40 Gallon FOWLR Stocking Advice?

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TroyMIfishkeeper

TroyMIfishkeeper

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Dec 7, 2015
285
76
31
Troy, Michigan USA
I have my 40 gallon all set up and cycled. Live rock has been in for a few weeks, specific gravity, pH, everything is good. I need some help deciding what would be OK to add (I'm new to saltwater so I know next to nothing about compatibility with marine fish). Let me know if I shouldn't add anything I list, and if you can recommend specific species that would be great! I'd like to have macroalgae as well, and although I'm not doing corals (yet) I'd prefer anything I add is reef compatible. I'm also not sure as to how much I can fit in a tank my size.
INVERTS
- Snails
- Crab/Crabs (hermit crabs?)
- Urchin?
- Sea star?
- Anemone (I'd like to try it but I've heard it may be too advanced)
FISH
- Ocellaris Clownfish (pair)
- Firefish
- Chromis
- Six line wrasse
- Bicolor dottyback
- Goby/Gobies?
- Kaudern's cardinalfish
- Mandarin goby
 
Personally I would suggest just adding the Clown Fish with a host Anemone. You will not be able to put other fish in with the Anemone because it will sting, kill and eat them. Mandarin Goby should only be added to an established reef aquarium or they die quickly without a sustained food source such as coepods tbh would only keep with tankmates such as Seahorses or Pipe fish because all are slow predators.
 
A whelk tank! I've seen one once, it as really cool. Big, fast, carnivorous snail!
 
It is true that anemone will kill clumsy fish that get to close ,but I have found that most fish are aware and stay clear of anemone.
Now if you decide to give one a try you will need reef type light to keep an anemone healthy for long ,without the proper lights it will just slowly waste away.
I would get the clowns and anemone with some cleaners scarlet and blue leg hermit and some astrea snail or turbos.
I would stay away from the dottyback they tend to be aggressive.
 
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BIG-G said:
It is true that anemone will kill clumsy fish that get to close ,but I have found that most fish are aware and stay clear of anemone.
Now if you decide to give one a try you will need reef type light to keep an anemone healthy for long ,without the proper lights it will just slowly waste away.
I would get the clowns and anemone with some cleaners scarlet and blue leg hermit and some astrea snail or turbos.
I would stay away from the dottyback they tend to be aggressive.
Click to expand...
Interesting. Would I have to invest in an LED Strip light? I have three screw-in fixtures above the tank currently and I'm curious if they make screw-in bulbs for reefs (or better yet LED screw-in bulbs)? If so can anyone recommend any?
 
Now that I'm thinking about it, I might pass on the anemone... I've read it's not reccomended they be added to newly established tanks anyways. Perhaps I'll try it in the future :D
Now that I've crossed off the mandarin and the dottyback... how does everything else on my list look? Can anyone reccommend specific species of chromis, gobies, stars, or urchins?
 
I have no experience with urchins. But they can be handy for taking care of algae problems.

Chromis either blue or green or a mix. With these it's important to find a good source for healthy specimens there is a dismal survival rate on chromis but if they are in good condition when you get them they are usually long lived.

There are lots of goby species you will have to find something that appeals to you and then ask some specific questions. I like the fire goby because it stays up in the water column. But there are tons of species that will stay on the bottom and work your sand bed digging all the time.

You may also like some of the blenny species as well.

The starfish is another that you may want to add once your tank is better established.
Unless you are considering some of the sand sifting species. They can be useful in keeping the sand bed stirred up. I wouldn't add any of the linckia species until the tank has been up for a while. This is another species that is dependent on a healthy specimen to start with.
 
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