PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[kevin254]

90 gallon tank, 30 gallon sump, 30 gallon sump, 130 lb live rock.

Have:
1-blue damsel
1-tomato clown
1-foxface

would like to add:
1-orchid dottyback
1-coral beauty
1-purple tang
2-dragonettes-paired

My concerns are, will the purple tang get to big for my tank and is 2 dragonetts to many?

 

[kfisc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13122449#post13122449 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kevin254
90 gallon tank, 30 gallon sump, 30 gallon sump, 130 lb live rock.

Have:
1-blue damsel
1-tomato clown
1-foxface

would like to add:
1-orchid dottyback
1-coral beauty
1-purple tang
2-dragonettes-paired

My concerns are, will the purple tang get to big for my tank and is 2 dragonetts to many?

If your pod population is huge, and replenishes itself in a refugium, you may be OK with the dragonettes, but it's a gamble.

 

[PVChick12]

I really want to add a Scott's fairy wrasse to my tank, but I think I'm getting close to or already at my limit, tell me what you think...

My tank is a 60 gal display with a 30 gal sump thats filled to the brim with LR and a coralife ss 65.

Current inhabitants are:
Pair of clarkii clowns
Lunare wrasse
coral beauty
purple firefish
cleaner shrimp

who all live among a mostly mixed LPS tank thats been set up almost 16 months.

I feed a lot already because the female clown and wrasse are total fatties, but I also keep up on my 10 gal water change every week, sometimes a little more than that without fail and I test my nitrates a couple times a week as well and so far, so good.

So yay or nay on the Scott's fairy?


oh here is my tanks thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1443142

Thankssss
=]

 

[Sk8r]

Kevin, with the caveat about a 20g fuge, you're golden. I had a purple tang temporarily before a move, to clean up some caulerpa, and he and my mandy were pure love-fest, despite his fearsome rep. He taught her to eat mysis.

PVChick, The lunare/fairy wrasse combo worries me.
: Has anybody had 2 wrasses of that sort in his tank? This one I've never seen.

I do know the fairy wrasse is not a good combo with very small gobies (wrasses can be persistent and aggressive) but he'd be probably on the receiving end if the lunare took exception.

Tell you what i"d do if you can't get a good report: of course NEVER put store water in your tank, but float the bag containing the fairy wrasse in the tank. If the lunare attacks it, that's bad news, and you should have an agreement with the lfs that you could bring him back. If no interest, it'll probably be a territorial squabble or two on which you can turn out the lights and maybe solve it.
If you had no lunare, I'd say you could have the fairy wrasse, no problem at all. THat's the guy to watch.

 

[johnboy16]

(Just throwing around an idea)40 breeder- 20 long sump/fuge. about 70 pounds lr

2 percula clowns
potters angelfish
red head solon fairy wrasse
3 bangaii cardinals

Any suggestions on a cleanup?
shrimp, snails, hermitcrabs.....etc.

thanks guys

 

[Sk8r]

Johnboy, should work fine. I'd get a couple of peps, a variety of snails: the chestnut snails look promising: they're newish; nerites, turbos, no astraeas, unless you like picking them up and setting them back on the rock; and some ceriths and nerites. 2 nassarius. Bristleworms if you can thicken up the rock maze at some point so they can live there without the wrasse finding them; or just keep them in the fuge. And every variety of micro hermit you can lay hands on---but my personal favorite is the scarlets. Be sure you buy extra shells at the same time you buy the hermits. I just got some more myself today, and one changed shells 5 minutes after hitting the tank.

 

[smspring]

Nobody has any thoughts? I'll try this a third time....

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13099490#post13099490 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by smspring
Sk8r - great thread, thank you. I just noticed you live in Spokane. We moved here about 3 years ago, would love to see your setup.

Here is where I'm at today:

75 Gal
20 Gal sump
~90 lbs LR
2-4 in SB
tank about 5 months old

Currently have:
4 inch Yellow Tang
Orange spotted goby
Bi-Color Angel (until I decide to bait and hook him out)
Scott's Fairy Wrasse
Bi-Color Psueodchromis
Peppermint and Cleaner Shrimp
Variety of snails and hermits

Considering:
Pair of percula clowns
and/or
3 green/blue Chromies

Or am I max'd out now? If not, any other recommendations?

I plan on adding corals down the road... I know I'll need to get rid of the angel before I do that... dreading the thought though.

 

[Sk8r]

I'd say 3 small chromis (I prefer the blue phase of the bluegreens)---I'd skip the clowns for now, because they get fairly large for that tank, plus would take about 1/3 of it for their territory once mated. I found clowns in an otherwise nicely balanced community tank to be an ongoing struggle: nobody's dead, but ain't nobody happy, either, so long as they're running everybody out of their corner every 3 seconds.

Re corals, angels won't bother shrooms and some softies. So if you go that route you might be safe. Our lfs has a nice little angel in with xenia and shrooms completely untouched: you might ask there about your chances of keeping him.

Salutations to another Spokanite.

 

[smspring]

Thanks Sk8r.... I'll pass on the clowns. Good to know about the shrooms and softies. Which LFS are you referring to, Aquatic Dreams out on Pines?

