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[snorvich]

Hi everyone! This is my first post here - I'm mostly just looking for feedback on what I currently have in my tank and whether you guys foresee any trouble!

This thread is different than the vast majority on Reef Central because it is an expert thread answered only by Reef Central Staff. And it is only about Reef Fish Compatibility.

I've been into marine fish keeping for nearly 3 years now (have 7 yrs freshwater exp), and have a 36g bowfront tank that's been est. for just under a year (started with live sand and lr), it has a 13g sump with a small refugium housed inside the sump. I use an overflow box rated for a 75g tank, and a return pump to equal that (can't remember what gph/wattage right now). I use a prism protein skimmer rated for 40g, and a uv sterilizer in my sump.

The current stock in my tank is:
blk ocellaris clowns (x2) When sexuallyl mature, these will be somewhat aggressive and want to control 20-25 gallons of tank space
azure damsel (who may or may not be going soon - I'm watching closely!) aggressive; may be problematic
6 line wrasse aggressive; mosty likely will be problematic
purple firefish
yellow watchman goby
pistol shrimp (paired up nicely with the goby)
lawnmower blenny
emerald crab
turbo snail (x3)
hermit crab (x3) - I've heard that these can sometimes cause trouble? they will eventually kill your snails
derasa clam (about 2in, recent addition)
red fromia starfish in the long run, will starve to death

red lobophyllia (small)
orange meteor shower cyphastrea
candy cane coral
xenia (still relatively small, not too worried about crowding out any other corals yet)

Sounds like an awful lot when I list it all out, but it doesn't look like much in the tank - most of my stuff is pretty small still.

Any advice you can give I would be really grateful for!

I don't have any plans in the near future to add much else to my tank (if anything I think I might get rid of a fish), but I am potentially looking into a galaxea coral or an anemone in 6 months or a year - any advice there?


Thanks!

[welcome]

 

[LittleSardines]

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

Thanks for the quick response and the welcome! =)

The wrasse seems ok for now - I've had some trouble with him finding his way into my overflow box, but I solved that problem.

Is there any way you know of that I could supplement food for the starfish? I'd like to keep him. =(

 

[snorvich]

Thanks for the quick response and the welcome! =)

The wrasse seems ok for now - I've had some trouble with him finding his way into my overflow box, but I solved that problem.

they are prolific jumpers and egg crate will not keep them in. But they are aggressive.

Is there any way you know of that I could supplement food for the starfish? I'd like to keep him. =(

As I mentioned, this thread is about marine fish compatibility. We do have an invert forum which is likely to give you much better answers.

 

[LittleSardines]

As I mentioned, this thread is about marine fish compatibility. We do have an invert forum which is likely to give you much better answers.

=) I'll find the invert forum then, thanks!

 

[snorvich]

=) I'll find the invert forum then, thanks!

Mea Culpa, I should have given you a link.

 

[LittleSardines]

Mea Culpa, I should have given you a link.

Excellent, thanks. =)

 

[Dbondaruk]

I have a 40g breeder with 1 royal gramma basslet...1-6 line wrasse...1-carpenters flasher wrasse. Want to add a pair of clowns... 1 neon dotty back.. 1 starry blenny. And maybe sme other little fish....

I have a 20 g sump with fuge,,,live rock and corals. I have a oversized protein skimmer to handle the bi load

 

[snorvich]

I have a 40g breeder with 1 royal gramma basslet...1-6 line wrasse...1-carpenters flasher wrasse.

a flasher wrasse needs a larger tank and it is totally incompatible with a six line wrasse

Want to add a pair of clowns... depending on species, will be aggressive to super aggressive when sexually mature; A. ocellaris will be aggressive but the least so
1 neon dotty back.. will be super aggressive and will fight with existing fish
1 starry blenny. And maybe sme other little fish....

I have a 20 g sump with fuge,,,live rock and corals. I have a oversized protein skimmer to handle the bi load

bioload is not the problem, the problem is that the fish are behaviorally incompatible

 

[Dbondaruk]

bioload is not the problem, the problem is that the fish are behaviorally incompatible

Thank you so I will scratch the dotty back out... I'll try Osc clowns.
My wrasse picked each other first day but now they are fine, is this aggression develop when they age???
They will be going into a bigger tank within the year.
What about adding a black cap basslet?

