Stocking List, Coral ?'s, and Skimmer ?'s.

mattfrancis

mattfrancis

Member
Hi all! So recently I bought a 120 gallon AGA from my LFS, with dual overflows, pre-drill, black trim. I also got a 4 bulb T5HO lighting fixture, a Berlin style sump, and my stand SHOULD come in on Monday (long story, it's two weeks overdue). The questions I have are:
1. What is a good size skimmer for my tank?
2. How much live rock/sand should I put in (please don't say as much as possible).
3. Is a 37w clip on light from home depot enough light to grow cheato?
4. Should I put a powerhead in there?
5. I really want some coral to grow on my back wall, what should I try. Xenia or GSP? Or even something else?
6. Is this stocking list alright? Or will I over stock the tank?
Fish List:
•Midas Blenny
•3 Stripe Damsel
•Beau Gregory Damsel
•Black and Gold Damsel
•Blue Reef Chromis
•Domino Damsel
•Green Chromis
•Half Blue Damsel
•Jewel Damsel
•Yellowbelly Damsel
•Yellowtail Blue Damsel
•Neon Dottyback
•Purple Pseudochromis
•4-Wheel Drive Goby
•Firefish Goby
•Hector's Goby
•Neon Goby
•Shrimpgoby - Orange Spotted
•Shrimpgoby - Yellow Watchman
•Flame Hawkfish
•Atlantic Blue Tang (Heard not to - they die off)?
•Blue Eyed Tang
•Blue Hippo Tang
•Clown Tang
•Gold Rim Tang
•Kole Tang
•Lopezi Tang
•Naso Tang
•Orange Shoulder Tang
•Powder Blue Tang
•Purple Tang
•Sailfin Tang
•Scopas Tang
•Striped Bristletooth Tang
•Unicorn Tang
•Yellow Tang
•Sixline Wrasse
Invert List:
•Heteractis Magnifica
•Derasa Clam
•Maxima Clam
•Hard Tube Coco Worm
•Feather Dusters
•Pistol Shrimp – Bullseye
•Pistol Shrimp – Randalli
•Pistol Shrimp – Tiger
•Cleaner Shrimp
•Fancy Nassarius Snail
•Blue Linckia Starfish (I know to add when established)
•Orange Linckia Starfish (I know to add when established)
Coral:
•To many to list
Thanks in advanced you guys and gals.
-Matt
 
nemo22

nemo22

Member
where to start. first, way overstocked. too many tangs for that size tank. you might get away with two small ones. your sump or i would recommend a refuguim, better be big at least 30 to 40 gals. the skimmer needs to be rated for at least a 150 gal. tank ( would recommend bigger.) you should have 2 powerheads rated 600 to 1200 gph. at least. (koralias are good ones). that's a good start. if i was you, i would do alot of research and get as much info as i could, before i started setting up the tank.
 
bullitr

bullitr

Active Member
way too many tangs! you need at least a 1000 gallons for your stock list! 500 maybe if fish only tank.
skimmer get something rated for at least 300 gallons its worth it.
as far as sump light get a 23 watts cfl 5500 k from home depot.
 
bullitr

bullitr

Active Member
•Atlantic Blue Tang (Heard not to - they die off)?
•Blue Eyed Tang
•Blue Hippo Tang
•Clown Tang
•Gold Rim Tang
•Kole Tang
•Lopezi Tang
•Naso Tang
•Orange Shoulder Tang
•Powder Blue Tang
•Purple Tang
•Sailfin Tang
•Scopas Tang
•Striped Bristletooth Tang
•Unicorn Tang
•Yellow Tang
Heteractis Magnifica
-Matt
they will fight to the death .it needs a lot of space
 
