mwp
In Memoriam
Well, now that the move is complete, the tanks are, for the most part, settled in! With 2 more display tanks going, a few things have been moved around and well, there's some room for a few more fish to try our hands at.
OK, so right now, let me say that if you think these tanks are PLENTY FULL, that's fine - ordinarily I'd never suggest that anyone try stocking these tanks at the levels we're running. So, if you think they're overstocked, that's fine too. But I don't need to be flamed for it and your opinion has already been heard countless times, so please don't bother replying. Otherwise, feel free to dream and indulge my hairbrained plan!
First, let me recap how things have flushed out:
24 Gallon Cube #1
1 Mated Pair Black Onyx Percs - no spawns, yet. Constant nest cleaning...so any day, or month, or year now...
1 Purple Firefish (N. decora) - no partner, I'd like to pair it up but it's not likely to work, "Fuego" is a MEAN firefish!
2 Red Sea Mimic Blennies (E. graveri) - 2 "spawning events", but the "pair" has stopped getting along since the move - the smaller one is currently isolated and may have to go to another tank if reintroduction isn't successful. They've also been taking a fair beating from "Mama" and "Little Man", the percs.
- non fish - we have Cleaner Shrimp, they spawn all the time but of course, we're not doing anything to raise them at this point.
- non fish - There is also a pair of Porcelain Crabs in this tank...last week it appeared that the larger one was holding some eggs under the tail, so it wouldn't surprise me to find out that these are trying to reproduce as well.
This tank has comfortably held up to 8 fish in the past. I doubled the sand-bed depth during the move (was thinking jawfish...)
24 Gallon Cube #2
1 Mated Pair Greenbanded Gobies - several spawns with larvae
1 Mated Pair Bangaii Cardinals - several spawns, no larvae
2m/1F Apogon margaritophorus - several spawns, no larvae
1m/2F Apogon leptacanthus - a few spawns, some larvae
2 Firefish (possible mated pair, they do get along, but no spawns observed to date)
- non fish - 2 Elysia diomedia - there's an egg ribbon on the glass - these Pacific Lettuce Nudibranchs are really cool and have prospered, especially with increased metal halide lighting.
- non fish - I added in a pair of Peppermint Shrimp to help control any red flatworms that show up after a few treatments of Flatworm Exit during the move. Of course, they breed constantly too, but again, not bothering to raise them at this point.
This tank has room for another pair of something as the Mandarins moved in with the seahorses...
24 Gallon Cube #3
2m/2f CB Hippocampus barbouri - they're still settling in.
1 Mated Pair Green Mandarins (S. splendidus) - I actually think they've spawned twice (female loses weight overnight).
Ultimately, this tank is likely to receive one more pair of Barbouri's. No room for anything else here....
6 Gallon Cube
EMPTY
This is currently just running with some live rock, assorted snails, various shrooms and 20 lbs of live sand.
I was thinking something like Yashia Shrimp Gobies + their shrimp. Or maybe just leaving it for larval growout when I finally get some past a couple weeks.
-----In addition to all the fish and motile inverts I've listed, all the tanks are producing captive bred Stomatellas as well without any work...a nice little side-benefit of the genus I guess. Auto-replenishing algae control from a captive reared source...it's just great-----
Some fish & motile inverts I'm thinking about adding in somewhere above
Clarkii Clowns, Allardi Clowns, Black Percs or some other clown
Yashia Shrimp Gobies with Randall's Pistol Shrimps
Sexy Shrimp
Blood Shrimp
Pederson's Cleaner Shrimp
Blue Spotted Jawfish (if I can actually find someone willing to get me a pair at a REASONABLE PRICE)
Pearly Jawfish (I kinda feel that would be wimping out on the Blue Spotted Jaws, but it's really easy to get a pair from the LFS)
Helfrichi Firefish (a LFS has a compatible pair at $600...um...too steep)
"Geometric Pygmy Hawkfish"
Another Dragonette species
Barnacle Blennies
Royal Grammas
....and yes, maybe even trying to pair up Centropyge argi, one of my favorite Angelfish.
THOUGHTS? I'm not looking to rear huge quantities of anything - I just enjoy keeping everything in such a way that it's at least "possible" that they could spawn. Of course, feel free to suggest a pair of something that I haven't thought of too!
