PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[hajas]

Are all bicolor dottybacks aggressive? Mine seems to lay back and hang out in the rock work? Has been far from aggressive (knock on wood).

What is the issue with the 2 gobies? I currently have them in tank transfer QT so may not add both if it is an issue. I picked two different types to try and eliminate fighting amongst same type.

 

[Empty Bottles]

If I gave you a specified list of corals to keep with a centropyge would you give reccomendations of which would be the most at risk?

 

[snorvich]

Are all bicolor dottybacks aggressive? Mine seems to lay back and hang out in the rock work? Has been far from aggressive (knock on wood).

Be thankful. Longer term, they can be even if not now. It also depends which fish are added to the tank. Unfortunately, what works in the short run, may not in the long run. However your tank size may be large enough for it to work. I can only give you odds on long term compatibility.

What is the issue with the 2 gobies? I currently have them in tank transfer QT so may not add both if it is an issue. I picked two different types to try and eliminate fighting amongst same type.

In the short run, it should be fine, longer term, you will end up with only one.

 

[snorvich]

If I gave you a specified list of corals to keep with a centropyge would you give reccomendations of which would be the most at risk?

Sorry, no. First of all it varies by fish to a degree. Secondly, it is beyond the scope of this thread which is marine fish compatibility. In general, however, the worst ones are meaty LPS corals and for large angels zoanthids.

 

[LGB76]

Can I mix peppermint shrimp w/ cleaner shrimp and coral banded shrimp??
and how many of each?

 

[snorvich]

Can I mix peppermint shrimp w/ cleaner shrimp and coral banded shrimp??
and how many of each?

That question is beyond the scope of this thread which is Marine Fish Compatiblity. Since coral banded shrimp can take fish, I do not keep them. However I have a variety of cleaner, peppermint (true), and pistol shrimp in multiple tanks.

 

[ChadRaay86]

Steve,

I did a stocking list awhile back that had Blue Green Chromis in it. If I were to get ahold of six that are from someone else's tank and healthier than current store specimens, will they still cut themselves down over time in a 300 Gallon tank (72"x36"x27")? If not, is there a fish that will shoal (I know the chromis don't) and not kill each other. I really like to watch the chromis swim around in a group

Thanks!

- Chad

 

[snorvich]

Steve,

I did a stocking list awhile back that had Blue Green Chromis in it. If I were to get ahold of six that are from someone else's tank and healthier than current store specimens, will they still cut themselves down over time in a 300 Gallon tank (72"x36"x27")?

Yes. The health issue is not why they winnow down the herd. The only fish I know that will actually operate as a group is red spot cardinal fish. Or in much larger tanks, glassy sweepers.

If not, is there a fish that will shoal (I know the chromis don't) and not kill each other. I really like to watch the chromis swim around in a group

Almost everyone likes that or hopes to achieve it. In the vast majority of our home aquaria, it is not going to happen. Sorry.

Thanks!

- Chad

 

[ChadRaay86]

Haha, I had a feeling... Oh well, I might go with Anthias instead and spare a few thousand chromis a delayed death sentence trying to perfect the impossible

As always, thanks for the great advice!

 

[javdog2001]

I posted this in the new to the hobby forum, and it was suggested that I pose in here...unfortunately the Bicolored Dottyback has already been purchased and is in the tank.

Ok, 75 gallon tank with live rock.

So I bought a fish that I thought was a Royal Gramma, but its actually a Bicolor Dottyback.

I have
1 Ocellaris clownfish
1 Barred Goby
2 Firefish
1 Bluegreen chromis
1 Sand Goby

Am I okay with the two Gobys (they don't bother each other at all that I can tell)?

From what I am reading about the Bicolor Dottyback I am in for trouble. As of now, it's been a week, the fish hasn't been too aggressive...Would I be better off trying to catch him and return him to the LFS now. Or should I wait to see. I think I know the answer but I am hesitating because he hasn't been a trouble maker, yet, and it's such a pretty fish...

 

[Rogue sub]

Howdy

I have a 75gal display with a 55gal sump
I plan to make it a mixed reef

Fish list so far is
Spotted foxface
Yellow tang
Green chromis
2x clown fish
Bullet goby
Algae bleeny
Zebra barred dart fish

Thanks for the look over.

 

[Rogue sub]

Sorry my post is so messed up. Taptotalk did something screwy

 

[snorvich]

I posted this in the new to the hobby forum, and it was suggested that I pose in here...unfortunately the Bicolored Dottyback has already been purchased and is in the tank.

Ok, 75 gallon tank with live rock.

So I bought a fish that I thought was a Royal Gramma, but its actually a Bicolor Dottyback.

