Opinions on these fish please

[b-baby80]

Oh and all tests are at 0 now.Only thing i'm waiting on is $$ LOL!!
These would be for a 55 gallon reef aquarium
Orange back Basslet
Midas blenny
Mandarin Dragonet green (LFS has one and i'm gonna see what he's eating first)
Pair of clowns
So what do you think?Most of those are bottom/sand swimmers.So i'm wondering on more that would swim all around.

 

[perfectdark]

Actually the Midas Blenny is not a bottom swimmer.. in fact out of all the Blennys it is one that loves to swim in the water column. They are jumpers and have really cool personalities. The Clown fish too are not bottom swimmers either, most swim high but alot are just parousing the tank scavaging any tiny morsel of food they can find. The mandarin is a rock jumper and not recomended for a tank as new as yours. Seasond tanks with a huge staple of perpetuating pods. Im not familar with the Orange Back Basslet, if they are anything like a Royal Gramma then they are rock hiders and frequent the tank when food is present.

 

[limitedslip]

defineatly a no no on that mandarin, unless you have over 100lbs of live rock, a steady source of copepods from a LFS or such, or it is already eating frozen.

 

[b-baby80]

Originally Posted by Limitedslip
defineatly a no no on that mandarin, unless you have over 100lbs of live rock, a steady source of copepods from a LFS or such, or it is already eating frozen.
Yeah i knew they generally eat pods.I'm gonna see what that one is eating before i get it.Or if they have pods i could buy and keep in my sump.I'll do that.I don't want to get him and him starve KWIM>

 

[b-baby80]

Originally Posted by PerfectDark
Actually the Midas Blenny is not a bottom swimmer.. in fact out of all the Blennys it is one that loves to swim in the water column. They are jumpers and have really cool personalities. The Clown fish too are not bottom swimmers either, most swim high but alot are just parousing the tank scavaging any tiny morsel of food they can find. The mandarin is a rock jumper and not recomended for a tank as new as yours. Seasond tanks with a huge staple of perpetuating pods. Im not familar with the Orange Back Basslet, if they are anything like a Royal Gramma then they are rock hiders and frequent the tank when food is present.
Will the Midas jump out of the tank?
Yeah i knew the clowns were swimmers.I just wasn't sure about the others.
As i said i won't get the mandarin unless i can buy pods to keep in my tank or he's eating frozen.I definitely would not get a fish that wouldn't be able to eat.

 

[perfectdark]

If all access points out of the tank are closed then no. Its not a huge problem in larger tanks but they are known jumpers. I had mine jump into the rear chambers of my cube 3 times before it met its untimley death. But cubes are constructed completly different than std tanks.

 

[miaheatlvr]

Originally Posted by B-Baby80
Oh and all tests are at 0 now.Only thing i'm waiting on is $$ LOL!!
These would be for a 55 gallon reef aquarium
Orange back Basslet
Midas blenny
Mandarin Dragonet green (LFS has one and i'm gonna see what he's eating first)
Pair of clowns
So what do you think?Most of those are bottom/sand swimmers.So i'm wondering on more that would swim all around.
No mandarins or even blenny for a while, both pod eaters and do much better with a fuge to replenish you pod supply, they really need a mature tank w/fuge, and introduce clowns at once, I prefer same size and species, usually a mated pair of perculas are quite nice.

 

[perfectdark]

Originally Posted by MiaHeatLvr
No mandarins or even blenny for a while, both pod eaters and do much better with a fuge to replenish you pod supply, they really need a mature tank w/fuge, and introduce clowns at once, I prefer same size and species, usually a mated pair of perculas are quite nice.

Actually thats not accurate not all blennys are pod eaters. Midas Blennys are Omnivourus and algea eaters and will readily take most any foods offered to them. Formula 1, omega 1 flake.... etc etc.

 

[miaheatlvr]

Originally Posted by PerfectDark
Actually thats not accurate not all blennys are pod eaters. Midas Blennys are Omnivourus and algea eaters and will readily take most any foods offered to them. Formula 1, omega 1 flake.... etc etc.
I am not saying that Blennys are exclusive pod eaters by anymeans but they will readily eat a pod when one come available just like almost any grazing fish will, so it is kind of accurate especially when you have a mandarin in your tank and it will be competing for pods.

