My "Fishlist", Your Experience with this Site, and Their Protein Skimmer
- Thread starter darkslide820
- Start date
darkslide820
Member
Oh so the shrimp and the hermit crabs will do that?
gio28
Active Member
well, the snails will use them to help grow their shells although they really use calcium for that, and the other inverts do help use them up. but corals are the ones who use them the most which is why its always good to add new water or trace elements and such every so often cause depending on how much (livestock) you have in your tank they will eventually need to be replaced.
darkslide820
Member
Well I'm not planning on gettting corals, only inverts would be maybe 5 hermit crabs and the cleaner shrimp
browniebuck
Active Member
I agree with the other posters...I started with a 55 and went WAY too fast and made some definite impulse buys (small naso tang, small hippo tang, and added my first mandarin too early).
I will disagree with the mandarin "needing" a sump, as mine lived for 2 years before a heater malfunction took her out....I have a basket that I hung on the back wall of the tank that I placed rubble rock in and occasionally added pods (maybe 2-4 times per year)...however I didn't add the second one until about 5-6 months into my first tank. As someone else mentioned, check your tank for pods at night and when you first turn your lights on in the morning.
As for anemones...they will depend not only on water quality but also on the amount of light that you have...they require moderate to intense lighting (the regular fluorescent lights that come with most tanks will not work for them).
I will disagree with the mandarin "needing" a sump, as mine lived for 2 years before a heater malfunction took her out....I have a basket that I hung on the back wall of the tank that I placed rubble rock in and occasionally added pods (maybe 2-4 times per year)...however I didn't add the second one until about 5-6 months into my first tank. As someone else mentioned, check your tank for pods at night and when you first turn your lights on in the morning.
As for anemones...they will depend not only on water quality but also on the amount of light that you have...they require moderate to intense lighting (the regular fluorescent lights that come with most tanks will not work for them).
darkslide820
Member
You guys are awesome. Occasionally someone else recommends something else that I forgot the Craig's List guy gave me w/ the tank. The guy gave me a little clear plastic breeding "basket" that hangs on the rim of the tank. It has about 4 little holes in it to let the water flow in and out of it, so I guess I could do just that for the copepods to give them a little space to breed away from the Dragonet.
darkslide820
Member
OK guys. I have a slightly different idea for the tank. I'm thinking of replacing the Royal Gramma basslet with a Purple Scooter Blenny that they had at my pet store today, simply because of the switch from aggressive to peaceful nature, and I keep purple in my tank. I've also thought about getting butterflyfish 'cause they look pretty cool too (and I need yellow in the tank!). The ones I'm looking at so far are Latticed, Pearlscale, and Punctato.
So the potential tank right now:
55 gallons, 110 gallon-capable filter, heater, powerhead
Live sand, some live rock, no coral, maybe some anemone later on
Flame Angel
False Percula Clownfish
Black and White False Percula Clownfish
Mandarin Dragonet (copepods in a little breeder basket to stay safe & breed)
Cleaner Shrimp
~3 Blueleg Hermit Crabs
Blue Reef Chromis Damsel
Purple Scooter Blenny
Butterflyfish
Comments on the last two???? Thanks to all, and for all the input I've gotten already.
So the potential tank right now:
55 gallons, 110 gallon-capable filter, heater, powerhead
Live sand, some live rock, no coral, maybe some anemone later on
Flame Angel
False Percula Clownfish
Black and White False Percula Clownfish
Mandarin Dragonet (copepods in a little breeder basket to stay safe & breed)
Cleaner Shrimp
~3 Blueleg Hermit Crabs
Blue Reef Chromis Damsel
Purple Scooter Blenny
Butterflyfish
Comments on the last two???? Thanks to all, and for all the input I've gotten already.
oceandude
Member
Your second selection of tank mates seems OK. The clowns may or may not get along that well being different types. Why not get one small and one a bit larger of the same breed? The size will help establish who will be the female too. 
As far as pods go (with no fuge) If you heavily load your tank with them you can get a Dragonet after a few months. When you seed the tank just cut the power for at least 30 minutes giving the pods time to seek out the L/R and sand. I added approximately 7500 to my last build. (125g) Even though I used Live Sand and established L/R from my 120g I still seeded it and after a few months I added a male and a female Dragonet. They are fat and happy as yours will be.
Please...no Tangs in a 55g. The
might get you. LOL.
BTW, later down the road you might regret having the damsel as they will bully others, even to the degree of death. Just food for thought and trying to help, not slam you.
As far as pods go (with no fuge) If you heavily load your tank with them you can get a Dragonet after a few months. When you seed the tank just cut the power for at least 30 minutes giving the pods time to seek out the L/R and sand. I added approximately 7500 to my last build. (125g) Even though I used Live Sand and established L/R from my 120g I still seeded it and after a few months I added a male and a female Dragonet. They are fat and happy as yours will be.
