PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[snorvich]

Steve, thank for providing such a great "service". Your advice and recommendations are much appreciated.

Please help with my choices. These will be going into a new 300 gallon mixed reef.
72 x 36 x 27. These are listed in the order in which they will be added.

Purple firefish
A pair of ocellaris clownfish (tank raised)
Longnose hawkfish not shrimp safe
Spotted cardinalfish
A trio of anthias - not sure which kind yet (either Lyretail, Bartletts, or Resplendent - all female) Resplendent is excellent but does best with multiple feedings per day
Bicolor blenny
Midas blenny
Tailspot blenny
Ember blenny
Tangaroa goby
Orange spotted goby
Mccorskers wrasse (male)
Carpenters flasher wrasse (male)
Hoevens wrasse (male)
Linespot Flasher Wrasse (male)
Orange back fairy wrasse (male)
Pink streaked wrasse (male)
Vrolik's Wrasse (male) Not invert safe
Royal gramma
Rainford's goby - tank raised
Gold assessor basslet
Blue throat trigger I advise against triggers with small fish
Pink tailed trigger I advise against triggers with small fish
Blue Hippo tang needs a larger (longer) tank
Kole tang
Purple tang the two zebrasoma tangs should be added concurrently
Yellow tang
Mandarin (after 9-12 months of tank maturity)

Please comment not only on the fish, but on the order in which I'll add them to the tank. In general, I'm trying to add the most aggressive fish at the end, but I'm not sure if my order is correct.

Many thanks and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

You are welcome. Happy Holidays to you as well.

 

[airtime23]

Steve, do you think that the order of introduction to the tank is okay?

 

[snorvich]

Steve, do you think that the order of introduction to the tank is okay?

(I advise against the triggers) The only real issue is introduction of the yellow and purple tang concurrently so one does not get established. Otherwise order is fine.

 

[airtime23]

Many thanks, once again.

 

[JoelA7]

Hi Steve,

Evolving fish in tank and possible additions.

Current:

3 PJ Cardinals
Royal Gramma
Hoeven's Wrasse
Bicolor Blenny
Midas Blenny
Resplendent Anthias (male)

Intend to add a Hutchii Anthias (male or female) and if I can get both sexes or females then 2 f or 1 m + 1 f

Intend to add Kole Tang last.

Would I be able to add a Yellow Coris Wrasse and or a Rainfords Goby?

Thank you. (Tank info in signature.)

Joel

 

[snorvich]

Hi Steve,

Evolving fish in tank and possible additions.

Current:

3 PJ Cardinals
Royal Gramma
Hoeven's Wrasse
Bicolor Blenny
Midas Blenny
Resplendent Anthias (male)

Intend to add a Hutchii Anthias (male or female) and if I can get both sexes or females then 2 f or 1 m + 1 f

Intend to add Kole Tang last.

Would I be able to add a Yellow Coris Wrasse and or a Rainfords Goby?

Thank you. (Tank info in signature.)

Joel

That plan should be fine. I am a bit ambivalent about the Midas blenny since it can/will nip fins of those feeding in the water column.

 

[JoelA7]

Originally Posted by JoelA7 View Post
Hi Steve,

Evolving fish in tank and possible additions.

Current:

3 PJ Cardinals
Royal Gramma
Hoeven's Wrasse
Bicolor Blenny
Midas Blenny
Resplendent Anthias (male)

Intend to add a Hutchii Anthias (male or female) and if I can get both sexes or females then 2 f or 1 m + 1 f

Intend to add Kole Tang last.

Would I be able to add a Yellow Coris Wrasse and or a Rainfords Goby?

Thank you. (Tank info in signature.)

Joel
That plan should be fine. I am a bit ambivalent about the Midas blenny since it can/will nip fins of those feeding in the water column.

Thank you Steve.

As an FYI only, the Midas is thus far a model citizen with only a very small amount of jostling with the Bicolor.

Happy New Year.

 

[sschnelk]

Hello,

Getting back into the hobby! I have a 29 gal. Biocube modified with a 8.5 gallon sump, about 30# of live rock, 1" of sand and a skimmer. Live rock is cycling currently in the tank and my ammonia and nitrite have hit zero.

My proposed stocking list:

Snails:
1 astrea,
5 cerith,
2 nassarius
5 nerite
5 trochus

other inverts:
1 cleaner shrimp
1 pistol shrimp

fish:
a pair of tank-bred ocellaris clowns
1 watchman goby
1 purple firefish
1 tail spot blenny (optional - feels like this would be too many fish)

Thanks in advance for your review and comments!