mattfrancis

mattfrancis

Member
Thanks guys,
I figured that would be wayy to much, but the damsels and chromis's are okay right?
As for the tangs I can cut back. Maybe only 5 tiny tangs?
•Blue Hippo Tang
•Clown Tang
•Purple Tang
•Sailfin Tang
•Scopas Tang
I have a 30 gallon sump that I'm going to put a tubberware container of cheato into. As for the light, thanks I'll go pick that up today or tomorrow. So for the skimmer, I'm thinking one rated for a 200 gallon, but what's a good brand to buy?
Also should I put egg crate under the rock and sand as to not scratch the bottom of the tank?
And still need answers to the questions :D
-Matt
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
You'll find my comments and suggestions in red throughout the your quote below. Hope this helps. It's in two parts because there's too much text for one post.Originally Posted by MattFrancishttp:///forum/post/3200062Hi all! So recently I bought a 120 gallon AGA from my LFS, with dual overflows, pre-drill, black trim. I also got a 4 bulb T5HO lighting fixture, a Berlin style sump, and my stand SHOULD come in on Monday (long story, it's two weeks overdue). The questions I have are: 1. What is a good size skimmer for my tank? Get something rated for at least double the size of your tank if possible, especially if you want tangs. I have an ASM G3 with an upgraded pump on my 155G and it works great - I have 15-16 fish in my tank. 2. How much live rock/sand should I put in (please don't say as much as possible). At least 80lbs of sand. 100-120 would be even better. If you want to save some money, you can do half dried and half live and seed the dead sand with the live. If doing this, I highly recommend going with the higher amount of sand.
3. Is a 37w clip on light from home depot enough light to grow cheato? Yes, BUT, a PC lighting fixture would be better.
4. Should I put a powerhead in there? ABSOLUTELY! I highly recommend at least 2 Koralia 3 Power heads.
5. I really want some coral to grow on my back wall, what should I try. Xenia or GSP? Or even something else? Let it happen on it's own as the tank matures, otherwise it looks terrible and normally doesn't take. Just don't clean the back glass on your tank when you clean the rest of the glass, over time, things will start growing on it (usually Xenia)
6. Is this stocking list alright? Or will I over stock the tank? WAY OVERSTOCKED!!!! Below I'm going to but a + next to what you can do and a - next to what you can not. BTW, I would not do any damsels! They're aggressive and will eventually kill everything in your tank.
Fish List:
•Midas Blenny +
•3 Stripe Damsel -
•Beau Gregory Damsel-
•Black and Gold Damsel-
•Blue Reef Chromis + you could even do a few of these in hopes that they school
•Domino Damsel -
•Green Chromis One type of chromis or the other, not both. They'll fight. You're better off doing a small school (shoal) of 3-4 of one or the other
•Half Blue Damsel -
•Jewel Damsel -
•Yellowbelly Damsel -
•Yellowtail Blue Damsel -
•Neon Dottyback +
•Purple Pseudochromis + but you'd be better suited with a Fridmani Pseudochromis - they're purple just like those, but much less aggressive. Most pseudochomis pick at shrimp and will fight with some of the other fish on your list, so the Fridmani would be a better option
•4-Wheel Drive Goby +nt>•Firefish Goby + you might want to do two at the same time, they'll be more social. The Midas Blenny may chase these guys. They're known to harass them.•Hector's Goby +/- the Midas might kill it
•Neon Goby - they die after a year or two, waste of money
•Shrimpgoby - Orange Spotted you'd be better suited with two of one of the shrimpgobies you have listed. I have two yellow watchman. I'd honestly do one or the other, NOT BOTH.
•Shrimpgoby - Yellow Watchman
•Flame Hawkfish - it'll fight with far too many of your fish.
•Sixline Wrasse don't do it. They're aggressive and a waste. A lot of people on this site refer to them as the "wrasse from hell" They're are far nicer wrasses you could put in your tank, flashers, fairies, etc
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Part Two:Originally Posted by MattFrancisOkay, a lot of these tangs can not go in your tank, it's not big enough. So I'm just going to put a + next to what will fit in your tank, and then at the bottom list which ones will work together, because you really can only do 2 tangs.•Atlantic Blue Tang (Heard not to - they die off)? •Blue Eyed Tang
•Blue Hippo Tang
•Clown Tang
•Gold Rim Tang
•Kole Tang +
•Lopezi Tang +
•Naso Tang + but it will eventually get too big for your tank
•Orange Shoulder Tang
•Powder Blue Tang
•Purple Tang
•Sailfin Tang +
•Scopas Tang +
•Striped Bristletooth Tang +
•Unicorn Tang
•Yellow Tang +
You could do a powder blue or a Hippo, but then I wouldn't do any other tang in your tank, just my opinion though. Tangs produce huge bioloads and People don't realize how big they get. Scopus, Yellow Tangs and Sailfins are all similar and will fight with one another so, only one of those. The sailfin is the nicest, IMO, but also a little more aggressive.
I would do a Kole and 1 other tang
Invert List:
•Heteractis Magnifica need an established tank with stable water. I don't know if you have good enough lighting for this
•Derasa Clam need an established tank with good calcium levels
•Maxima Clam see Derasa clam. I don't know if you have good enough lighting for this clam
•Hard Tube Coco Worm
•Feather Dusters
•Pistol Shrimp – Bullseye Mean, don't do it. They don't pair well with gobies and will kill all your inverts
•Pistol Shrimp – Randalli They're cool, I have two, but you'll never see him
•Pistol Shrimp – Tiger Again, you'll never see him
•Cleaner Shrimp + and I would do about 4