And YES...there's at least 1 10 gallon here, ready for any babies that start showing up in our new home! Once my webserver and email are back online, I'll post up some pics of our tanks post-move!
MP
OK, so right now, let me say that if you think these tanks are PLENTY FULL, that's fine - ordinarily I'd never suggest that anyone try stocking these tanks at the levels we're running. So, if you think they're overstocked, that's fine too. But I don't need to be flamed for it and your opinion has already been heard countless times, so please don't bother replying. Otherwise, feel free to dream and indulge my hairbrained plan!
First, let me recap how things have flushed out:
24 Gallon Cube #1
1 Mated Pair Black Onyx Percs - no spawns, yet. Constant nest cleaning...so any day, or month, or year now...
1 Purple Firefish (N. decora) - no partner, I'd like to pair it up but it's not likely to work, "Fuego" is a MEAN firefish!
2 Red Sea Mimic Blennies (E. graveri) - 2 "spawning events", but the "pair" has stopped getting along since the move - the smaller one is currently isolated and may have to go to another tank if reintroduction isn't successful. They've also been taking a fair beating from "Mama" and "Little Man", the percs.
- non fish - we have Cleaner Shrimp, they spawn all the time but of course, we're not doing anything to raise them at this point.
- non fish - There is also a pair of Porcelain Crabs in this tank...last week it appeared that the larger one was holding some eggs under the tail, so it wouldn't surprise me to find out that these are trying to reproduce as well.
This tank has comfortably held up to 8 fish in the past. I doubled the sand-bed depth during the move (was thinking jawfish...)
24 Gallon Cube #2
1 Mated Pair Greenbanded Gobies - several spawns with larvae
1 Mated Pair Bangaii Cardinals - several spawns, no larvae
2m/1F Apogon margaritophorus - several spawns, no larvae
1m/2F Apogon leptacanthus - a few spawns, some larvae
2 Firefish (possible mated pair, they do get along, but no spawns observed to date)
- non fish - 2 Elysia diomedia - there's an egg ribbon on the glass - these Pacific Lettuce Nudibranchs are really cool and have prospered, especially with increased metal halide lighting.
- non fish - I added in a pair of Peppermint Shrimp to help control any red flatworms that show up after a few treatments of Flatworm Exit during the move. Of course, they breed constantly too, but again, not bothering to raise them at this point.
This tank has room for another pair of something as the Mandarins moved in with the seahorses...
24 Gallon Cube #3
2m/2f CB Hippocampus barbouri - they're still settling in.
1 Mated Pair Green Mandarins (S. splendidus) - I actually think they've spawned twice (female loses weight overnight).
Ultimately, this tank is likely to receive one more pair of Barbouri's. No room for anything else here....
6 Gallon Cube
EMPTY
This is currently just running with some live rock, assorted snails, various shrooms and 20 lbs of live sand.I was thinking something like Yashia Shrimp Gobies + their shrimp. Or maybe just leaving it for larval growout when I finally get some past a couple weeks.
-----In addition to all the fish and motile inverts I've listed, all the tanks are producing captive bred Stomatellas as well without any work...a nice little side-benefit of the genus I guess. Auto-replenishing algae control from a captive reared source...it's just great-----
Some fish & motile inverts I'm thinking about adding in somewhere above
Clarkii Clowns, Allardi Clowns, Black Percs or some other clown
Yashia Shrimp Gobies with Randall's Pistol Shrimps
Sexy Shrimp
Blood Shrimp
Pederson's Cleaner Shrimp
Blue Spotted Jawfish (if I can actually find someone willing to get me a pair at a REASONABLE PRICE)
Pearly Jawfish (I kinda feel that would be wimping out on the Blue Spotted Jaws, but it's really easy to get a pair from the LFS)
Helfrichi Firefish (a LFS has a compatible pair at $600...um...too steep)
"Geometric Pygmy Hawkfish"
Another Dragonette species
Barnacle Blennies
Royal Grammas
....and yes, maybe even trying to pair up Centropyge argi, one of my favorite Angelfish.
THOUGHTS? I'm not looking to rear huge quantities of anything - I just enjoy keeping everything in such a way that it's at least "possible" that they could spawn. Of course, feel free to suggest a pair of something that I haven't thought of too!
And YES...there's at least 1 10 gallon here, ready for any babies that start showing up in our new home! Once my webserver and email are back online, I'll post up some pics of our tanks post-move!
MP
