Stocking question

[proudnewbie]

Hey All thanks for the input. The questions were mainly aimed to see what other members use as their guideline. The second part was just sheer curiosity what the upper limit of stocking would be if filtration was never an issue.

As for me, so far I have 2 ocellaris clowns, a bangai, and a firefish. For inverts I have a handful of blue and scarlet hermits, mix of snails, a cleaner shrimp and a tuxedo urchin.
I plan to add
Inverts
-Blue Linckia Starfish
-Blood Red Cleaner Shrimp
-Holloween Hermit
Fish
Mandarine Dragonette
Flasher wrasse <- Next on my list

I believe this would leave me fully stocked but I would LOVE to add a goby or blenny and one more wrasse (Hoeven's Wrasse would be awesome)

[gregzz4]

If you get a Linkia starfish be prepared to hand feed it often.
And I'd suggest you make a decision; either a mandarin or a hoeven's wrasse, but not both in your tank, or the mandarin will starve.

[soapy]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

If you get a Linkia starfish be prepared to hand feed it often.
And I'd suggest you make a decision; either a mandarin or a hoeven's wrasse, but not both in your tank, or the mandarin will starve.

I agree, in a 65 I would take a pass on a Dragonette. Unless you are absolutely certain it is eating frozen or pellets it will perish. Even then you will have to make sure it gets the food at each feeding. Its seems like people who have success with these have big big tanks.

[proudnewbie]

Dragonette a long time dream on mine, and one of the things that drew me to the hobby. I will be setting up a 20 gallon gravity fed fuge with macro and pods, so it should supply a crazy amount of live food at a steady rate. From what I understand its more about the space to grow pods and less about the tank size. Larger tanks also have more rock for the pods to hide in but I've heard of "success" in as little as 20 gallon tanks with large fuge's.

As for hand feeding, I'm totally fine with it, as I assume I would eventually have coral that needs spot feeding (I occasionally chop up some Mysis and spray some on my ricordea's cause its cool to see them "eat")

I would definitely take the mandarin over the Hoven since as I said hands down one of the most beautiful and unique fish (just one mans opinion)

So based on my current stock and planned stock should I count that as full or can I fit a small wrasse and goby?

[soapy]

The gravity feed fuge is a good idea. Give it lots of time to establish before you add the mandarin and know you can feed your pods once they get going. Reef roids and cyclopeeze get them multiplying. Good luck.

[Flash]

you are fine in a 65gl with the fish you have.

They are all generally small fish, so you won't have any issues. Gobys will stay low, clowns and firefish mid tank and cardinal.. well .. they usually float on a corner! You can fit a flasher wrasse in there without an issue

[gobytron]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

If you get a Linkia starfish be prepared to hand feed it often.
And I'd suggest you make a decision; either a mandarin or a hoeven's wrasse, but not both in your tank, or the mandarin will starve.

What do you hand feed your Linkia?

[gregzz4]

If it's a blue the OP is after, then there's nothing known to hand feed it, but apparently the reds will eat shellfish