•Fancy Nassarius Snail or regular, they live in the sand, so spending the extra money on the fancy shell isn't really worth it. You're going to need at least 5-10 of these guys
•Blue Linckia Starfish (I know to add when established)
•Orange Linckia Starfish (I know to add when established)
You need more snails and hermits:
* 10 Astrea Snails
* 10 Trochus Snails
* 10 Cerith Snails - black shells are hardier than white shells
* 10 Blue Legged Hermits
* 10 Mexican Reef Hermits
* 5 other types of hermits
* 2-3 Emerald Mithrax Crabs
* 2-3 Peppermint Shrimp
Coral:
•To many to list
If you want SPS corals, you don't have proper lighting to do so.
Thanks in advanced you guys and gals.
-Matt
Please do a lot more research on the fish/inverts you want to keep.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
answers in red
Originally Posted by MattFrancis
http:///forum/post/3200365
Thanks guys,
I figured that would be wayy to much, but the damsels and chromis's are okay right? NO. The damsels will kill each other and the chromis. They'll attack your fire fish, etc. Not a good idea. Only the Blue Sapphire Damsel is docile and it's almost impossible to find. If you must have a damsel, do ONE.
As for the tangs I can cut back. Maybe only 5 tiny tangs?
•Blue Hippo Tang
•Clown Tang
•Purple Tang
•Sailfin Tang
•Scopas Tang
5 Tangs, no matter what the size is far too much for a 120 to take. They produce a big bioload. Blue Hippos and Clown Tangs are NOT tiny tangs. Clowns are also very aggressive and need a ton of swimming room (at least a 150G). They're also much harder to keep than some other clowns. As for the Purple, Scopus and Sailfin (as well as a Yellow tang), these are all Zebrasoma tangs, they'll fight with one another. You can do two yellows or two purples, but you must add them at the same time. Two sailfins in a 120 will fight, almost a guarantee.
I have a 30 gallon sump that I'm going to put a tubberware container of cheato into. As for the light, thanks I'll go pick that up today or tomorrow. So for the skimmer, I'm thinking one rated for a 200 gallon, but what's a good brand to buy? ASM or Reef Octopus or MSX. If you go with the ASM, get the G3
Also should I put egg crate under the rock and sand as to not scratch the bottom of the tank? Doable, and suggested, especially if you want pistols and shrimpgobies.
And still need answers to the questions :D
-Matt
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Originally Posted by MattFrancis
http:///forum/post/3200385
Wow! Thank you BTLDreef!
You're the best. Lol
So a sailfin and a lopezi? That good?
-Matt
That might work. A little high on the bioload and the lopezi will probably eventually get too big for the tank, but it would work. I'd lessen the amount of smaller fish (such as maybe eliminating the fire fish or some other gobies) just to lessen the bioload, but it would work. Is your tank a 4', 5' for 6' long? Tangs, especially the Lopezi or any other naso, really need the 6' long tank. My 155 is 6' long and a none bow front and I still know that some day my Blonde Naso is going to outgrow this tank
but the sailfin loves it and will definitely be an inhabitant for life
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Originally Posted by MattFrancis
http:///forum/post/3200077
Oh one more:
Do you guys think it is beneficial to have a RO unit at home?
Thanks,
Matt
ABSOLUTELY. In my honest opinion, if you have anything larger than a 55 gallon, it's a necessity. Trust me. I didn't have one for over a year, bought RO at the store, and then I had a disaster on a Saturday night. Most LFS's aren't open on Sundays, or don't open until 12PM, so there I was at 2am, buying Poland Spring 1G bottles (all of them that the store had) from the grocery store. It was terrible and there are no stores around me that sell RO water. That week, I bought an RO/DI unit.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
One other thing about the Lopezi, they eat insane amounts of algae, so you're going to need some established rock work and a seaweed clip in the tank at all times. If you decide to go with the Sailfin and the Lopezi, put the Lopezi in at least 2 weeks before the sailfin and make sure the Lopezi is bigger. The Sailfin is a much more aggressive fish (semi-aggressive) than the Lopezi (Peaceful) and will easily boss the other around. I made the mistake of putting my Sailfin in before my Blonde Naso and the sailfin is a little bigger and she definitely bosses around the naso. He holds his own, but she's boss. She is very defensive over food and won't allow the naso to eat off the same seaweed clip as her so I have to have seaweed clips in different areas throughout the tank. The sailfin demands far less food than the nasos do, but both eat a lot.
If you do decide to go with the tangs, I would add your other fish before the tangs, allow the rocks to mature a little and then add the tangs, Lopezi first, and then the Sailfin a month or so later. Look into some high quality foods for them as well.
Here's what I feed mine:
1 cube of San Francisco Bay Brand Emerald Entree - 2x a day
+ some PE Mysis or Reef Nutrition ArctiPods mixed in + Boyd's VitaChem SaltWater Vitamins + Ocean Nutrition Red Algae strips w/ garlic and Ocean Nutrition Brown Algae Strips with garlic each 2" square strips (I replace the strips whenever they clips are empty).
Your tangs may not eat off the seaweed clips, you may have to wrap the strips to some rocks with a rubber band to get them to eat it. Depends on how they were raised before you get them. The younger they are, the easier it is to convert them. I don't like to buy tangs that are smaller than 2-3 inches, they just have less of a survival rate.
If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. You can PM me as well.
 
