Best Compatibility?

[wasitgreen]

I have a 40 breeder (36"x18"x18") with ~48lbs of rock and wanted to know out of this list I threw together last night as a more 'focused down the road path' while I wait for things to calm down after adding a pair of True Percs. I am looking for which combination I can use allowing for the most fish to be housed together. Rocks are arranged for max swimming room. In order of the most wanted:
1. Fuzzy Dwarf Lion (Must have)
2. Yellow Tang (seen mixed min. sizes, may not be a good choice)
2.5. Some kind of Tang (maybe a blue?)
3. Red Mandarin Dragonet (when established enough)
4. Lemon Peel x Half Black Hybrid Angel
5. Lemon Peel Angel
6. Yellow Tail Dwarf Angel
7. Blue Banded Goby
8. Snowflake Eel (doubtful because of aggression) or a Chain-link
9. Redfin Waspfish
10. Flame Angel
11. Coral Beauty Angel
12. Yellow Watchman Goby
13. Scooter Blenny (Synchiropus ocellatus)
14. Firefish
15. Dad wants a bi-valve like a Maxima or something
And I know all the aggressors are to be added last
Currently have:
2-3 Mushrooms
1 Mini Feather
1 Emerald Crab
1 Blue leg hermit
2 Red leg hermit
1 Dwarf White leg hermit
~1 Micro Brittle
1 Turbo Snail
Crap loads of Copepods, Amphipods, Pineapple Sponges, Clear Flatworms, and small unknown snails (algae eaters)
1 Stomatella
As for equipment I have
Rena XP3 Canister filter (350 GPH [~9x turn over])
Aqueon Powerhead (400 GPH [10x turn over])
Aqueon 150W (? It's rated at 55G - 70G)
48 LBS of LR
40 LBS of LS
[Soon to get AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer ~700 GPH]
Lastly, what do you guys recommend for the time in between introducing fish, I heard it's generally 1 month?
Thanks.

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by wasitgreen http:///forum/thread/385942/best-compatibility#post_3387050
I have a 40 breeder (36"x18"x18") with ~48lbs of rock and wanted to know out of this list I threw together last night as a more 'focused down the road path' while I wait for things to calm down after adding a pair of True Percs. I am looking for which combination I can use allowing for the most fish to be housed together. Rocks are arranged for max swimming room. In order of the most wanted:
1. Fuzzy Dwarf Lion (Must have) not a good idea long term if you're going to have Percula Clownfish in this tank, sooner or later, they will become food
2. Yellow Tang (seen mixed min. sizes, may not be a good choice) absolutely not, and no to all tangs. Tangs are open water swimmers that need a minimum of 100G. A tang of any sort in a 40G is not going to be happy.
2.5. Some kind of Tang (maybe a blue?)
3. Red Mandarin Dragonet (when established enough) Mandarin could quickly eat all the copepods in a 40G if you do not restock often or keep a refugium. Might want to look into the ORA Mandarins that are eating frozen.
4. Lemon Peel x Half Black Hybrid Angel beautiful fish, you can only keep one dwarf safely in a 40G. Since you're going to have corals, I'd recommend a LemonPeel out of what you have listed. It's always a risk with dwarf angels. Some are safer than others. The Lemon Peel seems to have a 50/50 success rate among people I know that have them in reefs.
5. Lemon Peel Angel
6. Yellow Tail Dwarf Angel
7. Blue Banded Goby
8. Snowflake Eel (doubtful because of aggression) or a Chain-link in a 40? Probably not a good idea
9. Redfin Waspfish I honestly don't know enough about these fish to really comment
10. Flame Angel This is one of the larger, and in my experience, aggressive dwarf angels. I'd stick with a Lemon Peel, Coral Beauty or African Flame Back. Again, only one in the tank.
11. Coral Beauty Angel
12. Yellow Watchman Goby
13. Scooter Blenny (Synchiropus ocellatus) This OR the Mandarin, don't do both in this size tank, they'll fight over the same food source
14. Firefish
15. Dad wants a bi-valve like a Maxima or something doable with correct lighting, depending on what you get. Be careful with dwarf angels, as they have a tendency to nip at the mantles of clams, even when they're not coral nippers
And I know all the aggressors are to be added last
Currently have:
2-3 Mushrooms
1 Mini Feather Be careful, many dwarf angels nip at these
1 Emerald Crab
1 Blue leg hermit
2 Red leg hermit
1 Dwarf White leg hermit
~1 Micro Brittle
1 Turbo Snail
Crap loads of Copepods, Amphipods, Pineapple Sponges, Clear Flatworms, and small unknown snails (algae eaters)
1 Stomatella
You need way more clean up crew members, see below.
As for equipment I have
Rena XP3 Canister filter (350 GPH [~9x turn over])
Aqueon Powerhead (400 GPH [10x turn over])
Aqueon 150W (? It's rated at 55G - 70G)
48 LBS of LR
40 LBS of LS
[Soon to get AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer ~700 GPH]
Lastly, what do you guys recommend for the time in between introducing fish, I heard it's generally 1 month?
Thanks.
It seems like you want an aggressive tank, AND a peaceful/colorful reef all at the same time. Unfortunately, you're probably going to have to pick one or the other. I'd go with the peaceful/colorful reef, since aggressors in a 40G can get hairy. Keep in mind that a Lionfish, even a dwarf WILL eat anything that it can fit in it's mouth, and it can open it wide. Clowns can be lunch for a lion, even a dwarf. 40G Breeders make some of the nicest small reef tanks. I absolutely loved mine and wish I never took it down. To give you a little idea, this is what I kept in mine:
2 Ocellairs Clownfish
1 Coral Beauty Angelfish
1 Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse - male
1 Spotted Mandarin - baby (stocked reef often and he ate frozen)
1 juvenile Bullet Banded Sleeper Goby (was moved to a larger tank as he grew)
1 Lawnmower Blenny
2 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
10 Nassarius Snails
10 Trochus Snails
10 Astrea Snails
5 Scarlet Hermits
1 Emerald Crab
assorted corals
For what it's worth, I HATE hermit crabs. They like to kill snails for sport. If you really want to keep hermits, do more hermits, and less snails, but definitely get some Nassarius. These will keep your sand churned and clean.
I'd suggest 2 weeks between live stock additions. A week is okay for inverts, but 2 weeks will give you a better feel for how they're all acting with one another.

