PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[GoneCrazy]

Getting a 55 setup in the next 2 months or so!! Woo hoo totally excited and so can't wait. So much eye candy I can't stand it. Here is my current list of eye candy. I keep changing it though, but input on current list would be great.

Not sure specifics of all the equipment, but the tank is 55 gallon, sump is 55 gallon with built in refugeum, have a protein skimmer as well.

Misc Fish:

Flame Angel
Bangi Cardinal
Blackcap Basslet
Strawberry Basslet
Red Scooter Blenny
Clown Fish

Gobies:

Yellow Watchman
Blue or green Mandrin- Will be tank raised
Purple Firefish

Wrasses:

McCoskers Flasher

Mushrooms:

Blue Florida Ricordea
Orange Florida Ricordea
Green Florida Ricordea
Green and Blue/Purple Bullseye

Corals:

Purple Garf Bonsia
Blue Acropora
Orange Sun
Aussie Dragon Soul Reverse Prism Faula
Metalic Green Torch

Zoas:

LA Lakers
Strawberry Garden
Eagle Eye
Eye Of Jupiter
African Blue Hornet
Alph and Omegus

Sea Fans:

Orange Tree- Up in air

Hermit Crabs:

Blue Leg
Electric Blue
Scarlet
Halloween

Shrimp:

Peppermint
Scarlet Skunk
Blood Red
Golden Coral Banded- May have to settle with this
Blue Body Coral Banded- Want this, but may not be available
Blue Legged Coral Banded- May get instead of Blue Body


Fan Worms:

Yellow and Red Fountain Head
Flourescent Green

Not sure how much sand there is in the tank and I will have plenty of live rock

 

[snorvich]

Hi! I'm new to the hobby. My boyfriend had a reef tank for a few years a few years ago. Here's what we have:
125 gal with live rock and sand, sump, refugium (well-populated, I love getting up in the night and looking at all the critters). RO/DI system with auto top-off. Actinic and metal halide lights. Tank has had water in it for ~6 months. Started with corals: green star polyp (growing like crazy), frogspawn, montipora, several acroporas, two leather corals, several acans, a cluster of zoos, table coral, lepti-something, looks like leopard spots, a war coral. CUC is astrea snails and hermit crabs and a glass shrimp.

Careful about placing the War Coral (favites pentagonia) as it has long sweepers.

We have two black ice clown fish in the quarantine tank (45 gal with sump and wet/dry system). They should go into the main tank in a couple of weeks. They are doing quite well.
We plan to add, in three batches, the following fish/shrimp:
Batch 1: green mandarin,

Normally I would recommend a longer maturity

2 blue neon gobies, 2 yellownose prawn gobies, 2 Helfrich firefish, and 1 scarlett skunk cleaner shrimp

If the prawn gobies are not a pair, you may end up with only one and similar issue with the firefish

Batch 2: 1 yellowtail fang tail blennie, 1 copperband butterfly, 1 Rainford gobie, 3 filamented flasher wrasses (1 male, 2 female), 1 candy stripe Randall's pistol shrimp, and 1 other fish (we thought about a 6-line wrasse, but changed our minds as we think he will be too aggressive

Good call on the 6-line wrasse especially with a mandarin as both eat copepods

Batch 3: 1 Red Sea purple tang, 1 Red Sea Desjardini tang, 1 Hawaiian longnose Black tang, 1 Foxface rabbitfish, 2 yellow neon gobies, 1 Bali red starfish, 1 Harlequin serpent starfish

Four largish algae grazers is not likely to work in your sized tank. Also three of the four are aggressive.

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[snorvich]

oh, man! though choices. so, having 3 algae grazers would be fine for my tank? I'd give up the fox face but my wife likes it... so I'm afraid I'd have to give up the naso tang... I don't like doing that but its adult size is the largest of all, right?

Sailfin, hepatus, and naso all reach or exceed one foot. They would make your tank look small.

 

[snorvich]

by "go with" I meant to choose the sailfin to give up.

I cannot really advise what to do, only the characteristics of the mix. The sailfin is the most aggressive of those you are considering.

 

[snorvich]

Getting a 55 setup in the next 2 months or so!! Woo hoo totally excited and so can't wait. So much eye candy I can't stand it. Here is my current list of eye candy. I keep changing it though, but input on current list would be great.

