First Fish

Spyderturbo007 · 07/19/2012, 07:23 AM

I'm trying to pick out a good first fish. I was going to go with a pair of Snowflake clowns, but I'm hesitant because of the cost and my limited experience in this hobby. I'm looking for a vibrant, colorful fish that will be active and like to swim around.

A purple firefish or maybe a Helfrich firefish was my first thought, although I've read that they hide most of the time. Any other suggestions? Or maybe I should just go with the Snowflake clowns?

55g with a sump that in time will be a reef setup.

Entropy · 07/19/2012, 08:15 AM

Assuming your tank is ready for fish I am not sure I would drop the kind of money a pair of snow flakes normal cost. I have really never got caught up in designer fashion so for me a pair of false percs would be fine ($10 at most LFS). I have a $10 petco false perc and a $15 true perc (bought from another reefer) in mine. They get along great and are very colorful/active. You could also get a red fire fish (under $10) to go with them. That would give you more movement with minimal extra bioload and you would still be out less than $30 total.

Ryand63 · 07/19/2012, 08:27 AM

possibly some bangaii cardinals? Royal Gramma? Both reef safe and good beginner fish and also relatively inexpensive.

Spyderturbo007 · 07/19/2012, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Entropy

Assuming your tank is ready for fish I am not sure I would drop the kind of money a pair of snow flakes normal cost. I have really never got caught up in designer fashion so for me a pair of false percs would be fine ($10 at most LFS). I have a $10 petco false perc and a $15 true perc (bought from another reefer) in mine. They get along great and are very colorful/active. You could also get a red fire fish (under $10) to go with them. That would give you more movement with minimal extra bioload and you would still be out less than $30 total.

Since I can only have one pair of clowns, I'm pretty set on the Snowflakes / Black Ice ones. I was just thinking that I may want to go with something a little less expensive should I have an issue or make a mistake. But then again, I know that clowns are relatively resilient fish.

Any thoughts on the Fire fish? I've read they are jumpers and like to hide a lot. I haven't had the time to build a hood over my tank yet, so it's currently open.

I was also looking at a Clown Goby (Citrinis) or perhaps an Orange Stripe Prawn Goby.

Would those two gobys get along together or would they typically fight?

sponger0 · 07/19/2012, 09:28 AM

How about considering a QT so those snowflakes, once you get them, dont die due to some disease that can be easily treated?

Spyderturbo007 · 07/19/2012, 10:12 AM

I never said I wasn't going to QT the new fish.

I have everything set up in my basement to use a 20 long for QT. I have a trash can of water all mixed up to go in the QT along with a sponge in my DT for the HOB. Now I'm trying to find the fish I want to buy.

Entropy · 07/19/2012, 10:22 AM

I have a red fire fish (the cheapest of the bunch) and it stays right out front all the time. It only hides after the lights go off. They will jump if they get frightened, but that is true of a lot of fish. I don't have a canopy on mine but there is a pretty good skirt and the light fixture covers about 1/3 of the tank. I would get the orange stripe over the clown goby and only keep one or the other. Good luck with whatever you decide.

jerseygurl · 07/19/2012, 12:44 PM

I love Snowflake Clowns and they are super hearty, if your water parameters are on I say go for it!

After that go with the classic Yellow Watchman Goby / Pistol Shrimp combo. You have to get those guys in early cause they're really timid and need time to establish.

Fish Biscuit · 07/19/2012, 01:16 PM

If you do want a firefish they need to go in first so they are settled before everyone else shows up to the party. You would definitely need a screen top if you get a goby since they are jumpers too. Mine was fine for 9 or 10 months & then decided to jump into the back portion of the cube. I had to make a little partition with egg crate & plastic screen because the holes in the egg crate are big enough for them to slip through.

I like the black ice clowns too but the are pricey, at one of the LFS by us the designer clowns don't move as fast, they've had the same pair of platinum clowns for 6 or 7 months now. A goby/pistol pair would be good too. I enjoy mine but they do run in spurts where I won't see the goby for a while, I'm going on 2 weeks now without a sighting. If he's hungry enough he'll come out & if not then he can look for crumbs at night. I think the Yasha's are quite timid so if you get a firefish first, make the goby/pistol pair is the second addition to the tank.

