Stocking ideas/list for 125 gal

[Susanedw]

While I'm waiting on my build to progress, I've been trying to get a fish list put together. For my 66 gal, I've relied on what I can find locally. This time, even if it means ordering, I want to plan what I want, with being flexible of course.

Tank is 6' 125 gal with a 30 gal sump (Bashsea bio-fuge 36"). Sump will have refuge, pods, LR. I'll also be using some live rock from current tanks to add to new dry rock in the 125. I will have lots of rock with tons of crevices and caves and hideouts and swim thrus. I'll also be taking prob. a year to stock, no more than 2-4 at a shot as my QT tank is a 39 gal. Some will be in the 2-5 month time after cycle, others 6-9 moths

So here is my wish list. Yes, before I'm jumped, I need to par down. A LOT. Some questions which will help:
Can I have just 1 of each Wrasse? Or do they need to be in groups.
Can I have just one each Anthia or do they need groups of 3
How many tangs and which ones.

I'm trying to balance the rock-sand dwellers from column swimmers. I'm not sure if I'll follow the add 2 units from group A, 1 from Group B, 1 from Group C (counts as 2 units) or the 2" per 10 gal for sm-md, 1" per 10 gal large

For the most part, I'm aiming at fish in the 3-4 inch range with just a couple bigger

Rock/Sand dwellers
1 Blenny bi color ?? Like blenny's a lot
1 blenny lawn Mower ?? Not sure as I won't always have algae Maybe another blenny
1 Royal Gramma or firefish?? Both are petty, prob. one only if at all
1 Flame Hawk
1 Goby/shrimp pair/ Can I have a jaw fish too?
1 Goby spike fin
1 Dragonette--maybe after a while. Will see. I love my scooter.
3-5 Barnacle Blenny--very small, rock dwellers, not much bio load but fun to watch if you can find them....

Column swimmers
1 Angel Flame or 1 Coral Beauty. Assume I cannot have one of ea.
1-3 Wrasse-Lubbocks
1-3 Wrasse-Whip Fin or Wrasse orange/black
1-3Anthia Cariberryi
1-3 Anthia Bartletts
3-5 Chromis Lemon and or
3-5 Chromis Agile
Kole or Yellow or Tomini Tang--Can I have 2?

So what should not be part of this wish list, is there an addition you think is worth considering. I like the busy look of fish going about their businesses. I prob. won't do clowns or blue chromis as I have those in my other tank.

 

[DaveK]

Overall your list is good. I do see a couple of considerations. Here they are in no special order.

Wrasses and dragonettes generally do not mix will because of the competition for pods. The wrasses tend to eat all of them and the dragonette starves.

Many of the small bottom dwelling fish like blennies, gobies, and so on tend to really blend in well with the aquascape, to the point of making them hard to see or even find, if you don't know where to look. I once has a lot of these species in my tank, and from a distance the tank looked empty. I also found a lot of the gobies would end up going through my overflow and into the sump. Keep a fine screen over that.

Two tangs might work, but it's pushing things a bit. You could try it, but have a plan B in case things don't work out.

Don't crowd SW fish. Keep in mind the 1" of fish per 5 gal of water in the display tank. That's 25 total inches of fish for the system, or about a dozen 2 inch fish. Allow room for growth. Ask yourself if you want to tie up a lot of capacity with a lot of chromis or other fish.

 

[Susanedw]

All good points @DaveK Maybe I'll go more anthias than wrasses. They will add the splash of colors. I've asked my hubby to make me an acrylic/plastic top for the two overflows. He has a machine shop so that should keep critters out. I'll also make a cover for the tank as well. Will order the kit from brs.

Some of the small, slender fish I use the 2" per 10 gal. Rest the 1" per at adult size which is why most of my stock list are 3" fish. Might save the barnacle blennies for my other tank. as they would get lost in a 125. I forgot I do have a gold head sleeper goby in my display refug. and he'll go into this tank. He's about 4 inches. I'm hoping he won't totally destroy my landscape in a big tank and will only claim part of the tank! Didn't put him back in the 66 after going fallow as I had corals on the sandbed. I'd rehome him but not to a lfs as I suspect he wouldn't live for long.

If one if not both tangs are the yellow, my sil has a 300 gal with a school of yellow tangs. If I went with 2 or 3 tangs instead of a lot of small, should I do 3 in 3 different genres or 2-3 say yellows.

I'll have to consider just which fish are the most important to the look of the tank. Getting good feedback from others helps, like your wrasse comment. I could live without a dragonette, or the wrasse.The total water volume is closer to 140 gal with sump so that gives me a bit more to play with.

With the wrasse, and even anthias, is it okay to keep just one, not a group of 2 or 3?

 

[Susanedw]

More whittling of fish wish list. I'm going to use the ABC method and stock slow. With my sump, I figure, depending on final rock/sand volume to have approx 140 gal. Maybe a tad less or more. So per that method, it gives me 14 units of fish
Each group A (Rock Dwellers) is 1 unit per 2 of Group A
Each group B (open swimmers) is 1 unit each
Each group C is 2 units apiece.

Group A 2 Units
Goby spike fin
Goby Gold Head Sand Sifter
Royal Gramma
Blenny bi color or another blenny

Group B 12 Units
1 Angel Flame or Coral Beauty -- on fence. More research
3 Anthia Cariberryi
3 Anthia Bartletts or different Anthias that stay around 3"
3-5 Chromis Lemon Add early, add more, will prob. end up with 2-3

Group C 2-4 -6 Units
Kole or Yellow or Tomini 2-3 tangs.

Total at highest 18-20 units (depending on # tangs). Need down to 14
No Angel, only 3 chromis gives me 16. 2 tangs gives me 14
Plan to take time stocking so some fish may or may not make it

I think this list gives me movement and color in all areas of tank. Of course, open to voices of experience.

 

[DaveK]

With tangs you need to consider that they are big dirty fish, and create a lot of waste. Typically if you keep more than one you want fish with different colors and body shapes. If you have a really really large tank, then you can consider a school of tangs but most people don't have this. I'd stop at two tangs. Three would be asking a lot of a 125 gal tank.

 

[Susanedw]

@DaveK I figured. I'll shoot for two, added at the same time. I do remember how much my kole tang pooped... And of course, I'll consider whether in the end to have 1 or 2 big fish as opposed to 2-4 more smaller fish. Tangs just shout: reef tank