Where to go with the tank now...

marinegrl

marinegrl

Member
My fifty-five gallon (inhabitants 1 Yellow Tailed Damsel and 1 Black Tailed Humbug DAmsel) is working well (as far as my testing kits are telling me) and everything seems to be ready for my next fish. The two damsels get along swimmingly, contrary to most it would seem and I'm looking forward to my next purchase. The theme for the tank is Indo-Pacific, but since I've got red legged and blue legged hermits hermits, its obviously not strictly IP. Does anyone have any suggestions? Please don't tell me to 'read books' and 'check out websites'. I have already done this and now I'm interested in PERSONAL OPINIONS! :yes: Thank you!!!!!! :happy:
 
sleeper

sleeper

Member
As corny as it sounds, you really can't go wrong with clowns... I have a maroon but there's so many neat ones out there. bengai cardinals look spectacular, too...
 
dogstar

dogstar

Active Member
How old is your tank and does it have lots of live rock and a sump or fuge. Do you want a reef or keeping it fish only. Is it going to be agressive fish because the blacktail will get very mean as it gets older. A lot of fish to choose from but many dont mix well in sertain conditions and setups.
Tell us what kind of filtration and setup with lights and what type of community you want.
 
marinegrl

marinegrl

Member
Good questions-makes it a little hard to provide answers when I don't really explain what my tank is like! Its a fifty-five gallon, with two external filters...nothing really very special. I don't have a protein skimmer, or any kind of under gravel type of filter, and there is no live rock because I'm not creating a real reef/living tank. I am still purchasing artificial corals and building a fake reef, but it takes a good amount of money and most of my money goes to my horses...dog being second...fish third. Thats really interesting that you said the black tail will get really aggressive as it gets older. I had read and heard that they were really aggressive from the start, but nothing about them getting worse as they age. Back to the tank, as you see, its really a beginner's aquarium. I am sort of making my way slowly, month by month. Thanks for the replies.
 
darth tang

darth tang

Active Member
Something to consider, you may want to add some cured live rock as this will help with your filtration. I would suggest a fish, but it is mainly your prefence. Pick a couple fish you like, then ask advise or forceable problems about them before you purchase. That is what I would do.
 
f1shman

f1shman

Active Member
Yes, I agree with Darth. But as some guy said above, you can't go wrong with clowns and they are the next step in hardiness from damsels. I'm not sure about the whole "Indo-Pacfic" idea, but Maroon Clowns are so cool
 
marinegrl

marinegrl

Member
Well, I've kind of been considering *key word stressed again 'considering'* to purchase some liverock. But I'm so worried that I'm going to mess up and have to re-do my entire tank...start all over because the rock isn't healthy or the creatures in it die and pollute my tank...erg. Nervous about stepping into the 'real reef' direction. I don't want any of my tan's creatures to die on me!
I have to research it A LOT more and read the posts here about it.
About the Indo Pacific theme...it just messed up a good deal because I took my friend's Mandarin fish off her hands. :scared: She was getting rid of all her tank stuff and wanted me to keep it. Yikes. Its gorgeous, but now I'm hoping I can keep up with its diet and specific needs. Thats why I'm becoming more interested in liverock, so I can get a well established tank for this fish to be happy and healthy.
 
J

jcrim

Guest
I think live rock should be in every marine tank. I've never had a reef but always had live rock. In your tank it will help with filtration and you should probably get a large amount to feed that mandarin. Add it slowly though, or the tank may get ammonia/nitrite/nitrate spikes. With good live rock, your tank will be much healthier.
 
sleeper

sleeper

Member
If you want to maintain a healthy mandarin, you should consider a refugium... I have just set one up with some real active live sand/shells froma friend... it's a gallon only but it's teeming with exactly the kind of copipods and anthropods the mandarin will need to eat to survive.
If you just introduce a ton of them to the tank, the problem is that the mandarin will certainly eat them all and then starve to death...
 
scubadoo

scubadoo

Active Member
Originally Posted by marinegrl
My fifty-five gallon (inhabitants 1 Yellow Tailed Damsel and 1 Black Tailed Humbug DAmsel) is working well (as far as my testing kits are telling me) and everything seems to be ready for my next fish. The two damsels get along swimmingly, contrary to most it would seem and I'm looking forward to my next purchase. The theme for the tank is Indo-Pacific, but since I've got red legged and blue legged hermits hermits, its obviously not strictly IP. Does anyone have any suggestions? Please don't tell me to 'read books' and 'check out websites'. I have already done this and now I'm interested in PERSONAL OPINIONS! :yes: Thank you!!!!!! :happy:
Damsels can be quite mean and may pick-on/torment/kill any new addtions to your system. Once you decide on your new addition(s) monitor closely if you keep the damsels. With Damsels, size does not matter as they will pick-on animals that are quite large. Just and FYI
You should remove the manderin form your system and take it to the lfs . If it is only eating pods it will starve in a brief period. They require mature systems....yours is not...they require plenty live rock...you have none. Their diet usually consisits of pods which a mature tank with plenty live rock (about 100 pounds) or refugium can provide...no way to do this in the short-term. You cannot provide enough pods in the short-term as any addtion of live rock will not provide the amount of pods required.
JMO
 
marinegrl

marinegrl

Member
Return it to IFs? Sorry, don't understand. But thanks for the replies. Doesn't sound to optimistic for the mandarin fish. Really tired...i'll check back tomorrow and try to read the rest of the post. me scusi
 
kdfrosty

kdfrosty

Active Member
Yup, I would take the mandarin back to the LFS (Local Fish Store). You might be able to keep him for a little while, and he might even take to frozen brine, but it will eventually starve.
If your interested in keeping a fish that will do OK, I say get rid of one or both damsels, and get a Hawkfish. A hawk goes with your Indo Pacific theme, are relatively hearty, and only mildly aggressive. One thing to consider with a hawk is that they will eat snails and/or shrimp that you have. I like the longnose, pixy, and flame hawks personally.
You have to make a choice here....do you want to get a refugium, more live rock and start a reef to keep the mandarin, or do you want to have a fish only (FO) tank with mildly aggressive fish and get rid of the mandarin?
 
snailheave

snailheave

Active Member
read some books
oh nevermind
i can provide you information on a place that sells quality live rocks. and i'll guarantee your satisfaction with them personally.
 
marinegrl

marinegrl

Member
Sorry to everybody who replied and haven't seen a response! It was vacation and then I had a bad fall off a horse, so there IS an explanation. Anyway, thanks for the opinions. I think that I'd like to go with the reef set up, but I have to add something in the defense of the damsels. I know this is probably the exception to the rule, but my damsels (and my brown clownfish) all sleep together in this artificial yellow coral. It's so funny to wake up in the morning, turn on the lights, and see them all grouped together under the coral's branches. Quite uncharacteristic, eh? But yah, I talked to my LFS guy and he is going to 'help' me start out, like planning the tank and deciding how much live rock I need. That is how it stands right now. If you have anything else to say I'd love to hear a reponse. Thanks again.
 
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