mattfrancis

mattfrancis

Member
I'll definitely look into RO units. And my tank is 4'x2'x2'. I'll try to find a 3" sailfin and a little bit bigger lopezi. Can I steal your recipe? :). I just bought a clip today at my LFS. And I plan on having seaweed sheets in there 24/7, hopefully they'll eat off of it. This is my fish list, I'm sure its final:
•Midas Blenny
•Green Chromis (6)
•Pajama Cardinal (2)
•False Percula Clowns (2)
•Neon Dottyback
•Fridmani Pseudochromis
•4-Wheel Drive Goby
•Firefish Goby (2)
•Hector's Goby
•Yellow Watchman Shrimpgoby (2)
•Lopezi Tang
•Sailfin Tang
•Sixline Wrasse (already have and the gf likes her)
Look good? Anything you would change?
I'm going to try and order a skimmer thats rated for 200+.
Thank you for all your help.
-Matt
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator

Originally Posted by MattFrancis
http:///forum/post/3200492
I'll definitely look into RO units. And my tank is 4'x2'x2'. I'll try to find a 3" sailfin and a little bit bigger lopezi. Can I steal your recipe? :). I just bought a clip today at my LFS. And I plan on having seaweed sheets in there 24/7, hopefully they'll eat off of it. This is my fish list, I'm sure its final:
•Midas Blenny
•Green Chromis (6) How about 4, and add another PJ cadinal
•Pajama Cardinal (2) These do best in groups of three
•False Percula Clowns (2) False Perculas are Ocellaris Clownfish - if you plan on getting them in an anemone, try to find wild ones. Although tank bred usually have a more vibrant orange coloring. I have tank breds, two out of the three have taken to anemones, the one in a tank by itself just eats my coral and refuses to go near its anemones

•Neon Dottyback
•Fridmani Pseudochromis
•4-Wheel Drive Goby
•Firefish Goby (2)
•Hector's Goby
•Yellow Watchman Shrimpgoby (2)
•Lopezi Tang
•Sailfin Tang
•Sixline Wrasse (already have and the gf likes her) Keep an eye on this guy with the Psuedochromis, firefish and the dotty back, it may beat on them a little. They're pretty fish, just MEAN. I had one start out great and then it started killing off my other fish
Look good? Anything you would change?
I'm going to try and order a skimmer thats rated for 200+.
Thank you for all your help.
-Matt
A 4' tank is going to be tough with tangs. Keep that in mind. The Kole would be better suited than the Lopezi. The Lopezi will most definitely outgrow the tank in 1-3 years depending on health, just keep that in mind. AND, catching fish in an established reef is an impossible task (well, it's pretty damn hard.
Also, the shrimp gobies, since you plan on having pistol shrimp: Try to get them pre-paired. It's almost impossible to find them pre-paired, but if you look, you can get them. If you can't get the paired, buy a small plastic critter carrier (you know, the ones they put little mice/hamsters in with the vented neon tops) and place a little bit of sand, a small rock and the shrimp/goby together. After a few weeks they usually pair. Once they pair, release them to your tank together. It's not a guarantee that they'll stayed paired (mine didn't) but you'll have a much better chance this way. I dumped my pre-paired right into my tank and the shrimp took off, so try to net them all the way down to the sand, then release them.
Also, have you thought maybe about Anthias instead of the chromis. You could get some great colors out of them.
 
hobrien

hobrien

Member
The Lopezi will outgrow the tank in 6 months as it can reach an adult size of 24" just like the Unicorn and Vlamingi tangs.........
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top