Help evaluate my fish plan?

[kyley]

Hi All,
I got my first fish yesterday - an ocellaris clown - for my 65 gallon Red Sea Max 250. The other fish I plan (hope) to get are listed below. I've done a good amount of research in my selections, but could use some expert opinions! Most are peaceful with a couple semi-aggressive fish. Do you think these will all get along for the most part? This is the order I plan to get them in (mostly peaceful fish first):
1. Ocellaris Clownfish (already got, considering a second - but would have to get rid of one of the others on my list)
2. Firefish
3. Midas Blenny
4. Orange Stripe Prawn Goby (or Diamond Watchman Goby - but it's larger)
5. McCosker's Flasher Wrasse (sounds like one of the safest, peaceful wrasse)
6. Green Clown Goby (tiny fish up to 1.5" - would my other fish / shrimp harass it?) I'd drop this one if 9 are too many...
7. Royal Gramma Basslet
8. Blue Spot Jawfish
9. Flame Hawkfish
...and if I lose a fish along the way - and/or am feeling competent, I'll get a Red Mandarin Dragonet after those.

My biggest concerns / questions...
A. Will the Orange Stripe Prawn Goby and Blue Spot Jawfish get along? Both can be semi-aggressive with their territory right? Thoughts? Would the Midas Blenny be a problem with these two, or would it hang out higher in the rockwork? Or what about the Flame Hawkfish with those others?
B. Will the Green Clown Goby do okay with all the other relatively large fish? If not, I can scrap it from the plan...

I also have a Peppermint, Skunk Cleaner, and Fire shrimp, an Emerald Crab, and will get a Red Serpent Star, Feather Duster, Crocea Clam, a Yellow Sea Cucumber, and *maybe* a Lettuce Nudibranch. Will those all be okay with the fish choices? Of course, I'll have a lot of different soft and LPS corals and a few SPS corals later. Thanks for your feedback,
--Kyle

 

[Clownfish518]

Ocellaris are not peaceful fish. Best get them last - very territorial

As I said in another thread, that's a lot of fish for a 65

 

[CobrajetMach1]

Yeah, be careful with those clowns... I have two false perculas and a powder brown tang in my RSM 250 and I tried adding 2 saddle backs about a week ago. It wasn't pretty! The perculas went off on them. They are very territorial. I ended up having to take the saddle backs to petco for sanctuary... sucks!:cursin:

 

[mettjl03]

I could be wrong... But I thought you had to buy clowns in pairs if you wanted 2 in one tank otherwise they will beat on each other?? Maybe not... And that is a ton of fish for a 65 gal tank! If I were you I'd consider cutting back on the amount you gonna add... Especially since you have a few inverts already....

 

[Clownfish518]

I could be wrong... But I thought you had to buy clowns in pairs if you wanted 2 in one tank otherwise they will beat on each other?? Maybe not... And that is a ton of fish for a 65 gal tank! If I were you I'd consider cutting back on the amount you gonna add... Especially since you have a few inverts already....

You can add a second clown (same species) with a lone clown, as long as you make sure it is a male. If it is a female, will be quite a fight.

I had a 65 with a pair of ocellaris that were very well established and peaceful. I added a yellow watchman and the female went after him and tried to kill him. Beware the territoriality of clowns.

 

[mettjl03]

Thanks for clearing that up for me... I knew there was some kinda rule about that but couldn't remember! Its been a while since I've bought clowns.

 

[kyley]

Wow, I'd been checking with people on the clown first - and they'd all said that that would be one of the safest fish to add first (ocellaris - not the other clowns)! As for the pair of clowns, I've decided against it, but the one I bought was paired at the pet store - I was just reconsidering buying the other half of that pair...

