Stocking My New 75g

shadowbearwv · 02/26/2009, 04:56 AM

I'm in the process of upgrading to a 75g from a 20g. I currently have no fish in the 20g and plan to move the live rock and sand over the the 75g once I have cycled the new tank.

I'd like to keep the following, I'm limiting myself to only aquacultured/tank-raised fish.

2 False Percula Clowns
2 Black and White False Percula Clowns
2 Blue Neon Gobies
2 Gold Neon Gobies

I am kind of tempted by the Indigo Dottyback but just not sure I'm comfortable with it. My plan of adding the fish is 4 at a time with 6 weeks in the 20g QT, then once in main display add the next 4 to the QT.

Thoughts and opinions welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

SB

soulseeker · 02/26/2009, 07:03 AM

You can only keep 1 pair of clowns.
Another good fish that is tank raised is a Banggai Cardinal Fish or Blue/Green Reef Chromis .

steri · 02/26/2009, 08:53 AM

You might be able to keep four clowns for a while, but they you may have to give up two of them in the future. I have seen multiple clowns done a few times before. If you do it, I would buy them at the same time, and preferably from the same tank. Personally I think adding four fish at a time is a bit much, but if you did 4 - 2- 2; that might be better.

Honestly, trying 4 clowns together will be a bit risky (as I am typing I am talking myself more and more out of it). Like I said, I have seen it done before with tank raised clowns, but you need to consider the risk. Only one of the group will turn into a female, and then three males will compete for that one female. Typically, when you see a ton of clowns together in a tank, it is because they are young. as they bigger and older, they tend to get more territorial. So I can understand Soulseeker's hesitation, and the risks really should be considered, but I think if you are going to attempt it; going with tank raised is the best way to go.

I have a dottyback. I would not recommend them. If I could catch the one I have, I would give him away for free

Dottybacks are a huge PITA!

Good luck.

THE ROOK · 02/26/2009, 09:32 AM

Plenty have had multiple sets of clowns. I believe there is plenty of room in a 75 for two pair.

My question would be how to add them. It may be better to add 1 pair, wait 6 months, then add the other pair. This would give them time to pair up & may leave the new clowns alone.

I'm certainly to expert on this, so post this in the anemone & clownfish forum here on RC. There will certainly be more help there.

mikid · 02/26/2009, 10:12 AM

i reguard to the dootyback, i have a red stocked 75 and i have a neon dottyback,agressive as far as the dootybacks go and he never have caused any probelms.........

Toddrtrex · 02/26/2009, 10:49 AM

More then one pair of clowns is going to be a bad idea. Having two pairs might work in the short term, but once a real pair is formed and/or when one pair starts to spawn, the odds are really good that the other pair won't be welcome anymore.

shadowbearwv · 02/26/2009, 11:53 AM

Thanks for all the great advice.

From my reading I was guessing it was a bad idea for 2 pairs I just wanted to double check.

So I'm going to not get the 2 black and white and try to find some blue/green reef chromis, if I can find em.

I read the chromis need to be in odd numbers, is this true?

Thanks

SB

Miasma_F · 02/26/2009, 12:15 PM

Chromis tend to kill each other off so my limited experience is the quantity doesn't really matter. Just buy a two or three more than you actually want and hope for the best. In my last tank I started with 6 or 7 and ended up with 3 that could live with each other.

Wakeskater02 · 02/26/2009, 12:18 PM

I would definitely becareful of adding more than 1 pair of clowns. They will eventually get agressive. Secondly, and more important you need to add all the fish at the same time. If you wait the first pair of clowns will become dominant over the tank and kill the newer pair, either by bullying or by stress.

In my 75 I have: 2 pajama Cardinals, 1 bangai cardinal, 1 medium sized yellow tang, 1 flame angel, 1 Yellow stripe maroon clown, 1 blue green chromis. I have a cleaner shrimp, and an emerald crab. No one fights and my tank thrives.

I also have a rediculous amount of corals and inverts in there. Including brains, 6 clams (3 Maxima ultra), candy corals, blue xenia, silver xenia, ORA neon green leather, 12 headed frogspawn, torch coral, hammer corals etc...... I have about 150lbs of live rock and a refugium.

Moral of the story......great things can happen when you have a larger sized tank. You don't always need to think smaller reef fish, you can have some tangs and so forth if you want them.

-Keep Reefin'

shadowbearwv · 02/26/2009, 04:28 PM

Wow great sounding tank Wake!

I'm probably going to stay on the soft coral side of the house even though my lighting should handle more, the noob thing and all.

I'm doing the whole tank aquacultured so that's what really limiting my fish selection.

I found a great place for sand, rock and coral just coming up dry on the fish.

Going to head to the Responsible Reef Keeper section to see what they have listed there for suppliers of tank raised fish.

Again thanks everyone for all the help.

