PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[AquaAngel]

Hi and thank you for your help

Standard rr 90g, 20g sump (refug & skimmer), live rock and sand, mixed reef, 1.5 months since end of cycle.

Already have:
Wheeler's Goby & Tiger Pistol
Herald's Angelfish (nipped a bit of GSP, nothing else yet)
True Percula pair (still in QT)
Conchs, hermits, nass. snails

Possible future additions (all singles):
Starry Blenny
Schooling Bannerfish
Bartlett's or Carberryi or Resplendent or Lyretail Anthia (which is preferred?)
SA tank-bred Marine Betta, baby sized (would established 2.5" tiger pistol be safe?)
Flame Hawkfish (would established 2.5" tiger pistol be safe?)
Carpenter's or McCosker's Flasher Wrasse (which is preferred?)
Scott's or Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse (which is preferred?)
Melanurus or Christmas Wrasse (which is preferred?)

I really appreciate your responses here; I have been following and learning a lot.

 

[snorvich]

Hi and thank you for your help

Standard rr 90g, 20g sump (refug & skimmer), live rock and sand, mixed reef, 1.5 months since end of cycle.

Already have:
Wheeler's Goby & Tiger Pistol
Herald's Angelfish (nipped a bit of GSP, nothing else yet)
True Percula pair (still in QT)
Conchs, hermits, nass. snails

Possible future additions (all singles):
Starry Blenny
Schooling Bannerfish
Bartlett's or Carberryi or Resplendent or Lyretail Anthia (which is preferred?) In this sized tank, only a single. My preference order would be Carberry then Resplendent but either needs to be fed at least twice per day
SA tank-bred Marine Betta, baby sized (would established 2.5" tiger pistol be safe?) Yes, but small fish would not be safe; nocturnal fish primarily
Flame Hawkfish (would established 2.5" tiger pistol be safe?) yes but cleaner shrimp would not be
Carpenter's or McCosker's Flasher Wrasse (which is preferred?) behaviorally, both are the same
Scott's or Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse (which is preferred?) Neither would be preferable, C. scottorum is very aggressive. Both lose some coloration absent a female
Melanurus or Christmas Wrasse (which is preferred?) either is similar but not totally invertebrate safe as they may eat feather dusters, wild shrimp, tubeworms, and flatworms as well as small fish

I really appreciate your responses here; I have been following and learning a lot.

 

[NEK-ap24]

need some Wrasse help please,

I would like my 90 gal, to be a Wrasse heavy tank. (with a couple non wrasse)

Yellow Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus)
Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis)
Multicolor Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lubbocki)
Exquisite Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus exquisitus)
Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis)
Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis)
Longfin Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis)
Whip Fin Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus filamentosus)
Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon meleagris)
(if any of the above thrive as a mated pair, please indicate)

pair:
Male - Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus carpenteri)
Female -Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus carpenteri)

Carberryi Anthias (Nemanthias carberryi)
Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto)
Jawfish, Blue Dot (Opistognathus rosenblatti)

potential problems or needed omissions, and
advice for any important order of addition thoughts would be appreciated as well.

Thank you!

 

[snorvich]

need some Wrasse help please,

while I have kept a wrasse dominated tank, it was larger (240) and hence longer.

I would like my 90 gal, to be a Wrasse heavy tank. (with a couple non wrasse)

Yellow Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus)
Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis) on the aggressive side and will lose some coloration absent a female; I am a bit leery of this fish in this sized tank with the other wrasses
Multicolor Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus lubbocki)
Exquisite Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus exquisitus)
Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis)
Orange-Back Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis)
Longfin Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis)
Whip Fin Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus filamentosus) on the aggressive side and I am a bit leery of this fish in this sized tank with the other wrasses
Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon meleagris) I would do this first; needs sand of at least two inches
(if any of the above thrive as a mated pair, please indicate)

Any fairy wrasse can be paired but females are always more aggressive. Of the ones you have mentioned, getting male plus female pairs is doable. There are some fairy wrasses, however, where getting a male and female is best done by acquiring multiple females and letting one transition.

pair:
Male - Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus carpenteri)
Female -Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus carpenteri)

Carberryi Anthias (Nemanthias carberryi) remember that these require multiple feedings per day (at least two)
Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto) these can be paired, but I am not sure that they will do well in this sized tank
Jawfish, Blue Dot (Opistognathus rosenblatti) for best results long , need cooler water temperature e.g. 74-75 and must have a relative deep sand bed with rock rubble

potential problems or needed omissions, and
advice for any important order of addition thoughts would be appreciated as well.