 

[Sk8r]

Yep. I think what he has is a coral beauty in a tank with some impressive shrooms. He's taken down his own tank, fragged a huge lot of things, and you can get some amazing speciman pieces...but he's also got some tiny, tiny chromis that would start off pretty nicely in a tank and maybe avoid warfare for a while.

 

[stricknine]

I guess I should have run this through prior to my purchases but never saw the post so here it goes;

TANK: 24G cube, sand bed, 20lbs liverock, sponge/bio/carbon filters with 2x160gph pumps. 2 x 36W CF=1 x 10000k and one actinic

I recently added (not all at once);

- various snails and hermits
- emerald crab
- 2 skunk cleaners
- 2 benggai cardinals (one isnt doing very well at all)
- feather duster
- neon green torch
- blue bubble coral
- neon green star polyps

Looking to add soon;
- green clown goby
- royal gramma
- clownfish of some sort
- corals, mushrooms, open brain

Also looking for advice and ideas on any fish or coral that is colourful and somewhat hardy to add to my tank. I know I am very limited with a 24 gallon, but am already planning a larger build!

THANKS!

 

[Sk8r]

Clowns are going to push it with a 24. Get the very smallest species, perc or pink skunk. Do not get an anemone with that torch and bubble in the tank.
Keep the star polyp away from structural rock, away from any rock you're not willing to trade: it spreads and pushes other corals.

And you're now in the stony coral realm. Give that bubble 6 inches leeway downwind: its tentacles will reach that far at night, and sting.
Torch is a 'hot' coral, no sweeper tentacles, but hot, for sure. Get it up high and out of the way of other things. If you got percs, they might 'host' in this one, and it would not be a bad choice.

You're going to need: test and supplement for: 1. alkalinity dkh 2. calcium 3. magnesium. I recommend the Kent products. There are other good ones. Kent's usually easy to find, and I don't mix brands on this. Having different brand test kit ok. I use Salifert.

Get a logbook, any small notepad: knowing your numbers is important, and knowing them from the last test is priceless. That shows you the trend, the direction readings are moving...important!

Do 10% water change weekly.

Get an autotopoff system: autotopoff.com makes a good one. you don't want highs and lows of salinity wth this lot.
Use only ro/di water: And dose to get your water to read like this:
Salinity: 1.025.
Alkalinity: 8.3-9.3
calcium: 400-430
Mg: 3x whatever your calcium reads.
if alk and cal won't stay up, it's low mg.
That's a lot to keep up with at once! but it's what your stony corals eat.
You could have a really pretty tank going if you master the art of good water.

And don't get lulled because you test, test, test always the same. One day corals start eating and things start changing bigtime. Once that happens, come back and ask me about kalk.

oh! Never dose alk and cal in same 12 hr period. The consequences are a snowstorm of white and destabilization of your alk buffer. Real pita. Looks awful. Hard to get balance back.

PS: corals don't like nitrate or ammonia: any is bad, particularly ammonia. Get a few more lbs live rock (1-2 lbs per gallon is right load) and get rid of all sponges, filters, etc that trap debris: that causes nitrate rise and harms corals. Live rock/sand eats nitrate, gives off nitrogen gas, no harm.)

 

[2farNorth]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13125671#post13125671 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
Torch is a 'hot' coral, no sweeper tentacles, but hot, for sure. Get it up high and out of the way of other things.

The 'hot' part is for sure! but Just to clarify, Torch corals will send out sweeper Tentacles. I've seen them up to over 8", So keep that in mind also!!

Otherwise, great thread Sk8r!! Keep up the good work!

 

[Sk8r]

Yep---let's clarifY: sometimes I get too brief in trying to get things into digest form: torch can 'reach' quite far---it takes it a few days, but it can 'grow' its regular tentacles longer, and maybe even multiply the stinging cells in them to a higher level. They have a good reach of about 4" max, that I've found.
Other corals: bubble, brain, galaxia---have dedicated 'sweeper' tentacles that are ALWAYS ready, and can reach out 6" or so. You usually see them at night, when corals (while fish are asleep) reach out tentacles to feed. So they reach a bit farther and are more ready to do it, but are not as 'hot' as the hottest torch, for sure.
Another stony with a nasty night-habit is hydnophora: hot, and sort of ooches toward a neighbor prepared to try to digest the other guy. It's stony, but its tissue changes shape real easily.

The coral world is full of fascinating creatures, but do also wear medical examination gloves when handling these creatures: it's easier on them, and nicer to your hands, too. They dont' like to fire their nematocysts (stinging cells) f they have a choice: it wears them down.

 

[stricknine]

Thanks for all the great advice, but how does the fish list above look? Any potential problems there, and can someone suggest something nice I can add without problem?

Thanks!

 

[Sk8r]

Stricknine: your fish are fine, except I would advise against the clowns. They're territorial, they have teeth, and they can get real pushy.

Take a look at blennies and gobies, for one, or a fairy wrasse or flasher wrasse. Maybe a chalk basslet...though I am NOT sure how he would get along with the gramma, who is another basslet.

