PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[Vesper6]

Correction: I read about the fallow period in a different thread, not the ich treatment one.

 

[snorvich]

- I had given my tank a fallow period of 9 weeks as per the ich treatment thread, which ends on 2/3. Yes, 9 weeks will give ;you a very high chance at wiping out the parasite; 12 weeks is 100% (I wrote the ich treatment thread)
- Yup I know about crabs and snails. I was wiilling to accept that risk when getting my CUC from reefcleaners. I'm planning on supplementing the snail population if necessary and have already been providing new shells for crabs. (I've seen some tiny dwarf ceriths they may have already reproduced.) that is extremely unlikely

As far as fish go:
- I had read the mystery wrasse will likely not coexist with shrimp, so I hadn't really planned on any. Will it not coexist with other fish ok? Sounds like the dottyback may be too aggressive though. mystery wrasses are aggressive towards fish as well. If that is your top priority, you will need to limit the other tank inhabitants; firefish are extremely passive and easily intimidated
- Multiple fish in quarantine: I was reading (thread here?) about some fish getting along better if introduced together, which is what got me on that line of thinking.

my recommendation is always one fish at a time for a variety of reasons: 1/ no intimation problems in a small tank 2/ no sharing of parasites or other diseases 3/ less ammonia management issues

 

[snorvich]

Correction: I read about the fallow period in a different thread, not the ich treatment one.

no problem, most threads are "quoting" my sticky threads on parasite treatment

 

[Dan90]

Bummer about the twin spot. I will substitute that fish with a blue spot watcher. Is the Twin Spot just hard for beginners or everyone. I guess my question is can a person be taught to keep this fish or is it just not suited to aquarium life.

 

[Vesper6]

What would you think about a carpenter's flasher wrasse? It still looks colorful but Liveaquaria lists it as very peaceful/shy. I could get it into the tank early on the stocking list as per your recommendation as most passive -> most aggressive fish.

 

[snorvich]

Bummer about the twin spot. I will substitute that fish with a blue spot watcher. Is the Twin Spot just hard for beginners or everyone. I guess my question is can a person be taught to keep this fish or is it just not suited to aquarium life.

In very large tanks with a large surface area of sand, usually with overhangs (they are cryptic) and ideally as a pair, it can be done. But they are very shy and eat from the sand bed primarily and they definitely need a very mature tank. They are considered difficult but not quite expert only.

 

[snorvich]

What would you think about a carpenter's flasher wrasse? It still looks colorful but Liveaquaria lists it as very peaceful/shy. I could get it into the tank early on the stocking list as per your recommendation as most passive -> most aggressive fish.

I can only answer that question with the entire planned stocking list and tank size. They are very active and normally would need about a 75 gallon tank; also no pseudochromis (dottybacks) or mystery wrasse.

 

[Dan90]

In very large tanks with a large surface area of sand, usually with overhangs (they are cryptic) and ideally as a pair, it can be done. But they are very shy and eat from the sand bed primarily and they definitely need a very mature tank. They are considered difficult but not quite expert only.

Thanks for the tip. I hate that the fish selling population makes so many fish sound like everyone should have it. Thank you again for being here to help us not make those mistakes.

 

[bwhite33]

In very large tanks with a large surface area of sand, usually with overhangs (they are cryptic) and ideally as a pair, it can be done. But they are very shy and eat from the sand bed primarily and they definitely need a very mature tank. They are considered difficult but not quite expert only.

Steve, is there a "standard" for what a mature sandbed consists of?

Thanks

 

[snorvich]

Steve, is there a "standard" for what a mature sandbed consists of?

Thanks

No standard per se, but generally 9 months is regarded as "mature". Success can also be increased with the introduction of "pod piles" which are piles of live rock rubble.

 

[cvsailer]

Should not be a problem but I would add it last; questions asked in other threads or forum do not pose a problem for me. The criteria I use are a little different than anecdotal evidence since I try to project whether a stocking list will be viable 5 years hence.

Steve, thank you for your response. Would you feel the same if I added a Bi-Color Angelfish or a Flameback Angel? Again, I would only be adding one Angel to the tank. I just want to see if you feel differently about the compatibility of the different angels with my current fish list. Finally, even before the Angel is added, do you see any potential issues with my fish list? I'm not experiencing any issues currently. Thanks again!

 

[ThisGuy12]

I intend to stock a 30 gallon bow front salt water tank with the following. Thoughts?

