Stock list for 180 shallow reef

[Prosperent]

Hi guys, i'm finally up and running with a new tank. Obviously I have months ahead of me, but I wanted to start compiling my list of dream fish. I am well aware that there are likely too many fish on my current list (not to mention the fact that the tangs are unlikely to get along), but this is more or less a starting place to chose which ones eventually make it into the tank. Here is what I have:

3-4 female lyretail anthias
Male Blue throat trigger
regal angel
declivis butterflyfish
powder blue tang
harlequin tusk
pair of clowns (I have a 3 year old, these are a must)
red tail trigger
blonde naso tang
achilles tang
male banana wrasse

Any feedback would be awesome!

 

[SkyShark]

Do you have a screen top for the tank? Some possible jumpers on that list.

 

[zombie]

Chances are two triggers wont play nice with each other. Im not sure if you plan on adding coral at some point, but if so, the triggers, angel, and butterfly would need to be taken off the list. The naso and achilles will likely get too big for a 180.

 

[Haddonisreef]

I have a red tail trigger in a reef and a model citizen, look foreword to seeing some pics of your build.

 

[jda123]

The triggers are more reef safe than tangs are. ...assuming that red tail is Sargassum xanthichthys ringens and not melichthys vidua. Tuskfish are generally coral safe, but not so much with the inverts. Regal angels can be coral eaters.

 

[Prosperent]

I had a niger trigger in my last reef tank, and he left things alone. I may just be lucky, but my experience with triggers hasn't been bad (had a Humu in a FOWLR tank that would have definitely gone to town on anything and everything in the tank).

I don't have plans for a lid, so jumpers will be an issue. Which of those are most likely to jump?

Any suggestions for replacements for the fish that I likely can't stock?

 

[scchase]

That is one of the reefsafe butteryflys as well really the only problem I would see is possibly the two Acanthurus tangs, pick one and the rest would be okay IMO. Well that and maybe the numbers but only would have to cut 1-2 of the bigger fish

 

[scchase]

Ohh side note the regal would most likely eat any zoanthids if you went that way but IME leave most softies and SPS alone

 

[jda123]

Just a side note about the Xanthichthys triggers. They don't know how to pick at things, including stuff on the sand or in the rocks. I feed pellets and they have to learn how to go to the bottom, stir up the pellets with their fins and then pick them out of the water column. It is quite humorous to watch them learn and it is somewhat of a massive fail in the beginning. At first, they just hover around them in dismay wondering how they are going to eat them. Eventually, they will learn to stir them up or even stand on their head and pick them off - this can take months and months.

Along with leopard wrasses and Genicanthus Angelfish, these are among the most reef safe fish that I have ever owned. The only even perceived incidents that I have ever even heard of is perhaps a shrimp, but some of those have just turned out to be the trigger eating the molt.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/hcs3/

Great choices.

I would worry about the Declivis ripping apart fleshy corals, but some are totally OK. 50/50, maybe?

 

[sethsolomon]

IMO swap the achilles tang and butterfly for some various wrasses.

The achilles will get massive and the butterfly would most likely be a coral eater (You could sump him and teach him to eat pellets and frozen then try adding him). If you pull those 2 fish, you could probably add 4-6 of the wrasses from below.


Awesome wrasses ($100)
Rhomboid Fairy Wrasse
Lineautise Wrasse
Flame Wrasse
Blue Stripe Tamarin Wrasse
Candy Wrasse
Labout's Fairy Wrasse
Mystery Wrasse
Kuiter's Leopard Wrasse

 

[Prosperent]

I was going through some wrasses last night, and had a tough time narrowing it down. Subbing out the achilles and butterfly for a couple wrasses sounds like a great option.

 

[sethsolomon]

I was going through some wrasses last night, and had a tough time narrowing it down. Subbing out the achilles and butterfly for a couple wrasses sounds like a great option.

Leopard wrasses are my favorite. Problem is getting them to eat. I have an extra leopard wrasse thats eating pellets if your interested. he is about 1.5 in

 

[SynDen]

IMO swap the achilles tang and butterfly for some various wrasses.

The achilles will get massive and the butterfly would most likely be a coral eater (You could sump him and teach him to eat pellets and frozen then try adding him). If you pull those 2 fish, you could probably add 4-6 of the wrasses from below.


Awesome wrasses ($100)
Rhomboid Fairy Wrasse
Lineautise Wrasse
Flame Wrasse
Blue Stripe Tamarin Wrasse
Candy Wrasse
Labout's Fairy Wrasse
Mystery Wrasse
Kuiter's Leopard Wrasse

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