PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[Sk8r]

Right on, KarlBob.

 

[mindytoy]

yeah i got some margaritas, turbos, and astrios...

those turbos get huge! the biggest ones were the turbos and there the size of maybe a quarter the other ones like nickles. the hermits got straight to work! finally something new to look at instead of algea and copods and feather dusters/ sponges lol

 

[kfisc]

Has anyone mentioned how lionfish eat inverts? I had a P. Volitans for about a year; goodbye whatever part of the cleanup crew it could make into a fast gulp, including stomatella snails. An amazing, spirited fish to keep, though.

 

[Sk8r]

Kfisk, if you could provide MindyToy some real specifics on the dwarf lion, it would be a real benefit.

When you get inverts you value and end up with something that eats them, the sump is a good place for your inverts.

(I love stomatellas.)

 

[kfisc]

Well, I tried keeping a dwarf lion, but traded it within a couple of weeks because it wound up being a much too fussy eater; so my experience is quite limited there.

 

[raen]

This is GREAT!!!!! Nice thread, tons of info so far, and I'm sure we will learn TONS & TONS more! Thanks for the thread!

 

[Sk8r]

You're welcome. If I can get a number of people with experience to chime in on this, I hope it can be helpful to people trying to "do it right." Best advice I still have is "Google the fish name" and get details.

 

[raen]

The nice thing is, not only do you get great help, but , I have found that sometimes when you are researching a fish/coral/invert, it is tough to find an answer on the net. it is great to hear from someone who knows what the heck they are talking about. thanks again.

 

[tewkes]

Ok here's my fishlist for my very near upgrade

The tank will be a 150 gallon deep dimension cube 36"x36x27. Approx. 150+lbs of live rock, 50+sump with fuge, ASM G-3 skimmer, 4 koralia #3s, plus the return (mag 9.5). I will eventually upgrade the koralias to a vortec or similar product. Lighting will be (2) 4 bulb tek fixtures t-5ho 8X39watts total.


(current residents that will be put in the upgrade.)
2 occ. clowns (pair)
1 Royal Gramma
1 midas blenny
1 lubbocks fairy wrasse


wish list in addition to fish above.

3 lyretail anthias
2 bluethroat triggers (male/female)
1 sand sifting goby/pistol combo
1 tang (kole size) maybe?

This will be a mixed reef with sps up high, lps in the middle and zoas, etc..near the bottom.

How does this look, any potential clashes?

 

[Sk8r]

Ok, I'm going to appeal for tang experts here. but your anthias should be ok: dunno about the triggers (help!); I'd recommend a yellow watchman with tiger pistol up to a diamond goby (bigtime sand movement)...conch not safe with triggers. Shrimp maybe not safe with triggers *(Those blighters think crustaceans are snacks)* and may eat same. The kole should do nicely,

 

[tewkes]

Thanks, I had a bluethroat in the past and it was a model citizen (didn't eat inverts, coral, etc..)

 

[Rustylugnuts]

Here's my fish question. How will a magenta dottyback (P. porphyrea) do as a community fish? I just got one for about a third the price of an orchid dotty back and he/she is doin great in quarantine (chowin mysids the night it came home).It looks as if the reviews are mixed, some play well with others some end up as the school yard bully. Right now its the only fish I have but once the 40 is cycled I plan on adding a handful of other fish (not sure exactly what yet, open to suggestions). Anyone have experience with this critter?

 

[Sk8r]

Far as I know, the dottyback is a close relative of the wolf eel, and will be a PITA to small fish. I would say with the dottyback, consider fairy wrasses and the like, because they will hold their own.

 

[FranktheTankTx]

Ok, I'll play.

54g corner... well it's all in my signature. 40 - 60lbs LR & 1 - 1.5" sand bed.