Thank you!

For introduction of new wrasses to an existing tank, you will need an acclimation box for social acclimation; be sure to quarantine all new arrivals. My blog has a quarantine protocol.

 

[90G fowlr]

advice please
90G fowlr - 110 lbs of LR and 80 of LS - tank up and running 5 weeks
i have 2 clowns, a Kole tang , and a Coral Beauty - a choc chip starfish , 10 hermits and about 50 assorted snails
i would like a total of 10 fish ( 6 more)

here is a list i was consideirng to pick from

i'd like to add 2 in early March , and then 2 more sets of 2 each every 6 weeks after

Wrasse - Scott's Fairy

Lyrietal or bartletts anthias

Diamond watchman goby

Royal Gramma

Blue Green Chromis

Raccoon butterfly

Puffer

Voliatin lion

Scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp

Coral Banded Shrimp

please help me choose which 2 should be next and which, if any, should be excluded from this list

 

[snorvich]

advice please
90G fowlr - 110 lbs of LR and 80 of LS - tank up and running 5 weeks
i have 2 clowns, a Kole tang , and a Coral Beauty - a choc chip starfish , 10 hermits and about 50 assorted snails
i would like a total of 10 fish ( 6 more)

here is a list i was consideirng to pick from

i'd like to add 2 in early March , and then 2 more sets of 2 each every 6 weeks after

Wrasse - Scott's Fairy exclude, very aggressive

Lyrietal or bartletts anthias

Diamond watchman goby

Royal Gramma excellent

Blue Green Chromis have been coming in less than healthy, I would pass for now

Raccoon butterfly excellent, red sea variety is best, but shrimp are not safe

Puffer exclude

Voliatin lion exclude, will eat tankmates


Scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp

Coral Banded Shrimp exclude, can take fish


please help me choose which 2 should be next and which, if any, should be excluded from this list

 

[90G fowlr]

is there a colorful wrasse that would go into this mix ?
a carpenter's flasher warasse ?

 

[snorvich]

is there a colorful wrasse that would go into this mix ?

Of course, but I would need to know the mix selected for behavioral analysis. As those who follow this thread know, I do not provide recommendations for a variety of reasons but am always happy to analyze a stocking list. However I do not provide analysis of aggressive fish tanks.

 

[90G fowlr]

if i added the following, at one point or another, Lyrietal or bartletts anthias ,Diamond watchman goby ,Royal Gramma , Blue Green Chromis , Raccoon butterfly
which wrasse would you recommend ?

 

[snorvich]

if i added the following, at one point or another, Lyrietal or bartletts anthias ,Diamond watchman goby ,Royal Gramma , Blue Green Chromis , Raccoon butterfly
which wrasse would you recommend ?

As previously stated in the post above (and many times on this thread over the last three years): "As those who follow this thread know, I do not provide recommendations for a variety of reasons but am always happy to analyze a stocking list. " But yes, any flasher wrasse except a Red Sea Eight Line flasher would work with the mix selected.

 

[90G fowlr]

great -thx very much

 

[rvidal]

Need some advise please.

I set up this tank a couple of months ago and feel that i´ve been given some wrong advise by my LFS here in Portugal.

100g tank with 30g sump, Bubble magus C9 skimmer, BRS GFO+Carbon reactor, Biopellets reactor and UV filter.