If the clowns are going to be the most aggressive fish on your stocking list, put them in last.

Spyderturbo007 · 07/19/2012, 01:22 PM

I think I'm going to start with the Orange Stripe Prawn Goby. Now I have to figure out where to get one of the darn things. I know I can order it for delivery, but I really don't want to take a day off work when the fish gets delivered. What does everyone here do when they mail order a fish?

It looks like my LFS doesn't have one. But they do have Hammer Coral which I'm considering buying after reading one of sk8r's blog entries about adding coral before you add fish.

Fish Biscuit · 07/19/2012, 02:02 PM

Ask your LFS if they have one listed on the sheet from the wholesaler or to keep an eye out on one for you. I did that with my tailspot, I called & it was on the wholesale list so they ordered it for me. I stopped in at night & prepaid for the fish so it wouldn't hit their tanks. I went in at 11 the next day & acclimated the fish right to my tank instead of him hitting their tank & then mine. If you can't do that then ask if you can prepay & how long they will hold the fish in their tanks.

I added my coral before fish & everything was fine until the pistol decided to use the frags for building materials.

EDJFA · 07/19/2012, 03:30 PM

I love my hammer coral. It's bright, moves with the current, eats when fed, doesn't poop, and is generally well behaved. Unlike one of my first two clowns who went carpet surfing.

Zoas are a nice addition to a tank. If you want to see something almost immediately grow and spread, add a zoa colony. I started with a small zoa frag with 8-10 heads on it - now three or four months later there are over 40. Talk about instant gratification!

Entropy · 07/19/2012, 03:47 PM

I bet your LFS would take a delivery from online without to much fuss, espcially if you are a good customer.

Spyderturbo007 · 07/19/2012, 06:03 PM

Unfortunately my LFS is a Petco and I won't shop there. The next closest store that's decent (That Fish Place) takes about 45 minutes to get to.

gone fishin · 07/19/2012, 06:10 PM

I have a purple fire fish and he hid out for a couple days when I put him in but now he is out all the time. I also have a hifin banded goby and tiger pistol shrimp they are fun to watch. good luck with your choices.

Noobtosalty · 07/19/2012, 07:17 PM

Some places ship on a Friday so delivery would be on a Saturday ..... Or have them shipped to your work?

Spyderturbo007 · 07/19/2012, 09:02 PM

I saw the Saturday shipping option on some sites, but I would be paying 5x more for shopping than I would for the fish.

I would still need to leave work to get them acclimated and into the tank when the got delivered.

Spyderturbo007 · 07/27/2012, 12:51 PM

I ended up driving about 45 minutes to a store and secured a Purple Fire Fish. She is currently in the QT and doesn't come out from under the rock I put in there except to eat. But it's only been 2 days so we'll see how it goes.

Ls2Goat · 07/27/2012, 12:53 PM

start with some cheap clowns like false percs then move to the designers once you feel comfortable.

MrTuskfish · 07/27/2012, 01:10 PM

More than one pair of mated clowns seldom works. A pair of mated clowns is extremely territorial and can claim all of a tank as their territory. A mated par should also be introduced last, for the same reason. The smaller the tank, the bigger the problem.

aandfsoccr04 · 07/27/2012, 01:21 PM

I'd recommend clowns. Those were the first fish I purchased for my tank and since they are damsels they are relatively hardy in terms of fish.

sawcreatives · 07/27/2012, 02:36 PM

Start with less expensive clowns. All clowns are awesome fish and have a lot of personality.

chrisfont23 · 07/27/2012, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryand63

possibly some bangaii cardinals? Royal Gramma? Both reef safe and good beginner fish and also relatively inexpensive.

+1 on the Bangaii. It's the coolest fish I have and the easiest to "appease"

07/19/2012, 07:23 AM	#1
Spyderturbo007 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: PA Posts: 2,564	First Fish I'm trying to pick out a good first fish. I was going to go with a pair of Snowflake clowns, but I'm hesitant because of the cost and my limited experience in this hobby. I'm looking for a vibrant, colorful fish that will be active and like to swim around. A purple firefish or maybe a Helfrich firefish was my first thought, although I've read that they hide most of the time. Any other suggestions? Or maybe I should just go with the Snowflake clowns? 55g with a sump that in time will be a reef setup. Last edited by Spyderturbo007; 07/19/2012 at 07:35 AM.