 

[perfectdark]

Understood but, the descrepency is "or blenny" as you stated they are both pod eaters. The natural behavioral pattern of a midas blenny (which was the specific species asked about) among a few others is completly different than the ones of the "pod eating blenny's" To say that a midias will capitalize on pods and compete with the mandarin for them IMO Is not true. If the pods happen to be free swimming then yes it will indeed eat them but so will a pair of perculas. And Mandarins dont chase pods in the water column, they are rock grazers midas blennys are certainly not.

 

[1journeyman]

Mandarins and Scooters are not true "blennies". They are Dragonets.
Hope that helps clear up the issue.

 

[perfectdark]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
Mandarins and Scooters are not true "blennies". They are Dragonets.
Hope that helps clear up the issue.
Good point...
me too.

 

[miaheatlvr]

Originally Posted by PerfectDark
Understood but, the descrepency is "or blenny" as you stated they are both pod eaters. The natural behavioral pattern of a midas blenny (which was the specific species asked about) among a few others is completly different than the ones of the "pod eating blenny's" To say that a midias will capitalize on pods and compete with the mandarin for them IMO Is not true. If the pods happen to be free swimming then yes it will indeed eat them but so will a pair of perculas. And Mandarins dont chase pods in the water column, they are rock grazers midas blennys are certainly not.
Even though the "Midas Blenny" is a true Omnivour and does eat greens it is opurtunistic as well and in addition to accepting prepared meaty foods, do like torock perch, which IMO makes him a grazer as well, ready to devour prepared foods as well as available pods like all fish will. In her case with her 55 being new and not knowing the amount of LR she has, Im sure she doesnt have any PODS yet, I dont think her dragonette should have any perching blenny in the tank with a mandarin, BUT we all agree that she should not get the mandarin in the first place. Nobody is claiming that Mandarins are open column swimmers everybody knows i hope that they like to hover and pick all day long. And Midas blennys do like to chill and perch quite a bit. Thanks for the clarification 1JOURNEY

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by B-Baby80
Oh and all tests are at 0 now.Only thing i'm waiting on is $$ LOL!!
These would be for a 55 gallon reef aquarium
Orange back Basslet
Midas blenny
Mandarin Dragonet green (LFS has one and i'm gonna see what he's eating first)
Pair of clowns
So what do you think?Most of those are bottom/sand swimmers.So i'm wondering on more that would swim all around.
Is this your first stock list? The clowns are the first that I would get. Please space your purchases. One month per purchase, being that this tank is new. Keep buying rock and get that refuge stocked with aquatic plants. Do you have a quarantine tank set up yet? You are on the right track

 

[b-baby80]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
Is this your first stock list? The clowns are the first that I would get. Please space your purchases. One month per purchase, being that this tank is new. Keep buying rock and get that refuge stocked with aquatic plants. Do you have a quarantine tank set up yet? You are on the right track

Well i've had my 3 hermits for quit awhile.I do have a damsel(I know

) and a snail.The LFS had a bunch of cute clowns.I'm gonna see if they have any paired ones.

 

[mcbdz]

Clowns should be fairly easy to pair up. Well depending on what kind. Same spieces one large one smaller. Make sure there are no spots and fines look good and intake. Stomack should not be sunkin in. Find out if they are aquacultured or wild caught and get them to feed them before you buy. Good Luck.

 

[king_nothing_]

yeah, startoff with the pair of clowns. Around here, my LFS sells clowns for 10 bucks each, and they're really healthy, so you should be able to get 2 for a pretty decent price = ) They've got lots of personality, and they're prety hard to kill. I added mine to my tank when my ammonia levels were at 3.0 and nitrite was at like 4-5, just to see what would happen, and it didn't die, in fact it got lots more bold and swims around a lot more lol. My tank has stabalized now and the clown is still thriving, so I'de say those are a great first firsh to get. Damn hard to kill.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by king_nothing_
yeah, startoff with the pair of clowns. Around here, my LFS sells clowns for 10 bucks each, and they're really healthy, so you should be able to get 2 for a pretty decent price = ) They've got lots of personality, and they're prety hard to kill. I added mine to my tank when my ammonia levels were at 3.0 and nitrite was at like 4-5, just to see what would happen, and it didn't die, in fact it got lots more bold and swims around a lot more lol. My tank has stabalized now and the clown is still thriving, so I'de say those are a great first firsh to get. Damn hard to kill.
Ammonia damages the gills of fish. Damsels, Clowns, etc. are not immune to this. Just because your's survived does not mean they are "hard to kill". It means you got lucky.