RC Marine Fishes FAQ

[michellejy]

In the cardinal section, could you please add that Bangaii cardinals can only be kept singly unless they are a bonded/mated pair?

I also see the same question about adding groups of firefish, but you don't have a firefish section.

For clownfish, you may want to say it is usually best not to mix species unless they are from the same complex (i.e. a tomato and cinnamon can be combined as a pair, but a tomato will probably kill an ocellaris). Obviously, there are some exceptions, but that's how it generally goes.

 

[michellejy]

Oh, and maybe something in the damselfish section about not using a damsel to cycle your tank, although that may be best in the newbie forum.

 

[snorvich]

I would certainly agree with of these observations. Thanks Michelle!

 

[michellejy]

Oh, a couple more...

Copperband Butterflies will eat feather dusters and Christmas tree worms. (I see that question a lot too, but maybe I just read weird threads. :lol: )

Copperband butterflies and yellow tangs should generally not be mixed due to their similar body shape. (I've seen a lot of threads that say "Help! My yellow tang is attacking my CBB!" I also know someone personally who did this and nearly lost a healthy, eating CBB as a result.)

 

[MattL]

Michelle, those are all great. Because only a mod can make the changes, I will wait to amass a series of added questions and then request that the change be made.

Matt

 

[Joel A]

very nice... sticky for sure IMO.

One question however... when pertaining to Tangs... you say that they don't "stunt" like goldfish... why/how is this.

I don't have any firsthand experience with this specific topic, so i'm certainly not going to argue it, but i would think that tangs would stunt if kept in a small enough tank... (think of a hippo in a 30, or a sohal/unicorn in a 65... are they really going to grow to full potential?)

 

[mflamb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14572729#post14572729 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by michellejy
Copperband butterflies and yellow tangs should generally not be mixed due to their similar body shape. (I've seen a lot of threads that say "Help! My yellow tang is attacking my CBB!" I also know someone personally who did this and nearly lost a healthy, eating CBB as a result.)

Michelle, do you think color has something to do with it also? I have a large Purple Tang and a large CBB. They are almost always together. They seem to take turns following each other around with no agression.

 

[michellejy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14574175#post14574175 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mflamb
Michelle, do you think color has something to do with it also? I have a large Purple Tang and a large CBB. They are almost always together. They seem to take turns following each other around with no agression.

The only tang I've heard of harassing a CBB is the yellow tang, so I'm guessing it's a combination of color and shape.

 

[MattL]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14573182#post14573182 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Joander123
very nice... sticky for sure IMO.

One question however... when pertaining to Tangs... you say that they don't "stunt" like goldfish... why/how is this.

I don't have any firsthand experience with this specific topic, so i'm certainly not going to argue it, but i would think that tangs would stunt if kept in a small enough tank... (think of a hippo in a 30, or a sohal/unicorn in a 65... are they really going to grow to full potential?)

No, these fish would not stunt even in such small confines -- they would stress and die well before that.

While it is true that marine fish rarely reach the maximum reported size in captivity, they have evolved to live in an open water body, unlike a closed source like a pond.

Many freshwater fish use chemical signaling to control growth and prevent overcrowding. These fish emit a chemical signal. The higher the signal they in turn detect, the less they grow.

Saltwater fish would likely have no such adaptation, as chemical signaling would not be reliable in the open ocean (it would be infinitely diluted).

This was my understanding. I will hope that someone with more experience chimes in.

Matt

 

[agreeive?fish]

Please consider sections for

seahorses/pipefish

fish that will eat your prised little fishy such as groupers/lions/ect

odd ball stuff

eels

my2" blue throat trigger is mellow will the 15"queen trigger at the fish store be good tank mate

thanks in advance as i know this thread has taken a lot of work and time to put together

 

[g8gxp]

can you expand on the clownfish section? it seems like this is a pretty popular fish. also expand on why only pairs can be kept and how big the tank needs to be for multiple pairs. thanks!! great faq, keep up the good work!

 

[chilihedkc]

I am pretty new to this hobby and relish this kind of information. I want to do things correctly the first time to minimize investment in both money and losses of livestock. I had heard that Chromis were best kept in groups, and found in this thread the reason that I have lost a couple from an original group of five despite apparently great water quality. Any additions to this thread would be greatly appreciated by guys like me.

 

[BangkokMatt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14940295#post14940295 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chilihedkc
I am pretty new to this hobby and relish this kind of information. I want to do things correctly the first time to minimize investment in both money and losses of livestock. I had heard that Chromis were best kept in groups, and found in this thread the reason that I have lost a couple from an original group of five despite apparently great water quality. Any additions to this thread would be greatly appreciated by guys like me.

Water quality is of prime importance for all live stock. However, Chromis quickly form a hierarchy and then start to kill each other off. This is most likely the cause of your losses. Poor water quality would have shown with other fish as well.

 

[adtravels]

Good work all. Lets hope people read them.

 

[tpdpercula]

This is awesome!!!

 

[RegalAngel]

Re: Cardinal Fish

Re: Cardinal Fish

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14560953#post14560953 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MattL
(All sections by: BangkokMatt, MattL., SDguy, and snorvich.)

Q.: What is this about a cardinal fish that will school?
A.: No fish offered in the trade will school in captivity. Certain species may shoal or associate with one another. Apogon leptacanthus are reported to be some of the best shoaling fish in the hobby.

So, no SW fishes school? When I was younger and had FW fishes the zebra danios and neon tetras schooled nicely. Nothing colorful for SW fishes?

 

[BangkokMatt]

They may have loosely hung together but they certainly didn't school. No fish will (well..maybe coral cats) in a home aquaria.

 

[snorvich]

Actually, in a very large tank, I believe that glassy sweepers will "school" or at the least "shoal". The remainder, such as cardinals, will not really even shoal except when they are distressed (which hopefully is not the case)

 

[snorvich]

Re: Re: Cardinal Fish

Re: Re: Cardinal Fish

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15237378#post15237378 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RegalAngel
So, no SW fishes school? When I was younger and had FW fishes the zebra danios and neon tetras schooled nicely. Nothing colorful for SW fishes?

Actually, those fresh water fishes also did not "school"; they will loosely shoal.

 

[OceanDweller]

I don't know if its just me but chromis seem to knock each other off pretty frequently. Cardinals though not colorful seem to group together well.

Think about freshwater fish and how you see quite a few tanks around the 55 gallon range with a ton of fish and the fish growth is not out of control. It is extremely hard to replicate that in SW and usually only with a insanely huge external water volume like say a 100 gallon with 500 gallons total water volume.

On a side note many shoaling type fish and other fish like tangs are kept in small tanks 20 gallons or less in groups at LFS for quick sales. I think this is one of the biggest contributors to death in the hobby outside unknowable LFS staff due to new hobbyists thinking these fish can be kept in the same size tanks or some that are just a little bit larger.