07/19/2012, 08:15 AM	#2
Entropy Texas Reefer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 13,656	Assuming your tank is ready for fish I am not sure I would drop the kind of money a pair of snow flakes normal cost. I have really never got caught up in designer fashion so for me a pair of false percs would be fine ($10 at most LFS). I have a $10 petco false perc and a $15 true perc (bought from another reefer) in mine. They get along great and are very colorful/active. You could also get a red fire fish (under $10) to go with them. That would give you more movement with minimal extra bioload and you would still be out less than $30 total. __________________ Rich Overton 150G cube FOWLR, 30g sump, ReefKeeperII, 3x Koralia 1400's, QuiteOne 3000, Reef Octopus DNWB150, 4x 30w Par38 LED. Current Tank Info: 36x36x27 150g

07/19/2012, 10:22 AM	#7
Entropy Texas Reefer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 13,656	I have a red fire fish (the cheapest of the bunch) and it stays right out front all the time. It only hides after the lights go off. They will jump if they get frightened, but that is true of a lot of fish. I don't have a canopy on mine but there is a pretty good skirt and the light fixture covers about 1/3 of the tank. I would get the orange stripe over the clown goby and only keep one or the other. Good luck with whatever you decide. __________________ Rich Overton 150G cube FOWLR, 30g sump, ReefKeeperII, 3x Koralia 1400's, QuiteOne 3000, Reef Octopus DNWB150, 4x 30w Par38 LED. Current Tank Info: 36x36x27 150g

07/19/2012, 01:16 PM	#9
Fish Biscuit Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,164	If you do want a firefish they need to go in first so they are settled before everyone else shows up to the party. You would definitely need a screen top if you get a goby since they are jumpers too. Mine was fine for 9 or 10 months & then decided to jump into the back portion of the cube. I had to make a little partition with egg crate & plastic screen because the holes in the egg crate are big enough for them to slip through. I like the black ice clowns too but the are pricey, at one of the LFS by us the designer clowns don't move as fast, they've had the same pair of platinum clowns for 6 or 7 months now. A goby/pistol pair would be good too. I enjoy mine but they do run in spurts where I won't see the goby for a while, I'm going on 2 weeks now without a sighting. If he's hungry enough he'll come out & if not then he can look for crumbs at night. I think the Yasha's are quite timid so if you get a firefish first, make the goby/pistol pair is the second addition to the tank. If the clowns are going to be the most aggressive fish on your stocking list, put them in last. __________________ Michele I enjoy vodka entirely too much to share with the fish. Current Tank Info: 65 rimless with Eshopps R200 sump, current inhabitants randall goby, helfrichi, possum wrasse, barnacle blenny, mandarin, pistol, peppermint, & fire shrimp, snails, hermits, & LPS

07/19/2012, 01:22 PM	#10
Spyderturbo007 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: PA Posts: 2,564	I think I'm going to start with the Orange Stripe Prawn Goby. Now I have to figure out where to get one of the darn things. I know I can order it for delivery, but I really don't want to take a day off work when the fish gets delivered. What does everyone here do when they mail order a fish? It looks like my LFS doesn't have one. But they do have Hammer Coral which I'm considering buying after reading one of sk8r's blog entries about adding coral before you add fish. Last edited by Spyderturbo007; 07/19/2012 at 01:29 PM.

07/19/2012, 08:27 AM	#3
Ryand63 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,045	possibly some bangaii cardinals? Royal Gramma? Both reef safe and good beginner fish and also relatively inexpensive.

07/19/2012, 09:28 AM	#5
sponger0 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 6,659	How about considering a QT so those snowflakes, once you get them, dont die due to some disease that can be easily treated?

07/19/2012, 10:12 AM	#6
Spyderturbo007 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: PA Posts: 2,564	I never said I wasn't going to QT the new fish. I have everything set up in my basement to use a 20 long for QT. I have a trash can of water all mixed up to go in the QT along with a sponge in my DT for the HOB. Now I'm trying to find the fish I want to buy.

07/19/2012, 12:44 PM	#8
jerseygurl Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 329	I love Snowflake Clowns and they are super hearty, if your water parameters are on I say go for it! After that go with the classic Yellow Watchman Goby / Pistol Shrimp combo. You have to get those guys in early cause they're really timid and need time to establish.

