PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!

[aquanewby]

I made a few adjustments and clarified my question a bit. My current system which has been up for about 2 months:

75 gal
80 lbs live rock
~2" -2.5" sand bed
30 gal refugium
SWC 180 Protein Skimmer
48" light:
(2) 10,000K HQI Metal Halide lamps
(2) True Actinic 03 Blue Compact Fluorescent Lamps
(3) Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LED lights

current inverts:

~ 15 turbos/Astreas
~ 10 Nassarius
~15 Scarlett hermits
~10 blue hermits (small)
1 brittle star
2 peppermint shrimp

It seems that the brittle star has quite an appetite. I thought that he was supposed to be a scavenger, but I have since read that he can be a meat eater. He may have to go in the refugium.

I am ready to try my luck on some fish. The fish I that I want to eventually try are:

1 Yellow Eyed Kole or Chevron instead of White face tang
2 Semi-Picasso or Snowflake Clowns
1 Mandarin

Since those fish are tricky to keep, and the Picassos are a bit price, I am wondering what would be good starter fish that will be complimentary. I am thinking about:

Sailfin, scooter or lawnmower blenny
firefish
Six-lined wrasse or Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse
Banggai Cardinal

Would any/all of these work with my desired setup?

I do want to try my luck with some corals too. I am thinking of starting with mushrooms, toadstools or monti cap. Is it to early for these? I am hoping that the clowns may take to the mushrooms one day.

[Aquarist007]

Originally Posted by aquanewby

I made a few adjustments and clarified my question a bit. My current system which has been up for about 2 months:

75 gal
80 lbs live rock
~2" -2.5" sand bed
30 gal refugium
SWC 180 Protein Skimmer
48" light:
(2) 10,000K HQI Metal Halide lamps
(2) True Actinic 03 Blue Compact Fluorescent Lamps
(3) Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LED lights

current inverts:

~ 15 turbos/Astreas
~ 10 Nassarius
~15 Scarlett hermits
~10 blue hermits (small)
1 brittle star
2 peppermint shrimp

It seems that the brittle star has quite an appetite. I thought that he was supposed to be a scavenger, but I have since read that he can be a meat eater. He may have to go in the refugium.

I am ready to try my luck on some fish. The fish I that I want to eventually try are:

1 Yellow Eyed Kole or Chevron instead of White face tang
2 Semi-Picasso or Snowflake Clowns
1 Mandarin

Since those fish are tricky to keep, and the Picassos are a bit price, I am wondering what would be good starter fish that will be complimentary. I am thinking about:

Sailfin, scooter or lawnmower blenny
firefish
Six-lined wrasse or Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse
Banggai Cardinal

Would any/all of these work with my desired setup?

I do want to try my luck with some corals too. I am thinking of starting with mushrooms, toadstools or monti cap. Is it to early for these? I am hoping that the clowns may take to the mushrooms one day.

as a suggestion:
kole tang
scooter blenny
carpenters wrasse
bangaii cardinal
2 clown fish
fire fish
You could have problems with the six line wrasse picking on the carpenters wrasse and fire fish

corals--little too soon for a monti
stick with mushroomsm toadstools, xenia, kenya tree, frog spawn, hammer, torch ,zoas, colt, polyps, to name a few hardy starting corals

[5ft24]

ok...
75G (48x18x20)
80 lbs live rock
1-1.5" aragonite floor
20 gal sump with Reef Octopus 250 pro skimmer
48" PC setup with 2x65W actinic, 2x65W 10,000K
Adding 2x54W T5. 1 actinic, 1 10,000k
Current inhabitants (Thriving and HAPPY!)
2 false perc clowns
3 Green Chromis
1 firefish Goby
2 scarlet reef hermits
10 pink astrea snails
10 cerith snails
10 margarita snails
Assorted Zoas
2 large colonies of green (bright green, brown skirt) Palys
1 cinnamon paly
1 1"-1.5" neon green fox coral
1 Tyrea Neon green toadstool (2" dia)
1 pink and yellow toadstool (1.5" Dia)
3 heads Neon green candy coral
Green birdsnest coral
1 red Monti cap 3" dia
1 2.5" or so GSP
several Kenya tree corals.

