Ultra peaceful reef-fish list?

Paliya · 10/30/2006, 11:41 AM

Hi all,

I've got a tank that's close to 2 months old and I'm starting to think about my fish stocking list. I'd prefer for all inhabitants to be peaceful

I definitely want a shrimp+goby pair and some clownfish. The corals I have are mainly soft with a couple of SPS up top.

Here's my wish list so far for my 50g:
2 Ocellaris
1 Yellow Assessor
1 Blue Assessor
2 flashers
1 blennie of some type(suggestions?)
1 yasha goby + pistol shrimp
1 mandarin goby

Please feel free to comment/suggest. I'm totally new to reef fishes, but have been researching for a little bit. If there's a 'must-have' that I've left off, please let me know!

Thanks,
-P

Blazer88 · 10/30/2006, 12:59 PM

I would scratch a Mandarin from your list. Your tank is too new (and small) to support enough pods to keep it alive. I don't think they readily accept prepared food and mostly depend on live food in your tank. As for a Blenny, I had a tail-spot which was very peacful and entertaining. I also have a Bi-color which is ok, but I would rather have a Midas. I also have a Yasha/Shrimp pair and love 'em.

ozadars · 10/30/2006, 01:19 PM

I am not sure but assessors may fight. Keeping one of the assessors in pairs would be a better idea. 3 flashers would be better than 2 IMO. Blennies can generally be territorial ofcourse depending on the species. 2 ocellaris, 2 yellow assessors, 3 flasher or fairy wrasses, 2 yasha haze gobies and a mandarin goby would be better i think.
Btw, many of these fish in your list feed on pods so you may have a very hard time providing enough pods for the mandarin.

fishermania · 10/30/2006, 02:11 PM

I agree skip the mandarin. I say try the yellow and blue together. Assessor often group in the wild. I would suggest adding them at the same time though. I have seen several Yellow group together in tanks before. As for a blenny I have a fork tail blenny and love it. It has never show any aggression and I have several small gobies and flasher wrasses. Here is some info and a pic on this blenny.

http://www.petsolutions.com/Forktail...-16215-C-.aspx

Paliya · 10/30/2006, 02:33 PM

Thanks all for feedback,

Right now my tank is literally crawling with pods. They're all over the rocks and the sand bed. I realize that thier population will decline with fish, but I was sort of hoping they could sustain themselves well enough for a Mandarin. However, after a little more research and your helpful comments I don't think I'll risk it.

Blazer: Sweet. Did you buy the goby shrimp as a pair or seperately? (and if you got 'em online, where?)

ozadars: I definitely don't want a fight to happen. I was my reef to be a utopia for it's citizens

What about 2 flashers and 1 fairy wrasse? Or does that defeat the purpose?

fishermania: Very pretty blenny. I'll do my homework and make sure I can give him a suitable environment.

-P

ozadars · 10/30/2006, 02:45 PM

Its always better to keep fish in pairs or harems (the way they live in the nature) in my opinion because this way you can watch them communicating with each other, their breeding and other things instead of just seeing them swimming.
2 female and 1 male wrasse would be better then different 2 or 3 species IMO.

Angel*Fish · 10/30/2006, 03:44 PM

Just wanted to say I agree with the midas blenny - or any other coloful blenny from the Ecensius (sp?) genus - the bicolors are nice but they are not very showy

Wait at least 6 months for the mandarin - might be better to find a small one also to give yourself a little cushion while your tank is still young

Sk8r · 10/30/2006, 03:52 PM

You can't go far wrong with blennies and gobies for peaceful, except if you get two that look alike.

My fish are very laid back. I just extracted a fairy wrasse, the filamented, which killed or drove out 3 of my peaceful fish. Not pleased with that. We are still searching the sump for two: we know one demised.

I don't know about assessors.

I keep a mandarin in a 52 with aged live rock and a lot of it; plus I supplement from www.reefnutrition.com whenever the pods run low: be aware of the cost of doing this. You could also set up a large fuge and supply your mandarin out of that. When next I move, that will be my choice. My mandarin, a female, is small. I would advise getting a smallish one, not the very largest, which have an appetite beyond belief. My gal makes a decent but not extravagant living.

ozadars · 10/30/2006, 03:55 PM

I wouldnt really call an Ecsenius blenny peaceful. Especially bicolor blennies can be quite territorial.

jpslickorocks · 10/30/2006, 04:03 PM

I would steer clear of the mandarin. I don't know about mixing assessors. I have been told yellows are hard to come by right now for some reason. Blues are very cool little fish but very shy for a long time when introduced.

Blazer88 · 10/30/2006, 04:25 PM

Good choice to skip the Mandarin p-deezy. It would be better to wait until you have a larger tank than watch one waste away. And I got my Yasha at my LFS and it has been mixed with different pistol shrimp at different times. I lost my first pistol with a small rock slide but he quickly accpeted another one. I've had him for a year and a half now and has been a great addition.

