PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[rollermonkey]

I would not bother QT the pistol shrimp

Bioload is fine, but I would be aware that a mated pair of clowns will want to rule the tank.

By rule the tank, do you mean they'll bully the rest, or simply that they'll occupy the water column while everybody else will be in and out?

I know the Assessor and the Firefish are supposed to be fairly shy even in a peaceful tank and the goby will end up down on the substrate, but I'd rather keep just a single Clown if they're going to gang up on everything else.

I had the Helfrich in parenthesis because that's the fish I thought would be the one to drop if the bioload was too high, but if the clowns are going to be problematic, even with them entering the system two to three months after the Assessor and one to two after the Helfrichi I can stick with only one of them.

Is the order the best way to do this group?

 

[steve888]

Thanks again, Steve. I wish my LFS would have told me this about the six-line wrasse before I bought it. I guess it's partly my fault, too. Before I bought it, I read that they were generally okay with most fish but it sounds like they are almost as bad as damsels. Oh well, worse case is I can return it to them and get something that's a bit less aggressive. Thanks again for your help!

 

[snorvich]

By rule the tank, do you mean they'll bully the rest, or simply that they'll occupy the water column while everybody else will be in and out?

clownfish go through various stages. After they decide which one will be female, they bond as a precursor to mating. Once this starts they want to control (for A. ocellaris or A. percula) about 25 gallons of tank space

I know the Assessor and the Firefish are supposed to be fairly shy even in a peaceful tank and the goby will end up down on the substrate, but I'd rather keep just a single Clown if they're going to gang up on everything else.

Makes it better but does not completely solve the problem as a single one will become female and she will be a bit of a bully

I had the Helfrich in parenthesis because that's the fish I thought would be the one to drop if the bioload was too high, but if the clowns are going to be problematic, even with them entering the system two to three months after the Assessor and one to two after the Helfrichi I can stick with only one of them.

Is the order the best way to do this group?

Most aggressive last, least first

 

[snorvich]

Thanks again, Steve. I wish my LFS would have told me this about the six-line wrasse before I bought it. I guess it's partly my fault, too. Before I bought it, I read that they were generally okay with most fish but it sounds like they are almost as bad as damsels. Oh well, worse case is I can return it to them and get something that's a bit less aggressive. Thanks again for your help!

They will be ok with noone occupying their ecological niche, but can be terrors with similars.

 

[rollermonkey]

I would not bother QT the pistol shrimp

Bioload is fine, but I would be aware that a mated pair of clowns will want to rule the tank.

Most aggressive last, least first

Thank you, Steve, I do know the rule about stocking order, I just don't know which fish is the most peaceful to least peaceful. Everywhere I look, all I see is "peaceful" for all of them except the Assessor, which nobody seems to agree on if it's extremely timid or semi-agressive. (I've seen two or three articles on them that actually say both within the same text.)

My planned stocking order after the CUC with about one month spacing is
#1 Blue Assessor, #2 Helfrichi Firefish, #3 Dracula Goby / Red banded shrimp pair, then #4 the O. clown (or clowns one at a time for QT purposes) and adding a Fire shrimp at the end.

Does that order sound about right?

 

[snorvich]

Thank you, Steve, I do know the rule about stocking order, I just don't know which fish is the most peaceful to least peaceful. Everywhere I look, all I see is "peaceful" for all of them except the Assessor, which nobody seems to agree on if it's extremely timid or semi-agressive. (I've seen two or three articles on them that actually say both within the same text.)

My planned stocking order after the CUC with about one month spacing is
#1 Blue Assessor, #2 Helfrichi Firefish, #3 Dracula Goby / Red banded shrimp pair, then #4 the O. clown (or clowns one at a time for QT purposes) and adding a Fire shrimp at the end.

Does that order sound about right?

I would do the Helfrichi Firefish first, otherwise fine.

 

[mlott132]

I have decide to change my fish plan a little bit. Let me know your thoughts.

Old:
1x coral beauty angelfish
1x flame angel
1x foxface lo
1x hi fin red banded goby
1x six line wrasse
2x clownfish
1x firefish, purple
1x bicolor blenny
1x bicolor goatfish
1x tiger watchman goby
2x urchin
2x skunk cleaner shrimp
1x sea star

New:
1x blue hippo tang
1x flame angel
1x foxface lo
1x hi fin red banded goby
1x kole yellow eye tang
2x clownfish
1x firefish, purple
1x bicolor blenny
1x tiger watchman goby
2x urchin
2x skunk cleaner shrimp
1x sea star

 

[rollermonkey]

Thanks again, Steve. I'll probably stop after the first clown and let that settle out for a while. See how it plays out, grow some corals.