Tank has been running since October 4th and items have been put in SLOWLY.
Params are all good...
79.9 deg F
420 Ca
0 nitrite
0 amm
0 phos
10 Nitrate
dkh 10.5
alk 9.5
PH 8.3

Would LIKE to add a couple more fish...
Wife wants a yellow and Blue tang (the whole finding nemo obsession...)
I think even 1 of those might be too much for my tank (adult size...)
What would you recommend that I could still add to Brighten up the tank...
One I would like to get is a royal gramma, and somewhere, in about a year, a mandarin...
Thanks

[scarolina01]

So I will be upgrading to a 65g (36x18x23) I believe. Anyhow, I will be moving my current 30g and all of its inhabitants into the 65g. I have a pygme angel and a small picasso trigger, and handfulls of corals, mostly zoas and some sun corals. I will have 20g sump to start, and once this is up and running, I will convert my 30g to a new sump with a refugium.

ANYWAY, I'd like to eventually add a mated pair of clownfish and an anemone (RBTA, but could settle for a GBTA) to the 65. Could I add anymore fish to the 65g, or will the pygme angel, picasso trigger and 2 clowns fill up the tank?

[Toddrtrex]

Originally Posted by scarolina01

So I will be upgrading to a 65g (36x18x23) I believe. Anyhow, I will be moving my current 30g and all of its inhabitants into the 65g. I have a pygme angel and a small picasso trigger, and handfulls of corals, mostly zoas and some sun corals. I will have 20g sump to start, and once this is up and running, I will convert my 30g to a new sump with a refugium.

ANYWAY, I'd like to eventually add a mated pair of clownfish and an anemone (RBTA, but could settle for a GBTA) to the 65. Could I add anymore fish to the 65g, or will the pygme angel, picasso trigger and 2 clowns fill up the tank?

Honestly, I would take this chance to sell the trigger -- it will outgrow your 65 in short order. In addition, the larger they get the more aggressive it will get, would give you nothing but troubles in a 65.

Is your angel a Centropyge Argi?

What type of clowns?

If you plan on having any additional fish, I would add them before the clowns -- I had a mated pair of pink skunks in my 58 -- couldn't add any new fish without WWIII breaking out (( even when I added a 2nd dwarf angel I had more issues from the clowns then I did from the existing angel )).

[scarolina01]

Originally Posted by Toddrtrex

Honestly, I would take this chance to sell the trigger -- it will outgrow your 65 in short order. In addition, the larger they get the more aggressive it will get, would give you nothing but troubles in a 65.

Is your angel a Centropyge Argi?

What type of clowns?

If you plan on having any additional fish, I would add them before the clowns -- I had a mated pair of pink skunks in my 58 -- couldn't add any new fish without WWIII breaking out (( even when I added a 2nd dwarf angel I had more issues from the clowns then I did from the existing angel )).

I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed that you think I should get rid of my picasso trigger. I love his personality and he's gotten along fine with the pygme angle (also known as a cherub? angel) and hasn't messed with any corals. I will consider that option though. As for the clowns, I'd like to get a pair of percs, whether false or true, it doesn't matter much to me, and I will add them last now.

[Toddrtrex]

Originally Posted by scarolina01

I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed that you think I should get rid of my picasso trigger. I love his personality and he's gotten along fine with the pygme angle (also known as a cherub? angel) and hasn't messed with any corals. I will consider that option though. As for the clowns, I'd like to get a pair of percs, whether false or true, it doesn't matter much to me, and I will add them last now.

I know that it is difficult to get rid of a fish that you have had for a while -- I had to do that in the past with a blue face angel. Of course it is up to you, but in a couple of years things are going to change and you will wish that you sold it when you had the chance.

