Another fish stocking question

[klongo]

My son and I have just been checking out all the really cool fish we'd like to someday have in our new FOWLR tank - and now I need some planning advice please?
We'd like to eventually have a mandarin - and realizing that is a long term goal, we'd like to stock with fish that would be compatible if that day ever comes around. So, how do these sound and what order should I add them:
2 Percula Clowns
Either 3 green chromis or 2 blue reef chromis
Either a blackcap basslet or a royal gramma
and then, maybe a wheelers watchman goby or 2
(he'd really like a dogface puffer and a yellow tang - but guess we'll have to wait until we get our second tank......)
Or does anyone have any other thoughts - these were the fish we really like a lot that we think we can handle.
Thanks again.
Kathy

 

[bang guy]

Looks like you've done some research Kathy. That's a REALLY good thing
Keep in mind that I suggest a very conservative stocking level. This is because I've found that heavily stocked tank have many times more problems that lightly stocked tanks.
My suggestion would be a pair of Percula Clowns, a Royal Gramma, and a Wheeler Goby. I'd leave it at that.
The Chromis will leave your tank overstocked and these fish require more swimming room than most people realize.
The Mandarin Dragonette would probably starve in your tank. You will hear from people that keep them in tanks that small or even smaller but you won't hear from the other 95% of people who had one in a tank the size of yours or larger and watched them slowly starve over several months. It's not a pretty sight.
Guy

 

[bang guy]

Great minds think alike JW

 

[klongo]

Thanks - how large would I have to go to add the chromis and/or the mandarin? I had a 70 gal freshwater several years ago when I upgraded this hex, unfortunately, I sold it a while back. I'm sure that I'll want to upgrade in a year or so, but how large should I plan on getting if this is my ultimate goal? I understand that I'll need a LOT of LR to keep the mandarin going. The plan for now is to add 30-40 pounds as soon as my tank cycles and hopefully colonize the 40 pounds of base rock that I have in there.
And, how does one calculate the bio load of the janitor crew? I'm probably buying one of the many packages offered here, but what if I want to add something else?

 

[bang guy]

It is my opinion that the bioload of cleanup crews is negligible. Not because they produce no waste, but because they consume more waste than they produce.
I think either 100 pounds of live rock and/or a large refugium are required for a single Mandarin. If you had another 2 feet of swimming space the Chromis would be fine. There's just not a lot of horisontal swimming space in a hex tank for Chromis.