Fish

(2) Percula Clownfish
(1) Blue Regal Tang
(1) Emperor Angelfish Small
(1) CopperBand Butterfly
(6) Green Chromis

Crabs

(5) Scarlet Hermit Crab
(5) Blue Legged Hermit Crab
(1) Emerald Green Crab
(1) Porcelain Crab

Snails

(5) Nussarius Snail
(4) Mexican Turbo Snail
(4) Red Band Turbo Snail
(2) Olive Snail

Shrimp

(1) Sexy Shrimp
(1) Fire Shrimp

 

[bwhite33]

Thanks again. Would the pod piles be destroyed by jawfish?

 

[snorvich]

Steve, thank you for your response. Would you feel the same if I added a Bi-Color Angelfish or a Flameback Angel? Again, I would only be adding one Angel to the tank. I just want to see if you feel differently about the compatibility of the different angels with my current fish list. Finally, even before the Angel is added, do you see any potential issues with my fish list? I'm not experiencing any issues currently. Thanks again!

I can only answer that question with the entire planned stocking list and tank size. I do so many of these, I can never remember who is doing what. However issues do not always present themselves immediately. Sometimes they do, other times they present weeks, months down the road.

 

[snorvich]

I intend to stock a 30 gallon bow front salt water tank with the following. Thoughts?

Fish

(2) Percula Clownfish
(1) Blue Regal Tang needs a much larger tank
(1) Emperor Angelfish Small needs a much larger tank
(1) CopperBand Butterfly needs a larger tank
(6) Green Chromis will become one over time

Crabs

(5) Scarlet Hermit Crab
(5) Blue Legged Hermit Crab
(1) Emerald Green Crab
(1) Porcelain Crab

Snails if you have crabs, in the long run they will kill your snails

(5) Nussarius Snail
(4) Mexican Turbo Snail
(4) Red Band Turbo Snail
(2) Olive Snail

Shrimp not with large angelfish

(1) Sexy Shrimp
(1) Fire Shrimp

 

[snorvich]

Thanks again. Would the pod piles be destroyed by jawfish?

small rubble would be used eventually for structural supports but not if the pieces were too large for the jawfish to move

 

[Daenerys]

Addition to 2 Tomato clowns in 20 G reef

Addition to 2 Tomato clowns in 20 G reef

Hello,
I have at least 20 lbs of live rock, 2" sand,
Remora Skimmer
Fluval 105 filter
Lights 20" Odyssea 150 W HQI + 1 actinic LEDS
and a backup Odyssea with 4 flourescent bulbs/2 actinic

1 Turbo snail
1 emerald crab
2 Tomato clowns, 1 big = 2.5 X 1 small. She is kind of aggressive towards
the small guy, I'm trying to hand-feed the little one more so he'd grow up.
Some polyps and sponges.

Is there any fish I could add.
Not in a hurry, would like to find out my options
Thank you!

 

[snorvich]

Hello,
I have at least 20 lbs of live rock, 2" sand,
Remora Skimmer
Fluval 105 filter
Lights 20" Odyssea 150 W HQI + 1 actinic LEDS
and a backup Odyssea with 4 flourescent bulbs/2 actinic

1 Turbo snail
1 emerald crab
2 Tomato clowns, 1 big = 2.5 X 1 small. She is kind of aggressive towards
the small guy, I'm trying to hand-feed the little one more so he'd grow up.
Some polyps and sponges.

Is there any fish I could add.
Not in a hurry, would like to find out my options
Thank you!

Two tomato clowns will aggressively try to control 25-30 gallons of tank space so you will not be able to add any other fish. Oh, by the way, the little one is the male and she is dominating him prior to bonding hence the intimidation.

 

[Daenerys]

I know they are the pair

I know they are the pair

but she is too mean! worse than any dog I've seen and my dad has been hunting ducks forever.
She'd rather chase him off than eat herself.
She took the bigger&better cave too, and chases him off from the smaller one.
I shake my finger and snap fingers at her with "BeBe, no fighting!" (I used to chase her off with water splash by my hand) and she kind of goes behind the rocks, but the Little Guy is no better off. I can't be there all the time.

How would I know they are ready to mate? She will become nicer?
He will care for the brood anyway.
Where will they lay the eggs - rocks or the cave?
Is there anything I can do to tone down the violence...

Can I get some cleaner shrimp perhaps?

I got this tank setup recently on CL and I love it, just want her to mellow out

 

[SilverAvia]

This is for a 55 gallon tank with a 22 gallon sump

2 b&w ocellaris clown fish
1 helfrichi firefish
1 purple firefish
1 green mandarin I know to wait a year to put this guy in
1 yellow head jaw fish
3 yellowfish damselfish
1 Tanaka's pygmy wrasse