Looking for help with fish stocking list

[yveterinarian]

Hello all:

Just started a reef tank after having a seahorse tank for the last 2 years.  I made the mistake of listening to the LFS when it came to acceptable tankmates for my seahorses and don't wish to make the same mistake twice.

In the reef tank at present is a Spotted Garden Eel that I have had in my seahorse tank for two years and he is loving the new space!  The tank is a 90gal tank with a 35 gal sump/refugium.  I also plan to have soft corals and currently have some very small zoa frags, 2 small florida rics, 1 green stripe mushroom, a yellow finger gorgonian, a red fan gorgonian and a tiny plate coral that hitchhiked it's way in on a zoanthid frag I purchased. I have 2 Neon gobies that are in Quarrantine at present with 2 more weeks to go.

I am looking for suggestions you have for reef-safe fish that might work for me, keeping in mind my garden eel.  Preferably fish that do not need live food as I am not setup for making live food on a regular basis.  I would, however like to stock my refugium with some copepods and brine shrimp for snacks.

On my wish list so far:  Mandarin Goby (when I am much more experienced)
                                  Two spot Goby
                                  Sailfin Goby and Pistol shrimp combination  (unsure if compatible with Two spot)

Any suggestions will be gratefully accepted.                                 

 

[yveterinarian]

Update:

I was looking on the sticky about beginner fish and noticed a few things that may be good for me.

I realize that my Garden Eel is a difficult one but so far he accepts any food I give him and he is the only fish that has survived for me. (He is one of the ones recommended by the LFS as being a good fish with Seahorses) (apparently not as they compete for food)

I also notice that the Two spot goby is not a good idea so I will remove him from my list.

I have come up with a list based on the sticky but just want to run it past you all to see if there are any incompatabilities that I am not aware of.

  1)  Pajama Cardinals - how many in your experience would be suitable?
  2)  Green Chromis - in groups of 6 or more
  3)  Yellow watchman goby - how many would be suitable?

Do any of these pick on Blue Crocea Clams?  That is one clam I would very much like to have.  I noticed that Coral Beauties can pick on clams so they are off the list no matter how much my husband tries to push for one  :

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

the dragon mandarin is one i have had both die ...both others have better luck with them

 

[baker.shawn]

Rainford goby!!! by far my favorite fish
you can always do some wrasse species leopard, flasher exc....

 

[yveterinarian]

Rainford goby!!! by far my favorite fish
you can always do some wrasse species leopard, flasher exc....

Hi Shawn:
What in particular do you like about the Rainford Goby?  What makes it your favorite fish?  Is it their personalty or the ease of keeping them, etc?  Just trying to learn as much as possible before making my choices. 

 

[yveterinarian]

the dragon mandarin is one i have had both die ...both others have better luck with them

Hello Petercar:

When you had the Mandarins did you feed them live food?  I have heard they will only eat live but the LFS says they will eat frozen (so confusing!)  When I am much more confident, I would like to have one but only if and when I am able to devote more time to live food.
Has the Two spot lasted well for you?  I'm assuming the two spot and the goby/shrimp combo are the ones you are talking about when you say "both others".  In the sticky in this section it says the two spot doesn't live long in the home aquarium. Any tricks you have for helping keep them alive?
Thanks for putting up with newbie questions.  The more I learn now, the more I can achieve success and hopefully be able to help others in the future.

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

they wouldnt come out when i feed the tank ...both pellets,flakes and frozen ..but duke can help yu  he put some jar in his tank and the mandarin gos in there to eat

 

[jones02]

if you want some chromis go to sealife! have a great deal on them right now, and welcome!

 

[mark0933]

IME green "spotted" manderins do a lot better than the regular mandarins.  I have kept many successfully in 90G tanks.  Trick is to find one that isn't emaciated - best spot for that is in out of any LFS coral vats.  Nice and well fed there

All of my spotteds have taken frozen mysis and brine shrimp.

Also, take a look at bangii cardinals over PJ cardinals  in my opinion a better looking fish and one that may breed in your tank too

For movement I would do a fairy wrasse or maybe 2 - lots of choices, I like lubbocks - nice color, and relatively cheap too.

Mark

 

[unibob]

+1 on bangii. definately love the look over the Pajama. They are a nice looking schooling fish.

 

[pulpfiction1]

you might consider a Yellow assessor,this is a very peaceful fish and should be kept in a peacefull tank, mine seemed to spend a lot of its time upside down,i have read they can be hard to keep but i never had an issue,they are incredible looking with  a striking yellow color,i believe a member of the basslet family.i will post a picture of one when i find one

i found this pic on google

 

[yveterinarian]

Thank you all for your wonderful responses.  I have a lot of reading to do.  I have already started looking them up on Google and found specific care sheets for each.  Hopefully, I can find some of these when it is time to buy again.  My fish budget for this month got blown when I purchased three seahorses for my other tank.  hehe

 

[Seggsy]

C'mon, JP cardinals are funny looking - they are wearing PJ pants!  I do like mine.

As for mandarin, I have never noticed mine eating any food I provide, he just scavenges in the rocks.  I have 100lbs of LR, and a fuge, and I never add any live food.  The last mandarin I had was around a couple of years before my params got out of whack...

I would consider a firefish too, maybe purple.

 

[jones02]

Shrimp fish

 

[yveterinarian]

C'mon, JP cardinals are funny looking - they are wearing PJ pants!  I do like mine.

As for mandarin, I have never noticed mine eating any food I provide, he just scavenges in the rocks.  I have 100lbs of LR, and a fuge, and I never add any live food.  The last mandarin I had was around a couple of years before my params got out of whack...

I would consider a firefish too, maybe purple.

To tell you the truth Seggsy, I also like the look of PJ cardinals.  I love color and black and white has never been my thing even though they look great.  Thanks for that plug.  I think they will definately be on my want list.  ;D  I also like the firefish.  I had some with the seahorses but they never lived long so I'm a bit hesitant to try them again. 

Shrimp fish

I saw those a couple of weeks ago when I went to Sealife (wonderful store - first time I had been) for some Chromis and they were fascinating.  Are they difficult to look after?

I also have a question for all:  When the specifications for each fish state the amount of Gallons required for each pair - does that mean that no other fish can take up the same gallons?  For example:  fish type one requires 30 Gallons each pair, fish type two requires 20 gallons per pair and fish type three requires 40 gallons per pair - does this mean you add up the gallons required by each pair and can only have total 6 fish in 90 gallons due to the total bioload for all fish?  Am I interpreting this correctly?  If I am, that will greatly influence my fish choices.

Thanks once again for all the help.

 

[Seggsy]

I always looked at the gallonage as swimming room for that fish full grown.  Bioload will depend on the water quality you can keep (filtration, w/c, feeding) and if the fish get along.

I have 12 fish in my 75g, including 2 tangs and all is good.  (I figure that I am just renting the blue hippo - eventually he will need more room)