Not sure specifics of all the equipment, but the tank is 55 gallon, sump is 55 gallon with built in refugeum, have a protein skimmer as well.

Misc Fish:

Flame Angel
Bangi Cardinal
Blackcap Basslet
Strawberry Basslet very aggressive especially in a smaller tank
Red Scooter Blenny
Clown Fish

Gobies:

Yellow Watchman
Blue or green Mandrin- Will be tank raised ORA mandarins have a mixed track record. In your sized tank they will be a lot of work to spot feed
Purple Firefish

Wrasses:

McCoskers Flasher

Mushrooms:

Blue Florida Ricordea
Orange Florida Ricordea
Green Florida Ricordea
Green and Blue/Purple Bullseye

Corals:

Purple Garf Bonsia
Blue Acropora
Orange Sun
Aussie Dragon Soul Reverse Prism Faula
Metalic Green Torch

Zoas:

LA Lakers
Strawberry Garden
Eagle Eye
Eye Of Jupiter
African Blue Hornet
Alph and Omegus

Sea Fans:

Orange Tree- Up in air

Hermit Crabs: I recommend snails and no hermit crabs or any crabs for that matter

Blue Leg
Electric Blue
Scarlet
Halloween

Shrimp:

Peppermint
Scarlet Skunk
Blood Red
Golden Coral Banded- May have to settle with this
Blue Body Coral Banded- Want this, but may not be available
Blue Legged Coral Banded- May get instead of Blue Body

Coral banded shrimp take fish and you definitely cannot have more than one in any case

Fan Worms:

Yellow and Red Fountain Head
Flourescent Green

Not sure how much sand there is in the tank and I will have plenty of live rock

 

[jason2459]

This should be my last addition and hopefully last question here for a long while I hope. I'm looking to add either one or two Orange-Back fairy wrasses (Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis). From my understanding they are a "blue" wrasse and could fade a bit with out being a pair? I picked up the red velvet fairy and only have one and it would be the "red" type of fairy wrasse correct? and be ok singly?

To recap here is my current stock list.

Fish:
Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) paired up with a Tiger Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus bellulus)
False Percula (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Pair Kaudern's Cardinal (Pterapogon kauderni)
Sharknose Goby (Elacatinus evelynae)
Magnificent Foxface (Siganus magnificus)
Trio Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
Potter's Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon geoffroyi)
Divided Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon bipartitus)
Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis)
Purple Tilefish (Hoplolatilus purpureus)

Soon to be M. kuiteri after getting out of QT at the end of the month.

Inverts:
Pair Bloodred/fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius)
Pair Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
Quad Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni)
Crocea Clam (Tridacna crocea)
Duncan Coral (Duncanopsammia axifuga)
Grape Coral (Euphyllia Cristata)
Frogspawn Coral (Euphyllia Divisa)
Pink Hammer Coral (Euphylia Ancora)
Torch Coral (Euphylia Glabrescens)
Trumpet Coral (Caulastrea curvata)
Candy cane Coral (Caulastrea furcata)
Bubble Coral (Plerogyra sinuosa)
Encrusting Montipora (Montipora nodosa)
Pink Tube anemone (Cerianthus membranaceus)

and again thanks a lot for all your help here on Reef Central.

 

[adikira]

Sailfin, hepatus, and naso all reach or exceed one foot. They would make your tank look small.

thanks again, I really appreciate your input

 

[snorvich]

This should be my last addition and hopefully last question here for a long while I hope. I'm looking to add either one or two Orange-Back fairy wrasses (Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis). From my understanding they are a "blue" wrasse and could fade a bit with out being a pair? I picked up the red velvet fairy and only have one and it would be the "red" type of fairy wrasse correct? and be ok singly?

Yes, the blue group of fairy wrasses loses some coloration over time absent a female. The red group loses very little if any

To recap here is my current stock list.

Fish:
Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) paired up with a Tiger Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus bellulus)
False Percula (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Pair Kaudern's Cardinal (Pterapogon kauderni)
Sharknose Goby (Elacatinus evelynae)
Magnificent Foxface (Siganus magnificus)
Trio Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
Potter's Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon geoffroyi)
Divided Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon bipartitus)
Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis)
Purple Tilefish (Hoplolatilus purpureus)

Soon to be M. kuiteri after getting out of QT at the end of the month.

