First Salt Aquarium

[NavalOrange]

Been lurking on RC for about 2 years, posted a few times here and there. Finally, I'm ready to make my first legitimate post before I start my build thread in the next few months. I'll be setting up the JBJ 45 Rimless (26.5" x 16.5" x 19") and a 16 gal QT.

My research has taken me in tons of directions with even more of information than I could have imagined. The time has come for me to get serious with my stock list and I am turning to RC for some assistance. I know my list may seem a bit ambitious but with the help of some of y'all here, it might just work out after all.

Mainly I'm looking for advice and experiences, anything will help. Discussion's on what will have potential pairing issues, sort or long term, what will compete for food (pods, algae, etc.), when to introduce what, substations if any and overall conversation about my choices.

Stock list (no particular introduction order)
Black Ice Ocellaris Clownfish x2
Flame Angel x1
Royal Gramma x1
Firefish, Purple x1
Yellow Candy Hogfish (Will forgo for the Yellow Wrasse) x1
Diamond Spot Gobby x1
Some type of Wrasse (Leopard, Potters or Yellow) x1
Green Mandarin x1

Please, if you are going to comment on the Mandarin then have your information be constructive and not discouraging. Really that goes for comments in general. I have seen too many post with people bashing others about the care level of certain species or the mixing of. So please be polite and show a little couth.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Potatohead]

The only things I will point out is that seems maybe 2 - 3 too many fish for a 45. It could work if there are lots of hidey holes and what not for them. Second, is to wait until you have a mature tank with a good copepod population before you put the Mandarin in there.


Good luck

 

[NavalOrange]

Yeah the fish count is a bit high and I am looking to cut a few out to get a good mix of fish. As for the pod population, I have about 40 lbs of dry live pukani curing right now to help keep that population up and going. At least that’s my hopes after a year or so.

 

[tjnorthdakota]

I would skip the diamond goby for some conchs to lighten the bio load, and maybe a wrasse as well since the mandarin and the wrasses will be in competition with one another. flame angel if theres gonna be coral could be trouble.

 

[jeff240gallon]

I would definitely skip in diamond goby which pains me to say it cause it's one of my favorite fish. They are very amusing but three main points... First they can create a sandstorm and can get sand all over your rock and coral, second they need a fairly large tank to prevent them from starving, third when they sift sand they also kill the micro fauna in the sand bed. If you can get them to eat food on a regular basis then sweet but a lot of people find they starve to death under a year's time. I got a yellow goby instead which is pretty decent if you want to stick with gobys


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[homer1475]

Flame angel will chase every other fish in that tank. 45 is just not big enough for them. It might be fine for a while, but eventually the angel will become a d*ckhead.

My flame angel was a model citizen for 2 years, moved to a bigger tank, and he's been a PITA.

The mandy you'll most certainly want to wait for a year or so to bolster your pod population.

 

[A sea K]

My 2 cents, if you must have a Mandarin then none of the wrasses you mention would be acceptable. They will effectively reduce the pod population to the point your Mandy won't survive.
The Candy hogfish although typically listed as a "peacefull" fish has quite a bad reputation when it gets comfy in a tank, this will likely be a certainty considering the size of your proposed system, smaller tanks have a way of bringing out the worst in a fishes behaviour when they feel cramped.

 

[NavalOrange]

Thanks for all the responses it’s truly appreciated, let me add little more detail. I have prepared the tank pretty well for the bio-load of whatever fish I end up with. 40lbs of pukani along with about 20 cubes of the marine pure. I could be totally wrong on this but so far all of my experience is pure research and second hand knowledge from various LFS.

Skipping the diamond goby is good advice for sure. I was debating this guy a lot for the simple reason of them starving to death. Mainly I had decided on it to help with sand maintenance.

A sea K, I had no clue about the hogfish, I posted my list on my local FB Reef page and that was a suggestion for a yellow fish. Like you said they are listed as “Peaceful” fish so I figured it would be good to go. I’ll be forgoing this one.

As for the Mandarin and Wrasse. Initially I didn’t have a wrasse on my list simply because it and the Mandarin with be in competition for the same food source. The reason it’s on there was two reason. 1) I was asked by a LFS owner “Why no wrasse in the tank, you know they eat bugs, brittle stars, etc” and that got me wondering was I doing this list wrong do I need a wrasse to help with pest in the tank? 2) It’s always nice to get more information to help solidify a reasoning.