[mgoblue]

Okay, here's a proposed list for my tank for your input.

Tank specs are in my signature. This list would be added a single fish at a time only after at least 4 weeks in quarantine (currently 20g tall).

Firefish
Bangaii/Kauderns Cardinal
Ocellaris Clownfish, maybe a pair
goby/pistol combo (may have to reconsider the pistol giving recent postings of pistols potentially killing dartfish)
"showcase" fish of some sort
- here's where the "fun" begins. My wife really wants a yellow tang - but I'm concerned about tank size. I like several of the pygmy angels, but my goal is to work up to a mixed reef including lps and sps, so I am concerned with nipping. I have considered one of the flasher wrasses, but if I only get a male, will he maintain his colors? I am open to suggestions. Maybe with only 4-5 smaller fish on the list besides the "showcase" fish, my system may support a pair of the flasher wrasses? Like I said, I am open to suggestions - even foregoing a "showcase" fish altogether since we will enjoy our tank inhabitants regardless of how colorful they are (my kids have already named one of the larger brittle stars (Lenny) and the snail (Bob) that hitchhiked in on my liverock).

Thanks!

[JERSEYGIRL05]

currently 20L 2 damsels, one clown. 11lbs live rock, small hob back filter with chemipure.
took crushed coral out of tank created a big mess. put in one cup of live sand for my shrimp. hermits, purple lobster, snails peppermint shrimp. turkey clam, 2 feather dusters came on live rock.
been running about 2months 1.024, o amm, o.5 phosphate, ph is low(add buffer) add iodine 2x a week, calcium 2x a week.
I will be transferring everything to 48g flatback hex and starting a refigium and protein skimmer.
the rise is 4ft.
what size return pump will i need.
fish only now working towards reef tank. have lost 2 cleaner shrimp and one hermit

[dabrybry]

20g DT, 10g fuge, 10g sump. Nano protein skimmer, about 300gph from the return pump. 21lbs live rock, 40lbs argonite with about 4lbs LS mixed in. 150watt MH with 2x15watt t5 acrinics. Getting a powerhead or two soon. After cycle was gonna start with some easy softies like zoas and shrooms and then move up to hammer coral and a small clam later on. 2 false percs, a cleaner shrimp and maybe a blenny or goby




Still learning,
Bryan

[mgoblue]

JerseyGirl05 - is the pump question your only question? If so, you would probably get a better response by posting your own thread on the 'new to the hobby' forum. This thread is specifically for getting advice on fish purchases.

By the way - welcome to reef central!

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by dabrybry

20g DT, 10g fuge, 10g sump. Nano protein skimmer, about 300gph from the return pump. 21lbs live rock, 40lbs argonite with about 4lbs LS mixed in. 150watt MH with 2x15watt t5 acrinics. Getting a powerhead or two soon. After cycle was gonna start with some easy softies like zoas and shrooms and then move up to hammer coral and a small clam later on. 2 false percs, a cleaner shrimp and maybe a blenny or goby

Still learning,
Bryan

Bryan, Your tank will be marginal for a pair of clownfish but after they start breeding will want about 25 gallons for their own "territory"; as such an additional fish may be problematic. Be sure you like mushroom corals because if you don't they are difficult to remove. Otherwise a good plan.

[Vandal996]

92 gallon corner, 120 lbs of rock, 75lbs sand, 20 gallons of water in the sump. No fish. 12 hermit crabs, 6 or so snails left, 1 emerald crab, tons of pods, 1 ricordia head, 1 hammer frag, 1or so zoas and a single candy cane. The corals have been in for a month. RODI auto water top off. Sedra 900 return pump, 4 Koralia power heads. This tank has been up for a year although it has been transformed from a fowlr and new cycled rock added.

Here is what I would like to have after I move the sump to the basement after the first. It will be 1 30ga rubbermade full of rock and another container with 20 of water so a total of about 125ga of actual water and another 100lbs of rock.

