going to lfs for my first fish, advice on which one...pick?

jcarroll

jcarroll

Member
I have a 55. It's been cycled for a week now and has one shrimp, 2 emerald crabs, and one sand sifter starfish. I am getting ready to head out for a fish or two. Here are a few I have on my wish list.
fire fish goby
bluegreen chromis
royal gramma
manderin
ocellaris clownfish
purple firefish
false percula clowns
bi-color blenny
I will be keeping soft corals down the road. Which one should I start with, is this a pretty good list? Also how many should I start with? Thank you guys!
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
I would trade back the sand sifter star - most will starve to death in tanks in that size range, unless it is one that takes to spot feeding.
I would also reconsider having more than one type of clown as it greatly increases chances of fighting. But I would say a pair of clowns (same species) would be a good first choice for the tank.
 
gfk

gfk

Member
i was trying to decide between the bi color blennie and the lawnmower blennie. i read the bi color eats algae but nobody ever speaks of it being a true algae eater like the lawnmower.
what do you think teresa?
 
jcarroll

jcarroll

Member
Thanks for the advice! I ended up getting two clowns (same species) They are sooo cute! What are some warning signs to look for on my starfish? I'd like to see how it does at least for now because I love it! If there are things I can watch for though, I will take it back if it starts showing signs. It's true that I need to wait a week before adding anything else right?
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member

Originally posted by Jcarroll
Thanks for the advice! I ended up getting two clowns (same species) They are sooo cute! What are some warning signs to look for on my starfish? I'd like to see how it does at least for now because I love it! If there are things I can watch for though, I will take it back if it starts showing signs. It's true that I need to wait a week before adding anything else right?
I strongly encourage you to try and spot feed it with something meaty and hope for the best. I'm not sure about just trying to replenish the sand bed...it really wouldn't work long term, IMO, and would be exceptionally expensive.
Unfortunately, these stars look fine until they simply start disintegrating from the arm tips down. Usually after many months (6 - 12) of seeming to be "great." In reality, they are slowly digesting their internal organs. Often they attract hermits once they enter the "final pahse," and people mistake this for the hermits killing the star.
Yes, IMO, you should wait AT LEAST a week before adding other fish, and pay close attention to your water quality.
 
jcarroll

jcarroll

Member
Hey ophiura, to spot feed, what would I do? I have some frozen brine shrimp, but if that would do, how do I keep it from being snatched by my fish? Thanks
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
No, you have to try something larger like a piece of shrimp put on the sand near the star.
Brine shrimp, FWIW, is a very poor diet for fish...more of a treat (few can refuse it) but without supplementation with vitamins (eg selcon) it is very poor. Diversity is critical.
 
jcarroll

jcarroll

Member
What would you suggest feeding mine? I have two ocellaris clownfish, one peppermint shrimp, 2 emerald crabs, and the starfish. The lfs said to alternate each day between flakes and frozen brine. Probably wrong info, huh?
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Considering the number of alternative foods these days, kinda...it is not so much "wrong" as it is "outdated." But times have changed, and so fish nutrition has improved. There are definitely a wide selection of marine flakes and pellets that are good for less finicky eaters. But it is also good to add in some of the frozen formulations both for herbivores and omnivores...usually contain a nice mixture of "fresher" stuff. A treat of brine isn't bad now and then, but I wouldn't rely heavily on it.
Also watch your water chems closely. Now that you have fish, it is very common to overfeed. It is a rough approximation, but the stomach of a fish is roughly the size of its eye, so they don't need a lot - but will keep eating. Don't be fooled! :)
 
dmc888

dmc888

Member
My clowns love prime reef.
I feed this mostly then treat them with mysis,brine ,plankton,and krill sometimes.
Here are the ingredients.
Prime Reef Flakes
Ingredients
Whole Salmon, Halibut, Black Cod, Seafood Mix (including Krill, Plankton, Crab and Clams), Shrimp, Whole Herring, Squid, Mussels, Wheat Flour, Fresh Kelp, Wheat Gluten, Corn Gluten, Hydrolyzed Krill, Sea Urchin, Sea Cucumber, Dried Kelp, Brewer's Dried Yeast, Soybean Meal, Crayfish Digest, Potato Flour, Wheat Germ, Salmon Egg Oil, Lecithin, Beta Glucan, Potassium Sorbate, Natural Pigments (for color enhancement), Astaxanthin, Beta Carotene, Canthaxanthin, Vitamins, Amino Acids, and Trace Elements.
 
pohtr

pohtr

Member
When you make your own fish food you use raw fish, right?
Also, can you use pretty much any salt water fish to make your own? Like whenever you're cooking fish anyway, then save a little raw and add garlic?
Do you blend it into mush?
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member

Originally posted by TeresaQ
I make my own, shrimp, scallops, and garlic -ground up and frozen-I also add a little alge
And you can mix the leftovers into a nice pasta for dinner!! :D Sounds tasty.

Yes, you can use raw seafood to make your own food...just nothing that is "iffy." Should be fit for human consumption to be safest :) and watch that you don't over feed. I've fed various stuff including tuna, mahi, pollock, smelt, shrimp, squid, clams, krill...but haven't worked in any garlic so hopefully someone can Teresa can give you pointers on that.
 
cowfishrule

cowfishrule

Active Member

Originally posted by ophiura
including tuna, mahi, pollock, .
dood, if you really dont want the mahi, i'll gladly take it off your hands...
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Believe me, those fish ate very well (I worked at an aquarium) - better than I did. I often wanted to nibble. We used to get beautiful salmon too.
Just to feed the fish.
 
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