My tank's cycling, I've got a rough idea of what I'm after - just wanting to get some thoughts from you guys.
Tank specs: 40x24x24 (378L), sump to match, 42kg, and the top's covered. I'm thinking some soft corals, mainly polyps, and I'm not too fussed if a fish might have a nibble.
For clean-up crew, I'm considering:
- Turbo Snail and/or Nassarius Snail (any idea on numbers?)
- Red & Blue Hermit Crabs (numbers? Can I keep a mixed group?)
- Cleaner Shrimp
- Banded Coflake Shrimp (any issues with other shrimp and snails?)
As for fish, I'm looking at:
- Black and White or Common or Percula Clowns (a pair)
- Regal Tang (tank size okay? Websites say anywhere from 75UG to 125UG...)
- Yellow Tang
- Bicolor Angelfish
- Royal Gramma
- TriColour Damsel
- Blue Chromis (numbers?)
- Flame Firtideflow/Dartfish
- Midas or Bicolour Blenny
- Yellow Watchman Goby
I'd love a Copperband Butterfly, but I'm not sure about their feeding issues.
Thoughts on the list? I know it's not exhaustive, and I wouldn't have everything on it, but would it be overstocking if I did?
Reviewing the 360l stock plan
Re: Reviewing the 360l stock plan
If you were to get everything on the list, I think you'd end up overstocked.treetech wrote: ↑Mon Jun 02, 2025 5:09 am My tank's cycling, I've got a rough idea of what I'm after - just wanting to get some thoughts from you guys.
Tank specs: 40x24x24 (378L), sump to match, 42kg, and the top's covered. I'm thinking some soft corals, mainly polyps, and I'm not too fussed if a fish might have a nibble.
For clean-up crew, I'm considering:
- Turbo Snail and/or Nassarius Snail (any idea on numbers?)
- Red & Blue Hermit Crabs (numbers? Can I keep a mixed group?)
- Cleaner Shrimp
- Banded Coflake Shrimp (any issues with other shrimp and snails?)
As for fish, I'm looking at:
- Black and White or Common or Percula Clowns (a pair)
- Regal Tang (tank size okay? Websites say anywhere from 75UG to 125UG...)
- Yellow Tang
- Bicolor Angelfish
- Royal Gramma
- TriColour Damsel
- Blue Chromis (numbers?)
- Flame Firtideflow/Dartfish
- Midas or Bicolour Blenny
- Yellow Watchman Goby
I'd love a Copperband Butterfly, but I'm not sure about their feeding issues.
Thoughts on the list? I know it's not exhaustive, and I wouldn't have everything on it, but would it be overstocking if I did?
I'd personally drop the damsel and chromis from the list, and maybe consider the copperband in a year or so when your tank is more established.
Re: Reviewing the 360l stock plan
I'd start with maybe 6 Turbo or Nassarius Snails, then add more over time if you get too much algae. Red & Blue Hermit Crabs, same thing, start with a few and add more later. Cleaner Shrimp are alright, bit of a pain sometimes, but they're fine. Banded Coflake Shrimp, I'm not sure I'd add one, they might eat your coflakes.
Black and White or Common or Percula Clowns are fine, a pair should be okay. Regal Tang, no way, they grow too big and are prone to white spot. Yellow Tang is a better option, but still a lot of bioload. Bicolor Angelfish should be fine, but some can nip at coflakes. Royal Gramma should be alright. TriColour Damsel, I'd skip them, they can be nasty. Blue Chromis, I'm not a fan, they get big and grumpy, but if you add them last, you might be okay.
Flame Firtideflow/Dartfish should be fine, but you might not see them much with the other fish you're adding. Midas or Bicolour Blenny, good choice, Blennies do well. Yellow Watchman Goby should be fine.
If you're looking at Tangs, I'd recommend one of the bristletooths, like Tomini or Kole. They're less aggressive, stay smaller, and are less prone to white spot. Chromis are cheap, but they can turn nasty, especially if they're spawning. Anthias are a better choice, they look nicer and if you stock 5 or 6 small ones, aggression shouldn't be a problem.
Copperbands are nice, but if they're not feeding well, they'll fade away quickly. Get one from a good LFS and make sure it's eating well before you bring it home. You might also want to consider a couple of Wrasse, like a Mckoskers or a Flasher/Fairey. They're great additions to any tank.
