Thoughts on 120gallon stocking for mixed reef

[120GallonsofDreams]

I’m looking for some discussion about how I plan to stock my 120 gallon mixed reef.
My mixed reef is an empty tank, having the stand built, and I’ve made my list of equipment to purchase, and the order I will purchase it in.

My longterm goals with the tank are to be focused on a full and vibrant aquascape, with negative space, arches, caves, and hollows. I intend to focus less on sps, but will have some hardier montipora caps, birdnest, and some other generally easier sps. I also plan to have lots of zoanthids, mushrooms, some photosysnthetic gorgonians, and LPS, with a toadstool leather or 2.
I will have Carib Seas special grade for substrate and at least 1lb per gallon of live rock, composed of both life rock shapes and Tampa Bay premium uncured rock, which I will cure, before placing in the display and also will cure the life rock with some of the cured TBS rock to ensure excellent bioactivity.
I also feed live baby brine shrimp 3 times a week to my freshwater fish, so I will be doing so for the reef fish, since I hatch them anyway.
I will emphasize maximizing pod and microbe communities in the tank and sump before introducing wrasses or the mandarin.
I will also have several CUC members, shrimp, likely some anemones for the clowns, and possibly a clam or 3. I know clams and corals mean supplementing for calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, and trace elements. I follow BRStv and branch off to some of the people they interview or sponsor, so I feel I have a good grasp of how I’ll approach those things moving forward.

I intend the filtration to rely on a protein skimmer, and algae turf scrubbing, with the potential for a refugium. I have a 40 gallon sump and may plumb in a 29 gallon refugium in the future. Filter socks are part of the sump.

Important to me in stocking are :
Some utilitarian fish
Generally compatible
Manageable bioload for my approach and goals
Color
Reef safe
Activity in several areas of the tank

A balanced, not overcrowded look to the stocking

Fish that have similar feeding needs and therefore are likely to see the food consumed and not left as remnants for the filtration

Generally easily maintained fish ( I have kept mandarins, and leopard wrasse in the past and am aware of their specialist diets and needs and I know the butterfly is not a beginner fish )


I’m interested to know whether this seems like too many fish or has any other things I should consider. I have asked elsewhere and was met with very little discussion, but plenty of condemnation. The changes between the fish I see in online aquariums today, compared with the minimal stocking approaches of 20 years ago makes it hard for me to make judgements, since most stocking recommendations don’t focus on things like bioload.


Considering replacing the Copper banded and one or both tangs with a pair of Genicanthus melanospilos.

1 yellow tang

1 Tomini Tang

1 copper banded butterfly

1 azure damsel

2 Banggi cardinals (pair)

3 leopard wrasses

1 Royal gramma

1 green mandarin

1 orange spotted shrimp goby

3 fire fish

1 tail spot blenny

1 linear blenny

2 perucla or allards clowns (pair)

 

[Formulator]

Sounds like my tank!

Here is what I have on my 120g, and some comments about utility for a few:

Foxface (helps with algae control)
Blue hippo tang
Lyretail anthia (planning to add more)
Blue chromis (had 6 originally, down to 1 )
Firefish (might add 2 more)
Royal gramma
Pair of ornate leopard wrasse (pest control)
Pair of ocellaris clowns
Diamond goby (sand vacuum)
Molly miller blenny (aiptasia eater)
Mandarin
Cleaner shrimp
Biota sexy peppermint shrimp (aiptasia eater)
Pincushion urchin (GHA/turf eating machine)
2 fighting conch (sand cleaners)
Many trochus snails and some nassarius snails

Regarding your list, be careful about adding 3 leopard wrasse. A pair (male + female) would be better. I would also consider switching out the damsel for a blue chromis. I hate damsels - they are devilish, territorial creatures and attack everything.

Regarding the scape and coral selection, you have a good plan. Just start slow and get some success with LPS under your belt before jumping into the SPS. Here is my tank for inspiration. It was once more full of coral, but I had to reboot my system at the beginning of this year so they are just growing in again.

 

[120GallonsofDreams]

Thank you for the response. You are right, we do have similar taste in fish! How many pounds of liverock do you estimate you have? It’s such a balance trying to achieve the negative space and swimming room, while also creating lots of surface area and refuge for bacteria and the flora and fauna that feed our fish.

I think I stay away from chromis and anthias because of their feeding habits/needs and general lack of hardiness. Chromis have a fairly rotten track record for longterm survival.

In the past, I had a trio of leopards. All single fish I had attempted prior died and I bought the trio, determined that at least 1 would survive ( this was over 20 years ago ) and all 3 did. They became a harem, with the largest taking the lead when they swam around together in a fairly tight trio, grazing endlessly on the rocks. They change gender the way clowns do, so I imagine with a dominate male, smaller specimens stay female. I could be wrong.
A fox face might be a good option if I decide to not attempt the 2 tangs.
I appreciate you sharing your set-up and thoughts with me!