Need help with fish intro order

[jeremyjoslin]

Spent the last 14 months setting up my new 125g DT with plumbing to basement and 60g of fuge/sump. I'm all cycled and am ready to begin the introductions over the next several months. Looking for some advice on order here.

My plan:

Mated pair true perculas
Anemone to host (but considering hammerhead instead)
Yellow tang
Other tangs x 2
Watchman gobi / pistol shrimp
6-line wrasse
Mandarin
Blue-throat trigger
Various LPS
Xenia
Cleanup crew

Considerations:

- I've already started stocking the cleanup crew, but since there's not much to clean up, I only added about 20% of it.

- I know the tangs can be aggressive towards their own. So is there a combo of tangs that would work well? By varying color would that help?

- Don't want to add the gobi/shrimp too soon if there's no fauna to eat yet. Currently stocking the fuge with macro and pods.... so I'm going to wait on this.

- Wrasse also needs pods so will likely be last added, except that trigger should be last so he knows he's a guest.

- Obviously, there might be a problem with shrimp plus trigger, but I'm banking on this being a reef-safe trigger. A gamble, I know, but calculated since the rewards would be huge.

- Corals should go in before trigger right? But is 12 week old tank stable enough for LPS yet? Levels are 0-0-0 by the way...

- Love watching anemones, but realize they, too, are a gamble and could be a nuisance citizen eventually. At this time, I'm weighing the benefit over the risk.

- Cleanup crew... I'll add them in 20% at a time throughout the process.

[Shane Hoffman]

Originally Posted by jeremyjoslin

Spent the last 14 months setting up my new 125g DT with plumbing to basement and 60g of fuge/sump. I'm all cycled and am ready to begin the introductions over the next several months. Looking for some advice on order here.

My plan:

Mated pair true perculas
Anemone to host (but considering hammerhead instead)
Yellow tang
Other tangs x 2
Watchman gobi / pistol shrimp
6-line wrasse
Mandarin
Blue-throat trigger
Various LPS
Xenia
Cleanup crew

Considerations:

- I've already started stocking the cleanup crew, but since there's not much to clean up, I only added about 20% of it.

- I know the tangs can be aggressive towards their own. So is there a combo of tangs that would work well? By varying color would that help?

I would add the 2 other tangs last or next to last. Try and pick a tang with a different body shape than the yellow. The last tang will pry get chased around for a day or two no matter what you do since you will already have 2 tangs in the tank. I have a hippo, yellow, sailfin, added in that order in my 150.

- Don't want to add the gobi/shrimp too soon if there's no fauna to eat yet. Currently stocking the fuge with macro and pods.... so I'm going to wait on this. Good plan here!!

- Wrasse also needs pods so will likely be last added, except that trigger should be last so he knows he's a guest.

Good plan here!!
- Obviously, there might be a problem with shrimp plus trigger, but I'm banking on this being a reef-safe trigger. A gamble, I know, but calculated since the rewards would be huge.

- Corals should go in before trigger right? But is 12 week old tank stable enough for LPS yet? Levels are 0-0-0 by the way...

I would be comfortable adding a easy to moderate LPS now. No gonipora or other extremely challenging specimens

- Love watching anemones, but realize they, too, are a gamble and could be a nuisance citizen eventually. At this time, I'm weighing the benefit over the risk.


This is a risk I would take, there is nothing as amusing as watch a couple of clowns weaving in and out of an anemone. Keep in mind anemones often need an established tank to survive. They need high light and medium to low flow. They will wander at first but ime when they put there foot down they stay as long as nothing drastic happens with your tank or lighting. IMO a hammer just isnt the same, also clowns can irritate some hammers and prohibit them from opening fully. I would wait til your tank is 6 months old for the anemone. Try not to over do it on corals until you get the Nem, just in case he wanders. Then he wont be trampling and stinging your corals. I would do a RBTA, GBTA, or LTA for the best chances of success. Stay away from Condis and carpets.
- Cleanup crew... I'll add them in 20% at a time throughout the process.

[jeremyjoslin]

Thanks for the comments... still no good order though. Here's what I'm thinking:

First: Hippo Tang

Second: Yellow Tang

Third: Percs and anemone

Fourth: Scopas or Sailfin Tang (anyone with rec's for best "third tang" species?)

Fifth: Gobi/Shrimp

Sixth: Wrasse

Seventh: Trigger

I'll add in the corals after the anemone settles. There are some nice areas of low flow with good MH lighting.

My current plan would be to move one stage per month except between stage one and two where I might cut it short to 2 weeks so that the first tang doesn't get the idea he owns the whole tank.

[jeremyjoslin]

I broke my last tank down about 5 years ago when we moved, but back then I owned a RBTA with a hosted, mated pair of maroon clowns that spawned every 2 weeks. It was the highlight of my tank and looking forward to the day I can have that again.