In need of a fish list.

jmbr0828

jmbr0828

Member
Hey guys, I recently decided to change from a FOWLR to a reef tank. Right now my current set up is:
55gal w/overflow
25g fuge
Rena xp2 canister
Seaclone 100 skimmer
2 powerheads, 1 Maxijet w/koralia conversion, 1 koralia which doesn't seem to put out much flow, thinking of replacing it.
About 55-70 lb live rock
1 custom LED set up.
So far all I have is 1 large maroon gold stripe clown, about 15 snails, 2 peppermint shrimp.
My corals are 1 frogspawn frag
1 big umbrella leather
1 green mushroom rock w/6 mushrooms
1 big colt
I was wondering what kind of fish I should add? I would like to have a peaceful tank, and every other fish I have added over the years, I really haven't had any aggression isseus othe than the maroon clown and a ocellaris clown who ended on the floor :(
I was thinking of seeing If I could get another maroon clown. Maybe they could breed?
I know I am kinda limited on fish, but I would like to have a couple of medium sized, active guys.
What do you guys think about:
1 more maroon clown
2 dispar anthias
1 coral beauty, flame, OR half black angelfish
1 pink spotted goby
1 mandarin goby ( i know the food requirements)
2-3 royal dottybacks
1 Flame hawk
I am open to any other suggestions
I would like to know what kind of corals I should get, I am starting off kinda slow and getting more difficult corals as I see fit.
 
jmbr0828

jmbr0828

Member
Heres the tank
And here's some closeups of the corals.

They are all new (within a couple of weeks) so they are not fully open.
I am thinking of getting some zoos. I just saw those blue hornets and fell in love.
What other corals should I get?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmbr0828 http:///forum/thread/385079/in-need-of-a-fish-list#post_3375798
Hey guys, I recently decided to change from a FOWLR to a reef tank. Right now my current set up is:
55gal w/overflow
25g fuge
Rena xp2 canister
Seaclone 100 skimmer
2 powerheads, 1 Maxijet w/koralia conversion, 1 koralia which doesn't seem to put out much flow, thinking of replacing it.
About 55-70 lb live rock
1 custom LED set up.
So far all I have is 1 large maroon gold stripe clown, about 15 snails, 2 peppermint shrimp.
My corals are 1 frogspawn frag
1 big umbrella leather
1 green mushroom rock w/6 mushrooms
1 big colt
I was wondering what kind of fish I should add? I would like to have a peaceful tank, and every other fish I have added over the years, I really haven't had any aggression isseus othe than the maroon clown and a ocellaris clown who ended on the floor :(
I was thinking of seeing If I could get another maroon clown. Maybe they could breed?
I know I am kinda limited on fish, but I would like to have a couple of medium sized, active guys.
What do you guys think about:
1 more maroon clown
2 dispar anthias
1 coral beauty, flame, OR half black angelfish
1 pink spotted goby
1 mandarin goby ( i know the food requirements)
2-3 royal dottybacks
1 Flame hawk
I am open to any other suggestions
I would like to know what kind of corals I should get, I am starting off kinda slow and getting more difficult corals as I see fit.

