Stocking planner

Plan your reef tank

What to add, and when, so new animals settle in and don’t fight: clean-up crew first, peaceful fish next, territorial fish last. Our suggestions come from what we have in stock today.

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Clean-up crew

Weeks 1–2 after the cycle

Snails, hermit crabs and small crabs go first. They eat the film algae and diatoms every new tank grows, and they handle the small swings in water quality a young tank has better than fish do.

Nothing planned for this stage yet: start with the clean-up crew suggestions.

First fish and easy corals

Weeks 3–6

Start with peaceful, hardy fish, one (or one pair) at a time, and hardy corals such as mushrooms, green star polyps and zoanthids. Peaceful fish that arrive first settle in before anyone can claim the rocks.

Nothing planned for this stage yet.

More fish and invertebrates

Months 2–4

Semi-aggressive fish, shrimp and the corals that want steadier water come next, once the tank has held stable readings for a few weeks.

Nothing planned for this stage yet.

Last: territorial fish and demanding animals

Month 4 on (6+ for tangs and anemones)

Tangs, damsels, large wrasses and other territorial fish go in last, so they meet a tank where everyone else already has a spot. Anemones and expert-level animals want a tank that has been stable for months.

Nothing planned for this stage yet.

Rules that keep the peace

Wait for the cycle. Add animals only once ammonia and nitrite read zero for a week.
One fish (or one pair) at a time, about two weeks apart, so the filter keeps up and each fish settles before the next.
Peaceful first, territorial last. The last fish in meets a tank where everyone already has a spot, so it can’t claim the whole reef.
Quarantine new fish in a separate tank for a few weeks; it is the surest way to keep ich out of the display.
Test the water before each addition and wait if anything is off. Our species guides list each animal’s ranges.
Plan for adult sizes. Most fish are sold young; the sizes and tank minimums here are for grown fish.

This planner is a starting point from our species guides, not a guarantee: individual fish have their own temperaments. Ask us about any plan.

Clean-up crew in stock

Snails, crabs and other cleaners that keep algae and leftovers down.

Chestnut Snails (M/L) $1.50 · stage 1 Grazes algae off the rocks and glass · start with about 8
Nassarius Snail $4.99 · stage 1 Keeps the sand bed stirred and clean · start with about 4
Super Tongan Nassarius $5.00 · stage 1 Cleans up leftover food and waste · start with about 4
Tongan Fighting Conchs $10.00 · stage 1 Keeps the sand bed stirred and clean · start with about 2
Emerald Crabs (M/L) $7.50 · stage 1 Grazes algae off the rocks and glass
Peppermint Shrimp $14.99 · stage 2 Eats Aiptasia pest anemones · start with about 2
Cleaner Shrimp (M) $44.00 · stage 3 Picks parasites off your fish
Atlantic Brittle Star (S) $10.00 · stage 3 Cleans up leftover food and waste

Easy corals in stock

Hardy corals for a first reef: mushrooms, green star polyps, zoanthids and soft corals.

Ultra Neglecta Mushrooms $45.00 · stage 2 Forgiving, peaceful coral for a new reef
Green Star Polyps $19.99 · stage 2 Forgiving, peaceful coral for a new reef
Kenya Tree Coral $18.00 · stage 2 Easy coral; give it a little space
Tonga Zoanthid Colonies (50+ polyps) $90.00 · stage 2 Forgiving, peaceful coral for a new reef
Favia Coral $110.00 · stage 3 Easy coral; give it a little space

Fish that fit this tank

In stock, sized for 40 gallons, and no clash with your plan.

Ocellaris Clownfish $29.99 · stage 2 Peaceful · 20+ gallons · grows to 4 in · a pair
Picasso / Percula Clownfish $55.00 · stage 2 Peaceful · 20+ gallons · grows to 4.3 in · a pair
Canary Blenny $40.00 · stage 3 Peaceful · 30+ gallons · grows to 3.9 in
Sunburst / Aurora Goby (M) $85.00 · stage 3 Peaceful · 10+ gallons · grows to 4.3 in
Cinnamon Clownfish $40.00 · stage 3 Semi-aggressive · 30+ gallons · grows to 4.7 in · a pair
Falco Hawkfish $45.00 · stage 3 Semi-aggressive · 30+ gallons · grows to 3.1 in
Tongan Flame Hawkfish $100.00 · stage 3 Semi-aggressive · 40+ gallons · grows to 3.5 in

Plan your reef tank

Your tank

Rules that keep the peace