I have
1 Ocellaris clownfish
1 Barred Goby I assume Black Barred Convict Goby?
2 Firefish unless they are a bonded pair, will become one; takes a while, but one will perish
1 Bluegreen chromis if it is healthy, it may do fine, but they have been coming in not healthy recently
1 Sand Goby I need the real name please

Am I okay with the two Gobys (they don't bother each other at all that I can tell)?

Without the real names, I have diffulty providing an assessment

From what I am reading about the Bicolor Dottyback I am in for trouble. As of now, it's been a week, the fish hasn't been too aggressive...Would I be better off trying to catch him and return him to the LFS now. Or should I wait to see. I think I know the answer but I am hesitating because he hasn't been a trouble maker, yet, and it's such a pretty fish...

Most lack of compatible behavior does not show up right away. In the aquarium, months are more relevant than weeks or days. Unfortunately pseudochromis are very aggressive and may kill or intimidate water column fish

 

[snorvich]

Howdy

I have a 75gal display with a 55gal sump
I plan to make it a mixed reef

Fish list so far is
Spotted foxface
Yellow tang will become very territorial towards newcomers once established
Green chromis If healthy, one should do fine but they have been coming in less than healthy
2x clown fish
Bullet goby
Algae bleeny
Zebra barred dart fish

Thanks for the look over.

 

[Mranderson]

looking to add one fish to either tank.
20L and a 10g
20L- 76* heater in winter. shallow sand bed. in-tank filter. 15-20 lbs. live rock. frogspawn. kenya tree. palys. toadstools. cabbage corals. duncans. candycanes. mushrooms. blue leggers. few red leggers. nacarius, margherita, 2 turbos. strawberry dottyback. saddleback clownfish (been in since a year and a half, removed azure damsel out for outgrowing him and nipping) azure used to hide in rock mostly, but was dominant until clown grew large. then new strawberry would chase azure out and clown would chase around and nip fins.

10gal- mushroom devoted tank. 76-78* heater in winter. crushed coral for now. hang-on filter. 10-15 lb.s artificial reef rock with sparingly some live rock. azure damsels new home. 1 catseye turbo. 1 red legger. 1 bumblebee snail. 2 margheritas (pretty sure the bumble just cleaned a margherite out)one small patch of zoas and palys as well. oh also, randomly plating montipora pieces(literally pieces, for now, from when my friends bag of a huge piece slipped out of his hand and it fractured and he didnt care about the really tiny pieces). Mostly mushrooms, another fish would help to their liking. But I did like having 3 in the 20L.

My lfs has good size fiji devil damsel that looks like it would hold its own with my clown. 3/4 at least as big. curious if that would be suitable for the 20L. I was thinking a bottom dweller if i could find one that the dottyback agreed with. and Idk why for some reason pajama cardinal keeps popping into my head. If I added to my 10 gal. I ofcourse would not want another fish to eventually pick on the damsel.

 

[snorvich]

looking to add one fish to either tank.
20L and a 10g
20L- 76* heater in winter. shallow sand bed. in-tank filter. 15-20 lbs. live rock. frogspawn. kenya tree. palys. toadstools. cabbage corals. duncans. candycanes. mushrooms. blue leggers. few red leggers. nacarius, margherita, 2 turbos. strawberry dottyback. saddleback clownfish (been in since a year and a half, removed azure damsel out for outgrowing him and nipping) azure used to hide in rock mostly, but was dominant until clown grew large. then new strawberry would chase azure out and clown would chase around and nip fins.

10gal- mushroom devoted tank. 76-78* heater in winter. crushed coral for now. hang-on filter. 10-15 lb.s artificial reef rock with sparingly some live rock. azure damsels new home. 1 catseye turbo. 1 red legger. 1 bumblebee snail. 2 margheritas (pretty sure the bumble just cleaned a margherite out)one small patch of zoas and palys as well. oh also, randomly plating montipora pieces(literally pieces, for now, from when my friends bag of a huge piece slipped out of his hand and it fractured and he didnt care about the really tiny pieces). Mostly mushrooms, another fish would help to their liking. But I did like having 3 in the 20L.

My lfs has good size fiji devil damsel that looks like it would hold its own with my clown. 3/4 at least as big. curious if that would be suitable for the 20L. I was thinking a bottom dweller if i could find one that the dottyback agreed with. and Idk why for some reason pajama cardinal keeps popping into my head. If I added to my 10 gal. I ofcourse would not want another fish to eventually pick on the damsel.

Neither tank can have any additions. Sorry.

 

[texasbug]

I have a BioCube29 that has been set up for a week, still cycling. 27 lbs LR, 30 lbs LS, stock equipment + UV sterilizer & powerhead. My stocking plans are (very tentatively) as follows:

Pair of clownfish
Green Clown Goby
Spotted Cardinal
maybe 1 more of: banggai cardinal, green chromis, firefish

I'd also love to know your thoughts on what you would stock the 29g with if you were starting from scratch. Thanks!

