Livestock stocking for new Reef Tank

Alfie

Alfie

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So one has gone through the cycle and you now want to start stocking. What would be the best working fish be to stock instead of going for the pretty no purpose other than to be fed fish?
 
Wow there are a few, i would look at a tang as one of the first, maybe a scooter blennie and a banana wrasse.
 
Alfie, what size system you got ?
 
a pair of percula clowns will be cool
 
I am setting up a 1.8m x 650 x 650. I have a 1.2m running but I am trying to establish which fish would be the best to eat algae etc.
 
In my experience I consider good working fish to be...

Lawnmower blenny - Salarius Fasciatus
Bristletooth tang
Powder blue tang (add this fish last as they can be very aggressive to new fish)

These 3 fish constantly pick at algae on the rocks and the glass.

Also, do yourself a favour and get some of these dwarf hermit crabs, they are awesome at cleaning your rocks, I bought 10 and want to put about 30-40 in my tank, they are awesome workers.
 
If you have a good algea growth a convict tang is great a mustard tang also works hard on algea growth. Both quiet hardy. But one thing not to neglect is your clean up crew, as viper mentioned they play a huge part in cleaning your system. Snails and hermits are often neglected by many.

The smaller they are the better as they can get into nice littel places that manual cleaning cant. So dwarf hermits are the way to go.
 
id go for a hepatus tang , scopa tang ,fasciatus blenny ,and if you brave a bisponosus dwarf angel
 
Most of the tangs are good grazers, so choose one that you want in the tank long term as in a tank that size it could be a fair challange catching the fish out again.
 
I assume you have lots of algae? if yes then perhaps algae eating fish are not the way to control it, they will help but there are some types of algae that most grazers wont eat, including hair algae and bryopsis, the best way is to control the algae by getting your parameters spot on.
 
Wee-Man no algae. I want to stock the tank right from the outset and I am looking at 5/6 compatable fish that are reef safe and will be in for the long haul.

Viper I have got clean up crew from Liaquat
 
I want to stock the tank right from the outset and I am looking at 5/6 compatable fish that are reef safe and will be in for the long haul.
Click to expand...
Although right is a matter of opinion, the one which makes most sense to me is to not stock the tank until you have added all your liverock, corals and pumps.
Slightly unconventional, but it just makes more sense.
You are adding already stressed fish into a stressfull habitat.....
How natural is it for a fish to have corals plonked from above into a natural reef. The fish would swim away fast, which they cannot do in your tank. Anything unnatural is stressfull. Stress weakens the immunoresponse etc, etc.
You are on the right track by 1st adding a cleanup crew, now look towards corals, inverts and expansion of your cleanup crew based on future demand. Once you have this 1.8m ecosystem established and functioning as a stable reef environment, now add your fish to their new and happy home........
 
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