Powder Blue Tang
2 Maroon Clownfish (territorial I know)
Green Clown Goby
Red Mandarin Dragonet (I have the pod population)
Niger Trigger (If he is a jerk he can go in the other tank or get traded)
2 Firefish or
2 Jawfish or one of each
2 Coral Banded Shrimp
2 Fire Shrimp
2 Camel Shrimp
2 Peppermint Shrimp
2 Cleaner Shrimp
2 Sexy Shrimp
2 Porcelain crab
Marble Sea Star
Maxima Clam
a bunch more snails
15 nano serpent stars

Let me know what you think.

[5ft24]

Originally Posted by 5ft24

ok...
75G (48x18x20)
80 lbs live rock
1-1.5" aragonite floor
20 gal sump with Reef Octopus 250 pro skimmer
48" PC setup with 2x65W actinic, 2x65W 10,000K
Adding 2x54W T5. 1 actinic, 1 10,000k
Current inhabitants (Thriving and HAPPY!)
2 false perc clowns
3 Green Chromis
1 firefish Goby
2 scarlet reef hermits
6 dwarf reef hermits
10 pink astrea snails
12 cerith snails
10 margarita snails
2 Trochus snails
Assorted Zoas
2 large colonies of green (bright green, brown skirt) Palys
1 cinnamon paly
1 1"-1.5" neon green fox coral
1 Tyrea Neon green toadstool (2" dia)
1 pink and yellow toadstool (1.5" Dia)
3 heads Neon green candy coral
Green birdsnest coral
1 red Monti cap 3" dia
1 2.5" or so GSP
several Kenya tree corals.
Royal Gramma Basslet

Tank has been running since October 4th and items have been put in SLOWLY.
Params are all good...
79.9 deg F
420 Ca
0 nitrite
0 amm
0 phos
10 Nitrate
dkh 10.5
alk 9.5
PH 8.3

Would LIKE to add a couple more fish...
Wife wants a yellow and Blue tang (the whole finding nemo obsession...)
I think even 1 of those might be too much for my tank (adult size...)
What would you recommend that I could still add to Brighten up the tank...
One I would like to get, in about a year, is a mandarin...
Thanks

Added Royal gramma to list...

Anyone???

[Ethan_W]

Originally Posted by Vandal996

92 gallon corner, 120 lbs of rock, 75lbs sand, 20 gallons of water in the sump. No fish. 12 hermit crabs, 6 or so snails left, 1 emerald crab, tons of pods, 1 ricordia head, 1 hammer frag, 1or so zoas and a single candy cane. The corals have been in for a month. RODI auto water top off. Sedra 900 return pump, 4 Koralia power heads. This tank has been up for a year although it has been transformed from a fowlr and new cycled rock added.

Here is what I would like to have after I move the sump to the basement after the first. It will be 1 30ga rubbermade full of rock and another container with 20 of water so a total of about 125ga of actual water and another 100lbs of rock.

Powder Blue Tang
2 Maroon Clownfish (territorial I know)
Green Clown Goby
Red Mandarin Dragonet (I have the pod population)
Niger Trigger (If he is a jerk he can go in the other tank or get traded)
2 Firefish or
2 Jawfish or one of each
2 Coral Banded Shrimp
2 Fire Shrimp
2 Camel Shrimp
2 Peppermint Shrimp
2 Cleaner Shrimp
2 Sexy Shrimp
2 Porcelain crab
Marble Sea Star
Maxima Clam
a bunch more snails
15 nano serpent stars

Let me know what you think.

i dont think a 92 corner has enough room for a powder blue tang. try a yellow or a kole tang instead. also the coral banded shrimp may become a hassle with other fish, and i believe the camel shrimp tend to eat some corals (correct me if im wrong though).

also the trigger will most likely devour each of those shrimp.

