Rbacchiega

I'm sure this will more than likely change over the next little while, but here's the possible stocking list:

The live rock is going to be arranged in a way that there are little areas of low water movement as well as some shaded areas (still viewable from the front of the tank, but allowing for the corals that don't require as intense lighting or water movement.

LPS/SPS Corals/Polyps
To Be Added at different times, different levels of the tank (top, middle, bottom) etc. All do well with a SG between 1.023 and 1.025 and require moderate to high levels of light as well as varying levels of water movement.

1. Candy Cane Coral (Caulastrea furcata)
2. Trumpet Coral (Caulastrea curvata)
3. Brain Coral, Wellsophyllia (Trachyphyllia radiata)
4. Cup Coral, Pagoda (Turbinaria peltata)
5. Fox Coral (Nemanzophyllia turbida)
6. acropora coral Green (Acropora sp.)
7. Stylophora Coral (Stylophora spp.)
8. Button Polyp (Protopalythoa sp)
9. Waving Hand, Blue (Anthelia sp.)
10. Bulb-tip Anenome (x2)

Inverts (detrius, algae cleaning crews & otherwise cool things)
1. Feather Duster (x2)
2. Tiger Striped Fancy Serpent Sea Star
3. Sand Sifting Sea Star
4. Sea Cucumber, Tiger tail (x2)
5. Burgundy Sea Star (x2)
6. Tongan Tighting Conch (x6)
7. Fancy Brittle Star
8. Scarlet Hermit Crabs (x15)
9. Turbo Snails (x30)
10. Dwarf Tipped Hermit Crab (x50)
11. Trochus Snail (x18)
12. Emerald Crab (x4)

Shrimp
1. Sexy Anenome Shrimp (Thor amboinensis) x6
2. Banded Coral Shrimp (1 pair)
3. Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) x6

Clams!
1. Crocea Clam x2

Greenery
Ulva sp. Lettuce Algae for fuge

Fish
1. yellow tang (x1)
2. Blue "Hippo" Tang (x1)
3. Flasher Wrasse (1M, 2F)
4. Black & White (or normal) Ocellaris Clowns (x2)
5. Green/Blue Chromis (x5)
6. Flame Angel (x1)
7. Coral Beauty (x1)
8. Black Sailfin Blenny (x2, hopefully a pair)

If that doesn't make me broke, I don't know what will LOL

Wolfgang8810

i would skip the sand sifting star because it eats all the bacteruia that woul paid for in the live sand. Also would skip the flame angel and coral beauty as they have been known to nip and pick at corals. other than that it looks awesome!!!

Rbacchiega

not buying live sand, but I'll keep that in mind
and I've read conflicting things about them... one book says all angels are coral nippers, the other says that they can be, so add to a reef with caution, the other says that the so called dwarf angels aren't harmful to coral. I'll have to ask the guy at the LFS to be sure, but we'll see.

Wolfgang8810

its a risk but they really are pretty fish if only i had a 90 gallon setup

Gozer_1

I agree on the sifting star. It's just gonna eat its self out of food. I'm leary of stars anyway.
I have heard but don't know that Coral Banded Shrimp may mess with other shrimps. May be a problem but I only have one lone Banded so can't say from experience.
I have so far avoided crabs based on their chance of getting big and knocking stuff over though I plan for some Hermits. They're small. I think Emeralds get to be 4 inches or something. Could be a small problem.
I'm also unsure about cucumbers due to size and the whole puking their guts thing.
On the issue of the angels, my thoughts are that if anything says "with caution" or there is any debate, why take the chance. Once a fish is in a reef tank it is REALLY hard to get back out. I've been there with a fish I found to be not reef safe. It was no fun.
I'm not sure about the fighting conchs but all I know about conchs is they get huge. I wouldn't want a large walking rock cruising my tank.

Anyway, just my thoughts. Hope it means something to ya.

Rbacchiega

Well as I said, this is probably going to change, but right now there's nothing in the tank (not even water!) until at least february.