Blazer88 · 10/30/2006, 05:28 PM

Doh, double post.

zemuron114 · 10/30/2006, 09:39 PM

yellow and blue assessors arent normally found in nature together believe it or not. A reef in australia will have 95% yellows or 95% blues. i talked to a collector and he said very rarely will he catch a blue and a yellow in the same area (and if he does its a freak happening)

i have had a blue and a yellow in a holding tank together (for a week) and they didn't fight... however i have no idea once territory is established. I would recommend 3 yellows

yellows are much more active and have better coloring and stay smaller. The Blue ones hide a lot and are rather pale.

since space is an issue i would do a pair of flashers. Flashers stay smaller then fairies and are just as pretty. Look into the mccoskers or carpenters.

i would skip the mandarin unless you have a BIG fuge... To risky with a smaller tank, and i hate watching these guys wither over time.. very sad.

yasha goby pair w/ shrimp would be very cool as well.

i have a tiger blenny which is the most peaceful blenny i have ever owned or seen. However they are not regularly available in the trade. in fact i dont think i've ever seen one for sale... lol

i would do this list:

pair of O. clowns/percs/black percs
pair flashers (i like mccoskers)
pair yasha gobies w/shrimp
2-3 yellow assessors (you could try both and see what happens)
a blenny of some sort.

that should max you out pretty much and you will have sweeeet fish tank!

lovelylinda · 10/31/2006, 07:37 AM

My vote is for a midas blennie, swims out in the water collumn all the time like Elvis. Beautiful colors.

Angel*Fish · 10/31/2006, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sk8r

I keep a mandarin in a 52 with aged live rock and a lot of it; plus I supplement from www.reefnutrition.com whenever the pods run low: be aware of the cost of doing this. You could also set up a large fuge and supply your mandarin out of that. When next I move, that will be my choice. My mandarin, a female, is small. I would advise getting a smallish one, not the very largest, which have an appetite beyond belief. My gal makes a decent but not extravagant living.

My experience is similar -- I had 2 small mandarins in my 100 g, they were both healthy and got plenty to eat. However, the male died and it's amazing how the female has fattened up. One caveat>> of course she required more food to be constantly spawning like she was before, but still, she is now fatter than her male partner ever was.

As for the wrasses - yellowfin fairy wrasses also stay small and make a nice pair with significant sexual dichromatism

Illuminati · 10/31/2006, 12:18 PM

I have a blue assesor and mine is to dark of a blue for my tastes.

I'd get the yellow assesor if I could go back and do it over.

FWIW I got my Assesor at www.marinecenter.com, arrived in great condition. They will have most of the fish on your list in stock.

fishermania · 10/31/2006, 04:02 PM

Here are a couple of websites to get blue or yellow assessors.

http://www.petsolutions.com/Basslets-C-16213-C-.aspx
http://bluezooaquatics.com/livestock...ry=122&man_id=
http://www.marinedepotlive.com/fish--basslets.html

cokemanmark · 10/31/2006, 04:25 PM

i have two lawnmower blennys in my 55 and they are so fun to wacth

zemuron114 · 10/31/2006, 06:23 PM

assessors are relatively common so your LFS should be able to get them. blues are much more common so you may have to wait for a little while on the yellows.

10/30/2006, 11:41 AM	#1
Paliya Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Elk Grove, CA Posts: 238	Ultra peaceful reef-fish list? Hi all, I've got a tank that's close to 2 months old and I'm starting to think about my fish stocking list. I'd prefer for all inhabitants to be peaceful I definitely want a shrimp+goby pair and some clownfish. The corals I have are mainly soft with a couple of SPS up top. Here's my wish list so far for my 50g: 2 Ocellaris 1 Yellow Assessor 1 Blue Assessor 2 flashers 1 blennie of some type(suggestions?) 1 yasha goby + pistol shrimp 1 mandarin goby Please feel free to comment/suggest. I'm totally new to reef fishes, but have been researching for a little bit. If there's a 'must-have' that I've left off, please let me know! Thanks, -P

10/30/2006, 01:19 PM	#3
ozadars Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Turkey / Izmir Posts: 3,673	I am not sure but assessors may fight. Keeping one of the assessors in pairs would be a better idea. 3 flashers would be better than 2 IMO. Blennies can generally be territorial ofcourse depending on the species. 2 ocellaris, 2 yellow assessors, 3 flasher or fairy wrasses, 2 yasha haze gobies and a mandarin goby would be better i think. Btw, many of these fish in your list feed on pods so you may have a very hard time providing enough pods for the mandarin. __________________ Selim Özadar Names of some Mediterranean fish;Chromis chromis, Conger conger, Anthias anthias, Phycis phycis, Hippocampus hippocampus, Boops boops, Dentex dentex, Pagrus pagrus, Sphyraena sphyraena Current Tank Info: 19gal reef tank