 

[snorvich]

Thank you so I will scratch the dotty back out... I'll try Osc clowns.
My wrasse picked each other first day but now they are fine, is this aggression develop when they age??? As fish age, some will become more aggressive; the flasher wrasse is not going to be aggressive but the sixline may become more of a pain as it gets older
They will be going into a bigger tank within the year. sometimes large tanks solve these problems if they are large enough
What about adding a black cap basslet? sixline will still be a problem, the flasher wrasse will not notice

 

[Dbondaruk]

Thanks alot for the help.... My six line and flasher always swim together lol, but they are small. I will try to sell my six line because my next tank will be only 120 so not to big.

The royal gramma basslet and black cap basslet will be fine together?

 

[snorvich]

Thanks alot for the help.... My six line and flasher always swim together lol, but they are small. I will try to sell my six line because my next tank will be only 120 so not to big.

The royal gramma basslet and black cap basslet will be fine together?

Live Aquaria lists basslets as not compatible. Once you have upgraded, I think, since they tend to hang out in a small territory that you will be fine. However in your current tank size, I think they would not both work.

 

[Guss]

Hello, We are looking to add a sand sifting goby to our tank. 150 gallon 48x30x24, live rock=160 lbs, sump with skimmer. Looking more toward the diamond goby but open to suggestions also. Currently in tank are 2 blue devil damsels 1 domino,and 1 bluw/yellow damsel. these guys will be vacating the tank once it matures.(didnt want to add expensive fish until we got the hang of caring for SW fishes) I have a maroon clown(bought by son as a gift for my daughters) and an orchid dottyback on QT. Tank has been up with fish for 3 months.

 

[Wozzo]

Hi Steve,

I've been reading your patient replies to all of our unending posts, and I'm hoping you have time left for one more.

Here's what I have:
75g FOWLR (2 m old) -90 Lbs LR +30 Lbs Base +120 Lbs live sand, 20g DYI sump/fuge, 20g Quarantine

In the tank are:
Snails: 3 Mexican Turbo snails -Turbo fluctuosa, 3 Nassarius sp.
Crabs: 1 Emerald, 9 Red Leg Hermits
Fish: 2 Ocellaris Clownfish -Amphiprion ocellaris (each about 1.25 inches long)

My goal: relatively peaceful easy to care for community tank, hopefully adding some beginner corals in 6-9 months.

Planned actions:
*The "˜nasty' crabs will be going away shortly.
*Split the the clowns before they pair up. The LFS failed to mention that they would dominate a third of the tank once mated, and I didn't find this thread until they were already home "“rookie mistake

I've had freshwater tropicals for years, but I'm brand new to saltwater

Planned Livestock List added in this order:
Group I
1 Yellow Wrasse -Halichoeres chrysus
1 Hi Fin Red Banded Goby -Stonogobiops nematodes
1 Red Banded Snapping Shrimp -Alpheus randalli (to pair with the goby)
2-3 Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp -Lysmata amboinensis

Either
6-10 additional Nassarius Snails
OR 1 Fighting Conch -Strombus spp. ( The sandbed is 3-4 inches throughout the tank but I don't think this will be enough turf to support both)

Group II
1 male of either:
Vrolik's Wrasse -Halichoeres chrysotaenia
Hoeven's Wrasse -Halichoeres melanurus
Christmas Wrasse -Halichoeres Claudia

1 male of either:
Solar Fairy Wrasse -Cirrhilabrus solorensis
Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse -Cirrhilabrus lubbocki

Group III
1 Royal Gramma Basslet -Gramma loreto
1 White Tail Bristletooth Tang -Ctenochaetus flavicauda (this would go in last)

Finally, a sincere "˜Thank you', for being willing to give of your time and expertise to all of us that are new to the hobby.

 

[snorvich]

Hello, We are looking to add a sand sifting goby to our tank. 150 gallon 48x30x24, live rock=160 lbs, sump with skimmer. Looking more toward the diamond goby but open to suggestions also. Currently in tank are 2 blue devil damsels 1 domino,and 1 bluw/yellow damsel. these guys will be vacating the tank once it matures.(didnt want to add expensive fish until we got the hang of caring for SW fishes) I have a maroon clown(bought by son as a gift for my daughters) and an orchid dottyback on QT. Tank has been up with fish for 3 months.

