New tank - How soon and what type

[jsharp13]

I have a new (1 month old) tank that is nearing the end of its cycle. I will be adding the CUC next week (assuming everything continues on this path), and will be adding the first fish after that. My wife would very much like the first fish to be a pair of Ocellaris. So, a few questions for the experts:

-Are clowns a good first fish for the tank, assuming parameters are all good?

-Would at some point like to get an anemone for them, but I know that probably isn't a good idea in a fairly new tank. I understand a year is standard. Is that true?

-If I get the clowns now, will they still host with the anemone if I get it in a year?

-Any type of anemone that you recommend for my size/structure/lighting (see tank in specs in sig) of tank? Pic of the tank with aquascaping:

I plan on having a mixed reef with several different kinds of coral. Don't know if that will impact the type of anemone that I get.

-Anything else I should know before I go out and buy them? Plan is to buy them at my LFS. They have what looked like some very healthy groups.

Thanks!

 

[shifty51008]

- clowns are a good 1st fish IMO

- a year is a good timeline before attempting an anemone, this gives the tank time to stabilize and for the care taker to get the hang of things.

- depending on the anemone you get and the clowns you get, after a year they will still go into the anemone as long as the anemone is a natural host for the type of clowns you have.

- i don't know much about led's so I couldn't say if it's enough light or not but the size tank you have and rock work it looks like you could have any type of anemone in that tank.

- some corals have different ways of defending them selves but usually anemones and corals get along ok, if not the anemone will move. just keep in mind a anemone can sting and kill corals when they move around so be prepared to move some corals if need to be, the anemone will move till it finds where it is happy, not where you think it looks good.

- just take your time and go slow, do research on the stuff you buy and ask all the questions you have.

good luck

 

[jsharp13]

Thanks. I appreciate your advice. As far as anemone, I know bubble seems to be fairly popular. I would love to have a carpet, but not sure I want to not be able to go away for a week and have to pay someone to feed it. Leaning towards a ocellaris, so probably bubble or Long tentacled.

 

[shifty51008]

If you go with ocy clowns keep in mind that a bubble tip or lta are not natural host anemones for those clowns and may not use them however lots have had good luck with bta's and ocy's. Even my ocy clowns use rbta's.

The natural host anemones for ocy's are carpets, mags, and mersenti. All which are concidered difficult.

Not trying to deter you away from bubble anemones just wanna make sure you know what can happen so your not upset if they dont use the anemone.