I am considering adding the following:

Clean up Crew

2 Mexican Turbo
10 Cerith
10 Astrea
10 Nassarious
1 Sand Sifting Cucumber
5 Blue Leg Hermit (very tiny)
5 Scarlet Hermit
1 Electric Blue Hermit
1 Coral Banded Shrimp (or a Cleaner or Fire Shrimp)

Fish

2 - Twin Spot Gobies
1 - Bi Color Blenny
1 - Fridmani Psuedo (or Dwarf Angel if I dare to risk w/ reef tank)
1 - Tomato Clown or Black & White Ocellaris

Corals

Zoo's
Ric's
Acropora

Misc

Clams
Seabae Anenome

Undecided

Emerald Crab (1)
Hawaiin Zebra Hermit (2 or 3)
Brittle Star (1)

 

[Rustylugnuts]

Far as I know, the dottyback is a close relative of the wolf eel, and will be a PITA to small fish. I would say with the dottyback, consider fairy wrasses and the like, because they will hold their own.

Hmm I wanna keep this one but I also want a peaceful tank. My wife wants a nano anyway so this beauty may get a 20L to share with a sexy shrimp and some softies. Thanks for the info:spin1:.

 

[SoCalSURFrider]

Alright My tank: 210g, 400lbs live rock, 100lbs live sand, 3 400w MH w/ 2 160w actinic VHOs, 60g sump w/30g Refugium, Filter sock, Protein skimmer, UV, Activated carbon, CA reactor... Pretty much ready for anything.... Have Lots of room in tank still...

Fish I have now:
- 1 percula clown
- 1 blue tang
- 7 green chromis

My overall plan is to have a HUGE mixed reef and with a decent amount of fish....

I would like suggestions for what is possible for my tank.... This is my first SW...There are pics of my tank somewhere on this site...

 

[Jay1982]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13097348#post13097348 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rustylugnuts
Here's my fish question. How will a magenta dottyback (P. porphyrea) do as a community fish? I just got one for about a third the price of an orchid dotty back and he/she is doin great in quarantine (chowin mysids the night it came home).It looks as if the reviews are mixed, some play well with others some end up as the school yard bully. Right now its the only fish I have but once the 40 is cycled I plan on adding a handful of other fish (not sure exactly what yet, open to suggestions). Anyone have experience with this critter?

If you want your tank to be peaceful, the dottyback should not be the first one in your tank, he'll claim it as his own.

 

[aprosody]

We have a 72 Gallon Bowfront & a 15 Gallon Sump. We are planning on having a 5 Gallon Refugium, 80 lbs of live rock, 3 inch sandbed, in sump skimmer (still undecided on which one, money will play a factor in this), 2 X 54W HO T5's w/ 4 X 65W PC and LED Moonlights.


Fish & Inverts

15 Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab
10 Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab
10 Turbo Snails
3 Peppermint Shrimp
Six Line Wrasse
Yellow Watchman Goby
Pistol Shrimp
3 Spotted Cardinalfish
Maybe some Clowns w/addition of an anemone
Whitecheek Tang (Will be moved in about a year)

Also planning on some zoos and mushrooms. Will have some more softies, just haven't decided which ones.

Any conflicts here? We've tried to do as much research as possible, but you can never guarantee the information that you find. Any help is appreciated!

 

[Lemeshianos]

115 gallons, 26 gallon sump/refugium, Aqua Medic Turboflotor T1000 Protein Skimmer with Ocean Runner 2700 pump, SpectraPure Maxpure 60 GPD RO/DI System, 4 Hydor Koralia 2 Circulation Pump/Powerhead UL 600 gph, Eheim 1262 Pump for return.

lights will be basic lighting(not enough for any coral except maybe mushrooms) until I upgrade to metal halide.

I will be getting 50 lb of live rock initially.

I need some cleaning crew first and then some fish for beginners.
I would like to keep clown fish and a yellow tang at sometime.

 

[Sk8r]

ANGELS: I'd say a small angel is probably safe with zoos and rics, but the minute there's acropora, he's liable to discover they're edible. Most softies, if you handle them, make your hands smell not so good, which probably argues for how they taste. Acros don't leave that scent, they're alive, and they just may smell good to angels, who in the wild make their living by cruising down the reef taking a piece of this and that coral. in the reef, it may even be a useful habit to the coral.

unfortunately in our tanks, they reach the wall and start over again. And again.

This goes for many nippers. in the reef, no problem, in our tanks, big problem.

And big angels, parrots, filefish, etc. do big damage fast.