Can I put any stings in my 55 reef??

gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
I want to add a new fish to my 55 and have always been drawn to lionfish, leaf fish, waspfish, etc. I want to know what if any would be compatible for my tank?
Fish:
2 Ocellaris
1 Bicolor dottyback
Corals:
Frogspawn
Torch
Elegance
zoas,
leather
sun
mushrooms
rics
acros
monti cap
miami hurricane
grape watermelon chalice
red planet acro
acans
Inverts:
Sebae anemone
snails
brittle star
 
al&burke

al&burke

Active Member
How did I miss this earlier. Right now I have a baby fuzzy and a cockatoo waspfish in with two osc clown. They are fine for the time being, might change when the the fuzzy is 6 inches TL. But soon they will be going in the new 30 I just bought. I think you should be fine until the stings get bigger.
 
S

saxman

Guest
As Al mentioned, there are a few fish that would work for you.
My number one pick in the "small mouth" category would be a cockatoo waspfish (Ablabys taenianotus). Any of the other waspfish would also be fine, the redfin (Paracentropogon rubripinis) being the most cloroful, generally speaking.
Lion-wise, the fu manchu (Dendrochirus biocellatus) would be a good choice (they have small mouths), altho some can be a bit difficult to wean (once weaned, they're little food beasts tho). A smaller fuzzy (D. brachypterus) would work (again, as Al suggested), and depending on how large your clowns get, may work indefinitely, esp. if the fish "grows up" with the clowns.
Small species scorps, such as Scorpaenodes caribbaeus, S. littoralis, Sebastapistes strongia, or leaf fish (Taenianotus triacanthus) would also be great. However, leaf fish can be difficult to wean onto non-living foods, but fortunately, are easily trained to take live food from a small net...seriously, they actually trip all over themselves to get to the net!
For feeding/weaning, I strongly recommend DIY-ing a "stealth stick"...it's really the best feeding tool we've used (Renee and I actually hold a patent on it).
FWIW, the fish in the most danger would be your dottyback by virtue of its shape (rather torpedo-ish).
HTH
 
al&burke

al&burke

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by morgan175 http:///t/393427/can-i-put-any-stings-in-my-55-reef#post_3500530
? stealth stick where can I find it?
You can make one and they might become available on another site. I made mine it is a 3/16 diameter acrylic rod, about 24 inches long. At the business end is a piece of 50 lb fish line that is taped on with clear tape. The fish line on mine is about 4 inches long, some make them longer. If you want more info PM me.
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
My fuzzy dwarf is coming tomorrow!!! The only bad part is that the fuzzy's flight doesn't come in until around 5:30ish. I won't be able to pick it up til like 8.
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
It's never a good sign when the guy handing you the fish says I think it's a floater.
Here is the background on me ordering the fuzzy dwarf:
There was a vendor on NJ reefers that sells corals out of their garage. They can get wholesale pricing when they are placing a fish order. They are really reputable with NJ reefer and I figured why not give them a shot. I ordered the fuzzy dwarf. He orders the fish and has them delivered to the airport and everyone picks them up at his house. He tells everyone that he does not guarantee the fish once they leave the house and it is clear in the ordering instructions. He gets the fish to his house at around 8 tonight and I picked up around 8:30. They hand me my other fish and they looked great. Then, they get to the fuzzy and he says its a floater. Well, the fuzzy starts moving around a little but is barely breathing. They look at the fish and check it for about 15 mins. The fish just seemed super stressed to me. I mean I knew the risks with ordering from them and after all it was pretty cheap. Well as I am leaving, they tell me to keep them posted and that if it dies by 6 PM they will refund me. I just have to send pics.
I got the fish home and drip acclimated it. I carefully put it in the tank and it does not swim much. It even got stuck to a powerhead. I had an old skimmer collection cup and put it in there and it seemed to perk up a teeny bit and then just died. :(
 
S

saxman

Guest
Sorry for the loss!
I'm assuming the fish was shipped to the vendor, and you picked it up in the same bag?
To be honest, unless a fish has been bagged < 1 hour, it's best to get it right out of the shipping water as opposed to drip-acclimation. You've probably seen the photo I've posted regarding ammonia build-up in bag water, and if the fish was already stressed, it likely pushed it over the edge. It's also important that any fish that is shipped be fasted for 2-3 days prior to bagging and shipping.
I'm not saying this was the cause of the fish's death, as we've had some "infant mortality" a couple of times ourselves, but it's something to keep in mind. Was the fish in respiratory distress (gilling hard) in the bag? It seems like many lions have been a bit "flukey" from some collection areas.
I'd have likely left the fish at the vendor unless he gave you a better guarantee for a questionable fish.
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http:///t/393427/can-i-put-any-stings-in-my-55-reef#post_3501518
Sorry for the loss!
I'm assuming the fish was shipped to the vendor, and you picked it up in the same bag?
To be honest, unless a fish has been bagged < 1 hour, it's best to get it right out of the shipping water as opposed to drip-acclimation. You've probably seen the photo I've posted regarding ammonia build-up in bag water, and if the fish was already stressed, it likely pushed it over the edge. It's also important that any fish that is shipped be fasted for 2-3 days prior to bagging and shipping.
I'm not saying this was the cause of the fish's death, as we've had some "infant mortality" a couple of times ourselves, but it's something to keep in mind. Was the fish in respiratory distress (gilling hard) in the bag? It seems like many lions have been a bit "flukey" from some collection areas.
I'd have likely left the fish at the vendor unless he gave you a better guarantee for a questionable fish.
The fish was barely breathing when I got it. I am talking once every 5 seconds and occasionally would move and appear active. The fish was packed, shipped, and delivered to me the same day. I did not like the fact that he had the fish floating in his display tank until halide lighting. I believe the fish should have been left in the box for people to pick up. I am getting a refund and I am only going to be ordering from a reputable place. I learned that lesson. :(
Also, I do not know why I dripped it. I never do that, ever. I think I only did that to ensure there was no issue with the guarantee a refund.
 
S

saxman

Guest
Having the fish in the bag under halides was pretty silly...who knows how warm the bag got. It was pretty poor biz for them to say "here's your fish, it's a floater..."
I know you have good skills, Krista...it's too bad you had a less than good experience.
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
Well, I am trying again. I ordered the fuzzy online from a reputable vendor. At least now, I have some type of guarantee.
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al&Burke http:///t/393427/can-i-put-any-stings-in-my-55-reef#post_3501582
Good luck, what color are you getting?
I could not find a WYSIWYG specimen, so who knows what I will get. I did email the vendor asking about the feeding of the fuzzy dwarf's and some other questions. They were more than helpful with answering all my questions. I have had pretty good luck with the same company. My fuzzy should be here tomorrow morning before 10:30 AM.
 
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