To buy or not to buy.

[doodle1800]

Allright - goby question. I have 2 shy as hell damsels that were my cycle fish. Its been 3 months now and the tank is boring because they're so damn shy. I want something else. Its only a 10 gal tank. I want to add a mandorin goby. Is this too much for my little tank? I'm considering returning damsels, but I'd tear up my tank doing it. Any advice would be great. I'm leaning on getting him..

 

[broomer5]

I would lean the other way my friend.
Chances are very good that a Mandarin Dragonette will starve in a 10 gallon tank.
I would bet my reef tank on it !
Really - I hardly ever comment on people's choice of fish - but in this case - don't do it.
If you want to add some other small fish to the 10 gallon tank - I would also strongly suggest removing the 2 damsels - even if you have to disrupt things.
Small tanks are pretty limiting on number of fish - unless you have a huge sump or other body of saltwater plumbed into it.

 

[doodle1800]

Thanks, I think I read they have a different eating requirements. The pet shop said -" oh yeah - a great addition to your (10gal) tank".. I'd sure like to liven the tank up though..
I'll take your advise..

 

[buzz]

They ARE a great addition....visually...but they eat pods as a primary food source. Without a thriving pod population, they will slowly starve and die. It is just very unlikely that you would be able to establish and maintain the necessary pod population in that size tank to sustain a mandarin.
Good decision!

 

[doodle1800]

Buzz - I'm fairly new at this - whats a pod?

 

[buzz]

Little microscopic "bugs" for lack of a better term. There are different kinds....copepods, amphipods, isopods, etc...they grow in the sand bed, and rockwork. If you've ever seen little bug looking things crawling around on the inside of the glass, those are pods.

 

[doodle1800]

And here I thought I was asking a stupid question. I thought it was a plant.. Thanks again.

 

[doodle1800]

Thats what I was thinking - 2 percs.. will they go into a common anemone?

 

[terrence]

Buzz.where do you get the 'pods'????? The SW guy at my LFS is out on sick leave.....nobody knew. I guess I'm going to have to look for another store temp. I didn't see them here on SWF.com, either.

 

[doodle1800]

Too young to have a common anenome? Good to know.. how long should I wait?

 

[buzz]

Live sand is the best way I know...I believe they have some packages you can buy, but just get some live sand, and give it time to mature....

 

[doodle1800]

You see what my 10 gal has. 6lbs of live rock, crushed coral, feather duster, some crabs... I'm interested in making this a nano reef. What would you suggest I do? Lighting? I should probably read up on this..
Do percs require a host?