Help me set up a healthy fish tank... Please

[aquaph8]

Could those large carpets be to blame for any losses? Just wondering.

 

[Angel*Fish]

Beautiful tank!

Could those large carpets be to blame for any losses? Just wondering.

That really does look like a whole bunch of fish eating animals in there. I sure wouldn't be putting a mandarin in there.

 

[MCCOOL]

Honestly, It doesn't sound like there has been one underlying problem. Anthias aren't exactly easy, chromis are known to pick each other off, and some wrasses can be very aggressive.

Perhaps the "excess slime" has come from encounters with those anemones.

I'd come up with a list of fish you like and post it here for everyone to disect. You'll get plenty of experiences with specific combinations and be better prepared to make a final list.

 

[elegance coral]

Could those large carpets be to blame for any losses? Just wondering.

They haven't eaten any of the healthy fish. Once a fish becomes ill, and starts having problems swimming, it usually isn't long before they bump into an anemone and become dinner.

 

[elegance coral]

Beautiful tank!

That really does look like a whole bunch of fish eating animals in there. I sure wouldn't be putting a mandarin in there.

Thank you.
I won't add any mandarins, gobies, blennies, hawk fish, or any poor swimmers. I won't even add larger fish like tangs that require lots of room to maneuver. I'm sticking with small, strong swimming, fish, like anthias, wrasses, and basslets.

 

[elegance coral]

Honestly, It doesn't sound like there has been one underlying problem. Anthias aren't exactly easy, chromis are known to pick each other off, and some wrasses can be very aggressive.

Perhaps you're right???? I just wish my rate of success was much better. I really don't like animals dieing while in my care.

Perhaps the "excess slime" has come from encounters with those anemones.

When a fish encounters an anemone, and escapes, there will be marks where contact was made. The rest of the fish will look normal. The "excess slim" I've seen seems to cover the whole body. If the anemone made that much contact with the fish, there's no way the fish would escape.

I'd come up with a list of fish you like and post it here for everyone to disect. You'll get plenty of experiences with specific combinations and be better prepared to make a final list.

My dream list:
A pair of royal grammas (I'm aware of the challenges of obtaining a pair)
A small group of bartletts
A small group of dispars
A small group of lyretails
A small group of Evansi (I know these are very delicate)
Maybe a pink square spot. (I fear aggression from such a large anthias)
A Solon or red headed fairy wrasse. (the one well behaved wrasse I've had)

 

[elegance coral]

On a positive note... The male lyretail, that's been covered with excess slime and had a slight case of popeye, seems to be much better. I purchased a cleaner shrimp a few days back. The lyretail wouldn't leave the shrimp for the first three days. He started venturing out yesterday, and today he looks spotless. I still can't get him to eat though. I've even tried new born minnows. He bites, and kills them, then just spits them back out.

 

[Big E]

Why don't you try buying some fish that you can observe in a LFS or from a reputable online dealer like Divers Den that has fish that you specifically pick out & are net caught.

A lot of the fish you have that are dying are likely all coming from the Indo/Phillipine area & are caught with chemicals from your wholesaler.