About 3-4 months after that clown, I'll hopefully be making a move to a house somewhere within 30 minutes from here, and that'll take up a lot of my fish thoughts during that window of time.

 

[snorvich]

I have decide to change my fish plan a little bit. Let me know your thoughts.

Old:
1x coral beauty angelfish
1x flame angel
1x foxface lo
1x hi fin red banded goby
1x six line wrasse
2x clownfish
1x firefish, purple
1x bicolor blenny
1x bicolor goatfish
1x tiger watchman goby
2x urchin
2x skunk cleaner shrimp
1x sea star

New:
1x blue hippo tang requires a MUCH larger tank
1x flame angel
1x foxface lo
1x hi fin red banded goby
1x kole yellow eye tang two grazers in a 75 gallon tank will not work well long term (although your current list actually has three)
2x clownfish
1x firefish, purple
1x bicolor blenny
1x tiger watchman goby
2x urchin
2x skunk cleaner shrimp
1x sea star

 

[mlott132]

The more I read about the blue hippo I agree with you. Did not realize how big they get. Which other grazer(s) on my list do you think I should not get?

 

[snorvich]

The more I read about the blue hippo I agree with you. Did not realize how big they get. Which other grazer(s) on my list do you think I should not get?

Well a tang and a foxface and a dwarf angel all graze. (With the hepatus tang that would have been four). Either the foxface or the tang coupled with the angel should be fine.

 

[mlott132]

Well a tang and a foxface and a dwarf angel all graze. (With the hepatus tang that would have been four). Either the foxface or the tang coupled with the angel should be fine.

I think I will go with the foxface and the angel. So then my wishlist would be.

1x flame angel
1x foxface lo
1x hi fin red banded goby
2x clownfish
1x firefish, purple
1x bicolor blenny
1x tiger watchman goby
2x urchin
2x skunk cleaner shrimp
1x sea star

What order do you think I should add them to the tank? Also, how long should I wait between additions, one month or more?

 

[snorvich]

I think I will go with the foxface and the angel. So then my wishlist would be.

1x flame angel
1x foxface lo
1x hi fin red banded goby
2x clownfish
1x firefish, purple
1x bicolor blenny
1x tiger watchman goby
2x urchin
2x skunk cleaner shrimp
1x sea star

What order do you think I should add them to the tank? Also, how long should I wait between additions, one month or more?

Mild mannered first: firefish, blenny goby; flame angel next to last, foxface last. Be sure to develop a quarantine protocol (see my blog for best practice)

 

[mlott132]

Mild mannered first: firefish, blenny goby; flame angel next to last, foxface last. Be sure to develop a quarantine protocol (see my blog for best practice)

Great! Thanks for the feedback. Now I just have to wait for the tank to finish cycling. I think that once I add the CUC I will get my first fish in my QT. I will definitely checkout your blog.

 

[Jacsubi]

Jbj 28 nano mixed reef with an Aquamaxx hob skimmer as well. I have two perculas; helfrichi firefish and a barnacle blenny. Would adding a second barnacle blenny be any problem with aggression or bioload?

 

[snorvich]

Jbj 28 nano mixed reef with an Aquamaxx hob skimmer as well. I have two perculas; helfrichi firefish and a barnacle blenny. Would adding a second barnacle blenny be any problem with aggression or bioload?

should be fine

 

[nolen1503]

My fiance and I have a 125 gal coral reef tank. Here's what we'd like to know about

1. We would like feedback on adding a morrish idol to an established tank. We've read up and know about the feeding issues. Do they eat corals? We have mostly sps and a few leathers/ricordia/zoanthids. We've read conflicting reports.