Black and White or Common or Percula Clowns are fine, a pair should be okay. Regal Tang, no way, they grow too big and are prone to white spot. Yellow Tang is a better option, but still a lot of bioload. Bicolor Angelfish should be fine, but some can nip at coflakes. Royal Gramma should be alright. TriColour Damsel, I'd skip them, they can be nasty. Blue Chromis, I'm not a fan, they get big and grumpy, but if you add them last, you might be okay.
Flame Firtideflow/Dartfish should be fine, but you might not see them much with the other fish you're adding. Midas or Bicolour Blenny, good choice, Blennies do well. Yellow Watchman Goby should be fine.
If you're looking at Tangs, I'd recommend one of the bristletooths, like Tomini or Kole. They're less aggressive, stay smaller, and are less prone to white spot. Chromis are cheap, but they can turn nasty, especially if they're spawning. Anthias are a better choice, they look nicer and if you stock 5 or 6 small ones, aggression shouldn't be a problem.
Copperbands are nice, but if they're not feeding well, they'll fade away quickly. Get one from a good LFS and make sure it's eating well before you bring it home. You might also want to consider a couple of Wrasse, like a Mckoskers or a Flasher/Fairey. They're great additions to any tank.
Re: Reviewing the 360l stock plan
Not often I find myself at odds with nixora, but on the Nassarius Snail numbers, I have to respectfully disagree. I recall having 12 in my previous 126-litre Orca tank, which seemed just right. If I could have them in my current setup, I'd aim for roughly 20.
Instead of going all out on the vibex, I'd suggest considering a conch - perhaps a fighting conch or an orange-lipped conch - and then complementing it with around 10 Nassarius Snails. However, I'd advise against introducing the conch immediately, as there might not be enough food to sustain it.
My current clean-up crew is quite diverse. I have a sifting starfish, which, like the conch, needs to be introduced later on when there's sufficient food. I also have two conchs, three large Mexican turbo snails about the size of a golf ball, six halloweens hermits, and a blue leg hermit, as well as a tuxedo urchin - a delightful little creature. Additionally, I have some peppermint shrimps and numerous bristle worms.
My 400-litre tank has a relatively peaceful community, with only one fish that will grow quite large - a regal tang. The rest of my fish are small wrasses, a goby, a hawkfish, a mandarin, and a pair of clowns. Initially, I had chromis, but I wouldn't keep them again; they tend to bully each other until only one remains.
Instead of going all out on the vibex, I'd suggest considering a conch - perhaps a fighting conch or an orange-lipped conch - and then complementing it with around 10 Nassarius Snails. However, I'd advise against introducing the conch immediately, as there might not be enough food to sustain it.
My current clean-up crew is quite diverse. I have a sifting starfish, which, like the conch, needs to be introduced later on when there's sufficient food. I also have two conchs, three large Mexican turbo snails about the size of a golf ball, six halloweens hermits, and a blue leg hermit, as well as a tuxedo urchin - a delightful little creature. Additionally, I have some peppermint shrimps and numerous bristle worms.
My 400-litre tank has a relatively peaceful community, with only one fish that will grow quite large - a regal tang. The rest of my fish are small wrasses, a goby, a hawkfish, a mandarin, and a pair of clowns. Initially, I had chromis, but I wouldn't keep them again; they tend to bully each other until only one remains.
Re: Reviewing the 360l stock plan
I've found starting with 6 snails is a good way to go, I've got a large number in my tank now, but that's after it's been running for a while. It's best to begin with a small amount and add more over time as the tank matures.
A conch is far superior to vibex, but they do need some algae to eat, so the tank needs to be established first.
For the initial setup, I'd recommend the following:
6 hermit crabs, I've had a mix of different types in my tank without any issues, but it's possible for them to fight.
6 turbos or banded trochus snails, these are good for cleaning up algae.
6 tongan nassarius snails, if you can't find these, 12 vibex will do, they're not as good but will still help with cleanup.
Adding a bit of nori to the tank will help feed them initially.
A conch is far superior to vibex, but they do need some algae to eat, so the tank needs to be established first.
For the initial setup, I'd recommend the following:
6 hermit crabs, I've had a mix of different types in my tank without any issues, but it's possible for them to fight.
6 turbos or banded trochus snails, these are good for cleaning up algae.
6 tongan nassarius snails, if you can't find these, 12 vibex will do, they're not as good but will still help with cleanup.
Adding a bit of nori to the tank will help feed them initially.
Re: Reviewing the 360l stock plan
I had a feeling I might get some feedback on my list, which is why it wasn't exhaustive in the first place. I've been doing my research, trying to get a well-rounded view from multiple sources, especially when it comes to minimum tank sizes. The Regal Tang seems to be a bit of an anomaly, with tank size recommendations ranging from 75 to 125 gallons.
