Please comment on my planned stock list...

[fracguru]

Cycling a new 125 gal RR tank and would like comments on my planned stock list (in order of acquisition):

* (7) green chromis
* (1) lawnmower blenny
* (1) royal gramma
* (1) flame hawk
* (2) ocellaris clowns
* (1) scopas or yellow tang
* (1) six-line wrasse
* (1) coral beauty

Should be about 40" of fish and take ~4-5 months to stock. I should add that I plan to have some crabs and other detrivores, but plan on leaving out shrimp seeing as the flame hawk will likely eat them. I also plan to keep soft corals.

The only untouchable fish is the flame hawk. All others are on the trading block, as it were.

Also interested in 2 firefish if you don't think that this is overstocking the tank.

I have never gotten a good answer as to the recommended level of stocking. People have said anywhere from 1" per 2 to 5 gallons.

So, I am interested in your comments.

 

[31-2c]

I don't see any problem. (then again, I like alot of movement in my tanks!)

 

[Miklos]

I called a LFS and a mail order company.Thye said one method for stocking atank is to times the width by the length of the tank and divide by 36,therefore allowing 36 sq in per one inch of fish.Therefore if your tank is 72"l,by 18" wide, that equals 1296 .If you divide this by 36,you get 36 inches of fish.You said your total would be 40" with your stocklist,so I do not think your are overstocking the tank.I just would be careful with the coral beauty because sometimes they will nip at corals.HTH.
Nick

 

[danmhippo]

The Green Chromis can be a big pain in you know where......JME.....

 

[Bubafat]

Getting 7 LIVE green chromi can be a pita. They seem to have a 50% mortality rate it seems. I am commenting on the not from my own tank experience but the fact that i"ve worked at 4 different LFS in the last 5 years and thats what i've noticed.

Other then that, your list sounds GREAT!!!! nicely stocked!

Buba

 

[Bubafat]

oh ya, know though that with the flame hawk you can't have any shrimp and that the 6 line wrasse will eat most of your copo/amphi pods.

Buba

 

[KJHawley]

I wondered about this question for a while too, but a lot of what I've seen lately has explained why we don't read a lot about stocking levels in many of the newer books. Robert Fenner has some good information about this on his site- here's a link:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/stocking1.htm

 

[davelin315]

I think the 7 chromis need to go, they're not schooling fish per se even though vendors seem to push them as schooling fish. The same can be said of getting 2 firefish. If you get a pair to mate, then you're good, if they don't, you'll end up with one. Vendors seem to push them as a great community and schooling fish best kept in large groups, but they're full of it and shouldn't tell you to keep them together. Other than that, each fish will be different in personality and disposition, so it's really personal preference on what you stock, how much you stock (99 out of 100 reefers would probably tell me that my tank is overstocked and a ticking timebomb with the fish I have together, but it works for me), and how you stock it. There are a few golden rules of compatibility that you should stick to, but other than that, whatever you like, just keep in mind that most of what you hear is based on personal experience, and you'll hear one thing and then the complete opposite.