Maroon clowns are mean and it has had the tank as it's own space so you are going to have problems with anything you add. Also you can only have 1 dottyback per tank OR not AND only 1 royal gramma
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
+1 indeed the dottybacks and gamma will prob fight unless u have like a 180gal lol
most fish arent very nice to other fish that are their shape,colors,size...ect. and most carnivor fish are pretty terittorial imo lol sry bout the spelling i heard theres spell check on here but idk?!?!
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmbr0828 http:///forum/thread/385079/in-need-of-a-fish-list#post_3375798
So far all I have is 1 large maroon gold stripe clown, about 15 snails, 2 peppermint shrimp.
My corals are 1 frogspawn frag
1 big umbrella leather
1 green mushroom rock w/6 mushrooms
1 big colt
I was wondering what kind of fish I should add? I would like to have a peaceful tank, and every other fish I have added over the years, I really haven't had any aggression isseus othe than the maroon clown and a ocellaris clown who ended on the floor :( How long has this maroon been on its own in the tank? They're very territorial fish. It's definitely not going to accept a different species of clownfish, this is a no-no in almost any tank under 180G, and even then, Maroons are tough.
I was thinking of seeing If I could get another maroon clown. Maybe they could breed? This depends on how long she's been on her own and even then it might not work. Maroons pair up best if added together. Once one has been in the tank and established territory, it's very hard to pair them again. It's more likely that she'll beat on a new clown. If you really want a pair, I'd trade her in for two new, smaller clowns and grow them out together to form a pair. Once they're comfortable and reach maturity, they should start spawning. My pairs usually take about 2 1/2 years to start spawning.
I know I am kinda limited on fish, but I would like to have a couple of medium sized, active guys.
What do you guys think about:
1 more maroon clown
2 dispar anthias These can be a tough anthias. Really observe the specimens and make sure they're eating before you buy them.
1 coral beauty, flame, OR half black angelfish The half black is NOT considered a reef safe angelfish. I would not risk it, especially since you have soft corals in your tank. I could almost guarantee that it will nip at them. The Coral Beauty would be your best option.
1 pink spotted goby
1 mandarin goby ( i know the food requirements)
2-3 royal dottybacks This probably won't work in your size tank. Yes, Royal Gramma's can school if added together, but it usually doesn't work, especially in smaller tanks. I'm going to assume that you're talking about the BiColor Dottyback, which is sometimes referred to as a Royal Dottyback though. These guys are aggressive. They're small little fish, but mean as hell, especially to it's own kind. You're only going to be able to have one dottyback, don't even try and mix different types. They also need to be watched with shrimp. My dottyback has a taste for skunk cleaner shrimp.
1 Flame hawk Again, watch with shrimp. Also can be very aggressive towards gobies, and this could post a potential problem to the Pink Spot and the Mandarin. IMO, Flame's are not good fish for reef tanks.
>
I am open to any other suggestions
I would like to know what kind of corals I should get, I am starting off kinda slow and getting more difficult corals as I see fit.
My concern is the fish you're choosing. Many of them are aggressive (the maroon, flame hawk and dottyback) and are pinned against the peaceful Dispar Anthias. This may pose a problem. The dwarf angels are also usually semi-aggressive, and when placed with other aggressive fish, they become more aggressive themselves.
I'd recommend getting rid of your maroon clown and getting a young pair of Ocellaris or Percula clowns.
2 Clowns
1 Coral beauty angelfish
1 flasher or fairy wrasse (go with something red maybe to replace the loss of the Flame Hawk)
2 Dispar Anthias (you could go with three possibly if you didn't do one or two of the other fish)
1 Pink Spot Goby
1 Blenny (tail spot, or bi color would be ideal - don't underestimate these fish, they have awesome personalities and quickly become reef keeps favorite fish)
1 Mandarin
1 Royal Gramma or FRIDMANI Dottyback (this is the only one that is peaceful)
^This would be a more suitable and peaceful tank. If you swap out the royal dottyback for the royal gramma, you'll have the same colorings, but potentially a much more peaceful fish.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

I hate to be the broken record, but these books will save you lots of money and grief. I added a page so you can see the info they have in them.

 
jmbr0828

jmbr0828

Member
Wow guys, thanks for all the replies. That's why I'm glad I checked on the forums. I've only had the one incident with the clown, where it picked on the ocellaris clown. Other than that, this fish seems to love the company. Never had any aggression issues after that, wether it be tangs, angels, anthias or anything. I know because a have had all of these fish and used to have poor maintenence habits, or it was stupid mistakes that killed everything else. My wife won't let me get rid of the clown due to the fact that she has lived through all of that, and we;ve had her for 3+years. I think I might try adding another Maroon, and be ready to take it out at the first sign of aggression. My LFS is getting another shipment this week, so I'll see what they get in.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

Moving rocks around so the maroon loses sight of personal territory might help. Be sure to use a quarantine tank for the new guys...save you some headaches.
 
