new 8 gallon tank!

[gilbert]

Hi! I just got an 8 gallon nano tank and was wondering what I should stock it with. Any suggestions?

 

[nissan577]

what do you like???? with your light you can do: softies and a few lps

 

[gilbert]

I like anything I can get this is my first tank so watevers easy haha

 

[nissan577]

softies like leathers and zoas

 

[gilbert]

Ok, I'll look into those, thanks.

 

[gilbert]

Could I get a mandarin?

 

[niger12]

Originally Posted by gilbert
http:///forum/post/3248723
Could I get a mandarin?
Yes you can. As soon as you get a much larger tank. Mandarins rarely like to eat prepared food and would wipe out the pod population in a small tank. THen starve to death.

 

[gilbert]

Couldn't I get live copepods?

 

[nissan577]

you could and get it thriving in your tank

 

[gilbert]

And I've read that you can get live brine shrimp and put it in the rocks and then when the dragonet is looking for food it will find and eat those. Is that true?

 

[nissan577]

that is true

i have done that alot with my new mandarin and scooter blenny

 

[gilbert]

Awesome! I'll look into getting those some more then. They're my favorite fish.

 

[gilbert]

Ok, I'm probably going to buy my first coral. What should I get? I'm trying to decide between a zoo, star polyps, or a xenia. Also, are they all compatible with each other? I would like eventually get all three of them, but I want to make sure that they won't have a fight to the death or something.

 

[ibanez]

I would suggest the xenia because they will probably give you the most enjoyment. They are constantly moving and reacting. They are pretty, and they grow fast. Plus they occupy more space unless you get a really large star polyp frag or big rock of zoas.

 

[gilbert]

Are they hard to care for? I'm new at this, this is my first tank.

 

[nissan577]

sorry to correct you IbanEz but just cause you have some xenias and they are pumping doesnt mean they will pump in another tank. my tank had xenias and the ones in the bright they will pump and everything. but i moved a small frag to the side and they were ugly. some xenias will or will not pump at all.
IMO get a zoa to start off. and you dont want a huge colony because were is the fun in watching it grow????

 

[ibanez]

That's ok, I never had that experience. But I did just add a frag of hydnophora that apparently was close enough to nail and melt my xenias. So I am now xenia-less. I think when I replace them I will try the blue xenias this time. I still would go for the xenias if I only had one easy coral to add. I still think they are pretty interesting and easy.

 

[gilbert]

Originally Posted by IbanEz
http:///forum/post/3251558
That's ok, I never had that experience. But I did just add a frag of hydnophora that apparently was close enough to nail and melt my xenias. So I am now xenia-less. I think when I replace them I will try the blue xenias this time. I still would go for the xenias if I only had one easy coral to add. I still think they are pretty interesting and easy.
Ouch, that sucks! Ok, I like both of your guys' ideas, so I'll get whichever is cheapest.

 

[gilbert]

Ok, i got my first coral! I got a small green star polyp colony. Still no fish though.

 

[gilbert]

Ok, I got green star polyps, a colt coral, and a misbar clownfish. Now I have two more questions. 1)How often should I feed the clownfish? 2)I have a ton of hair algae that looks like tentacles. It's growing on my live rock and my colt coral. How do I get rid of it???