Looking for Fish Stocking Suggestions

[p3rmafrost]

Hello Everyone!

I'd love to hear your opinions on what fish would make an interesting addition to my tank.

 

Current setup:

Reefer 250

2x Ecotech G3 XR15 light

1x Ecotech MP10 pump

1x Icecap Gyre

1x Octo Classic 150 skimmer

Running filter socks, phosban pads, filter fleece, charcoal, and I have some (not much) macro algae in the sump

 

Current inhabitants:

2x 3 stripe damsels

1x coral beauty angelfish

1x lawnmower blenny

1x pistol shrimp

1x watchman goby (maybe...I haven't seen him in several weeks)

2x condy nems

1x rock flower

1x green BTA

CUC

Various corals, mostly softies. Kenya trees, ricordia, zoas. Couple of frogspawn, 1 large candy cane, couple of hard corals, all small size, 2 gonipora (both small, one is doing great, the other is struggling). 1 monti.

 

Things I'm considering:

Clowns - Would love to hear suggestions on what kind

Wrasse - Not sure what kind

Basslet

Hawkfish - will is pick at the CUC?

 

Please let me know your thoughts! If you have an idea of what reasonable prices might be I'd be interested to hear that too.

 

Thank you!

[rrubberbandman]

I am a big fan of Sixline wrasse. I want one so bad but my 20 gallon is, in my eyes , too small considering I have two clowns, a tail spot and a Rainfords goby. There are alot of designer clowns out there but I guess I am boring....I like the old school Ocellaris Clowns.

[howaboutme]

If you don't have a pair of clowns yet my suggestion is to add those next. I think they are part and parcel to any saltwater tank. Agree that old school occ. is the way to go over designer. 

[Origami]

Moving to General Discussion forum for the benefit of a wider audience.

[beatle]

I'm guessing you've picked out some fish by now, but we've got similar tanks.  I'd recommend getting a new goby if your watchman hasn't turned up.  I have a shrimp/watchman pair, but I started with a hi-fin goby that perished after 3-4 weeks.  My pistol shrimp is much, much happier with his watchman buddy.  They bonded in less than an hour, and they've been hanging out for a couple months now.

 

Firefish are also good, mostly docile.  Just pick one type.  I have not had luck this time around when mixing them.

 

A blenny (I love my midas blenny) would be a good addition as well.  They are a bit expensive, though still under $100.

 

I have always had ocellaris clowns in my tanks.  I personally dream of a pair of maroon clowns, but they are just too aggressive for a community tank of otherwise peaceful fish.

[p3rmafrost]

On 2/10/2023 at 8:02 PM, beatle said:

I'm guessing you've picked out some fish by now, but we've got similar tanks.  I'd recommend getting a new goby if your watchman hasn't turned up.  I have a shrimp/watchman pair, but I started with a hi-fin goby that perished after 3-4 weeks.  My pistol shrimp is much, much happier with his watchman buddy.  They bonded in less than an hour, and they've been hanging out for a couple months now.

 

Firefish are also good, mostly docile.  Just pick one type.  I have not had luck this time around when mixing them.

 

A blenny (I love my midas blenny) would be a good addition as well.  They are a bit expensive, though still under $100.

 

I have always had ocellaris clowns in my tanks.  I personally dream of a pair of maroon clowns, but they are just too aggressive for a community tank of otherwise peaceful fish.

Hi Beatle -

I ended up grabbing another Watchman, he paired up with the Pistol very quickly. They make a happy couple. I grabbed a pair of clowns that have settled in nicely and I picked up a Mandarin Dragonet. I grabbed some other inverts and a bunch of new corals as well. I put up an update on my build thread a few minutes ago if you're interested in reading an extremely long write up about what's happening around my tank this month. Thank you for your suggestions, it looks like we were on the same path with ideas!

 

Build thread if you're interested:

 

 

[beatle]

Nice, mandarins are my favorite.  If you haven't already, see about establishing a refugium in your sump as a "kitchen" for copepods to grow.  You may want to pick up some pods and/or some chaeto to seed it.  Mandarins rarely eat prepared food and generally just eat pods, but they will slowly starve after they plow through all the pods in your DT.

[p3rmafrost]

Right now I'm adding pods 1x per month. I generally pick up a bottle of Tigger pods and add them directly to the display at night. I've tried growing chaeto and I have no luck with it. I recently tested the par I'm my sump and was at 0. I guess my "grow light" wasn't cutting it. I think I'll try again after I pick up a dedicated sump light, I haven't figured out which one I want yet. I'm going to keep an eye on the for sale listings and see if one pops up here.