my potential tank stocking plan

[finleydive]

I've got a 460 litre tank that'll be home to some coflakes soon, and I'm planning to stock it with the following, might make a few changes along the way, but it'll be pretty close to this.

- Four green chromis
- Two percula or ocellaris clownfish
- One yellow tang
- One regal tang
- One powder blue tang
- One sixline wrasse
- One firtideflow
- One green mandarin
- A blenny or gobie, haven't decided on the species yet
- A mix of shrimp, hermit crabs, and snails.

What do you guys think? Overstocked, understocked? Any aggression issues likely to pop up?

[fleeton]

My biggest concern is the powder blue tang, to be honest. They're notoriously prone to ich and can be a real challenge to keep healthy in a tank. You'll also need to be prepared for multiple feedings a day, every day.

[flynix]

"Also, wouldn't a regal tang bully a powder blue? They're different families, I think, but they're pretty similar, and I can see why they might clash."

[finleydive]

I didn't know powder blues were that prone to ich, or needed feeding so often, that's a big concern for me. I still love 'em though, blue's my favourite colour, lol. If I don't get the powder blue, I'm open to suggestions - what would you guys recommend as a replacement that'd get along with my existing stocklist? Maybe an angelfish that doesn't eat coflakes?

[zenoxa]

What about a Pinktailed trigger, they're pretty rare but I've always liked them, would they be a good fit for my tank or would they cause some aggression problems?

[finleydive]

zenoxa... I'm not too keen on triggerfish, don't want to risk my coflakes, shrimps or smaller fish with them. Anyone else got a suggestion that's safer for my tank?

[flynix]

I'm quite fond of bluethroat or pinktails, they're lovely options.

If your tank has a secure lid, I'd recommend considering some of my usual suspects. Carpenters or filamented flasher wrasse can be a good fit, and I've also had success with labouts fairy wrasse. However, leopard wrasse can be a bit tricky to handle.

Alternatively, you might want to think about a pair of bangai cardinals, or perhaps a kole tang. Midas blenny is another option that could work well with your existing stock.

[dune9x]

I'd advise against the Regal and Powder Blue - both are prone to whitespot. Regals grow at an incredible rate and need plenty of space to swim, which might be a challenge in your tank.

If you're still set on the Powder Blue, I'd recommend introducing it last, as they can be quite aggressive towards new additions. I've seen it firsthand - the one I had was responsible for the demise of a couple of its tankmates.

Considering the Regal and Powder Blue might not be the best fit, why not think about adding another Yellow Tang or two? They're lovely fish and can do well in a well-maintained tank.

As for the Mandarin, I'd suggest waiting until your tank is at least a year old before introducing it. This will give your tank a chance to mature and reduce the risk of any issues.

[zenoxa]

I've got a 460 litre tank that'll be home to some coflakes soon, and I'm planning to stock it with the following, might make a few changes along the way, but it'll be pretty close to this.

- Four green chromis
- Two percula or ocellaris clownfish
- One yellow tang
- One regal tang
- One powder blue tang
- One sixline wrasse
- One firtideflow
- One green mandarin
- A blenny or gobie, haven't decided on the species yet
- A mix of shrimp, hermit crabs, and snails.

What do you guys think? Overstocked, understocked? Any aggression issues likely to pop up?

Pinktailed triggers, I think they're often misunderstood - they're actually really gentle, but they do grow quite large, so tiny fish or shrimp might become a snack. They won't bother other coflakes or inverts though. Check out my sig for more ideas if you're stuck.

[fleeton]

Spotted rabbitfish, another one that can be a bit of a handful, not really sure if they're compatible with my coflakes and smaller fish, but they're pretty cool, aren't they?