Please...no Tangs in a 55g. The
BTW, later down the road you might regret having the damsel as they will bully others, even to the degree of death. Just food for thought and trying to help, not slam you.
darkslide820
Member
What are your thoughts on freshwater dunking? Guy at fish store today told me that they sit their saltwater fish in freshwater for about 5 minutes to cleanse them of parasites and other badies before they put them in the display tanks.
darkslide820
Member
Hey all. I'm back! Unfortunately, in the weeks since I last posted, our floors haven't been finished. Not even started :/ Don't ask. We're big procrastinaters in our family. I may have to just find somewhere else in the house to put the saltwater tank, but oh well, that's my own problem to solve, not yours.
I've been looking at some different fish. Six-line wrasse seems like a nice littel fish and it's fairly cheap ($20 at most places), and from a few internet sources I've read that it will sometimes pick ich off other fish. I'm still checking out possibility of Butterflies, and I wanted to know if anyone knows anything about the Eclipse Butterfly. This site doesn't have much info on it and a Google search doesn't help too much.
I believe that since last I spoke, I got an airline tube to use as a acclimater tube, a testing kit, and a second powerhead. I also got a blue moon light for my 5 gallon betta fish tank, and am very pleased with the results so I'll most def be getting a couple of those babies for the 55 g saltwater tank. Oh yeah
I've been looking at some different fish. Six-line wrasse seems like a nice littel fish and it's fairly cheap ($20 at most places), and from a few internet sources I've read that it will sometimes pick ich off other fish. I'm still checking out possibility of Butterflies, and I wanted to know if anyone knows anything about the Eclipse Butterfly. This site doesn't have much info on it and a Google search doesn't help too much.
I believe that since last I spoke, I got an airline tube to use as a acclimater tube, a testing kit, and a second powerhead. I also got a blue moon light for my 5 gallon betta fish tank, and am very pleased with the results so I'll most def be getting a couple of those babies for the 55 g saltwater tank. Oh yeah
browniebuck
Active Member
if you want the mandarin, don't get the scooter or the sixline...they all eat pods.
I had success with a mandarin in my 55 until I had a heater malfunction that killed her (along with my eibli angel....wasn't a happy camper that day!). What I did is similar to what you are talking about...put some chaeto along with little chunks of rock and empty snail shells into the in tank fuge...she also ate mysis shrimp, which helped a LOT!!!
Why not get a couple of cleaner shrimp and a couple of fire shrimp...they do the same job, eat tank food, and are a blast to watch during feedings, as well as when the fish go to the cleaners. You will also want a variety of snails, probably more hermits, EMPTY SNAIL SHELLS for the hermits (so they won't eat your living snails...in THEORY!!!).
Nobody mentioned lighting when you mentioned getting an anemone...they need stronger than standard lighting to survive, so you may want to think about that before adding one.
Good to hear that you are taking it slow...it will save you $$$$$$$ in the long run!
I had success with a mandarin in my 55 until I had a heater malfunction that killed her (along with my eibli angel....wasn't a happy camper that day!). What I did is similar to what you are talking about...put some chaeto along with little chunks of rock and empty snail shells into the in tank fuge...she also ate mysis shrimp, which helped a LOT!!!
Why not get a couple of cleaner shrimp and a couple of fire shrimp...they do the same job, eat tank food, and are a blast to watch during feedings, as well as when the fish go to the cleaners. You will also want a variety of snails, probably more hermits, EMPTY SNAIL SHELLS for the hermits (so they won't eat your living snails...in THEORY!!!).
Nobody mentioned lighting when you mentioned getting an anemone...they need stronger than standard lighting to survive, so you may want to think about that before adding one.
Good to hear that you are taking it slow...it will save you $$$$$$$ in the long run!
fretfreak13
Active Member
Haha I'm gonna love doing the "I told ya so" dance if you do get the Nem and decide you want an entire reef. It happens to pretty much all of us, once you get lighting you'll buy frags the second you get any cash in your wallet and walk away from you LFS with none left. lol
Anyways, how about this for a fish list instead? What I put in red could possibly be replaced with something I put next to it.
So the potential tank right now:
55 gallons, 110 gallon-capable filter, heater, powerhead
Live sand, some live rock, no coral, maybe some anemone later on
Flame Angel
False Percula Clownfish
Black and White False Percula Clownfish
Mandarin Dragonet (copepods in a little breeder basket to stay safe & breed)
Cleaner Shrimp
~3 Blueleg Hermit Crabs You're going to want more. They're valuble members of your CUC (clean up crew)
Blue Reef Chromis Damsel
Purple Scooter Blenny Don't get him if you want a mandarin. The Scooter Blenny eats pods and will be competition for it. They can be trained onto frozen food, but whenever they're not eating they'll still cruise around and eat the pods. I've never seen this fish get "full" lol
Butterflyfish If you want yellow, look up a Midas Blenny. It's my next add to my 29 and is stunning. Check out this vid of one on youtube. Also, Butterflys don't live long in captivity. It's a fish that's really best left in the ocean.
