stocking list

[natep206]

ok so presently i have 3 fish in my 55 gal softy reef with about 55lbs of lr. eventually i will have 100 lbs in there. i have a fluval 404 canister filter which is rated up to 100gallon tank. and a red sea protien skimmer which is reated up to 100gallon tank.


i am getting another occ clown today and late next week im getting a four line wrasse. so then ill have 5 fish. my plan for the long run is to get 2 more.

this is my total list.

fish i have

1 occ clown
1 bangaii cardinal fish
1 orange spotted blenny

fish im getting soon

1 more occ clown
1 four line wrasse

fish ill be getting in the future

1 spotted madarin
1 coral beauty angle

ok so the bangaii and the madarin both dont move fast or take up a lot of space at all. so the other fish are'nt competing with them for swiming space. the orange spotted blenny is a bottom dweller and the only other bottom dweller is the madarin which isnt a swimming space taker uper. so imo no other fishes will be competing with thosse fish for swimming space.

so really its only 4 3-4" fish competing for swim space in a 55 gal with great filtration and alot of lr. plus the occ clowns will have a anemone as of later today and probly wont venture too far from it.

my question is will i be overstocked?

thanks
nate

 

[steve-s]

Never rely on manuf ratings when "sizing" up what equipment will or won't do. They will usually paint the best picture possible and do not really share how they come about these ratings. The Red Sea skimmers are woefully over rated and I would say work less than 1/3 of what they claim. As for the Fluval, the 404 is rated at 395 GPH. That rating is based on having no media in it and does not take into account head pressure back to the tank. You can easily knock 30-40% off what they claim. As well when the media becomes "seasoned", the flow will reduce each day until the media is cleaned or replaced.

I am by no means suggesting your tank is in disrepair or the equipement is no good, simpley do not take things like this at face value. You may wish to re examine your total water flow though.

As for you fish selection I think the angel would be push but it's not so much overstocked as it will be food competition. I would forgo the mandarin fish with two species that are in direct conflict for the same food resources (wrasse/blenny), the mandarin will not probably fair well even if trained tro accept prepared foods.

Cheers
Steve

 

[natep206]

i know that about the filters and skimmers but i was just saying what it is "rated at"

i will have 100 lbs of established lr with a hob fuge and 2 pod piles and a added bottel of live pods added.

the species of blenny i have's main food source is micro and macro algaes and it also eats fomula 2. the wrasse will eat mostly small feather dusters that i have a huge amount of them. it will also eat whatever i put in the tank. it will pic at pods but it wont by any means be its main food source.

the mandarin will have plenty of food. i was manily asking if it would be over stocked.

nate

nate

 

[steve-s]

Will it be overstocked, probabley not. I would add the angel as the last fish, I think it will be the deal breaker of the lot.

As far as your wrasse and blenny, not quite correct. The blenny (Blenniella chrysospilos?) will eat anything within/around the sandbed. Algae is only one part of it's diet, not it's complete diet. It will continue to consume these items weather you feed it or not. The wrasse will consume any/all crustacea small enough to fit in it's mouth, amphipods, copepods etc etc. Worms consumption is common to most wrasses. These fish are both in direct competition for the same resources as the mandarin.

Cheers
Steve