NYIntensity
Premium Member
I'm new to this, don't really know if this is something to be proud of, but I like looking at it...
Nothing new, but mine nonetheless...
- Thread starter NYIntensity
- Start date
Haddonisreef
New member
I would say you have a ncie pair of gsm there!!!!!!! Everyone know how hard they are to pair!
NYIntensity
Premium Member
Heh, I didn't know they were hard to pair... a coworker gave up on his hair algae infested SW tank and was giving away his stock about 6 weeks after I had first started my tank...I got these two, two yellow tail blue damsels and a three strip damsel (and one bleached carpet anemone that's coming back strong). The BTA came about 6 weeks ago, along with all the rock except a few dark pieces (ie the one in the background).
NYIntensity
Premium Member
Thanks Gary, I didn't know it, but natural or not, they love it....they hardly ever leave it, though if one strays away more than the other, it's usually the male. He'll move off into the rocks just to the right of the BTA.
ACBlinky
Premium Member
You absolutely have something to be proud of. First off, you chose maroons, which are the best clowns of all (IMHO). Second, you paired them with a healthy-looking nem, and they all look happy as can be. Nice going! 
If you're new to maroons, one caveat - reports of their potential for aggression are not exaggerated. My GSM pair lives alone and they're little teddy bears (until I get too close to the glass, then the teeth come out), but I have no doubt they'd make quick work of any fish I tried to keep with them. Unless you've got a large tank and are keeping other fish that can really hold their own, the maroons may cause some serious trouble down the road. I lost a pair of sand-sifting gobies when my saddleback pair matured - things were fine for months, then one day they chose an area to defend, and decided everything within a 3' radius had to go. Because the other fish couldn't leave the area (being hemmed in by tank walls and all), the saddles harassed them ceaselessly. By the time I got another tank set up for the clowns, it was too late for the goby pair and several other fish were badly beaten up. My maroons are on their fourth home - they were passed from owner to owner because they were 'troublemakers'. I gave them their own house, and now they're just as sweet as pie - all they wanted was their own quiet little reef without the annoying neighbors! I'm not trying to worry you, or scare you away from maroons, they're wonderful fish - just keep your eye on them
If you're new to maroons, one caveat - reports of their potential for aggression are not exaggerated. My GSM pair lives alone and they're little teddy bears (until I get too close to the glass, then the teeth come out), but I have no doubt they'd make quick work of any fish I tried to keep with them. Unless you've got a large tank and are keeping other fish that can really hold their own, the maroons may cause some serious trouble down the road. I lost a pair of sand-sifting gobies when my saddleback pair matured - things were fine for months, then one day they chose an area to defend, and decided everything within a 3' radius had to go. Because the other fish couldn't leave the area (being hemmed in by tank walls and all), the saddles harassed them ceaselessly. By the time I got another tank set up for the clowns, it was too late for the goby pair and several other fish were badly beaten up. My maroons are on their fourth home - they were passed from owner to owner because they were 'troublemakers'. I gave them their own house, and now they're just as sweet as pie - all they wanted was their own quiet little reef without the annoying neighbors! I'm not trying to worry you, or scare you away from maroons, they're wonderful fish - just keep your eye on them
NYIntensity
Premium Member
Thanks for all the advice; this group has been together a while now, and I've only lost one fish... a Hippo Tang (but I believe the Zebra damsel had more to do with that than the clowns)... The anemone has chosen the right side of the tank more or less; as a matter of fact, all the fish have. Here's a poor picture of what it looked like a few weeks ago (the nem hasn't moved, though the rocks have a bit).
ReefNeck
New member
To me, That is an incredible sight!!
I am on my 3rd pair of GSM's. Sold the first pair to a friend. The second pair came with the 120G tank I bought. It is still their home today with 2 BTA's side by side hosting them.
My third pair began with my very first GSM I bought just over 2 years ago. I kept her in a 29G, Then a 55G followed by her current home, a 75G. She has always been hosted by a BTA. 3 months ago, I felt sorry for her being lonely so I bought her a tiny little "friend KNOWING the risks of pairing GSM's. I placed him in an acrylic breeder box with lid that I drilled full of holes and sank it to the bottom right beside her BTA. She displayed, He displayed and I left him overnight. The next day, She seemed to want to "play" with him. Not showing any aggression at all so I let him out. He went right to the BTA, She displayed, He submitted and they are to this day living happily ever after as man & wife They share the BTA day and night an have not even shown any aggression toward each other.
I got real lucky! I am glad that she now has a partner though.
I have a pair of True Percs in another tank, Clarkii's in another, False percs in another and a mated pair of Black false percs in another. After a battle with Brook a year and a half ago I now have some very happy clowns! All hosted by BTA's except the blacks which are just starting to show interest in their LTA.
I am on my 3rd pair of GSM's. Sold the first pair to a friend. The second pair came with the 120G tank I bought. It is still their home today with 2 BTA's side by side hosting them.
My third pair began with my very first GSM I bought just over 2 years ago. I kept her in a 29G, Then a 55G followed by her current home, a 75G. She has always been hosted by a BTA. 3 months ago, I felt sorry for her being lonely so I bought her a tiny little "friend KNOWING the risks of pairing GSM's. I placed him in an acrylic breeder box with lid that I drilled full of holes and sank it to the bottom right beside her BTA. She displayed, He displayed and I left him overnight. The next day, She seemed to want to "play" with him. Not showing any aggression at all so I let him out. He went right to the BTA, She displayed, He submitted and they are to this day living happily ever after as man & wife
They share the BTA day and night an have not even shown any aggression toward each other.I got real lucky! I am glad that she now has a partner though.
I have a pair of True Percs in another tank, Clarkii's in another, False percs in another and a mated pair of Black false percs in another. After a battle with Brook a year and a half ago I now have some very happy clowns! All hosted by BTA's except the blacks which are just starting to show interest in their LTA.
NYIntensity
Premium Member
I only wish I knew the history of these two...(where they came from)... I'd like to research the possibility of breeding (if that's the proper term for fish)?
The tank looks like a good home for BTA's and maroons--lots of live rock. Keeping a low bioload (i.e., few fish), and allowing what you have to grow while you research how to keep the water parameters in check is a good approach for you. In time, you will likely have more than one BTA as they divide when they get larger.
fishybusiness
New member
Maroons are one of the many natural host to Entacmaea quadricolor.
Good luck with the anemone.
NYIntensity
Premium Member
Gary,
That's actually been my plan pretty much all along. I might get two or three more fish, but sooner rather than later, the damselfish are all going to the lfs. Any suggestions for future tankmates?
That's actually been my plan pretty much all along. I might get two or three more fish, but sooner rather than later, the damselfish are all going to the lfs. Any suggestions for future tankmates?
NYIntensity
Premium Member
Neither of mine stray more than about 8" from the BTA, even when feeding. The male is actually quite reluctant to leave it, to the point that I have to target feed him sometimes. I was thinking about a Hippo Tang, but I've read up and seen that a 55 seems too small for them (being vegetarians, they like to swim a lot?). Any suggestions to some more colorful fish?
