Stocking advice for new 180

[Ocicat]

I am setting up my first SW tank. It needs another week or two and will then be ready for its first inhabitants. I have been putting this all together forever, but until recently I really couldn't decide whether I wanted to go reef or FOWLR. I am much more interested in fish, and the more I read about the various kinds, I find that many of the most attractive and/or interesting ones are not reef-compatible... So, I've settled on a semi-aggressive FOWLR.

My primary concern with this plan is that I am able to keep the tank clean, since crabs and snails would be eaten by a lot of these fish. A messy tank would drive me up the wall, and I don't want to create excessive maintenance for myself either.

Please look at the stock list below and offer any advice/criticisms concerning compatibility and cleanliness...

Flame Hawkfish
Golden domino damsels - group of 4-6?
Puffer?
Blackmouth, bicolor chromis, group - Do these school?? LA calls them aggressive
Yellow tang (get more than 1?)
Triggers (one or more of the following)
-- Picasso
-- Blue chins in a pair or group (2-3)
-- Niger
-- Sargassum pair
-- Crosshatch pair
Angels?


To keep things clean:
Tiger cowries (2-3) (I read in another thread that these can often withstand triggers & the like)
Lots of nassarius snails, replenished periodically
Damsels are to clean up after triggers/puffer
Macro algae in display? Also have a 20-gal refuge in sump
Yellow tang(s) intended for algae maintenance - necessary/advised?
Large, sand-sifting goby? (I saw this recommended in another thread - what kind of goby would be OK w/semi-aggressive tankmates?)

I know I have a ton of question marks. Anything that can be answered, I will appreciate!

EDIT: Holy crap, those map puffers are @&$! expensive. Nevermind that one. Maybe some other kind of puffer...

[Ocicat]

Also, I am open to other fish than those listed above... I am sure there are options I haven't considered. Really I'd love to know how others would go about a 180 FOWLR if they were starting from scratch.

In particular I know I want the flame hawkfish - they are so cute, and I have read great things about their personalities. Also, I know I definitely want some kind of trigger. Most everything else is up in the air.

[Ocicat]

OK, let me ask about a more specific potential stock list...

1 Picasso trigger
2 Blue chin triggers (male/female)
1 Flame hawkfish
1 Coral beauty - or other angel
1 Dogface puffer
5 Golden domino damsels
3 Blackmouth, bicolor chromis
1 Magnificent foxface
1 (__suggestions?__) tang


How is that, in terms of bio-load and compatibility?

[SW1TCH]

I wouldnt do the picasso in the tank. Achilles tang would look good or a mimic. Just my thoughts.

[Seafood Tank]

Don't choose those two triggers, too aggresive! I would like to keep some large angel like majestic, blueface or french angel. Achilles or powder blue tang is a good choice.

[Ocicat]

From what I've read, blue chins aren't usually very aggressive.... They're one of the few relatively peaceful types that can even be kept in a reef, along with pinktail, sargassum, and crosshatch. I could do a pair of one of those instead, maybe crosshatch.

About the Picasso - I was trying to come up with a group of fish that wouldn't be bullied by him. Who do you think he will cause trouble with?

I think I'm going to ditch the puffer.

I'll look into the large angels. And the achilles tang is beautiful - I may go with that.

I guess I am going to have to rethink this. I was trying to pick fish listed as semi-aggressive, but looking at my list again I guess the Picasso really is more aggressive than the rest.

EDIT:
New proposed list:

2 Blue chin triggers (Or maybe crosshatch?)
1 Flame hawkfish
1 Coral beauty or Flame angel
1 Large angel (suggestions?)
1 Harlequin tusk
1 Magnificent foxface
1 (__Lavendar?_Achilles?__) tang
3 Yellow tangs
5 - ? Schooling fish recommendations?

As you can see, I think I may forego the Picasso, the domino damsels, and the blackmouth chromis - they were all just more aggressive than the others in the list. I also ditched the puffer. I forgot to include the harlequin tusk yesterday - I definitely think I'd like one of those.

Is 3 yellow tangs too many? They look nice in a group... and I definitely want at least one group of something.