 

[NavalOrange]

I got a yellow goby instead which is pretty decent if you want to stick with gobys.

What type of yellow gobby are you referring to?

 

[gone fishin]

I have a yellow candy hogfish. For the most part he minds his own business, he is the smallest fish in the tank. I have no doubt that if I added something smaller or his size then he would be all over the new addition.

 

[NavalOrange]

I have a yellow candy hogfish. For the most part he minds his own business, he is the smallest fish in the tank. I have no doubt that if I added something smaller or his size then he would be all over the new addition.

Maybe more research into this fish is need for me then.

 

[Microcosmos]

Flame angel will chase every other fish in that tank. 45 is just not big enough for them. It might be fine for a while, but eventually the angel will become a d*ckhead.

My flame angel was a model citizen for 2 years, moved to a bigger tank, and he's been a PITA.

The mandy you'll most certainly want to wait for a year or so to bolster your pod population.

+ 1

I'd definitely go with the flame angel as it is a beautiful fish and easy to keep ... I have soft corals and mine doesn't bother them ... however if you get the flame first any small fish you add will likely be harassed completely to death, literally ... the royal gramma and the fire fish you listed might last two days to a week with a healthy flame angel ... also I second the wrasse/mandarin points made earlier ... I would go with a wrasse personally as it is more likely to survive, though a mandarin can be added to your tank when the tank is mature if you skip the wrasse ... you are always taking a gamble when adding territorial critters into an enclosed space, I recommend adding the potentially most problematic last so that the less aggressive have a chance to establish territories and hiding places though this is no guarantee against fatalities due to aggression ... p.s. Be careful with your LFS's advice they are trying to sell any and everything they can after all ...


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[Stolireef]

I'd start with a Sohal Tang and a Blue Ring Octopus... (sorry, had to add a little gallows humor).

To OP: Do you have any plans to supplement pods? While I'd still wait about a year for the Mandarin, if you do supplement pods, you might be OK with one wrasse and one mandarin.

 

[NavalOrange]

I'd definitely go with the flame angel as it is a beautiful fish and easy to keep ...

I'd start with a Sohal Tang and a Blue Ring Octopus... (sorry, had to add a little gallows humor).
To OP: Do you have any plans to supplement pods? While I'd still wait about a year for the Mandarin, if you do supplement pods, you might be OK with one wrasse and one mandarin.

Microcosmos"¦I was planning to add the flame last, however I haven't decided if the Flame or the Mandarin would be best for last yet. Also, yes to the LFS. I have asked mine many questions and it feels like if I'm not buying they don't have the time to answer question (even If I'm the only one in the store).

Stolireef"¦I was hoping to not have to supplement pods. That's the main reason I chose the puknai rock over others. It has such a huge network of holes that the pods should (I use the lightly) safe to reproduce. As much as I'd love a Potter Wrasse, I am much more included to pick the Mandarin over the Wrasse if they can can't live off the same pod population.
Are there any specific reasons I should pick the Wrasse?

Also here is a look at a few of the rocks I have for the pods.

 

[NavalOrange]

 

[Stolireef]

The type of rock and the number of holes won't make that much of a difference for pod production. Any decent rock would be sufficient. A fuge would be a much bigger influence. It's more about sheer volume of space, rock and competition. Mandarins are basically pod eating machines as are wrasses. The wrasses however are much faster. The difference is that you can get most wrasses to eat prepared food so they don't rely on the pods. Mandarins are very hit or miss with prepared food.

If you see a Mandarin in a store and want to buy it, make them show you that it is eating prepared food. Frankly, Mandarins are one of the few fish that I'd only buy from a store after seeing them eat.

 

[Stolireef]

Nice rock, BTW. Make sure you add some pretty bubbling treasure chests to the tank.

 

[NavalOrange]

Nice rock, BTW. Make sure you add some pretty bubbling treasure chests to the tank.

Bubbling treasure chests? HAHAHA! Sir, it will be a full on sunken ship spilling with gold.

The L shaped one is about 2 feet long and around 10 or 12" across. Its pretty large. As for the refugiume, I'm waiting on InTank to release their fuge basket specifically for the JBJ 45. That will be an add on once the tank is up and running.

Ever heard of http://www.shrimpzoo.com? Apearntlly they have aqua-cultured Mandarins that are on prepared foods.