SB

02/26/2009, 04:56 AM	#1
shadowbearwv Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Somerset, NJ Posts: 190	Stocking My New 75g I'm in the process of upgrading to a 75g from a 20g. I currently have no fish in the 20g and plan to move the live rock and sand over the the 75g once I have cycled the new tank. I'd like to keep the following, I'm limiting myself to only aquacultured/tank-raised fish. 2 False Percula Clowns 2 Black and White False Percula Clowns 2 Blue Neon Gobies 2 Gold Neon Gobies I am kind of tempted by the Indigo Dottyback but just not sure I'm comfortable with it. My plan of adding the fish is 4 at a time with 6 weeks in the 20g QT, then once in main display add the next 4 to the QT. Thoughts and opinions welcomed. Thanks in advance. SB

02/26/2009, 08:53 AM	#3
steri Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Aurora, IL. Posts: 2,361	You might be able to keep four clowns for a while, but they you may have to give up two of them in the future. I have seen multiple clowns done a few times before. If you do it, I would buy them at the same time, and preferably from the same tank. Personally I think adding four fish at a time is a bit much, but if you did 4 - 2- 2; that might be better. Honestly, trying 4 clowns together will be a bit risky (as I am typing I am talking myself more and more out of it). Like I said, I have seen it done before with tank raised clowns, but you need to consider the risk. Only one of the group will turn into a female, and then three males will compete for that one female. Typically, when you see a ton of clowns together in a tank, it is because they are young. as they bigger and older, they tend to get more territorial. So I can understand Soulseeker's hesitation, and the risks really should be considered, but I think if you are going to attempt it; going with tank raised is the best way to go. I have a dottyback. I would not recommend them. If I could catch the one I have, I would give him away for free Dottybacks are a huge PITA! Good luck. __________________ 220g: French Angel, Emperor Angel, Passer Anger, Blue Tang, Yellow Tang, Snowflake Moray Eel, Lunar Wrasse Current Tank Info: 220 with T5HO lighting. ETSS skimmer.

02/26/2009, 10:12 AM	#5
mikid Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: fair oaks,california Posts: 1,767	fish i reguard to the dootyback, i have a red stocked 75 and i have a neon dottyback,agressive as far as the dootybacks go and he never have caused any probelms......... __________________ Mike Dickenson....Marine Aquarist Roundtable of Sacramento, Co-Founder Current Tank Info: 187 Gal Display/125 Gal sump/Reefkeeper Elite/Rw20s/Leds

02/26/2009, 10:49 AM	#6
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	More then one pair of clowns is going to be a bad idea. Having two pairs might work in the short term, but once a real pair is formed and/or when one pair starts to spawn, the odds are really good that the other pair won't be welcome anymore. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

02/26/2009, 12:15 PM	#8
Miasma_F Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Michigan U.P. Posts: 384	Chromis tend to kill each other off so my limited experience is the quantity doesn't really matter. Just buy a two or three more than you actually want and hope for the best. In my last tank I started with 6 or 7 and ended up with 3 that could live with each other. __________________ -Matt I didn't do it. If I was supposed to, well, sorry about that. Current Tank Info: Nada

02/26/2009, 07:03 AM	#2
soulseeker Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 14	You can only keep 1 pair of clowns. Another good fish that is tank raised is a Banggai Cardinal Fish or Blue/Green Reef Chromis .

02/26/2009, 09:32 AM	#4
THE ROOK Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Springfield, MA Posts: 2,100	Plenty have had multiple sets of clowns. I believe there is plenty of room in a 75 for two pair. My question would be how to add them. It may be better to add 1 pair, wait 6 months, then add the other pair. This would give them time to pair up & may leave the new clowns alone. I'm certainly to expert on this, so post this in the anemone & clownfish forum here on RC. There will certainly be more help there.

02/26/2009, 11:53 AM	#7
shadowbearwv Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Somerset, NJ Posts: 190	Thanks for all the great advice. From my reading I was guessing it was a bad idea for 2 pairs I just wanted to double check. So I'm going to not get the 2 black and white and try to find some blue/green reef chromis, if I can find em. I read the chromis need to be in odd numbers, is this true? Thanks SB

02/26/2009, 12:18 PM	#9
Wakeskater02 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Orange County, Ca Posts: 77	I would definitely becareful of adding more than 1 pair of clowns. They will eventually get agressive. Secondly, and more important you need to add all the fish at the same time. If you wait the first pair of clowns will become dominant over the tank and kill the newer pair, either by bullying or by stress. In my 75 I have: 2 pajama Cardinals, 1 bangai cardinal, 1 medium sized yellow tang, 1 flame angel, 1 Yellow stripe maroon clown, 1 blue green chromis. I have a cleaner shrimp, and an emerald crab. No one fights and my tank thrives. I also have a rediculous amount of corals and inverts in there. Including brains, 6 clams (3 Maxima ultra), candy corals, blue xenia, silver xenia, ORA neon green leather, 12 headed frogspawn, torch coral, hammer corals etc...... I have about 150lbs of live rock and a refugium. Moral of the story......great things can happen when you have a larger sized tank. You don't always need to think smaller reef fish, you can have some tangs and so forth if you want them. -Keep Reefin'

02/26/2009, 04:28 PM	#10
shadowbearwv Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Somerset, NJ Posts: 190	Wow great sounding tank Wake! I'm probably going to stay on the soft coral side of the house even though my lighting should handle more, the noob thing and all. I'm doing the whole tank aquacultured so that's what really limiting my fish selection. I found a great place for sand, rock and coral just coming up dry on the fish. Going to head to the Responsible Reef Keeper section to see what they have listed there for suppliers of tank raised fish. Again thanks everyone for all the help. SB