Fish planning - feedback requested
 

The tank has been up and running for a while now and I'm getting the itch to increase bio load as Nitrates are sitting at 0 and my pod population seems to be dropping. Stomatella snails have been multiplying like rabbits so offloading as many as I can to allow for some more grazing material for pods.

I've had 4 chromis and a red firefish in there since early on and they're all happy little dither fish with their own pecking orders and no drama.

My want/maybe list includes:
Copperband or Longnose butterfly (have had before and miss immensely)
Pair of mandarin dragonettes (have had before and miss immensely)
Yellow coris or Melanarus wrasse (to help keep flatworms in check)
Powder Blue Tang (because had a bulletproof one in a prior setup years ago and again, miss immensely)

My initial plan to move forward goes as below, but I'm curious if I'm failing to consider some very important detail. That's where maybe you guys can chime in?

1 - Add any ornamental shrimp I'm considering so they can be established BEFORE wrasse possibly comes into the picture.
2 - Add mandarin pair (if they eat the flatworms, skip the wrasse)
3 - Evaluate pod population and take steps to increase if needed
4 - Add the butterfly (train to meats using clam shell)
5 - If the mandarins haven't touched the flatworms, Add the wrasse
6 - Add the Powder Blue

I guess I would worry about the mandarins long term success without large pod populations. Have you had success with getting them eating well before?
Seems like a solid plan though.

PraziPro works wonders on flatworms and you can dose in a reef tank with no issues. I used it when I had flatworms on a yellow tang once and they fell off within seconds of dosing. I think you just have to be careful if you're going to nuke a ton of them at once, because it's a large die-off, toxins, etc.

I have had success with a pair in the past as long as I limit the competition they have for food. My pod population just a couple months ago was so thick they were all over the glass and the firefish & chromis didn't nibble them at all. Since then the two stomatella snails I had have turned into at least 200 (not exaggerating) between display and refugium and the pod population in both places has steadily declined. They're still there, they just can't seem to compete with the little piggy stomatella fast enough for food. I'm offloading as many stomatella tomorrow as I can get ahold of and giving the pods a chance to replenish. I'm also working on strategy for increased pod food source so should be stable and able to feed mandarins down the line.

I hesitate to ever dose in display. I had success with Interceptor in the past years ago for red bugs but it always makes me wonder what miniscule thing is thrown out of whack that we aren't testing for. I do absolutely LOVE PraziPro. Had a tennetti tang come in with flukes 7 or 8 years ago so I had pulled all fish to quarantine and used that. After witnessing the parasites that came off (and out of) all of the fish, I always use PraziPro on every single fish I buy now. I may siphon off a bunch of the flatties over a few sittings and see if I can keep them down to a barely noticeable level. Otherwise I'll be popping in at a few places locally to see what they've got for flattie munchers.

Thank you for the feedback! Hope all's going well with your setup! :)

I introduced Mandarins to control flatties (red toast) in the distant past and it worked. IME Leopard Wrasses compete with Mandarins for food... as do other Wrasses, so I think it's wise to go with just the Mandarins.

Make sure you see Chelmon or Forcipiger eat before purchase!

I don't see any threats to shrimp in your fish list. PBT last.
Aww heck... you already know this stuff!

Great thoughts Gary thank you! CF actually had a Facebook post earlier today that they've got target mandarins and copperband in that are eating frozen so I may pop over there tomorrow! :)

Things I think I know are failing lately so I try to double-check everything. I swear my tiny human took some of my brain cells when he was born but my boss tells me to drop that story and just admit I'm getting older... lol :D

heh heh
 

that's part of the reason I post stuff on RC and fb. Material for a future search

:strange:

Popped into CF and grabbed a copperband and a female swallowtail angel this afternoon. Both were in same tank and nailed the frozen they were fed so now they're hanging out together in my QT. May go back for one of the target mandarins but really prefer the other kind so am on the fence.

Welcome back! Have you thought about anthias?