PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[Nina51]

steve, what is your opinion on keeping a common cleaner wrasse? liveaquaria says "expert only" but i kept one in my 125g many years ago and i had it for a couple of years until i tore the tank down.

 

[snorvich]

steve, what is your opinion on keeping a common cleaner wrasse? liveaquaria says "expert only" but i kept one in my 125g many years ago and i had it for a couple of years until i tore the tank down.

The African endemic ones are nearly bullet proof. The Indonesian ones, a luck of the draw. If you have sufficient clients (not all fish will allow cleaning), they work fine, if you have few, they tend to drive the fish a bit nutty. African ones eat most anything. But remember, they do not eat parasites (at least not those that we find in our aquaria) My African one is going on five years.

 

[jlessary]

You will have to forgive me, but going back between posts is not feasible for me. I do thousands of these and just cannot remember any post previously posted. So for questions, I need the tank and specs, and the potential stocking. I am going to hope that this is what you are asking about.


Amended fish list based on what the LFS has.

- 1 Ocellaris Clownfish
- 1 Lemonpeel Angelfish
- 3 Blue/Green Reef Chromis will become only one
- 3 FireFish Goby (red tail white head) will become only one
- Tank cleaning crew
3 Snails
1 or 2 Feather Duster
1 Scarlet Skunk Shrimp

Let me know what ya'll think.

Equipment

- 266 liter (~ 70 gal) Glass overflow style tank (90cm x 45cm x 60cm)
- ~31 gal sump 3 chamber
- Coralife Super Skimmer with Pump
- Miracle Mud refuge (looking to possibly add Maiden's Hair Plant (Chlorodesmis sp.) since it is the only macro-algae type I can get at the LFS.
- Hydor 740 Universal Pump - 740 gph - Original Seltz L40
- Coralife Lunar Aqualight High Output T5 Quad Lamp Fixture
- Hydor Koralia Magnum Circulation Pump
- Cooler (not sure of the specs was sold to me by the fish store. The part I could read said up to 700gal I believe)

Substrate

- Approx. 15 kg (~33 lbs) live rock
- Natures Ocean Live Aragonite Reef Sand (180 lbs w/ 16 lbs of reef substrate)


Steve this is my equipment and the purposed fish list. Just wanting thoughts. One of the locals (next door neighbor) has had a tank with 3 chromis in it for 5 years now... for the price it might be worth trying.

 

[snorvich]

Equipment

- 266 liter (~ 70 gal) Glass overflow style tank (90cm x 45cm x 60cm)
- ~31 gal sump 3 chamber
- Coralife Super Skimmer with Pump
- Miracle Mud refuge (looking to possibly add Maiden's Hair Plant (Chlorodesmis sp.) since it is the only macro-algae type I can get at the LFS.
- Hydor 740 Universal Pump - 740 gph - Original Seltz L40
- Coralife Lunar Aqualight High Output T5 Quad Lamp Fixture
- Hydor Koralia Magnum Circulation Pump
- Cooler (not sure of the specs was sold to me by the fish store. The part I could read said up to 700gal I believe)

Substrate

- Approx. 15 kg (~33 lbs) live rock
- Natures Ocean Live Aragonite Reef Sand (180 lbs w/ 16 lbs of reef substrate)


Steve this is my equipment and the purposed fish list. Just wanting thoughts. One of the locals (next door neighbor) has had a tank with 3 chromis in it for 5 years now... for the price it might be worth trying.

I can only tell you that for many (most) people it does not work out. Perhaps you will be an exception.

 

[Nina51]

The African endemic ones are nearly bullet proof.

the one i had before ate anything i put in the tank. is a 75g too small for one? i'm not even necessarily looking for it to clean the fish (although that would be a big plus), i just love the way they swim so gracefully.

 

[snorvich]

the one i had before ate anything i put in the tank. is a 75g too small for one? i'm not even necessarily looking for it to clean the fish (although that would be a big plus), i just love the way they swim so gracefully.

No. The fish I would be concerned with keeping with one would be a dragonet of any kind, but especially a mandarin, or firefish. They can be too easily intimidated. But if you like that swimming style, one of the flasher wrasses would float your boat.

 

[hunterisgreat]

I was looking at a 6"-8" Atlantic Chain Moray Eel. I know it can grow to 24"... how fast does it grow? If well fed, does it leave other tankmates alone? How small of fish/crustaceans will it eat (as compared to say, an angler/scorpion fish that will eat something half its own size)?

 

[snorvich]

I was looking at a 6"-8" Atlantic Chain Moray Eel. I know it can grow to 24"... how fast does it grow? If well fed, does it leave other tankmates alone? How small of fish/crustaceans will it eat (as compared to say, an angler/scorpion fish that will eat something half its own size)?

I am so sorry, but I don't provide analysis of aggressive fish in community tanks. We have an aggressive fish forum where many answers to this type of question are available.

 

[shermanator]

I have an updated list I'd like to get your opinion on. 55 gal DT, 6 gal HOB fugue stocked with tons of pods and chaeto, HOB skimmer, HOB power filter.

CUC is snails + cleaner shrimp + emerald crab (at least for the time being to help with bubble algae).

