but at $10-15 each must easier pill to swallow. I just want to have open swimmers in my tank, a type of fish I can but multiples of. Other than maybe cardinals (not gobies, they are out of stock EVERYWHERE) any other suggestions?

Note: I really, really do love Anthias but it seems to rare for them to eat dry food from a feeder. Daily frozen is not an option as I sometimes have to travel for a week at a time for work.

 

[William Chiavetta]

You should try to get some schooling fish and or more tangs

 

[Ziggy17]

I have a small group of Lyre Tail Anthias, 1 male 2 females and they eagerly hit on the Vitalis small soft pellets. I use a circle floating feeder and they go right up to it and eat from it. They share with my 2 clowns and the flame angel and YT. The only ones that won’t lower themselves to eating the pellets are my 2 Bengaii Cardinals. They are frozen only snobs.

The Anthias provide a ton of mid tank action and they interact with the flame angel a lot too.

 

[Mwatts12]

I was in the same boat. I was thinking about adding a ton of damsels and was researching which ones to get.

Only a few tanks mentioned them not being aggressive.

I substituted for a Naso. He’s huge and is always in the front watching and waiting for food.

He was the “filler” for the tank

 

[Reeferbadness]

I really like dart gobies as a schooling fish. Hardy, swimmers (also jumpers )

 

[mrpontiac80]

I had the same issue. I ended up ordering quarantined lyretail anthias and blue/green chromis from fish hotel. I never wanted to introduce them without a qt just because of uronema. I ordered 5 of each and got 3 of each because both are just tough fish all in all.

The groups of 3 that did arrive look great and definitely add to the appearance of a fuller tank. I bit the bullet and bought a Avast Plank feeder. I freaking love it. And so do all the fish new and old.

 

[1112-425XL]

I have a pair of blue/green Chromis, they're always together and very active. My male Bluethroat trigger has been a model citizen, he might be my favorite. If my tank was a little bigger I'd have a pair.

 

[OnPointCorals]

... and yes, that fish load is ridiculously small for a 450 gallon tank.
Load those fish in and watch your coral smile with the increased bio load.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

I have always felt it's enough

Why add more, then?

 

[Vinaka_vakalevu]

Personally, I’d go look at the wrasse comparability chart and fill it with different types of wrasses

 

[billyocean]

Foxface are cool.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

So looking around I think I might add 6 green blue chromis and a naso tang. Worried that might make too many tangs in the tank...bad idea?

 

[NotReefsafe]

If you don't have yuour heart set on another tang, why disturb the pecking order? If I were you I'd look into some peaceful wrasses, yellowtail damsels, cleaner gobies, hawkfish, etc.

 

[Lionfish hunter]

I have a 450 Gallon 72x48x30 SPS tank (with one huge 8 year old goni)...

Current Stock:

3 yellow tangs
1 blue hippo
2 clowns (useless hang out in rear top corner)
1 sailfin
1 powder blue
1 awesome file fish

I have always felt it's enough but some times throughout the day when the fish are swimming between/in-out of rocks the tank looks almost fishless except for my massive unit hippo and pbt that never seem to hide.

I obviously am terrified of losing my YT because of how expensive they are, I paid $35 each for them about 7 years ago.

Anthias have gotten so expensive because most LFS around me are struggling and have very limited marine fish inventory and I would have to order them. $40-60 each + shipping for a fish that dies easily seems wasteful and expensive to me. Chromis I would also have to order but at $10-15 each must easier pill to swallow. I just want to have open swimmers in my tank, a type of fish I can but multiples of. Other than maybe cardinals (not gobies, they are out of stock EVERYWHERE) any other suggestions?

Note: I really, really do love Anthias but it seems to rare for them to eat dry food from a feeder. Daily frozen is not an option as I sometimes have to travel for a week at a time for work.

Put your new fish in an acclimation box. You will probably have to make one but it works and the alternative is almost certainly extreme violence if you add tangs.

 

[jag10016]

I have a 450 Gallon 72x48x30 SPS tank (with one huge 8 year old goni)...

Current Stock:

3 yellow tangs
1 blue hippo
2 clowns (useless hang out in rear top corner)
1 sailfin
1 powder blue
1 awesome file fish

I have always felt it's enough but some times throughout the day when the fish are swimming between/in-out of rocks the tank looks almost fishless except for my massive unit hippo and pbt that never seem to hide.

I obviously am terrified of losing my YT because of how expensive they are, I paid $35 each for them about 7 years ago.

Anthias have gotten so expensive because most LFS around me are struggling and have very limited marine fish inventory and I would have to order them. $40-60 each + shipping for a fish that dies easily seems wasteful and expensive to me. Chromis I would also have to order but at $10-15 each must easier pill to swallow. I just want to have open swimmers in my tank, a type of fish I can but multiples of. Other than maybe cardinals (not gobies, they are out of stock EVERYWHERE) any other suggestions?

Note: I really, really do love Anthias but it seems to rare for them to eat dry food from a feeder. Daily frozen is not an option as I sometimes have to travel for a week at a time for work.

i think you have a solid group of fish, get some coral

 

[AydenLincoln]

To each their own! If you are happy with the amount of fish then that’s good for you. While yes you can add more if you are happy then don’t. It’s your tank!

 

[Brazilian Reefer]

Personally, I’d go look at the wrasse comparability chart and fill it with different types of wrasses

That's my thought too. Put a lot of* wrasses in there =)

 

[Mschmidt]

I'll echo the wrasse. But that doesn't help the cost concerns.

Mollies are the most budget friendly ones I can think of, but they may not like the flow of the sps reef.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

that’s what you call a high quality problem. I can’t imagine what water changes and dosing looks like for you. Unless it’s all automated, sounds like a lot of work.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

That's my thought too. Put a lot of* wrasses in there =)

Would love to but I have very, very little sand and worried they will dart in a kill themselves.