72 gallon Sps tank? Fish selection

I'm going to be setting up my old 72 gallon and give it a go with Sps.... I'm thinking I'll set up let the tank nature like 6 months than have at it

I've got about 100lbs of cure lr, and will get the proper lighting after Christmas, is 6 months enough time to let mature?

I want a minimal bioload,what fish would you suggest that are smaller, actually swim the tank

My problem is I always manage to choose fish that don't swim and it looks like an empty tank which drives me nuts so I add more to the bioload and sps ends up not being an option because I can't drop nitrates below 5

 

hmm a 72 i just had one a while back and i had a small tang it was a saifin tang and it was great however some might say its too big for that tank

 

I think I want to keep away from tangs all together, they add to the bio load a lot and 72, I feel is too small, thats how I ended up with the 220.

Plus sailfins can get to be over like a foot in length.

 

gotcha definately see your point

 

Small school of chromis

Pair of clowns

Wrasses

Just kinda spouting off ideas from the top of my head.

 

A small school of anthias would be good.

 

What type of anthias would you suggest, Id like ones that stay out preferably. I have 3 squarebacks in my 125 but they are huge! and as soon as I catch them they are moving to the 225

How many would you put if they are the only tank inhabitants other then CUC?

I have begun to hate clowns. they dont seem to ever mover out of the corner for me....

What wrasses in every ones experience actually swim I have an orange back that just kind of hides

 

Bartlett's would probably be your best choice of anthia for that size of a tank.

The orange-back hiding in your current tank is not normal behavior. It's only doing that because another fish is harassing it; might want to correct that situation.

See the link in my signature regarding wrasses.

 

He doesn't really hide, but stays more to the back, there really isn't anyone to intimidate him in the tank either. Just the square back anthias and fire fish, and I'll pull the squarebacks this week so we will see how it goes then

How many bartletts would you suggest. I've only had the square and a purple queens( learned a hard lesson with them)

Are the bartletts generally good eaters?

 

They are quite hardy for an anthia, and are more suitable as a beginner anthia.

My only advice with them would be to do no less than 5. I once did 3 and they all eventually turned male, which led to one picking on another. I'd want large enough group so there wasn't a specific target to pick on.