[Vandal996]

Modified list

Powder Blue Tang
Ocelaris Clownfish (territorial I know)
Green Clown Goby
Red Mandarin Dragonet (I have the pod population)
Blue Throat Trigger
2 Firefish or
2 Jawfish or one of each
2 Fire Shrimp
2 Peppermint Shrimp
2 Cleaner Shrimp
2 Sexy Shrimp
2 Porcelain crab
Marble Sea Star
Maxima Clam
a bunch more snails
15 nano serpent stars

[Toddrtrex]

Originally Posted by Vandal996

Modified list

Powder Blue Tang
Ocelaris Clownfish (territorial I know)
Green Clown Goby
Red Mandarin Dragonet (I have the pod population)
Blue Throat Trigger
2 Firefish or
2 Jawfish or one of each
2 Fire Shrimp
2 Peppermint Shrimp
2 Cleaner Shrimp
2 Sexy Shrimp
2 Porcelain crab
Marble Sea Star
Maxima Clam
a bunch more snails
15 nano serpent stars

IMO, a 92 bow front isn't big enough for a powder blue, nor a blue throat trigger (( or any trigger for that matter )).

Unless you can find mated pairs of the firefish and jawfish you could very well end up having issues having more then 1 of each of them.

[rick12]

i have a 90g mixed reef:
1 yellow tang,
1 gobby,
1 sixline,
1 tomato clown.
1 clam

i put two peperment shrimp in to get rid of apatasia and now the shrimp are picking on the acans.
looking for a reefsafe fish, one that wont harm coral and clam, to rid me of the shrimp.

thanks

[Toddrtrex]

Originally Posted by rick12

i have a 90g mixed reef:
1 yellow tang,
1 gobby,
1 sixline,
1 tomato clown.
1 clam

i put two peperment shrimp in to get rid of apatasia and now the shrimp are picking on the acans.
looking for a reefsafe fish, one that wont harm coral and clam, to rid me of the shrimp.

thanks

"There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
I guess she'll die.

There was an old lady who swallowed a spider,
that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.

There was an old lady who swallowed a bird.
How absurd to swallow a bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die"

Hopefully you will get what I am going for.

You will be better off just catching the shrimp as opposed to getting a fish to eat them -- not the shrimps fault that they are doing what they do. Heck, could be as easy as putting some food in a net, place it near the shrimps hideout and letting them go in there.

[rick12]

thread proved to be usless for me. not the answer i was looking for. still looking for a fish to eat my shrimp? anyone??

[Toddrtrex]

Originally Posted by rick12

thread proved to be usless for me. not the answer i was looking for. still looking for a fish to eat my shrimp? anyone??

Sorry, that you didn't get the answer that you were looking for. I guess it would be too much effort to catch the shrimp and sell/give them to a local reefer -- would be soo much easy to purchase a fish that might eat them.

Good luck.

[TheFishMan65]

Why I agree that Toddrtrex was not helpful in this case, if you bothered with the first rule READ THE THREAD (even the last 3 pages) you would see that he did answer it.

Originally Posted by Toddrtrex

I would skip the mystery wrasse -- that is if you want to keep your shrimp, they will get eaten by the mystery wrasse.
[emphasis added]
For the clown -- make sure to get a small one -- to assure it is a male/unsexed male, your existing one is most likely a female.

With your existing pseudochromis, I would pass on both the six line and the bluespot -- see issues.

Todd come one what is the next verse

[Toddrtrex]

TheFishMan65 -- I still think I was helpful -- because I don't like the idea of purposefully purchasing a fish to kill something that you no longer have use for, to me that is not responsible reef keeping. Just take the time to catch the shrimp

[TheFishMan65]

Actually I agree 100% and probably should not have answered in order to save the shrimp. But his tone irritated me and the question was just answered (although indirectly) a few pages back.

Sorry shrimps.

[Toddrtrex]

Oh it irritated me too -- and sorry if I took any of that out on you.