Stock My 40g

fretfreak13

Active Member
Hey guys! I haven't been here in months; over the summer I lost a lot of time to dedicate to the hobby. Anyways, I'm now on my fifth tank since starting last August (all with the help of the SWF peeps), except this one is very special. It is being built in total by myself and my reef club and then being donated to my high school where I will be teaching a group of incoming Freshmen how to care for and maintain it when I leave for college in two years. It's still in the planning stages, of course, but I like to work out ALL the kinks long before hand, which includes stocking. Help me out here?
Reef-ready 40g breeder
Custom stand and hood
VHO lighting (not sure exactly what kind yet)
3" sandbed
45 lbs of LR + Full cemented rock wall
20g sump with a skimmer and GFO reactor
-Heaters/powerheads/yadda yadda =P
CUC (any sugguestions?)
-1 Sally light foot crab
-10 Narci snails
-30 Cerith snails
-20 Hermit crabs
-1 Brittle Starfish
-1 Cleaner Shrimp
-1 Peppermint Shrimp
-1 reef safe urchin
Fish!
-2 occelaris clowns
-1 Yellowtail blue damsel (I know they're "mean", but I've had this exact one in another tank for a year with no problems)
-1 sixline wrasse
-1 Midas blenny
-1 royal gramma
-1 flame angel
Does anyone think that'll be too many fish? They're all pretty small, and with the water volume from the sump...?
 

nycbob

Active Member
too many cuc in a 40. cut down on the snails and hermits. fish wise, cut out the damsel.
 

btldreef

Moderator
I agree with NYCbob, too many snails. Careful with the sixline, make it towards the end of your additions and you'll be less likely to have a mean one. The damsel, well, you know the risks....
 

acropora12

Member
are you planning on keeping corals? Also I would suggest a couple greenbanded gobies, instead of a couple of the fish you decided they are beautiful fish and fun to watch! Plus if you get a pair they may even breed under your conditions.
 

fretfreak13

Active Member
I can't cut out the damsel, I already have it. She's (I call it she lol) here to stay. I've had her for a little over a year now in my tank at home which I am taking apart and selling bits and peices to put more effort on this tank.
Yes, I've been getting tons of donations of corals from all the club members. The back wall of the tank, as well as the bottom, is made entirely out of rock. There will be no sand in this tank, aside from a six inch sandbed in a refuge in the sump. Anyways, where I'm going with all this is it'll be a softie and LPS tank.
 

tlsohio

Member
I also agree, too much cuc. I personally don't like the Sally light foots, if you plan to have coral, they get pretty big and tend to rearrange corals.
CUC (any sugguestions?)
-1 Sally light foot crab - (don't like for above reasons, replace with emerald crabs maybe 2)
-10 Narci snails - (I also am not a big fan of Nacarius snails, I don't think they are that beneficial.)
-30 Cerith snails -
(reduce your number by 10 & replace 10 or so of 20 with a combination of margarita or bumble bee's or astrea's)
-20 Hermit crabs -

-1 Brittle Starfish -

-1 Cleaner Shrimp -

-1 Peppermint Shrimp -
(increase your number by at least one, they tend like to be in groups)
-1 reef safe urchin -
(can have a tendancy to move corals, but they are pretty cool!)
Fish!
-2 occelaris clowns -

-1 Yellowtail blue damsel (I know they're "mean", but I've had this exact one in another tank for a year with no problems) & very territorial!)
-1 sixline wrasse (can tend to be agressive towards tank mates)
-1 Midas blenny -

-1 royal gramma -

-1 flame ange -
-
I think the fish that you picked should do fine, I would recommend a shrimp goby, very nice little fish and comical to watch. There are other reef safe wrasses that you might consider that would be a little less aggressive. Good luck with your project!!
 
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