07/19/2012, 02:02 PM	#11
Fish Biscuit Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,164	Ask your LFS if they have one listed on the sheet from the wholesaler or to keep an eye out on one for you. I did that with my tailspot, I called & it was on the wholesale list so they ordered it for me. I stopped in at night & prepaid for the fish so it wouldn't hit their tanks. I went in at 11 the next day & acclimated the fish right to my tank instead of him hitting their tank & then mine. If you can't do that then ask if you can prepay & how long they will hold the fish in their tanks. I added my coral before fish & everything was fine until the pistol decided to use the frags for building materials. __________________ Michele I enjoy vodka entirely too much to share with the fish. Current Tank Info: 65 rimless with Eshopps R200 sump, current inhabitants randall goby, helfrichi, possum wrasse, barnacle blenny, mandarin, pistol, peppermint, & fire shrimp, snails, hermits, & LPS

07/19/2012, 03:30 PM	#12
EDJFA Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: St. Charles, MO Posts: 1,025	I love my hammer coral. It's bright, moves with the current, eats when fed, doesn't poop, and is generally well behaved. Unlike one of my first two clowns who went carpet surfing. Zoas are a nice addition to a tank. If you want to see something almost immediately grow and spread, add a zoa colony. I started with a small zoa frag with 8-10 heads on it - now three or four months later there are over 40. Talk about instant gratification!

07/19/2012, 03:47 PM	#13
Entropy Texas Reefer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 13,656	I bet your LFS would take a delivery from online without to much fuss, espcially if you are a good customer. __________________ Rich Overton 150G cube FOWLR, 30g sump, ReefKeeperII, 3x Koralia 1400's, QuiteOne 3000, Reef Octopus DNWB150, 4x 30w Par38 LED. Current Tank Info: 36x36x27 150g

07/19/2012, 06:03 PM	#14
Spyderturbo007 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: PA Posts: 2,564	Unfortunately my LFS is a Petco and I won't shop there. The next closest store that's decent (That Fish Place) takes about 45 minutes to get to.

07/19/2012, 06:10 PM	#15
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	I have a purple fire fish and he hid out for a couple days when I put him in but now he is out all the time. I also have a hifin banded goby and tiger pistol shrimp they are fun to watch. good luck with your choices. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

07/19/2012, 07:17 PM	#16
Noobtosalty Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Vermont Posts: 410	Some places ship on a Friday so delivery would be on a Saturday ..... Or have them shipped to your work? __________________ 29 gallon reef tank started 6/23/2012 20 gallon refugium 55 pounds of crystal reef sand 35 pounds of live rock

07/19/2012, 09:02 PM	#17
Spyderturbo007 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: PA Posts: 2,564	I saw the Saturday shipping option on some sites, but I would be paying 5x more for shopping than I would for the fish. I would still need to leave work to get them acclimated and into the tank when the got delivered.

07/27/2012, 12:51 PM	#18
Spyderturbo007 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: PA Posts: 2,564	I ended up driving about 45 minutes to a store and secured a Purple Fire Fish. She is currently in the QT and doesn't come out from under the rock I put in there except to eat. But it's only been 2 days so we'll see how it goes.

07/27/2012, 12:53 PM	#19
Ls2Goat Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 114	start with some cheap clowns like false percs then move to the designers once you feel comfortable.

07/27/2012, 01:10 PM	#20
MrTuskfish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The Wild Blue Yonder Posts: 8,887	More than one pair of mated clowns seldom works. A pair of mated clowns is extremely territorial and can claim all of a tank as their territory. A mated par should also be introduced last, for the same reason. The smaller the tank, the bigger the problem. __________________ If God didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat. Steve Current Tank Info: 180, 2-240 FOWLRs, 240 reef

07/27/2012, 01:21 PM	#21
aandfsoccr04 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 3,561	I'd recommend clowns. Those were the first fish I purchased for my tank and since they are damsels they are relatively hardy in terms of fish. __________________ 120 gallon mixed reef

07/27/2012, 02:36 PM	#22
sawcreatives Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 68	Start with less expensive clowns. All clowns are awesome fish and have a lot of personality.