Maybe for now I"ll just stick with the corals, the fish (possibly not the angels, we'll see) and nix the sand star, the cucumber (but they're so cool!) and the conch snails. I still think the emerald crabs would be cool conisdering they can really help keep bad algae under control (I think I read somewhere that they eat bubble algae), but again, I'll do more research.

I can picture myself lying on the beach in Mexico, my husband suntannig/sleeping/snoring beside me...beautiful scenery, and my nose burried in a book about maintaining a reef aquarium LOL

Wolfgang8810

i have an emerald crab in my 24 gallon hes really small but he does eat alot of algae. Ill get rid of him if he gets too big. That sounds like the perfect vacetion lol i want a reef book lol any recomendations?

Rbacchiega

I found "The Tropical Marine Fish Survival Manual" by Gordon Kay to be a good book, it kind of dumbs down things other books didn't.

ummmm I think there's a book called Maintaining the Reef Aquarium or something like that...>I'll have to check that one out

sirdarksol

I can't help with the stocking ideas (I'm a FW person) but I want to see pictures when it's done.

Gozer_1

I've heard that if you're gonna get a crab (other than Hermits) then Emeralds are the way to go. I have considered them on the chance that they may eat bubble algae and I think green hair. I could use the help cleaning lol.

It's a good idea to go slow anyway. Like you said start with some corals, fish and snails. As you get things rolling and into good maintenance habits, start adding what you feel you need or want.

Doesn't having an empty tank ready to fill just make you crazy? I had my 45 for a couple months waiting to get setup. Seeing it sit empty drove me nutso.

Wolfgang8810

lol yup now i have a chromis and 2 blood red fire shrimp but they hide constantly so it looks like an empth tank. I would wait on corals untill the dreaded diatom stage is over. mine is starting to clear up and im seeing pink take its place its only been 3 weeks so its not as unbearable as waiting for a freshwater cycle

Rbacchiega

Everytime I run downstairs for something I stop and just stare for a few seconds (minutes?) and picture what its going to look like completely set up. I know that when I go snorkeling/scuba diving down there I'll have to pay close attention to the natural environment. Most of the stuff I want is native to the indo pacific, but I can get good live rock formation ideas down there I'd imagine.

Gozer_1

Oh yeah very good point. The dread diatoms. UGH! I hope for your sake you only have the diatom stage. I got hit with a diatom stage and a cyanobacteria stage. Now I'm in hair and macro limbo. The coraline is slowly getting a foothold after a year. Mostly bad planning and research on my part. The best advice I have from my "stages" is DON"T USE UNFILTERED TAP WATER. I had the worst time getting my tank straightened out till I started using a filter and bottled water. Personally I'd start with rocks only for the first couple weeks. Just cure them right where they're gonna live. That will also cycle your tank.

Wolfgang8810

ive been using RO water from the start lucky me

Rbacchiega

I was planning on curing the live rock in the tank. But this is something new to me about tap water. Won't adding things like Prime etc help? Or should I be saving up to buy 123+ gallons of filtered water?

Gozer_1

Well you can test your tap water for the basics and see how it looks. There may still be things that aren't tested for but you may not want in your tank. Some places put flouride in their tap water for example. I don't know that flouride would be bad for the tank, but it's an example of something you wouldn't test for in the aquarium hobby. I highly recommend filtered water. I use a combonation of my own RO/DI water and green label walmart water. It's much more labor but the benefits were VERY notable when I made the switch. It's better to start with a base water ad then add to it so you know exactly whats going into your reef. There's just more to be concerned with in a reef. It's good to be in control of any portion of the setup. The more control you have the better you can make adjustments as need be.

Rbacchiega

Thanks for the heads up. I know on the city website we have a water breakdown, so I'll have to give that a check when I get back. Our flight leaves at like 6 am tomorrow, which means we have to be at the airport at 4...so no sleep for me tonight!