jmbr0828

jmbr0828

Member
Oh yeah, I googled all of those fish, wife is happy. Now I have another question. How about inverts? I would like to get a bubble anemone, as my clown has tried hosting with my umbrella, and my frogspawn.
My possible invert list would be:
1-2 Cleaner shrimp
5-10 Scarlet Hermits
Maybe an urchin, dont know if the tank us big enough
1 Starfish, unsure of what type.
1 Crab of some sort
2-3 camelback shrimp
Also open to any suggestions, I would like to get into clams at some point, need to make sure I can keep corals and such first.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmbr0828 http:///forum/thread/385079/in-need-of-a-fish-list#post_3376000
Oh yeah, I googled all of those fish, wife is happy. Now I have another question. How about inverts? I would like to get a bubble anemone, as my clown has tried hosting with my umbrella, and my frogspawn.
My possible invert list would be:
1-2 Cleaner shrimp
5-10 Scarlet Hermits
Maybe an urchin, dont know if the tank us big enough
1 Starfish, unsure of what type.
1 Crab of some sort
2-3 camelback shrimp
Also open to any suggestions, I would like to get into clams at some point, need to make sure I can keep corals and such first.
Urchins are algae eaters for very mature tanks with tons of algae, then they starve. In a new tank under 3 months...1 month before death.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
correct not yet...anenomes are for tanks at least 6 months old as well. The crab could be an emerald and the starfish could be a sea serpeant like a brittle or banded star...the cleaner shrimps could be skunks, fireshrimp, or i think the camels will clean fish and rock but idk????!?!! o no i think that pepermints
 
jmbr0828

jmbr0828

Member
The tank has been up and running since christmas. In fact, we were having a christmas party at our house, and I came downstairs that morning and found my old tank cracked due to my MH overheating the center brace. I saved most of my water, and all of the LR. SO most of the stuff has been established for over 4 years. Although it has all been moved, I have had another cycle, so I believe it is technically a pretty established tank. I have replaced the MH with a custom LED set up. I think I may get a bubble tip after my LFS gets their shipment in.
Another question. I bought all of my corals within the last two weeks, and none of them seem to be as full as they were in the stores. How long do they usually take to open up fully?
Parameters
Ammonia: 0
Ph:8.2
Nitrates:0
Nitrites: 0
SG: 1.023
Calcium:480ppm
Alkalinity: 235ppm
Phosphate: 0ppm
Temp: 80 degrees F
The only thing that is indicated out of range is Alkalinity, and I will be doing a water change later on in the day.
I do use RO water. I cant think of anything that would cause the corals to not open up fully, as I have tried messing with flow, light intensity, everything.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
youve listed pretty perfect parameters. If this is true than depending on location of the corals and where there sitting it might take a couple days for them to get acclimated and open up fully. I had a kenya tree take a 2 days and it opened up fully but still waiting to see if it attached itself. Idk much about switching an old set up to a new one but it seems its cycled.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
iodine? if u have a test for it than ya dose, i have no alk or cal test and ive only underdosed my tank with it maybe 2 or 3 times in the past 4 months ive had it.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Don't use it unless you test for it......
+1
maybe when a crab that u purchase molts leave the molt in the tank for a day...this should bring back any iodine u dont have. imo
 
jmbr0828

jmbr0828

Member
Well I found out why my corals looked like crap. THANKS API .
The API test kit for PH was way hard to differentiate between 8.0 and 8.4 . Now that I know what 8.4 is supposed to look like, it will be easier to tell where I'm at. Anyways, I found this new product from Seachems "Pro" Line of additives (Aqua-vitro) Balance. It only raises PH, and not alkalinity. I had some kent superbuffer, but my alkalinity was high and I did not want to jack it up any more than it already was. Believe me when I say that this stuff works as labeled.
I added some last night, and brought my PH up to 8.4, and within hours my corals looked almost as good as they did in the store. I tested for PH and alkalinity, and my alk stayed at 250ppm and did not raise any, as I brought up the PH. My frogspawn still hasn't really opened up, and I think it may be on its way out, ( it's been shrinking more and more the past few days), but the rest of my corals look amazing. Heres some info.
A frequent occurence in reef systems is low pH, while calcium and alkalinity are at optimal levels. Raise one and the others may fall. One of the primary reasons for this is an improper carbonate/bicarbonate ratio. The buffer ratio changes as a natural consequence of the buffer’s ability to counteract acidifying sources such as organic acids (produced naturally from waste) or introduced from non-pH controlled husbandry products. In this case, adding more buffer would unnecessarily result in a rise in alkalinity and a drop in calcium. The first product of its kind, balance™ ends this see-saw effect. It resets this ratio by converting bicarbonate into carbonate in order to reassert a higher pH without affecting calcium level.
balance™ is an optimized blend of sodium and potassium hydroxides with a NSW ratio (27:1) of sodium to potassium to avoid ionic imbalance with long term use.

 
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