Be sure that you do not have multiple male leopard wrasses as sometimes that can be problematical. If your existing leopards are highly established, they can sometimes make new leopard introduction difficult

Inverts:
Pair Bloodred/fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius)
Pair Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
Quad Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni)
Crocea Clam (Tridacna crocea)
Duncan Coral (Duncanopsammia axifuga)
Grape Coral (Euphyllia Cristata)
Frogspawn Coral (Euphyllia Divisa)
Pink Hammer Coral (Euphylia Ancora)
Torch Coral (Euphylia Glabrescens)
Trumpet Coral (Caulastrea curvata)
Candy cane Coral (Caulastrea furcata)
Bubble Coral (Plerogyra sinuosa)
Encrusting Montipora (Montipora nodosa)
Pink Tube anemone (Cerianthus membranaceus)

and again thanks a lot for all your help here on Reef Central.

My pleasure. I want everyone to be successful!

 

[GoneCrazy]

What would be the limit of fish I could keep and how many shrimp?

Love this site and this section you have it is so helpful.

 

[snorvich]

What would be the limit of fish I could keep and how many shrimp?

Love this site and this section you have it is so helpful.

An impossible question to answer. Depends on size, ecological niche, and behavior. In your case the number of shrimp is not the binding constraint, it is that banded coral shrimp, unless a mated pair, will not coexist.

 

[jason2459]

Thanks, I'm scared to death to add the Kuiter's as my Potter's killed off a female bipartitus leaving me with a single smaller female. I have it all documented in the Leopard Wrasse primer and will probably post questions over there again with in the next 10 days freaking out before adding the kuiter's in the DT.

 

[snorvich]

Thanks, I'm scared to death to add the Kuiter's as my Potter's killed off a female bipartitus leaving me with a single smaller female. I have it all documented in the Leopard Wrasse primer and will probably post questions over there again with in the next 10 days freaking out before adding the kuiter's in the DT.

In the early days of that thread, I used to answer but just do not have enough time. It is a real problem, leopards can be very aggressive towards conspecifics. With other fish, I recommend acclimation boxes, but not with leopards because they may damage their mouth.

 

[tomlow617]

Fish Plan

Fish Plan

Looking for advice for planning fish purchases -

I have a 90 gallon tank with an aqueon 4 sump. (full equipment and set up is below)

I have the following fish:

2 Ocellaris Clowns (juveniles), Bicolor Blenny and a Yellow watchman goby

Plan is for a mixed reef, not sure if I will have sps at this point.

Fish I am interested in:

1) Yellow Eyed Kole
2) Flame Angel is preferred but caution is pushing me to Coral Beauty Angel
3) Mandarin Dragonnet

Thought is to introduce the Kole, then the Angel then the Mandarin.

Seeding the Middle section of the sump (has rubble, cheato and light) and main tank with Copepods this week. Expect Mandarin may be able to go into tank in 6M when copepodes are noticeable in tank and refugium / Sump

For planning purposes can the tanks support this load? I would rather understock then overstock.

Conventional wisdom is Tang and Angels should go in last, but I think I need close to 6 months to add the Mandarin. Can the Mandarin go in last or do I need to wait on the Tang and Angel until the Mandarin can be added?

About the tank

Water Quality
PH 8.25
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 18 ppm
Alkalinity 9 dK (Starting 2 part then will go to Kalkwasser via ATO)
Calcium 400 ((Starting 2 part then will go to Kalkwasser via ATO)

Livestock
2 Ocellaris Clowns added 2/11/12
Bicolor Blenny added 3/2/12
Yellow watchman goby added 3/2/12
5 or 6 Hermits
2 Skunk Shrimp

Coral
Green Star Polyps added 3/10/12
Red Mushrooms added 3/10/12
Toad stool added 3/17
Frog spawn added 3/17

Display Tank
AGA 90 Gallon Tank
216w T5HO 554w Actinic, 1 ATI 54W Blue Plus, 108w 10K
Two Koralia evolution 1400 gph "“ pumps alternate every 6 hours
85 pounds of Pukani Rock (does not conform to 1 to 1.5 pounds per gallon but this stuff is super porous)
Glass Holes 1500 GPH overflow
100 lbs Pink Samoa Reef Sand

