Fish List..

[oleta]

Hey folks, here is my list of fish for my tank.. Tell me what you think..
3 Green Chromis
2 Bangaii Cardinalfish (male/female)
1 Purple Firefish
It's a 46gal bowfront.. This list doesn't include "critters", but I will be adding some blue leg hermits, cleaner shrimp and what not..
Would like some other crabs, but I want my list to stay reef safe for anything that I add in the future.. Any suggestions??
Thanks in advance!!

 

[grouperhead]

Sounds like you did your research and picked out good fish. Arrow crabs are NOT reefsafe, some sally lightfoots are, some aren't. It is kind of hit-and-miss with them. Make sure you have a well covered top as firefish can be prone to jump when frightened. Bo

 

[oleta]

Thanks for the input, folks!!
Grouperhead, the arrow crabs were off the list from the get go.. They look too much like spiders and that's definately something that I couldn't handle looking at, LOL..
Daveatstupid, I was leaning towards emerald crabs since they stay relatively small and are such a pretty color.. Haven't seen any available however, so I guess I have plenty of time to research them.. The blue leg hermits are gonna have to be on the list.. I love them to pieces.. A friend of mine was kind enough to send me the list from his tank journal of which snails the blue legs ate in order of "most favored snack" to "leaves them alone, usually" LOL
The tank does have quite a tight fitting hood so I'm hoping that will keep the buggers in.. Good to know that firefish like to jump like that.. The tank is in a spare bedroom that will get little traffic other than me coming in to feed and read..
Also, I've read that firefish tend to do better alone but it was suggested to me to get at least 3 of them due to their shy nature.. Would you folks agree with that?? I was under the impression that they would kill each other if they weren't bought as a mated pair.. If it's okay to have more than one firefish in the tank, could the colors be mixed or would it be best to keep only purple..
Thanks, again!!

 

[blutang]

Also, watch the agressive feeding habits of the damsels, because firefish are really submissive and will starve to death if you are not careful. Looks like a really funny tank. I have a 46 bow and I love it.

 

[bang guy]

IMO if you get 3 firefish you will end up with 2 (best case) or 0 (worst case). They will fight to the death once they mature unless they pair up. Often when two fight the winner is in such poor shape that it dies too. Don't be fooled by the schooling behavior shown by the juveniles.
Banggai!! Nice choice

 

[blutang]

Yeah, they are definitely very agressive within their own species.

 

[iechy]

I thought that camel shrimp were known for eating polyps. You may want to check that out before you get them as well. Peppermints look almost like camels but without the "hump" and are good for eating aptasia. I have two emeralds, one good, one nad so I could go from either side on that one. I like your fish selection though. I have a firefish and bangaii in my future as well.

 

[oleta]

Thanks for the opinions.. I think I'll go ahead and get two firefish, but hold off on any more than that..
I appreciate the help!!

 

[fshhub]

friefish, as mentioned can be a problem
IMEO(after research too):
you want either one,
or two compatible(mated or what not, buy them together and watch them before buying and choose them wisely) finding 2 like this is also hit and miss unless you get lucky,
or if you want more than one, then get at least 5, sure they may battle some but the aggression would be spread out so as to not over stress any
one or more than 5(purchased together) is your best bet, definitely; otherwise you could be taking chances

 

[holacanthus]

If you are planning on keeping critters of any kind in a somewhat reef tank setup i would be against adding any crabs or shrimp! Most crabs are omnivores and eat anything that is free. I've seen some crabs swipe food from an anemone before it cold fully digest it. Both shrimp and crabs are hard on the worm population in reef tanks with a functioning dsb. If you were in fact going to have some sort of reef setup and plan to use a dsb for filtration then I suggest to leave crabs and shrimp out. You can find a snail for almost any occasion, detrivores, algae-vores, and and some are even beneficial predatorson harmful orgamisms!

 

[blutang]

Watch those Firefish, because they will start up World War III in your tank until one is dead.........you should be really careful, and make sure they are doing well together at the LFS before you purchase them.....IMO