1 sebrazoma flavescens
1 Ctenochaetus strigosus
1 Paracanthurus Hepatus
2 Amphiprion ocellaris
1 Gramma loreto
1 Valenciennea strigata
1 Pterapogon kauderni
1 Paracheilinus flavianalis
1 Labroides dimidiatus
1 Halichoeres leucoxanthus

1 Lysmata amboinensis
1 Stenopus hispidus
4 Lysmata wurdemanni

Will I need to take any one of them out of my tank eventually? at the moment they are all small.

appreciate all the tips I can get.

 

[SFChef79]

Done some searching and now have a concrete plan!!

Done some searching and now have a concrete plan!!

So ive done some searching and want to add these to my tank and will add corals later as the tank ages (say in a year or so) so i want all my fishies to be happy with corals! I have 4 25 gallon QT tansk set up so would add a species at a time, then start the QT on the next in line and add 6 weeks later

My DT is a 55 gallon tank & 25 gallon sump w/ Compact lighting system (I have set up on 3 timers for real daylight cycle, my LFS help me set it up), 50lbs rock and 60lbs sand (now all live), Eshopps PSK-100 Skimmer, right now I dont have a fuge set up but the sump I have has a chamber for one so will be setting up soon, need another light first

Already in there and happy:
3 Turbo Snails
1 narissus Snail
1 Emerald Crab (suplemmeting his diet with raw food for now)
3 Cerith Snails

Would be adding in this order:

4 Green Chromies
1 Strawberry Crab (my LFS said hes a mutant Emerald who is red and it's super cool looking!!)
4 Blue Chromis
1 Fighting Conch
2 Clowns (will add an anemone later, or should I wait and add at the same time)
4 Firecracker Shirmp
4 Royal Gramma
1 Green Mandarin dragonet
2 Leopard Wrasse

This is the list for now and should take about a year to get all these guys added!

 

[snorvich]

Need some advise please.

I set up this tank a couple of months ago and feel that i´ve been given some wrong advise by my LFS here in Portugal.

100g tank with 30g sump, Bubble magus C9 skimmer, BRS GFO+Carbon reactor, Biopellets reactor and UV filter.

1 sebrazoma flavescens this fish, once established will make it nearly impossible to add any significant fish in the future
1 Ctenochaetus strigosus A second tang, longer term with a zebrasoma will be a problem; fine for the short run, however
1 Paracanthurus Hepatus Needs a longer tank, ideally an 8 foot tank; we recommend a 240 gallon minimum and definitely NOT three tangs in your sized tank
2 Amphiprion ocellaris
1 Gramma loreto
1 Valenciennea strigata will deplete your sand bed of beneficial organisms then starve to death
1 Pterapogon kauderni hopefully tank raised; wild caught rarely survive
1 Paracheilinus flavianalis
1 Labroides dimidiatus unless this is african collected, will likely not survive and will limit other fish and may intimidate Paracheilinus species; in a large tank, perhaps, but you have virtually insufficient clients for cleaning. Also note that cleaner wrasses and cleaner shrimp do NOT remove parasites so if prophylactic intent is the reason, it will not work
1 Halichoeres leucoxanthus

1 Lysmata amboinensis
1 Stenopus hispidus can take fish
4 Lysmata wurdemanni

Will I need to take any one of them out of my tank eventually? at the moment they are all small.

appreciate all the tips I can get.

hope this commentary helps . . .

 

[snorvich]

So ive done some searching and want to add these to my tank and will add corals later as the tank ages (say in a year or so) so i want all my fishies to be happy with corals! I have 4 25 gallon QT tansk set up so would add a species at a time, then start the QT on the next in line and add 6 weeks later

My DT is a 55 gallon tank & 25 gallon sump w/ Compact lighting system (I have set up on 3 timers for real daylight cycle, my LFS help me set it up), 50lbs rock and 60lbs sand (now all live), Eshopps PSK-100 Skimmer, right now I dont have a fuge set up but the sump I have has a chamber for one so will be setting up soon, need another light first