Sump
Apex Controller
Aqueon Proflex Sump 4
Reef Octopus XP1000SSS (rated for 125 gallons)
5 pounds rubble
2 Eheim Jager 200w heaters
Eheim 900G return pump
Tunze ATO "“ Preparing for Kalkwasser
Cheato
6500K 24w Compact Fluorescent Bulb

 

[snorvich]

Looking for advice for planning fish purchases -

I have a 90 gallon tank with an aqueon 4 sump. (full equipment and set up is below)

I have the following fish:

2 Ocellaris Clowns (juveniles), Bicolor Blenny and a Yellow watchman goby

Plan is for a mixed reef, not sure if I will have sps at this point.

Fish I am interested in:

1) Yellow Eyed Kole
2) Flame Angel is preferred but caution is pushing me to Coral Beauty Angel neither dwarf angel is truly reef safe, especially towards "meaty" LPS corals
3) Mandarin Dragonnet

Thought is to introduce the Kole, then the Angel then the Mandarin.

Seeding the Middle section of the sump (has rubble, cheato and light) and main tank with Copepods this week. Expect Mandarin may be able to go into tank in 6M when copepodes are noticeable in tank and refugium / Sump

I would wait a full 8 months for the mandarin

For planning purposes can the tanks support this load? I would rather understock then overstock.

bioload will be fine

Conventional wisdom is Tang and Angels should go in last, but I think I need close to 6 months to add the Mandarin. Can the Mandarin go in last or do I need to wait on the Tang and Angel until the Mandarin can be added?

the mandarin should go in last, as mentioned, after about 8 months. I would add the angel before the tang but since both require a somewhat mature tank, towards the end of the stocking

About the tank

Water Quality
PH 8.25
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 18 ppm
Alkalinity 9 dK (Starting 2 part then will go to Kalkwasser via ATO)
Calcium 400 ((Starting 2 part then will go to Kalkwasser via ATO)

Livestock
2 Ocellaris Clowns added 2/11/12
Bicolor Blenny added 3/2/12
Yellow watchman goby added 3/2/12
5 or 6 Hermits
2 Skunk Shrimp

Coral
Green Star Polyps added 3/10/12
Red Mushrooms added 3/10/12
Toad stool added 3/17
Frog spawn added 3/17

Display Tank
AGA 90 Gallon Tank
216w T5HO 554w Actinic, 1 ATI 54W Blue Plus, 108w 10K
Two Koralia evolution 1400 gph "“ pumps alternate every 6 hours
85 pounds of Pukani Rock (does not conform to 1 to 1.5 pounds per gallon but this stuff is super porous)
Glass Holes 1500 GPH overflow
100 lbs Pink Samoa Reef Sand

Sump
Apex Controller
Aqueon Proflex Sump 4
Reef Octopus XP1000SSS (rated for 125 gallons)
5 pounds rubble
2 Eheim Jager 200w heaters
Eheim 900G return pump
Tunze ATO "“ Preparing for Kalkwasser
Cheato
6500K 24w Compact Fluorescent Bulb

 

[GeorgeMonnatJr]

My 6' 125 gal tank is still too immature to add big/expensive fish or any coral or clams, but I spend way too much time thinking about future plans (these forums are way more fun than my actual job).

I've been thinking about adding some schooling fish in 3-4 months. My wife doesn't really like blue/green chromis (I guess they look too much like FW fish for her tastes), so I've been thinking about a harem of anthias. Here's my current list (only fire shrimp added since last posting, and I "found" all four of my turbos instead of the two I've been seeing - so excited; wife didn't understand even after the "aqua-canary" explanation).

