Hello!

T

TheOddCouple

New member
Just wanted to introduce ourselves, we're a couple in Binghamton, NY, and we just started our first saltwater tank about a month ago. We ran into a really knowledgeable guy while looking for an anemone tonight, at a local fish store, and he told us about the site.

We have a 29 gallon tank, with 2 clowns, a coral banded shrimp, and 2 red legged(I think?) hermit crabs. We just picked up a long nosed hawkfish tonight, and have a bubble anemone on order.

Well, this should be fun!

*Edit: Here's a bad picture for good measure. https://imgur.com/rstWq
 
Last edited:
Finding Reef Central is the best first move you could have made. I just wish I had all this information available to me when I started out years ago. Begin by reading the permanent threads at the top of the "New to the Hobby" forum.

Anemones don't do well in new tanks. Give it six months or so before you acquire one.
 
hey welcome! strs is great and so is RC! we have swaps occasionally and is a great way to put faces with screennames!
 
Welcome!!! You joined the right place! i'm really new the the salt side of fish too and the people here are great always helping in anyway and answering any questinos you may have. Also if you need parts or equipment ask here first ive been able to buy sell and trade stuff here so its always a win win situation! I was shocked when i joined to see how active this forrum was for this area didnt know it was that big!
Again welcome :)
 
I was at Creature Comforts when I got the hawkfish. So far I think he has been good with the shrimp, and I really hope it stays that way, 'cause the shrimp is by far my favorite part of the tank. I got them at different times, but I mentioned that I had the shrimp when I got the hawkfish. Hopefully it works out.

To anyone who has PM'd me, I can't reply until I have a certain number of posts. Weird.
 
I do hope it works out for you... but that will be the first long-nosed hawkfish that I ever heard of that left shrimp alone -- its a favorite delicacy of theirs :(
 
Welcome!

The best thing to do is research fish/invertebrate purchases here or anywhere online for compatibility first. You cannot rely on the LFS. Often they just don't know, or, they don't care.

There is a thread in RC devoted totally to fish purchases too.:hmm5:
 
Yeah, the more I learn, the more I question what everyone says. Ha.

Every time I have made a purchase, I list everything in my tank, and say that I want to put coral in eventually.

I now have a tank filled with things that want to kill each other, and coral... Oof...

Got a BTA, and the clowns love it. Also added a pistol shrimp and watchman goby. hawkfish tried to eat the goby...
Got an emerald crab last night, and the first thing he experienced leaving his bag was a hawkfish bite..

I've got another tank, but I want to drill it up, and plan better, so it won't be up for a while. Can't decide if I want to keep the meanies in their current tank, and put passive fish in the new one, or get rid of the hawkfish all together. The clowns are fine with him, and the coral banded shrimp is his size, they seem to get along. The hawkfish is the only one who seems to bother anyone else.

...guess I'll start a thread about a new build, and take a lot more time to plan it...
 
We're going back and forth on the hawkfish. The only other changes we're thinking about is moving the more peaceful creatures to the new tank when that's completed (which will be never..) We're thinking of keeping seahorses in the new tank, so any fish that go in have to be zero-threat. I've got some reading to do...

Seems like the clowns, hawkfish, serpent star, and coral banded will be fine together.. I just worry about the goby and pistol, but I never see them anyway.

On a lighter note, the clowns are loving the BTA (I forget the terminology, who hosts who?) and the pistol and goby have started a home together.
 
I will assume then that you are expert level aquarist -- seahorses are probably the most difficult animals to sustain in our hobby and they should be housed in a totally dedicated tank... I may never try to keep seahorses, but I definitely won't try until I have another 10 yrs or so at this...
 
Tank bread seahorses are the easiest but still not easy if you know what I mean. There are some people that start out in saltwater with them and do well. They do require a completely different setup and need a little more attention than corals and fish. Alot of things have changed that make this hobby more doable and things that were deemed impossible are no longer impossible even to people with moderate experience in salt. Check the forum below and get real advice from the expert level aquarists on seahorses lol. Sounds like your starting to research more so your on the right track. If you want seahorses research them get all your ducks in a row with tank setup and go for it. As for fish I have kept fish that were not supposed to be housed together and it all worked out well. I have seen others where it didn't. Nothing is a given in this hobby. Like i said if seahorses are what you want go for it. Good luck and most of all have fun that is what hobbies are all about.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=35
 
Dave VG said:
Check the forum below and get real advice from the expert level aquarists on seahorses lol.
Click to expand...
lol translation = as opposed to the bs advice you got here

Dave VG said:
As for fish I have kept fish that were not supposed to be housed together and it all worked out well. I have seen others where it didn't. Nothing is a given in this hobby.
Click to expand...
as with all pursuits in life, exceptions occur to "rules". My suggestion is that you may wish to start by understanding the "rules" and then over time vary your approach as it fits your situation -- otherwise it can become a very expensive and frustrating experience.

What that means for an aquarist is doing the research to find out which animals are expected to exist or coexist in the environment typical to the one you have created. Over many years, folks have come to undertand which animals are better suited to be in close proximity in certain enviroments. The smaller the area, the more attention one may wish to apply to those "rules".

Once you understand the "rules", ignore as you see fit... and have fun, life is often short...

A simple compatibility chart can be viewed at:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/compatibility_chart.cfm
there are many others around the Internet... enjoy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
New with anemone (eaten by emerald crab?)
Replies
5
Views
448
griss
griss
Paul B
Think like a fish
Replies
1
Views
389
Vinny Kreyling
Vinny Kreyling
Corals.com
**Saturday Spotlight: Rock Flower Anemones (RFAs)!!** Huge Selection!
Replies
0
Views
473
Corals.com
Corals.com
OrdinaryGirl
My 13.5 build - a wee reefie
Replies
15
Views
1K
OrdinaryGirl
OrdinaryGirl
NancyT3
Help with Snail Anxiety
Replies
8
Views
839
CharleyDavis
C
Back
Top