622 Gallon Stair Step Tank Stocking

I am going to build once I move to my next location a 622 Gallon 11 foot long, 3 foot wide stair step like tank. Consisting of 4 different tanks where the water cascades down from one tank to the next, starting with a 4.5 foot long 3ft tall 302 gallon tank, then into a 3.5 foot long 2.5ft tall 196 gallon tank, next a 2ft long 2ft tall 90 gallon tank, and finally a 1 foot long 1.5 ft tall 34 gallon tank before the water goes into the sump and is pumped back into the first tank. As for livestock I am going to have 4 different tanks with 4 different types of animals, but I need some advice. For the 302 I was thinking a pair of Bamboo cat sharks, a few stingrays, eels, horseshoe crabs, and a few grouper, lions, and triggers possibly. For the 196 I was hoping for a reef, with shrimps, starfish, tangs & angels, gobies, cardinal fish, mollies, and urchins. As for the 90 I dont know yet I was thinking some kind of invert tank but I'm not sure, and the 34 will be a refuiguim with seagrass, algae, and seahorses and pipefish. What do you guys think and any suggestions?

 

I would start at the smallest tank and work to the bigger tanks ?
Seems your dirtiest fishes are in the biggest tanks and your most delicate in the smallest ?
Also easier to cascade from smaller into bigger and not the other way round, I would be looking for a massive sump, 300+ gallons and a whale of a skimmmer

Just my 2 pennies worth.

Can't wait to see it.

 

Can you give all three dimensions of the tanks, I'm confused.

 

the 302 is 4.5 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3ft tall. The 196 is 3.5 feet long, 3ft wide, 2.5ft tall. The 90 is 2ft long, 3ft wide, 2 ft tall. And the 34 is 3ft wide, 1ft long, 1.5ft tall

 

This would be quite the set up.

 

I agree you would want to have the first tank out of the sump be the cleanest (seahorses) then move on to your sps tank then mixed reef tank and finally your largest tank were the fish will dirty up your water the most. That way you have the cleanest possible water going into every tank.

 

That's big, I'm sure you could fit a Atelomycterus marmoratus or Gray cat shark in there. I know there is one smaller true tropical ray but it's very hard to find in the hobby. I don't know much on what to keep with rays and sharks though....
In the 196 you could def do a few tangs/medium sized angels. Lots of smaller fish to choose from as well.
For the 90 I would totally make that a big seagrass/fuge/sea horse/pipefish tank!
The 34 could be a neat invert tank, some nems and rics can pair up with anemone shrimps and crabs.
HTH

 

I think I am going to make the 90 the seahorse pipefish refuigm tank, as for the big tank i am going to have some baby fiddler stingrays and port jackson sharks until they grow up then I will donated them to a public aquarium. And in the reef a school of schooling bannerfish for.