Stocking my 125 , Seeking Critique

[revaltion131]

Hi everyone! Trying to do my due diligence and get my final stocking list in mind and "approved" by people that have more experience than myself. If you think I'm already maxed or can't all that I wish to, please say so! Feel free to recommend alternatives, also. The tank in question is a 125 gallon, 72x18x22. I have a 30 gallon sump that's going to be getting an upgrade and going up to ~60 gallons of actual water volume soon. The tank has roughly 200 lbs of LR in it, plenty of hiding places.

Existing:
1 Neon Goby
1 Coral Beauty
1 Male Pyle's Fairy
1 Male Finspot Wrasse (current king of the tank)
3 Female Lyretail Anthias, pretty sure one is changing, seems to be going very slowly
1 Male Blue Throat Trigger (~6", not even the least bit aggressive yet)

Desired:
2 Gold-striped Maroons (if I can find a place that supplies CB...)
1 Gold-spotted Rabbit
1-2 Fairy Wrasses (either Flame, Rhomboid, or Lineatus, probably a species-specific pair)

I'd also like to add one more "large" fish (max of 8-9") and that would be one of the Apolemichthys angels or an appropriate tang, most likely Chocolate, or is it too late to add a female Blue Throat? I've found conflicting information on that thus far. Either way, I'm concerned that one more "large" fish may be pushing it. I know there's a chance of aggression between my existing fairy and angel and any possible new ones, so I was planning to use a clear acclimation container for new fish.

Please let me hear your thoughts and input. Thanks in advance.

[Dr Colliebreath]

I would add a tang. My preference, in order, is a purple, a Tomini, a kole, or a yellow.

[Ambition]

I suggest skipping the last larger fish. Two larger sized fish in a 125 reef is max IMO.

[SecretiveFish]

My thoughts...
- I would not add the maroon clown pair, as I think in the long run you will be sorry. Once these guys get to be sexually mature, everything I have read here, books and articles says that these guys turn into holy terrors. There is a good chance they could kill your other fish.
- I have read that the gold spotted rabbitfish can be extremely iffy with corals (just do a search on this forum) especially finding zooanthids delicious. Also, that fish will get too big for your tank and I would skip it.
- Over the years in this hobby, I have started to stock my tanks more conservatively (tired of losing things), and I think that you are planning on adding too many fish. For example, my 150 has 7 fish in it right now (one larger, rest medium to small in size) and at most I will be adding 3 more fish medium sized fish. My fish all get along and the tank has been extremely stable. My 65 has had 6 fish (one medium, rest small) for years with the tank being stable that entire time and all the fish getting along.
- I think that you would be playing roulette if you were to add more fairy wrasses, but other people have had success doing this so who is to say you would not be one of the successful ones. But IMO, I would not try it.

So my suggestions for adding fish (again I run on the conservative side of things nowadays) and this would be all that I would add:
- Oscellaris or Percula clown pair
- Female Bluethroat trigger or Chocolate Tang

[revaltion131]

Thanks for the input thus far.

Dr. Colliebreath, thank you for the tang recommendations. I do like the Ctenochaetus tangs. Purples are beautiful but I've read way too many stories of them becoming insane monsters. Yellow tangs just aren't for me; they just never look pleasing to me.

Ambition, thank you for the input on it. This tank always had the plan of having three large and I've always seemed to just stop at two. Maybe that was for a reason.

SecretiveFish, thanks for the detailed response!
- I did ask about maroons as a possible system fish in the clown section on here and got the response that gold stripes would be suitable to the system. It was suggested that GSMs pair more easily and are less aggressive than the white striped. I will rethink and continue to research more on them, particularly hunting people who have had them long term.
- In regards to the rabbit, iffy with corals isn't a concern (trigger has sampled my zoas already, anyway) but I do remember seeing mixed input as to size. Is there another rabbit you'd recommend, or would you do as you suggested at the bottom, and just do a female Bluethroat or Chocolate Tang? Also with a female, would you have concerns with the male accepting her in terms of aggression?
- As far as adding more wrasses, no offense at all to you, but I would like to hear from some of the people such as Snorvich that are very experienced with them. He, and others, are who I've read that have been successful adding more fairies to a tank with existing males, unless I've misread them. It was my understanding that if I added something too similar to my current fish, I'd be in trouble, but ones different enough, taken proper social acclimation procedures, should be fine. I will definitely take your input to heart, though.

[SecretiveFish]

- In regards to the rabbit, iffy with corals isn't a concern (trigger has sampled my zoas already, anyway) but I do remember seeing mixed input as to size. Is there another rabbit you'd recommend, or would you do as you suggested at the bottom, and just do a female Bluethroat or Chocolate Tang? Also with a female, would you have concerns with the male accepting her in terms of aggression?
I have not had good experiences with rabbitfish/foxfaces so I would not be a good person to ask... Maybe start a thread specifically asking that? Also, I would also start a new thread specifically asking your question about the bluethroat. There are a lot of posters who are big fans and would be better able to answer your question.



- As far as adding more wrasses, no offense at all to you, but I would like to hear from some of the people such as Snorvich that are very experienced with them. He, and others, are who I've read that have been successful adding more fairies to a tank with existing males, unless I've misread them. It was my understanding that if I added something too similar to my current fish, I'd be in trouble, but ones different enough, taken proper social acclimation procedures, should be fine. I will definitely take your input to heart, though.

Fair enough. Hopefully they will chime in!

[revaltion131]

Thanks! I was wondering if I should ask more specific questions in individual threads, but I really didn't want to spam. I guess, all things considered, I'll be adding fish at a 6-8 week interval at the very least, allowing for proper QT, so maybe there is a way to spread questions out and not throw up four new threads in one day.

[Ambition]

Adding more wrasses to existing wrasses is very easily done, but there is a method about it that makes it successful IMO. This method is fairly easy and simple to do.

First off you want to QT the new wrasse(s), like you plan on doing already (great choice!). Once they have been fully QTd and are treated for any maladies, put them into a clear acclimation box (easy enough to build yourself albano did his DIY I believe, he also has lots of wrasses). You leave them in the acclimation box for a week (might be longer). If everything thing seems fairly peaceful after the time has past then you are free to release the new wrasses. When releasing release them at night when the others are sleeping to reduce any new guy aggression. You may still get a little bit of squabbling being new and all, but IMO will reduce it by tons. Hope the pros chime in and correct any errors (hmhmm, albano, reef junkie, Steve, etc.).