Already in there and happy:
3 Turbo Snails
1 narissus Snail
1 Emerald Crab (suplemmeting his diet with raw food for now)
3 Cerith Snails

Would be adding in this order:

4 Green Chromies chromis, especially in small tanks will end up being a single or at most a mated pair; waste of money trying for more; also they have not been coming in healthy exhibiting uronema symptoms
1 Strawberry Crab (my LFS said hes a mutant Emerald who is red and it's super cool looking!!) In general, crabs are a bad idea since they are opportunistic feeders
4 Blue Chromis chromis, especially in small tanks will end up being a single or at most a mated pair; waste of money trying for more; also they have not been coming in healthy exhibiting uronema symptoms
1 Fighting Conch
2 Clowns (will add an anemone later, or should I wait and add at the same time)
4 Firecracker Shirmp
4 Royal Gramma Not in your sized tank; only one is likely to survive
1 Green Mandarin dragonet will starve to death in your sized tank as there are insufficient copepods
2 Leopard Wrasse will starve to death in your sized tank as there are insufficient copepods and will intimidate your mandarin into an early death

This is the list for now and should take about a year to get all these guys added!

If your LFS is recommending this staffing plan, I would change to a different LFS

 

[Surgical]

I have a 40 breeder with 2 percula clowns and some zoas, acans, sps, a clam. Snails. 20g sump. Lots of lr and a swc120 skimmer. Can i keep a mystery wrasse?

 

[snorvich]

I have a 40 breeder with 2 percula clowns and some zoas, acans, sps, a clam. Snails. 20g sump. Lots of lr and a swc120 skimmer. Can i keep a mystery wrasse?

Yes. But be aware that a mystery wrasse limits selection of fish and invertebrates going forward.

 

[rvidal]

hope this commentary helps . . .

Thank you for the prompt help.

i was planning on getting rid(taking back to the LFS) of the Valenciennea strigata because is creating havoc with my sand bed. literally creating mountains.

my wife will be really sad to see the Paracanthurus Hepatus go, seeing how we´ve had it since it was the size of a quarter.

I was planning on getting rid of the Stenopus hispidus and get another amboinensis instead

Regarding the other 2 tangs what do you think I should do?

And lastly do you think that there could be space for a mandarin in this tank in the next year?

Once again thank you so much for all the help..
it is really apreciated..

Raul vidal

 

[snorvich]

Thank you for the prompt help.

i was planning on getting rid(taking back to the LFS) of the Valenciennea strigata because is creating havoc with my sand bed. literally creating mountains.

Everyone has that very same issue, which with corals sitting on or near the bottom, is a very significant problem. My issue goes further; it eats beneficial organisms and really needs a very, very large area sand bed.

my wife will be really sad to see the Paracanthurus Hepatus go, seeing how we´ve had it since it was the size of a quarter.

Well, try to picture a 14 inch aggressive fish in your tank

I was planning on getting rid of the Stenopus hispidus and get another amboinensis instead

Regarding the other 2 tangs what do you think I should do?

Tough call. The zebrasoma will not allow many fish to be added later (except very small ones), but will probably coexist with the other tang for a few years

And lastly do you think that there could be space for a mandarin in this tank in the next year?

Not with Labroides dimidiatus; but without, once mature your tank should sustain one

Once again thank you so much for all the help..
it is really apreciated.. Always a pleasure Raul.

Raul vidal

 

[SFChef79]

If your LFS is recommending this staffing plan, I would change to a different LFS

No my daughter and I came up with based on what we liked looking at pictures on sites. Since we are not planning on adding the Mandarin till very much later in the tanks life and we have a fuge up and running is the tank still too smal to have one? My daughter loves the color of that guy and would hate to have to omit him.

Also the blue & green chromis at my LFS were brought in 8/12 according to the owner, and he admitted he is no longer bringing them in due to problems, since they have been around for so long (6 months) do you think there is still an isssue with getting those?