Stock List - 90 Gal - New to the Hobby

[aandfsoccr04]

so why exactly do you guys say that the deep water anthias such as borbonius and ventralis are difficult to keep? Is it more about finding a healthy one than anything else?

 

[MrTuskfish]

so why exactly do you guys say that the deep water anthias such as borbonius and ventralis are difficult to keep? Is it more about finding a healthy one than anything else?

First, its difficult to just catch and get them to the surface; where water temps, pressure, lighting, etc. is much different than they're used to.Divers must stop to handle pressure changes as they come to the surface with the fish (fish get the ''bends'' too).Then there are a couple of choices Try to acclimate them to the lower light and higher water temps of the home reef, or use a chiller with subdued lighting in an attempt to duplicate their natural environment. I assume the changes on a fish's innards at the lower pressure is a very tough adjustment too. Compared to shallower water fish, this is a lot of "ifs" . There are other concerns, that vary by species too. Getting any wild fish to adapt to captivity is quite an accomplishment (IMO); changing their entire environment, which they have spent countless years adapting to, is really tough. BTW, I tried a few times over several years ( quite a while ago) to keep ventralis anthias and failed. I've never kept a borbonius anthias; but from everything I'e read & heard, they aren't quite as tough to keep as the ventralis. (Although not a fish for everyone.)

 

[snorvich]

Yes, decompression is a major factor. Some fish are decompressed in stages, but most are pinned. Sometimes there are issues with that which are evidenced with swim bladder problems. Deep water is a different set of issues than normal water fish.

 

[gr3]

Dear Hly2004 - I have been keeping saltwater fish for a little over four years and about 30 years experience freshwater. I am by no means an expert; however, my advice based on my experience would be to set up your tank and let it run and settle down for awhile, testing the water frequently, then slowly stock with hardy beginners fish. Get a book by Robert Fenner or Scott Michael that rates the difficulty of keeping reef fishes. Those guys are probably "expert." Follow their advice or not. I wish you good luck and happy reefing.

 

[reefjunkie42]

in this hobby knowledge is king, you need to get a better hands on understanding of the chemical make up of seawater, also sps coral is the harded and most unforgiving to keep in terms of proper peramiters. Id wait until trying to hard expensive species like the ones youve listed above. your looking at 800 in fairies alone. not to mention the anthias. and if you read up on anthias and wrasses together(rudie kuiter's book gairy and rainbow wrasses and their relatives) will often lead to issues, as they both feed on the same things in the wild, there can become competition and usually ends with outbreaks of ich. also skip the tang completely. Read the tang primer!! try easier species first... so if they die you wont lose a G.

 

[reefjunkie42]

and btw SD guy and snorvich know fish and SW tanks in general. your post count dosent matter, what your saying matters. and they are saying the right things. Id listen of kiss your hard earned cash goodbye! we were all in your shoes , heck im still an amature but is the learning that I yearn for.

 

[hly2004]

@MrTuskfish, Snorvich, gr3, reefjunkie42

Thanks for the tips/advice. Your comments did not fall on deaf ears. I think sometimes conveying through forums can sometimes lead to misunderstandings in tonality of voice. Not sure if you guys thought I was going to just dump these fish in after 1-2 days of cycling =o.

I'm re-evaluating a bunch of stuff. Might change the 90g to a 125g to give myself more room. Also re-evaluating the stock list based on your recommendations.

@reefjunkie42: My two favorite species are anthias and wrasses. Do you keep any anthias in your wrasse dominated reef?

 

[aandfsoccr04]

This has been a very informative thread. I was strongly considering the ventralis after reasearching for a while but might skip out on them since they seem to do better in large groups and I don't have quite that big of tank. However, the borbonius I am still very interested in. They are deepwater species as well so can one of you all elaborate on why the borbonius might be easier to keep than the ventralis? Do they just adapt easier? They just do better as a single than if you were to keep a ventralis as a single?