1. 2 x ocellaris clowns (currently in QT, moving to DT next week)
2. helfrichi firefish (currently in QT for another 3 weeks)
3. 3 x ORA black cardinal fish (these will arrive from Diver's Den and go into QT next week)
4. Clown goby
5. Gold assessor
6. flameback angel (if all is going well 12 months from now)

I still don't have a good feel for how many fish I can have (thankfully we have you), so let me know if I'm pushing it with the list above. I would probably remove the clown goby and/or gold assessor from the list If it's too much load for 55 gal.

I also admit to not knowing much about angels, but I love the look and LiveAquaria suggests a flame back can do okay in 55 gal. I would't add that until sometime in late 2014 or early 2015.

Thanks so much!

 

[ddrueckh]

60 Cube 24X24X24
45lbs Fiji Live Rock
3" Sand
20 Tall Sump
Skimmer
Dual Reactor with Carbon and GFO

2 True Percula Clowns (already in a smaller tank for 3 1/2 years to be moved to the 60)
1 Six Line Wrass (already in a smaller tank for 3 1/2 years to be moved to the 60)
5 Green Chromis
2 Banggai Cardinal (tank raised M/F?)
1 Yellow Watchman goby with Pistol Shrimp
1 Purple Headed Firefish
1 Blue Dot or Yellow Head Jaw Fish

Misc Snails
Urchin
Brittle Star

 

[snorvich]

I have an updated list I'd like to get your opinion on. 55 gal DT, 6 gal HOB fugue stocked with tons of pods and chaeto, HOB skimmer, HOB power filter.

CUC is snails + cleaner shrimp + emerald crab (at least for the time being to help with bubble algae).

1. 2 x ocellaris clowns (currently in QT, moving to DT next week)
2. helfrichi firefish (currently in QT for another 3 weeks)
3. 3 x ORA black cardinal fish (these will arrive from Diver's Den and go into QT next week)
4. Clown goby
5. Gold assessor
6. flameback angel (if all is going well 12 months from now)

I still don't have a good feel for how many fish I can have (thankfully we have you), so let me know if I'm pushing it with the list above. I would probably remove the clown goby and/or gold assessor from the list If it's too much load for 55 gal.

I also admit to not knowing much about angels, but I love the look and LiveAquaria suggests a flame back can do okay in 55 gal. I would't add that until sometime in late 2014 or early 2015.

Thanks so much!

You are pushing it a bit but not a lot. No behavioral issues but the flame back angel is mildly aggressive.

 

[snorvich]

60 Cube 24X24X24
45lbs Fiji Live Rock
3" Sand
20 Tall Sump
Skimmer
Dual Reactor with Carbon and GFO

2 True Percula Clowns (already in a smaller tank for 3 1/2 years to be moved to the 60)
1 Six Line Wrass (already in a smaller tank for 3 1/2 years to be moved to the 60) will be a problem, most likely with a firefish, at the least
5 Green Chromis will become only one over time
2 Banggai Cardinal (tank raised M/F?)
1 Yellow Watchman goby with Pistol Shrimp
1 Purple Headed Firefish
1 Blue Dot or Yellow Head Jaw Fish the blue spot requires cooler temperatures, the yellow head is excellent

Misc Snails
Urchin
Brittle Star not green

 

[ddrueckh]

Thank you, Steve. Why not a green Brittle Star?

 

[snorvich]

Thank you, Steve. Why not a green Brittle Star?

They eat fish. And are very adept at doing so.

 

[Nina51]

No. The fish I would be concerned with keeping with one would be a dragonet of any kind, but especially a mandarin, or firefish. They can be too easily intimidated. But if you like that swimming style, one of the flasher wrasses would float your boat.

i have no plans for any kind of dragonet. i bookmarked the carpenter's flasher wrasse months ago so thanks, good to know something like that would work!

you rock, steve!! :bounce1:

 

[snorvich]

i have no plans for any kind of dragonet. i bookmarked the carpenter's flasher wrasse months ago so thanks, good to know something like that would work!

you rock, steve!! :bounce1:

Thanks Nina! Ironically, the fish that uses my cleaner wrasses services most is my matted filefish. I would never have predicted that.

 

[Nina51]

the interactions are fascinating, aren't they!? my skunk cleaner has selected a power head for his cleaning station. unless he's chasing food around the tank, he sits on it pretty much all day. only the royal gramma gets close enough, i have never seen either clown approach him.

 

[snorvich]

the interactions are fascinating, aren't they!? my skunk cleaner has selected a power head for his cleaning station. unless he's chasing food around the tank, he sits on it pretty much all day. only the royal gramma gets close enough, i have never seen either clown approach him.

Clownfish will not allow cleaning nor will mandarins and some other fish. Yes, interactions are fascinating. Back in my diving days I let cleaner shrimp clean my teeth; yours will likely clean your hand if you allow it.

 

[Nina51]

that's hilarious! oh yeah, every time i'm working in the tank, my hand gets a good going over.

 

[cichlid guy5292]

would these get along in a group of 2 or 3 each in a 125 gallon tank

royal basslet gramma,
strawberry basslet,
diadema basslet,
yellow assessor basslet,
yellowtail blue damsel,
blue gudgeon goby

and are any of these the same breed just sold under different names they did have different pics