 

[Roman120G]

120g wish list

120g wish list

Hello Steve

again, thank you for tons of useful information, been reading many of your posts and already found a lot of answers, based on which I revised my wish list.

Question is, if my order is good enough or you can recommend switching places of some fish?
Would like to have a pair of bicoulor blennies, and one algae blenny ( which I read could be aggressive towards his own kind)

know that angels are coral nippers, but read that Dwarf ones are "Reef With Caution", so, would certainly want Coral Beauty and Flame angels.

Plan to have copepods and amphipods in the fuge, so by the time mandarin goby arrives in 9months, there will be plenty of them to feed on.

after CUC ( mostly snails: Cerith, Nerite, Trochus and a few Red Scarlet Hermit Crabs) will add a few cleaner shrimp and probably fire shrimp.

here is the list:

1. True percula Clownfish x 2
2. Bicolour blenny - pair ?
3. Sailfin/algae blenny – will be ok with bicolour pair?
4. Royal gramma basslet – pair?
5. Marine Betta
6. Blue powder tang – would prefer to add it in the mid list, but read that all tangs should be added at the same time in order to avoid fighting.
7. Coral beauty angelfish – dwarf
8. Flame angelfish – dwarf
9. Copperband butterflyfish
10. Lionfish – dwarf
11. Schooling Bannerfish – not sure, since grow big.
12. Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse
13. Mandarin goby- after 6-9months, I know
14. Purple tang – also towards the end of the list
15. Yellow tang – know it should be one of the last

what scooling fish you can suggest: 3-5 fishes.

which ones I can add Simultaneously?

I set up 20G quarantine tank for each fish and coral.

will be waiting for your comments.

thank you for your time and assistance

 

[snorvich]

I have a BioCube29 that has been set up for a week, still cycling. 27 lbs LR, 30 lbs LS, stock equipment + UV sterilizer & powerhead. My stocking plans are (very tentatively) as follows:

Pair of clownfish
Green Clown Goby
Spotted Cardinal
maybe 1 more of: banggai cardinal, green chromis, firefish

Your first three are fine, the one I would pick from the last group is the firefish.

I'd also love to know your thoughts on what you would stock the 29g with if you were starting from scratch. Thanks!

What I would stock with? No clownfish, an exotically colored shrimp goby pair with a pistol shrimp, a bonded pair of Helfrichi firefish, a possum wrasse.

 

[snorvich]

Hello Steve

again, thank you for tons of useful information, been reading many of your posts and already found a lot of answers, based on which I revised my wish list.

Question is, if my order is good enough or you can recommend switching places of some fish?
Would like to have a pair of bicoulor blennies, and one algae blenny ( which I read could be aggressive towards his own kind)

Pick one blenny, they do not like each other

know that angels are coral nippers, but read that Dwarf ones are "Reef With Caution", so, would certainly want Coral Beauty and Flame angels.

Not reef safe, but primarily towards LPS corals which are meaty

Plan to have copepods and amphipods in the fuge, so by the time mandarin goby arrives in 9months, there will be plenty of them to feed on.

after CUC ( mostly snails: Cerith, Nerite, Trochus and a few Red Scarlet Hermit Crabs) will add a few cleaner shrimp and probably fire shrimp.

Hermit crabs kill snails, pick one or the other

here is the list:

1. True percula Clownfish x 2
2. Bicolour blenny - pair ?
3. Sailfin/algae blenny "“ will be ok with bicolour pair?
4. Royal gramma basslet "“ pair?
5. Marine Betta a large nocturnal fish that will not do much during the day; can eat small fish and shrimp
6. Blue powder tang "“ would prefer to add it in the mid list, but read that all tangs should be added at the same time in order to avoid fighting.
7. Coral beauty angelfish "“ dwarf not reef safe
8. Flame angelfish "“ dwarf not reef safe
9. Copperband butterflyfish will probably preclude a mandarin in this sized tank; australian collected are most probable for success; not reef safe most of the time
10. Lionfish "“ dwarf eats fish
11. Schooling Bannerfish "“ not sure, since grow big.
12. Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse requires a tight fitting cover (not egg crate)
13. Mandarin goby- after 6-9months, I know
14. Purple tang "“ also towards the end of the list
15. Yellow tang "“ know it should be one of the last In this sized tank, pick one tang; zebrasoma species once established are territorial and will preclude future additions of some types of fish

what scooling fish you can suggest: 3-5 fishes. well, first of all fish will not school in your sized tank, secondly you already have too many on your stocking list

which ones I can add Simultaneously?

I set up 20G quarantine tank for each fish and coral.

will be waiting for your comments.

thank you for your time and assistance