260g reef stocking

[Habs73]

Hi looking for opinions and suggestions on my fish wish list let's call it.

I am setting up a new 260gallon 72"x36"x24" this coming summer and would like to know your thoughts. I have read numerous successful posts on multiple tangs and the stocking procedures and will follow the advice given. I'm not set on having all these fish but would like to stock most of them. Dropping likely 2-3 of the larger ones.
I'd like to create a true mixed reef but will cater more to the fish. Also timing suggestions, as I would expect to take a year or more to get up to this bioload.

Does the list look ok?

Fish list.
3 x ocelleris Clowns
Fox face
5 x Pajama cardinals
Sixline wrasse
5 x Bartlett's anthias
3 x Dispar anthias
3 x Firefish
2 x Yellow wrasse
Carpenter flasher wrasse
Green Mandarin
Red Mandarin
Cuban Hogfish
Flame Hawkfish
Hippo Tang
Crosshatch Triggerfish
Kohl Tang
Powder Blue Tang
Yellow Tang
Blonde Naso Tang
Desjardini Tang


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[brett559]

My suggestion....

ALL THE FISH!
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/187/321/xallthey.png

[uncleL]

That looks like a nice list of fish but I will go even with the ocellaris Clowns 4

[brett559]

If I were doing a big tank like that, I'd add a few Halichoeres wrasses:
http://aquarium-fish.liveaquaria.com/search?p=Q&lbc=liveaquaria&uid=860415135&ts=custom&w=Halichoeres&af=cat1:marinefish&isort=score&method=and&ts=results

Also, gotta get some angels. I'd get a few regals and an emperor at least. Maybe a blueface as well.

[dbigfoot111]

looks good to me

[Sapelo]

I would stay away from the six line...can't even imagine trying to get that back out of a big tank...
+1 clowns need to be in even numbers....
I personally would worry about mandarins and firefish in a tank with so many larger, more aggressive tank mates....

[Habs73]

Thanks. I do already have the 3 clowns and sixline. Had a fourth clown but he was bullied and perished.
I am worried about the firefish but thought the mandarins would be ok. Little competition on the pods and have not read about any of the larger tangs or trigger going after them. Thanks for the words of caution. Maybe I can just leave the sixline in my sump.

I left out the Angels because of how notorious they are to nip. I'd like to create a true mixed reef tank. As for the wrasses I love them. Picked out the two yellow to go in and would consider a melanarus wrasse as I had one before and they are awesome to watch.

Any suggestions on a clean up crew? Or sand stirrers? I know the trigger would pick off most of the snails and even the wrasses pick on them.


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[scooter31707]

IMO, too many Tangs in a 6ft tank, especially with having some of the aggressive tangs. If it was a 8ft tank, I would say for it. IMO, the Hippo and Naso needs a 8ft tank. Also I would be careful with that Hogfish, heard they can get aggressive, no personal experience with them. LFS said they don't order them no more due to customers buying them and trying to bring them back due to their very aggressive nature.

[Habs73]

Thanks scooter. I know I'll need to rehome some of them eventually. Naso be a good one to keep out.
Haven't read anything bad on the hogfish. This species has to be watched around clean up crew but they are apparently good with other fish. They get big as well though.
Thanks for the input.


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[fishfreak2009]

My old spanish hogfish grew huge and developed a taste for anthias and chromis. Needless to say he was returned. Cubans are similar in behavior, very rough and overly outgoing. My old bird wrasse was the same way, fine when little, but too rough when they get larger. This applies to most of the larger wrasses (Gomphosus, Thalassoma, most Coris and most Bodianus).