So, you really think 8, maybe 9 fish would be too much? I was partly going by length (31" total which is less than 1/2" / gallon). If you think that's too much (and granted, this would be over 8 months' time or so), I might eliminate either the Watchman Goby or Prawn Goby (was getting one of those two) and the tiny Clown Goby (or would also consider dropping the Royal Gramma Basslet). That would be 7 fish / total of 25" - is that okay? It sounds like several people here with 35 gallon Red Sea Max aquariums have 7-8 fish, so thought I'd be OK w/ nearly twice the volume... Thanks,
--Kyle

 

[Dweezil]

Kyle ~ I have 3 fish in my RSM..I know some people have much more but those are experienced reefers with very well established tanks. You have an awesome list there and I know there are too many cool fish out there for even the largest of aquariums It's good you are planning ahead and researching prior to buying but I would say to start off with something on that list that you really really want and see how it goes. Then understand that list will probably change

 

[redsea reefer]

Kyle ~ I have 3 fish in my RSM..I know some people have much more but those are experienced reefers with very well established tanks. You have an awesome list there and I know there are too many cool fish out there for even the largest of aquariums It's good you are planning ahead and researching prior to buying but I would say to start off with something on that list that you really really want and see how it goes. Then understand that list will probably change

+1.

I honestly don't think that 8 fish in the 250 is too much if your choices are well thought out e.g like temperament, size, territories and where they will spend most of their time in the tank. I have 8 in my 130 but my tank is 2 years old and they all get along and inhabit different parts of the tank.

 

[kyley]

Thanks All. Eddie, that's why I'm asking I'm looking at almost all peaceful fish except some defined as semi-aggressive like the BSJF, Flame Hawkfish, and the Orange Stripe Prawn Goby. I also was looking at ones that would be free-swimming most of the time (clown, firefish, wrasse), that would "perch" (hawkfish, clown goby, midas blenny?), and spend time in the substrate (BSJF, Wathman or Prawn Goby). Tammy, I'll do what you suggest and go with a plan for the 6 I want the most, then see how things are going. Thanks,
--Kyle

 

[redsea reefer]

I'll do what you suggest and go with a plan for the 6 I want the most, then see how things are going. Thanks,
--Kyle

That sounds like a good plan and just take it slow.

 

[kyley]

For sure - only planning on one every 3-4 weeks. However, I'm wondering if I should get my second fish (the Firefish) now and add it to the tank to combat the clown becoming established in the tank and being territorial? Or would it be too risky having the two fish in the tank now (nutrients and waste)? Also, if I did that I wouldn't be able to quarantine like I plan to do... Thoughts? Thanks,
--Kyle

 

[Reefmack]

A pair of Ocellaris were my first 2 fish close to 3 years ago. They've never been aggressive to any of my other fish, and are now a breeding pair for quite a while. They still bother nothing, unless a fish gets too close to their eggs, and even then they only chase and no harm done at all. In my own opinion, and based on my experience, they ARE a peaceful fish, whether or not they're related to damsels. 2 Ocellaris per tank is fine IMO, but adding more later, or mixing clown species is asking for trouble.

 

[yungreefer2410]

the ground dwelling fish listed could be a problem because of their aggression to other bottom dwellers, the only fish i would be worried about is the last on the list because i don't know much about that fish, the fish listed don't get very big and do not produce much waste, if you go about it slowly i think you'll be fine

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

I might be lucky, but my clownfish pair have never shown any aggression either. My 1st fish was my Scootter Blenny, then I wanted a pair of clownfish. Mine are tank breed, any I watched a tank full of juveniles at lfs for an hour, two of them were swimming together in the tank & one was about 20% bigger than the other one. I bought them after watching them swim side by side for an hour at lsf.

Then 2 months latter, I added my Yellow Clown Goby - no aggression - my clownfish are still always side by side & they host on my huge candy cane coral. They never nip or anything when my hand in the tank & even let the Yellow Clown Goby sleep on the candy cane right next to them if he wants to.

Mine might be the exception to the rule, but mine are peaceful fish, good tank mates In my tank thread a video of them & how they interact with the other members of the tank.