Wow, you have nothing but aggressive to highly aggressive fish. I cannot decide which is the most aggressive, probably the Gold stripe maroon clown. However I doubt that any of them will interact with a diamond goby. But, if you have corals sitting on the sand you may regret it.

 

[snorvich]

Hi Steve,

I've been reading your patient replies to all of our unending posts, and I'm hoping you have time left for one more.

Actually I do not even know how many thousands of these I have answered. But the vast majority of them have been fun.

Here's what I have:
75g FOWLR (2 m old) -90 Lbs LR +30 Lbs Base +120 Lbs live sand, 20g DYI sump/fuge, 20g Quarantine

In the tank are:
Snails: 3 Mexican Turbo snails -Turbo fluctuosa, 3 Nassarius sp.
Crabs: 1 Emerald, 9 Red Leg Hermits
Fish: 2 Ocellaris Clownfish -Amphiprion ocellaris (each about 1.25 inches long)

My goal: relatively peaceful easy to care for community tank, hopefully adding some beginner corals in 6-9 months.

LPS or SPS?

Planned actions:
*The "˜nasty' crabs will be going away shortly.
*Split the the clowns before they pair up. The LFS failed to mention that they would dominate a third of the tank once mated, and I didn't find this thread until they were already home "“rookie mistake

Keep in mind that the remaining clown will eventually become female and the female is the aggressive one in a pair. So, while even one will be mildly aggressive, she will not be as aggressive as she would be in a bonded or mating pair.

I've had freshwater tropicals for years, but I'm brand new to saltwater

Planned Livestock List added in this order:
Group I
1 Yellow Wrasse -Halichoeres chrysus
1 Hi Fin Red Banded Goby -Stonogobiops nematodes
1 Red Banded Snapping Shrimp -Alpheus randalli (to pair with the goby)
2-3 Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp -Lysmata amboinensis

Either
6-10 additional Nassarius Snails
OR 1 Fighting Conch -Strombus spp. ( The sandbed is 3-4 inches throughout the tank but I don't think this will be enough turf to support both) You can have both, they do not totally overlap. I find the fighting conchs to be fascinating

Group II
1 male of either:
Vrolik's Wrasse -Halichoeres chrysotaenia
Hoeven's Wrasse -Halichoeres melanurus
Christmas Wrasse -Halichoeres Claudia

all have similar behaviors

1 male of either:
Solar Fairy Wrasse -Cirrhilabrus solorensis
Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse -Cirrhilabrus lubbocki C. solorensis is one of the more aggressive fairy wrasses and will lose some coloration over time absent a female

Group III
1 Royal Gramma Basslet -Gramma loreto
1 White Tail Bristletooth Tang -Ctenochaetus flavicauda (this would go in last)

Finally, a sincere "˜Thank you', for being willing to give of your time and expertise to all of us that are new to the hobby.

That stocking list should be fine. Always a pleasure and check back with any additional questions. Have a wonderful holiday season.

 

[Guss]

Wow, you have nothing but aggressive to highly aggressive fish. I cannot decide which is the most aggressive, probably the Gold stripe maroon clown. However I doubt that any of them will interact with a diamond goby. But, if you have corals sitting on the sand you may regret it.

Quess I will be doing some fish gifting to the LFS. All the corals are off the SB.

 

[snorvich]

Quess I will be doing some fish gifting to the LFS. All the corals are off the SB.

sand sifting fish create sand storms which can create a sand covering for corals and damage them. Some are worse than others (e.g. golden head sleeper goby)

 

[Guss]

sand sifting fish create sand storms which can create a sand covering for corals and damage them. Some are worse than others (e.g. golden head sleeper goby)

We are looking for one to keep the sand stirred and "clean" looking what would be a few of the better ones?

 

[snorvich]

We are looking for one to keep the sand stirred and "clean" looking what would be a few of the better ones?

Actually, for that, fighting conchs and nassarius snails would be best. Not what you want to hear but . . .