 

[Sk8r]

While I'm at it, let me talk about a very popular fish: clowns. I hate to deliver bad news, but Disney's sweet Nemo would be a real unusual clownfish. I very much enjoy watching them. I had a mated pair of clarkii who wanted my whole tank: I finally traded them in as a breeding pair to someone who had a very big tank for them---because they were terrifying my 4" long damsels and wreaking havoc in the tank, moving rock they didn't approve of and otherwise biting, killing corals they didn't want near their nem, and generally being pains. Cute, oh, Yes. But you really need to know what clownfish are, and they're not Disney plush toys. They're smart, bitey, pushy, and while I love them, I can say I've served my time having clown fish and am very glad they went on to have many, many, many, many, many babies. I saw a barrel of their offspring once, and it was a 32 g tub with enough clownfish to have supplied half the southwest.
So don't be downhearted: I think everybody should have their go at clowns. I'm just not sure they're a great 'first fish," and I'm very certain that maroons aren't---. Experienced handlers only and very determined clown-keepers, for those guys.
Sizes.
skunk clowns, get probably up to 3". http://www.reefhotspot.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21_30&products_id=104.
They're the mildest disposition of the lot, IMHO.
The percs: http://www.reefhotspot.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21_30&products_id=1025
About 3" and fairly moderate in disposition.
The ocellaris.
http://www.reefhotspot.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21_30&products_id=2744
About like the perculas.
The clarkii.
teeth, disposition; will bite the hand that feeds them, and will claim half your 100g tank. about 4".
http://www.reefhotspot.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21_30&products_id=935
the tomato
Now we're into serious aggression. fight a buzzsaw. Or you.
"bold disposition" is an understatement. I've put my hand in a tank with my piranha. The red clowns worry me.
http://www.reefhotspot.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21_30&products_id=2249. Beautiful but onery, and headed for large 4-5".
Maroons.
these go up to 5" inches, possibly more, and are a living terror to their tankmates. Have been known to grab intruding fish and stuff them in their anemone. http://www.reefhotspot.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21_30&products_id=789. They're magnificent to watch, but a mated pair want their own BIG tank, and you do not put your hand in without gloves.
Not kidding here.

 

[newB4life]

Hi all!
This is my first post. Gotta say this is a great forum-very informative and easy to nagivate.
I'm just starting up a 90 gallon reef ready with a sump, no fuge. Icecap 660, 4 T5s with individual reflectors, 2 sieo 820 powerheads, DAS BX-2 skimmer, 2" sand (half live), live and used-to-be-live rock. (Sorry if I'm not identifying items properly, I'm still learning.)

When it's ready, I will be moving over my 37-gallon tank inhabitants:
1 3" maroon clown (had since the beginning-hard as nails, not very aggressive really)
1 bangai cardinal (don't these need to be kept in groups?)
1 coral beauty (not aggressive)
1 six-line wrasse (not aggressive)
1 false percula clown
2 peppermint shrimp
1 serpent star
few hermits & snails

I would like to add:
6-7 blue reef chromis
1- flasher or fairy wrasse (something very colorful)
some kind of peaceful bright yellow fish- suggestions? (no tang, maybe a yellow watchman goby or midas blenny or yellow goby?)

Is this too many fish for a 90?

I am not really into corals right now, but may do some hardy types like polyps and mushrooms later on. Who knows, maybe the coral-bug will bite me!


My ammonia is currently at .25, nitrite at 0, and nitrate at 20. Tank was half full of water with a couple of dried up live rocks for 1 week, then life and dead sand added along with live and dried live rock, with Bacter boost added (I couldn't resist) for 1 week. I don't know if I'm at the beginning of my cycle or nearing the ending. I don't know how ya'll do it being so patient.

Any advice is appreciated on my lifestock selection and my cycling question, please!

 

[Sk8r]

I think you're ok with what you propose. I'd trim the chromis down to 3, for fear they will trim their own numbers (they're known for that). You're headed for your cycle end. How long it will take from here, not predictible>it's chemistry... But it should calm down soon. Right now you can do some useful things like stabilize your temperature with everything running; and if you don't have an ato (autotopoff) try to get one going. They're futzy,, but save your sanity.

And do some windowshopping on some of our sponsor sites, reading about fish and figuring who goes best with your plan. I happen to like the yellow watchman: he can go missing for months if he's annoyed by the population of the tank, but he's a hoot when he settles in and thinks he runs the tank. I'd avoid the yellow dottyback: dottybacks are fierce and clever---low cunning is the expression I use of them. The tiny yellow citron gobies are a spark of sunshine in a tank. There are many, many yellow fish out there. And you would be big enough for a yellow tang if they appeal to you. Blessings on you---ONE maroon can be lived with--- But two---much, much more difficult.

 

[jkrentz2515]

29 gallon Biocube with a CPR SR3 skimmer and LR rubble in the back. Have about 40 lbs of lr, and a 1.5-2 inch sandbed. Currently stocking a pair of ocellaris clowns and a firefish. I'm thinking about adding a Yellow Watchman Goby and a Pistol Shrimp.