Anyways, how about this for a fish list instead? What I put in red could possibly be replaced with something I put next to it.
So the potential tank right now:
55 gallons, 110 gallon-capable filter, heater, powerhead
Live sand, some live rock, no coral, maybe some anemone later on
Flame Angel
False Percula Clownfish
Black and White False Percula Clownfish
Mandarin Dragonet (copepods in a little breeder basket to stay safe & breed)
Cleaner Shrimp
~3 Blueleg Hermit Crabs You're going to want more. They're valuble members of your CUC (clean up crew)
Blue Reef Chromis Damsel
Purple Scooter Blenny Don't get him if you want a mandarin. The Scooter Blenny eats pods and will be competition for it. They can be trained onto frozen food, but whenever they're not eating they'll still cruise around and eat the pods. I've never seen this fish get "full" lol
Butterflyfish If you want yellow, look up a Midas Blenny. It's my next add to my 29 and is stunning. Check out this vid of one on youtube. Also, Butterflys don't live long in captivity. It's a fish that's really best left in the ocean.
fretfreak13
Active Member
Also, as I mentioned above, are you planning on getting a CUC at all? I'm surprised no one else asked before me. Maybe I missed something. lol
Maybe I missed something. lol
darkslide820
Member
Yeah, the clean up crew is the hermit crabs and I guess the shrimp.
A couple people mention the scooter now. Funny cause I probably wanted that thing for like a day, then I saw the Purple Firefish and wanted that instead, then my friend showed me the Sixline Wrasse and I decided that will be my purple fish.
A couple people mention the scooter now. Funny cause I probably wanted that thing for like a day, then I saw the Purple Firefish and wanted that instead, then my friend showed me the Sixline Wrasse and I decided that will be my purple fish.
fretfreak13
Active Member
As someone mentioned above though, the sixline eats pods just like the mandarin and scooter. I'd say go with the firefish if you like them. In your size tank, you'll want more than three hermits. They eat hair algea and decaying matter. For instance, if one of your fish dies while you're away for whatever reason, instead of it creating a HUGE ammonia spike, the crabs should eat it before it makes a huge change in the water. You'll probably want snails, like narssisarius (I know I spelled that one wrong), that will sift your sand. Cerith and astrea snails will help clean off the diatoms and other algeas that you'll get on your glass and rocks.
darkslide820
Member
Yeah, I've been debating the Dragonet too lately. I took a road trip with my friend this weekend, we went to 3 new stores and each had pretty good sw sections. Each also Sixlines, which I'd never seen before, and each had at least one Dragonet. What I noticed in all was that the Sixline was very active swimming back and forth, while the Dragonet sorta just walks around sporadically and ends up hiding in a rock. So what I'm debating is whether I should get probably the best looking affordable fish (Dragonet) or get one that also looks pretty cool and that I'll actually get to see swimming around?
jackri
Active Member
I personally would put a short bodied tang in a 55g. To each their own on that. If you do get a mandarin it's a HUGE plus if you can get them to eat prepared frozen foods like mysis shrimp although it's no guarantee. I wouldn't get a competing fish (for pods) like others had mentioned.
I personally would put a yelllow tang in a 55g and do have 2 tangs in my 90g without any problems. They are also 90% of my fish load in it and agree one of them could use more room (a lot more), but my yellow tang swims up and down as much as horizontal and I don't feel he's cramped like the other one. To each their own, but ideally all the fish should be back in the ocean. My tangs are the show stoppers in my tank and always will be in any tank I have.
I personally would put a yelllow tang in a 55g and do have 2 tangs in my 90g without any problems. They are also 90% of my fish load in it and agree one of them could use more room (a lot more), but my yellow tang swims up and down as much as horizontal and I don't feel he's cramped like the other one. To each their own, but ideally all the fish should be back in the ocean. My tangs are the show stoppers in my tank and always will be in any tank I have.
jackri
Active Member
Pics of my tangs in this thread. Unfortunately I poisoned my sailfin tang, a clown fish and a algae blenny by doing dishes hours before a water change in my frag tank. One lone clown survived and a huge bag of charcoal later made a full recovery late the next day.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/356716/my-3-tangs-sailfin-yellow-and-yellow-belly-blue-hippo
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/356716/my-3-tangs-sailfin-yellow-and-yellow-belly-blue-hippo