I've been wondering, though - will a Regal Tang really reach 12 inches in an aquarium? From what I've read, that's more of a wild size, and you can expect them to top out at around 8 inches in a home aquarium. In fact, I've never even seen one over 6 inches myself.
I did come across some information about the Chromis, which suggested that they can be a bit of a handful. I know some people say that three is the minimum, but I've also read that they can be peaceful - I'm assuming that's when they're not interacting with their own kind.
I've been looking into urchins as well, and I really like the look of the black long spine. I didn't think they'd be easy to keep, but apparently they are. I knew they were algae eaters, but I only recently found out that they'll munch on Coflakeine as well. That's given me some pause, especially considering their potential size and the fact that they might move rock around. I'm not sure I want to deal with that. I did consider the smaller tux urchins, but I'm not sure how much Coflakeine they'd actually eat - would it be the whole lot?
I do have a bit of algae on my rocks here and there, but it's not too bad.
Anyway, let's say I go with a pair of Clowns, a Regal Tang, a Yellow Tang, a Bicolor Angel, a Royal Gramma, a Flame Dartfish, a Blenny, and a Goby - what kind of stocking percentage are we talking about? I know it's probably over, but I'm curious to know just how much.
I've been wondering, though - will a Regal Tang really reach 12 inches in an aquarium? From what I've read, that's more of a wild size, and you can expect them to top out at around 8 inches in a home aquarium. In fact, I've never even seen one over 6 inches myself.
I did come across some information about the Chromis, which suggested that they can be a bit of a handful. I know some people say that three is the minimum, but I've also read that they can be peaceful - I'm assuming that's when they're not interacting with their own kind.
I've been looking into urchins as well, and I really like the look of the black long spine. I didn't think they'd be easy to keep, but apparently they are. I knew they were algae eaters, but I only recently found out that they'll munch on Coflakeine as well. That's given me some pause, especially considering their potential size and the fact that they might move rock around. I'm not sure I want to deal with that. I did consider the smaller tux urchins, but I'm not sure how much Coflakeine they'd actually eat - would it be the whole lot?
I do have a bit of algae on my rocks here and there, but it's not too bad.
Anyway, let's say I go with a pair of Clowns, a Regal Tang, a Yellow Tang, a Bicolor Angel, a Royal Gramma, a Flame Dartfish, a Blenny, and a Goby - what kind of stocking percentage are we talking about? I know it's probably over, but I'm curious to know just how much.
Re: Reviewing the 360l stock plan
Regal Tangs grow fast, and in my opinion, they can easily reach 12" in aquariums, I've seen some in 130L tanks and they were huge. Wild size is one thing, but in home aquaria, they can still get quite big. I wouldn't put one in a tank under 5 foot, it's just not fair on the fish.
Black spine urchins are alright, but I wouldn't add one to a reef tank with tangs, you're better off with Tuxedos or Pincussions. They do eat Coflakeine, which is a good thing, keeps your live rock porous. I've seen some people have issues with them, but I think they're a great addition to the right tank.
Adding a Regal Tang to a tank of your size is not a good idea, it will outgrow the tank quickly, get stressed, and fill the tank with whitespot. It's just not worth the risk.
Black spine urchins are alright, but I wouldn't add one to a reef tank with tangs, you're better off with Tuxedos or Pincussions. They do eat Coflakeine, which is a good thing, keeps your live rock porous. I've seen some people have issues with them, but I think they're a great addition to the right tank.
Adding a Regal Tang to a tank of your size is not a good idea, it will outgrow the tank quickly, get stressed, and fill the tank with whitespot. It's just not worth the risk.
Re: Reviewing the 360l stock plan
Wild Regal Tangs, largest recorded was 12.2" according to scientific measures.
Re: Reviewing the 360l stock plan
I've double-checked, and tank size opinions vary - 350 litres to 500 litres is the range I've seen. I have a five foot tank myself, 400 litres, and my Regal Tang uses the whole space to swim. He's still small, so I won't comment on adult behaviour just yet. But I do think they need room to swim - five foot is my minimum for these fish.
Re: Reviewing the 360l stock plan
I've seen Regals in smaller tanks, 4x2x2's, and to be honest they just don't look right, constantly swimming up and down the glass. I think a minimum tank length of 5 foot is a must for these fish. If you're looking for smaller Tangs, you might want to consider the Bristletooth, Kole, or Tomini, they're all good options.