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

[2Wheelsonly]

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.

I don’t do too many water changes, run UV and skim heavy. Nutrients stay close to 0…calc reactor and trace dose… other than aminos and carbon dosing I don’t add much.

 

[dank.reefer]

Like others have said here I would be looking at some wrasses. There are many different peaceful reef safe wrasses available they tend to be very active and rarely hide during the day. Also a big bonus is that many of them eat pests like vermetid snails, tube worms and flat worms. Just make sure you do your research as some speicies of wrasses can be jerks.

 

[Brazilian Reefer]

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

Talk to @i cant think and @Slocke , they know a lot about wrasses

 

[Tcook]

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

The fairy and flasher wrasses don’t require sand. You might also want to condiddr a genicanthus angel. The powder blue may be an isdue with any new larger sized fish.

 

[dank.reefer]

I just saw that you don't have much sand. That does limit your choices but there are some wrasses that don't require it. I dont know how to tag threads but there is on here titled "All About Reef Safe Wrasses" that can help out with that.

 

[bradreef]

Setup a 40 breeder qt. Run copper power for 2-4 weeks. Then a week in prazi if they look good.I say add a mirror for a day and add the following

-1 of these tangs
Powder blue
Orange shoulder
Sohal
Atlantic blue

-A Naso tang
-A foxface
-regal angel
- flasher wrasse
-leopard wrasse
-fairy wrasse
- mysterious wrasse
- melanurus type wrasse

And many other little fish

 

[jtf74]

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 tried tangs. Yellow was too mean got rehomed after Killed my powder brown slashed my cbb. Decided to just have one tang and be done which was a hippo. Now I won't have a reef tank without butterflies or dwarf angels. The dwarf angels swim in and out all day unlike the open water tangs and cover a lot of ground . My butterflies are friendly and easy to hand feed. Really happy with this mix of fish. I also have a pair on clowns .

Edit- just saw you travel and feed pellets. Maybe just dwarf angels as a suggestion then.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Setup a 40 breeder qt. Run copper power for 2-4 weeks. Then a week in prazi if they look good.I say add a mirror for a day and add the following

-1 of these tangs
Powder blue
Orange shoulder
Sohal
Atlantic blue

-A Naso tang
-A foxface
-regal angel
- flasher wrasse
-leopard wrasse
-fairy wrasse
- mysterious wrasse
- melanurus type wrasse

And many other little fish

Would the angel be too much of a risk with corals? Goni pot, zoas, and lots of sps

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Setup a 40 breeder qt. Run copper power for 2-4 weeks. Then a week in prazi if they look good.I say add a mirror for a day and add the following

-1 of these tangs
Powder blue
Orange shoulder
Sohal
Atlantic blue

-A Naso tang
-A foxface
-regal angel
- flasher wrasse
-leopard wrasse
-fairy wrasse
- mysterious wrasse
- melanurus type wrasse

And many other little fish

I have a PBT now, would love to have a Naso but the PBT can be a jerk (fights often with my sailfin as neither hang out in the rock work at night). The 3 yellows and hippo tangs are fairly chill. I had to use mirrors for a good 4-5 weeks to get my PBT to chill the heck out. The powder blue is the sole reason I upgraded to a larger tank though, it's without a doubt my favorite marine fish.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Been looking at suggestions here, researching and most likely will be ordering the following from Dr Reef's QT'd fish:

Naso Blonde Tang - Quarantined × 1
Azure Damselfish - Quarantined × 5
Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse - Quarantined × 1
Scissortail Goby - Quarantined × 2

I may nix the Naso Blonde as I have never added any tangs *after* my PBT and not sure how it will react. I'd probably be best to keep the peace in the tank.

 

[Brazilian Reefer]

Been looking at suggestions here, researching and most likely will be ordering the following from Dr Reef's QT'd fish:

Naso Blonde Tang - Quarantined × 1
Azure Damselfish - Quarantined × 5
Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse - Quarantined × 1
Scissortail Goby - Quarantined × 2

I may nix the Naso Blonde as I have never added any tangs *after* my PBT and not sure how it will react. I'd probably be best to keep the peace in the tank.

Naso Blonde usually are very cool and peaceful tang, it’s my favorite fish

 

[bradreef]

Been looking at suggestions here, researching and most likely will be ordering the following from Dr Reef's QT'd fish:

Naso Blonde Tang - Quarantined × 1
Azure Damselfish - Quarantined × 5
Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse - Quarantined × 1
Scissortail Goby - Quarantined × 2

I may nix the Naso Blonde as I have never added any tangs *after* my PBT and not sure how it will react. I'd probably be best to keep the peace in the tank.

I would just ensure the Naso is bigger than the pbt. Yes Regals are a risk, but, then tend tp be safer than most angels.

 

[dank.reefer]

Been looking at suggestions here, researching and most likely will be ordering the following from Dr Reef's QT'd fish:

Naso Blonde Tang - Quarantined × 1
Azure Damselfish - Quarantined × 5
Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse - Quarantined × 1
Scissortail Goby - Quarantined × 2

I may nix the Naso Blonde as I have never added any tangs *after* my PBT and not sure how it will react. I'd probably be best to keep the peace in the tank.

Looks like a pretty good list. Once everyone gets settled in you may consider adding some more fairy wrasses and maybe a flasher wrasse or 2. The fairy wrasses will school and the flashers will be encouraged to flash with the other wrasses around. I used to be a big fan of tangs and wanted to do a big tang gang. After adding my Yellow Coris wrasse I am leaning more into an interest in wrasses. They seem to have more personality and as long as you focus on peaceful wrasses they dont harrass their tank mates. My Coris wrasse continually goes from fish to fish in the tank checking in on them. This behavior also helps to bring the more shy fish out of the rock work where you can enjoy them more.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Looks like a pretty good list. Once everyone gets settled in you may consider adding some more fairy wrasses and maybe a flasher wrasse or 2. The fairy wrasses will school and the flashers will be encouraged to flash with the other wrasses around. I used to be a big fan of tangs and wanted to do a big tang gang. After adding my Yellow Coris wrasse I am leaning more into an interest in wrasses. They seem to have more personality and as long as you focus on peaceful wrasses they dont harrass their tank mates. My Coris wrasse continually goes from fish to fish in the tank checking in on them. This behavior also helps to bring the more shy fish out of the rock work where you can enjoy them more.

Thanks! You guys are all giving great advice...I never knew you could put multiple fairy wrasse in a tank like that. Exactly what i'm looking for!

 

[1112-425XL]

Female Japanese swallowtail angelfish is completely reef safe and plays well with others.

 

[dank.reefer]

Thanks! You guys are all giving great advice...I never knew you could put multiple fairy wrasse in a tank like that. Exactly what i'm looking for!

You have a large enough tank that as long as you are not adding wrasses of the exact same species you should be ok. Conspecifics on the other hand may battle until they have figured out their pecking order.