2. We would like to add a pair of blackray shrimp gobies and a Randall's pistol shrimp. We have a substrate consisting of aragonite and live sand, about 3", and about 225 lb live rock.
a. Any feedback about the pistol shrimp killing tankmates? If pistol shrimp are virtually blind, how can that be? We've read that the gobies help the shrimp because of its poor eyesight.
b. We read an article about acclimating the pistol shrimp and gobies using a piece of pvc pipe buried in the substrate. Any details on this technique? What size pipe should be used? Is the pipe removed at some point? Is our substrate appropriate for this technique? If the pipe is removed, is there a chance that the gobies will burrow under the rock? We'd hate to have our rock become unstable.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Tank parameters:
125 gal with RO/DI water, LifeReef skimmer/sump/refugium, mh, actinic and blue lights, live rock/live sand
Water chem: Mg 1390, Ca 460, KH 9, NH3/PO4/NO2/NO3 0, pH 8.2, temp 73-75
Corals: acropora, montipora, chalice corals, bird's nests, spaghetti leather, toadstool leather, zoas, ricordia, acans, green star polyp, frogspawn.
Fish: pair of black ice clownfish (oscellaris), pair of Helfrich dartfish, 3 chromis, yellowtail blue damselfish, copperband butterfly, female filamented flasher wrasse, yellowtail fang forktail blenny, blue neon goby, green mandarin
Planned fish additions: rainford goby, male filamented flasher wrasse, one spot foxface rabbitfish, Moorish idol, and either a Desjardini sailfish tang or, if lucky, gem tang
Inverts: glass shrimp, scarlett cleaner shrimp, emerald crab, hermit crabs, astrea snails, stomatella snails

 

[snorvich]

My fiance and I have a 125 gal coral reef tank. Here's what we'd like to know about

1. We would like feedback on adding a morrish idol to an established tank. We've read up and know about the feeding issues. Do they eat corals? We have mostly sps and a few leathers/ricordia/zoanthids. We've read conflicting reports.

It is compatible with most fish and larger invertebrates, but should not be kept with any polyps or corals, which it will eat. Small invertebrates may be threatened as well.

2. We would like to add a pair of blackray shrimp gobies and a Randall's pistol shrimp. We have a substrate consisting of aragonite and live sand, about 3", and about 225 lb live rock.
a. Any feedback about the pistol shrimp killing tankmates?

That is a nonissue. I even keep nonsymbiotic pistol shrimp (those not associated with gobies) with no issues (alpheus soror)

If pistol shrimp are virtually blind, how can that be? We've read that the gobies help the shrimp because of its poor eyesight.
b. We read an article about acclimating the pistol shrimp and gobies using a piece of pvc pipe buried in the substrate. Any details on this technique? What size pipe should be used? Is the pipe removed at some point? Is our substrate appropriate for this technique? If the pipe is removed, is there a chance that the gobies will burrow under the rock? We'd hate to have our rock become unstable.

Pistol shrimp will burrow where they want; you can put in 3/4 inch pvc but there are no guarantees

Thanks in advance for your help.

Tank parameters:
125 gal with RO/DI water, LifeReef skimmer/sump/refugium, mh, actinic and blue lights, live rock/live sand
Water chem: Mg 1390, Ca 460, KH 9, NH3/PO4/NO2/NO3 0, pH 8.2, temp 73-75
Corals: acropora, montipora, chalice corals, bird's nests, spaghetti leather, toadstool leather, zoas, ricordia, acans, green star polyp, frogspawn.
Fish: pair of black ice clownfish (oscellaris), pair of Helfrich dartfish, 3 chromis, yellowtail blue damselfish, copperband butterfly, female filamented flasher wrasse, yellowtail fang forktail blenny, blue neon goby, green mandarin
Planned fish additions: rainford goby, male filamented flasher wrasse, one spot foxface rabbitfish, Moorish idol, and either a Desjardini sailfish tang or, if lucky, gem tang
Inverts: glass shrimp, scarlett cleaner shrimp, emerald crab, hermit crabs, astrea snails, stomatella snails

 

[steve888]

30 Gallon FOWLR Tank

30 Gallon FOWLR Tank

Hello:

I was wondering if these fish would all get along in a 30G FOWLR tank. The first three are fish I already have in my 14G BioCube that I'll be moving over and the other two species are the ones I'd like to add. Thanks for your help and suggestions...I appreciate your time!

Six Line Wrasse
Yellow Clown Goby
Sharknose Goby
Green Chromis (X2)
Black & White Clownfish

 

[elcucuu]

This is my wish list for a 90 gallon mix reef tank. Inhabitants consist of snails, blood red fire shrimp, 2 Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) and 1 Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto

I would like to know will I have any compatibility issues and would this be overstocking the tank.


1 Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus)
4 Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
1 Ignitus Anthias (Pseudanthias ignitus) Male
3 Ignitus Anthias (Pseudanthias ignitus) Female
1 Green Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus) (maybe after 6 months)

Thanks for the help