-Steve

 

[snorvich]

Hello,

Getting back into the hobby! I have a 29 gal. Biocube modified with a 8.5 gallon sump, about 30# of live rock, 1" of sand and a skimmer. Live rock is cycling currently in the tank and my ammonia and nitrite have hit zero.

My proposed stocking list:

Snails:
1 astrea,
5 cerith,
2 nassarius
5 nerite
5 trochus

other inverts:
1 cleaner shrimp
1 pistol shrimp

fish:
a pair of tank-bred ocellaris clowns
1 watchman goby
1 purple firefish
1 tail spot blenny (optional - feels like this would be too many fish)

Thanks in advance for your review and comments!

-Steve

Stocking list for both inverts and fish is fine.

 

[BSAJim]

Conflicing info about adding fish to a reef tank

Conflicing info about adding fish to a reef tank

Greetings. I am hoping to get some informed guidance to resolve what seems to be conflicting information. I have bee told 1) under no circumstances should I ever add a fish to my system without going through a 2-4 week quarantine process and 2) to start the cycle on your main system, just add a fish directly from the LFS to start the cycling process.

 

[snorvich]

Greetings. I am hoping to get some informed guidance to resolve what seems to be conflicting information. I have bee told 1) under no circumstances should I ever add a fish to my system without going through a 2-4 week quarantine process and 2) to start the cycle on your main system, just add a fish directly from the LFS to start the cycling process.

If you want to be successful in this hobby, you will develop a quarantine protocol as a minimum, for all fish, ideally for anything wet. You can read about my quarantine protocol in my blog. I you do not want to quarantine, you can come visit me in the marine fish disease forum where people are trying to save their fish, or in some cases, save their tank. Sometimes with success, sometimes, not.

Never use live fish to cycle a tank. It is not necessary and cruel for the fish causing burning in their gills from ammonia.

 

[mpderksen]

I, for one, didn't realize you had a blog! Could I request the link? Maybe I've been there and didn't know it was you.
Happy New Year.
Michael

 

[snorvich]

I, for one, didn't realize you had a blog! Could I request the link? Maybe I've been there and didn't know it was you.
Happy New Year.
Michael

It is here. Then click on the blog tab. Lots of fish disease treatment entries. Also a fair amount of stuff for Profilux.

 

[mpderksen]

Thanks! Never saw that tab. Even MORE help from our buddy Steve!

 

[ffmedic]

29 gallon cube want a Saddle Valentini Puffer that ok?

 

[snorvich]

29 gallon cube want a Saddle Valentini Puffer that ok?

As the only fish, that would be fine. Not invert safe.

 

[DaveRaz]

Please check out my intended purchases to place in QT this weekend.

(2) engineer goby's
Whitespotted Pygmy Filefish
Red Scooter Dragonet

I have two blacker ice clownfish and several corals in the DT.

Also please recommend food while in QT and DT for that matter.

Thanks in advance.

Dave

 

[snorvich]

Please check out my intended purchases to place in QT this weekend.

(2) engineer goby's I am not sure you will be happy with these as they really move stuff around and make a mess
Whitespotted Pygmy Filefish
Red Scooter Dragonet assuming a mature reef tank, should be fine in a 90 gallon tank

I have two blacker ice clownfish and several corals in the DT.

Also please recommend food while in QT and DT for that matter.

I feed both frozen (PE mysis) and pellets (NLS) but the dragonet will love Nutramar Ova.

Thanks in advance.

Dave

 

[DaveRaz]

Thanks Steve. We are very blessed to have your help and guidance. Regarding the engineer goby's, I'm a mechanical engineer so it's a must have species in my reef tank. they can't hurt too much and have lots of caves and such to do their thing.

Ps any feedback on the filefish?

 

[snorvich]

Thanks Steve. We are very blessed to have your help and guidance. Regarding the engineer goby's, I'm a mechanical engineer so it's a must have species in my reef tank. they can't hurt too much and have lots of caves and such to do their thing.

Ps any feedback on the filefish?

If available, I would opt for the ORA captive bred Whitespotted Pygmy Filefish. Coral safe but perhaps not invert safe. Generally peaceful and interesting; somewhat aware of aquarists in their environment as are many fish.