Help with stock list for 37g

[OodleyBoodely]

My 37 is still under construction...a very, very slow build, lol! I will soon start building the oystercrete walls, but, even when done, I'll be looking at another 2 months cure time, so, there is no rush on getting my fish! I have been browsing the fish sites and reading up on those I'm interested in and have compiled a wishlist that I'm finding very hard to whittle down to reality-size! So, first off,

*What is a good stocking level for a 37g 12x30x20(?) reef tank with 20l sump and possibly in future additional 6gal refugium? Rockscaping will be moderately open with room to swim with rock walls with a cave on the back glass and a low island in middle. (or that is the plan, lol!)
I'm planning on very peaceful species suitable for 30g or smaller tanks.

*Current wishlist A
3 orange-lined cardinals, pink-barred goby, tailspot blenny, flasher wrasse

*wishlist b
5 redspot cardinals, swissguard basslet and/or yellow assessor, blackcap jawfish

* wishlist c
pair skunk clowns with anemone, 1 or 2 basslets (assessor, swissguard, gramma) yellow sailfin blenny or starry blenny

* wishlist d
pair skunk clowns, friedmani or sunrise dottyback, midas blenny, starkii damsel

Other fish I really like; rainfordi goby, vanderbilt chromis, pj cardinals, striped blenny, midas blenny friedmani or flavivetex psuedochromis.


Any advise/tips/pros/cons of these stocklists and the species would be very much appreciated. I have kept a few of these fish in the past, but, most are fish that would be new to me.

[snorvich]

Well, a note to consider: if you put a pair of clowns in your tank, they will eventually mate, breed, and become somewhat aggressive. In general they tend to want to control about 25 gallons of tank once they are bonded. If you go with a wish list that does not include clowns you are more likely to have a better variety of fish.

[OodleyBoodely]

I'm not set on the clowns. I really am leaning towards list A or B. I know what I end up with is likely to be quite differant, lol, depending on what I first put in the tank. Just want to know if there are any major concerns with my choices for compatibility, stocking level ect. I just added a Reef Octo 150 so this should be able to handle a moderate to high stock load.

[snorvich]

I don't see any issues with "A" or "B" except if you do a flasher wrasse you need a covered tank. Egg crate will NOT keep them in.

[OodleyBoodely]

Yeah, I know about the carpet surfing rocketwrasses! Tried to keep them in the past with a partially covered tank...ended up as fish jerkey. :( I will have a cover on this, acrylic to start, and later when I get to it, I'll make a mesh screen to fit with the 1/4" mesh. ;)

[nivekid]

I like wishlist A the best. A better variety of fish types and colors IMO.

[OodleyBoodely]

TY! That is my fav too! A variation on A would be to exchange the flasher for a yellow assessor; a fish i really like. Hmm....I better start saving! ;)