3x small (1/2"-3/4") red-legged hermit crabs [letting them die off]
4x large turbo snails
10x small bumblebee snails (5x in sump)
30x nerite snails
~15x cerith snails (4x in sump) [darn hermits]
1x large (2") pistol shrimp
12x small (1/4"-1/2") sexy shrimp
4x medium (1.5") scarlet/skunk cleaner shrimps
2x medium (1.5") blood red fire shrimp

1x small (1.5" dia.) pink BTA (in sump)
1x medium/large (4" dia.) brown BTA
1x large (2" dia.) Hawaiian Feather Duster
3x medium (1/2", 3/4" & 1" dia.) purple feather dusters

1x yellowtail damselfish (1.5")
1x Randall's Prawn Goby (2.5")
1x bicolor blennie (2")
1x tailspot blennie (1.5")


So would these additions work? (keeping in mind these are all the fish I want to add)

1x male Carberryi/Threadfin anthias
2x or 3x female Carberryi/Threadfin anthias
1x powder brown tang (I'm at minimum recommended tank size)

Would a different anthias be better (given my small, ornamental shrimp)?

If I get green chromis instead of anthias (cheaper and easier to get), how many would be the recommended limit? I was thinking 7 or 8.

Thank you.

 

[snorvich]

My 6' 125 gal tank is still too immature to add big/expensive fish or any coral or clams, but I spend way too much time thinking about future plans (these forums are way more fun than my actual job).

I've been thinking about adding some schooling fish in 3-4 months. My wife doesn't really like blue/green chromis (I guess they look too much like FW fish for her tastes), so I've been thinking about a harem of anthias. Here's my current list (only fire shrimp added since last posting, and I "found" all four of my turbos instead of the two I've been seeing - so excited; wife didn't understand even after the "aqua-canary" explanation).

3x small (1/2"-3/4") red-legged hermit crabs [letting them die off]
4x large turbo snails
10x small bumblebee snails (5x in sump)
30x nerite snails
~15x cerith snails (4x in sump) [darn hermits]
1x large (2") pistol shrimp
12x small (1/4"-1/2") sexy shrimp
4x medium (1.5") scarlet/skunk cleaner shrimps
2x medium (1.5") blood red fire shrimp

1x small (1.5" dia.) pink BTA (in sump)
1x medium/large (4" dia.) brown BTA
1x large (2" dia.) Hawaiian Feather Duster
3x medium (1/2", 3/4" & 1" dia.) purple feather dusters

1x yellowtail damselfish (1.5")
1x Randall's Prawn Goby (2.5")
1x bicolor blennie (2")
1x tailspot blennie (1.5")


So would these additions work? (keeping in mind these are all the fish I want to add)

1x male Carberryi/Threadfin anthias
2x or 3x female Carberryi/Threadfin anthias
1x powder brown tang (I'm at minimum recommended tank size)

Would a different anthias be better (given my small, ornamental shrimp)?

If I get green chromis instead of anthias (cheaper and easier to get), how many would be the recommended limit? I was thinking 7 or 8.

Thank you.

You will not be pleased with the Chromis as they will reduce their number to one or at most two. You will be pleased with Carberryi anthias as they are nice looking, interesting, and peaceful.

 

[adikira]

Steve, one last question (well, at least for now till I plan to get new fish), if you remember I have 2 pairs of clowns (GSM and false percula ocellaris) - if I decide to keep the GSM pair and give up the false percula do you think I may still run into aggression issues with GSM towards other fish (I didn't see any so far except against the false percula) but I was told that GSM may be mean.

 

[snorvich]

Steve, one last question (well, at least for now till I plan to get new fish), if you remember I have 2 pairs of clowns (GSM and false percula ocellaris) - if I decide to keep the GSM pair and give up the false percula do you think I may still run into aggression issues with GSM towards other fish (I didn't see any so far except against the false percula) but I was told that GSM may be mean.

A mating pair of GSM will want to control at least 50 gallons of tank space. They will be aggressive towards other fish and to any hands in the tank.

 

[adikira]

A mating pair of GSM will want to control at least 50 gallons of tank space. They will be aggressive towards other fish and to any hands in the tank.

And the aggressiveness is not going to be an issue for the false percula, I understand?

 

[tomlow617]

Fish Plan

Fish Plan

"Fish I am interested in:

1) Yellow Eyed Kole
2) Flame Angel is preferred but caution is pushing me to Coral Beauty Angel neither dwarf angel is truly reef safe, especially towards "meaty" LPS corals
3) Mandarin Dragonnet"


Are there any dwarf angles that are **truly** reef safe and would mix w/ the other fish I am considering?