 

[1guydude]

OKAY where to start lol....
idk much about the aqueon powerheads but i would get some korilias...u wont be disappointed!
one week between livestock additions would suffice imo.
Do u have pics or can get pics...we love pics!
Ur lionfish will eat anything that it can fit in its mouth imo, so be warned!
That is a crap load of fish....id go with about 5 max!
Tangs are a no go...they need proper swimming room!
dwarf angels are okay...id recommend a coral beauty but thats just wat i want right now and dont have anywhere to put one LOL....
hope i helped ooooooo here
**Please don't post links to competitor sites**

 

[wasitgreen]

Alright, Thanks you two, I'll prob. end up getting 4 or 5 of those and I intended on a big CuC, forgot about that. I may end up doing a hybrid angel, ORA Manderin, Blue Banded Goby, Yellow Watchman Goby, and add the smallest Dwarf Lion I can find last after a 3-5 week wait to get the best chance. And I'll get a 55G+ CuC and the clam. Also if anyone can recommend the order to introduce those fish I'd appreciate it.
Here's some pics:

 

[btldreef]

Is the Blue Banded Goby that you're referring to also known as a Catalina Goby? Seen here:

These fish are not suited for normal saltwater tanks. They require cooler waters and will not survive long in the 76-80F range that many other fish need. They really don't like temperatures above 72F.
Even if you add the lion last, it's going to eat smaller fish, especially if you were to have this Catalina in there. It's just not a good idea. I currently have a very small Fu Manchu that has easily taken down a Mollie that was almost as long as him.
The other thing you need to remember with lions, is that for long term success, you need to convert them onto frozen food and they should not be housed with quick fish that they will have to compete for food with. In order to have real success, you would need to train it onto frozen in its own tank.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wasitgreen http:///forum/thread/385942/best-compatibility#post_3387103
Alright, Thanks you two, I'll prob. end up getting 4 or 5 of those and I intended on a big CuC, forgot about that. I may end up doing a hybrid angel, ORA Manderin, Blue Banded Goby, Yellow Watchman Goby, and add the smallest Dwarf Lion I can find last after a 3-5 week wait to get the best chance. And I'll get a 55G+ CuC and the clam. Also if anyone can recommend the order to introduce those fish I'd appreciate it.

 

[wasitgreen]

Thanks for that, I didn't see temps for them anywhere, and I know the lion will still try and get the smaller fish, other than that goby, none of those fish should fit in its mouth however(?). And for the lion, I have an LFS with some eating frozen and living peacefully with some very small fish, it seems more interested (following around and lightly playing) with the small fish.

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by wasitgreen http:///forum/thread/385942/best-compatibility#post_3387109
Thanks for that, I didn't see temps for them anywhere, and I know the lion will still try and get the smaller fish, other than that goby, none of those fish should fit in its mouth however(?). And for the lion, I have an LFS with some eating frozen and living peacefully with some very small fish, it seems more interested (following around and lightly playing) with the small fish.
A lot of places fail to mention that Catalina Gobies are cooler water species :-(
As long as you know the risk with the lion, and it's eating frozen, I guess you can give it a try. I'm not sure I would risk it, but ultimately, this is your tank.
BTW, forgot to mention this before, I really like your rock work.

 

[wasitgreen]

Thanks for the input and help, I'm thinking that as long as the lion will start smaller than the others, be added last, and be on frozen, the others will keep him in line. Thanks about the rock too.