10/30/2006, 02:45 PM	#6
ozadars Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Turkey / Izmir Posts: 3,673	Its always better to keep fish in pairs or harems (the way they live in the nature) in my opinion because this way you can watch them communicating with each other, their breeding and other things instead of just seeing them swimming. 2 female and 1 male wrasse would be better then different 2 or 3 species IMO. __________________ Selim Özadar Names of some Mediterranean fish;Chromis chromis, Conger conger, Anthias anthias, Phycis phycis, Hippocampus hippocampus, Boops boops, Dentex dentex, Pagrus pagrus, Sphyraena sphyraena Current Tank Info: 19gal reef tank

10/30/2006, 03:44 PM	#7
Angel*Fish cats and large squashes Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Houston Posts: 5,951 Blog Entries: 1	Just wanted to say I agree with the midas blenny - or any other coloful blenny from the Ecensius (sp?) genus - the bicolors are nice but they are not very showy Wait at least 6 months for the mandarin - might be better to find a small one also to give yourself a little cushion while your tank is still young __________________ Marie So long, & thanks for all the fish! __________________________ Current Tank Info: Pairs: flame angels, cherub angels, Red Sea mimic blennies, yellow fin fairy wrasses, clowns, mandarins, blackcap basslets, shrimp gobies, damsels, dispar anthias, yellow clown gobies, threadfin cardinals --- Tanks: 100g reef, 2 x 30g refugiums

10/30/2006, 03:52 PM	#8
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	You can't go far wrong with blennies and gobies for peaceful, except if you get two that look alike. My fish are very laid back. I just extracted a fairy wrasse, the filamented, which killed or drove out 3 of my peaceful fish. Not pleased with that. We are still searching the sump for two: we know one demised. I don't know about assessors. I keep a mandarin in a 52 with aged live rock and a lot of it; plus I supplement from www.reefnutrition.com whenever the pods run low: be aware of the cost of doing this. You could also set up a large fuge and supply your mandarin out of that. When next I move, that will be my choice. My mandarin, a female, is small. I would advise getting a smallish one, not the very largest, which have an appetite beyond belief. My gal makes a decent but not extravagant living. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

10/30/2006, 12:59 PM	#2
Blazer88 Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 2,415	I would scratch a Mandarin from your list. Your tank is too new (and small) to support enough pods to keep it alive. I don't think they readily accept prepared food and mostly depend on live food in your tank. As for a Blenny, I had a tail-spot which was very peacful and entertaining. I also have a Bi-color which is ok, but I would rather have a Midas. I also have a Yasha/Shrimp pair and love 'em.

10/30/2006, 02:11 PM	#4
fishermania Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 785	I agree skip the mandarin. I say try the yellow and blue together. Assessor often group in the wild. I would suggest adding them at the same time though. I have seen several Yellow group together in tanks before. As for a blenny I have a fork tail blenny and love it. It has never show any aggression and I have several small gobies and flasher wrasses. Here is some info and a pic on this blenny. http://www.petsolutions.com/Forktail...-16215-C-.aspx

10/30/2006, 02:33 PM	#5
Paliya Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Elk Grove, CA Posts: 238	Thanks all for feedback, Right now my tank is literally crawling with pods. They're all over the rocks and the sand bed. I realize that thier population will decline with fish, but I was sort of hoping they could sustain themselves well enough for a Mandarin. However, after a little more research and your helpful comments I don't think I'll risk it. Blazer: Sweet. Did you buy the goby shrimp as a pair or seperately? (and if you got 'em online, where?) ozadars: I definitely don't want a fight to happen. I was my reef to be a utopia for it's citizens What about 2 flashers and 1 fairy wrasse? Or does that defeat the purpose? fishermania: Very pretty blenny. I'll do my homework and make sure I can give him a suitable environment. -P

10/30/2006, 03:55 PM	#9
ozadars Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Turkey / Izmir Posts: 3,673	I wouldnt really call an Ecsenius blenny peaceful. Especially bicolor blennies can be quite territorial. __________________ Selim Özadar Names of some Mediterranean fish;Chromis chromis, Conger conger, Anthias anthias, Phycis phycis, Hippocampus hippocampus, Boops boops, Dentex dentex, Pagrus pagrus, Sphyraena sphyraena Current Tank Info: 19gal reef tank

10/30/2006, 04:03 PM	#10
jpslickorocks Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Scottsdale, Az. Posts: 2,164	I would steer clear of the mandarin. I don't know about mixing assessors. I have been told yellows are hard to come by right now for some reason. Blues are very cool little fish but very shy for a long time when introduced. __________________ We are alone, absolutely alone on this chance planet: and, amid all the forms of life that surround us, not one, excepting the dog, has made an alliance with us. Current Tank Info: I do at least five water changes a day

10/30/2006, 04:25 PM	#11
Blazer88 Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 2,415	Good choice to skip the Mandarin p-deezy. It would be better to wait until you have a larger tank than watch one waste away. And I got my Yasha at my LFS and it has been mixed with different pistol shrimp at different times. I lost my first pistol with a small rock slide but he quickly accpeted another one. I've had him for a year and a half now and has been a great addition.

10/30/2006, 05:28 PM	#12
Blazer88 Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 2,415	Doh, double post.

10/30/2006, 09:39 PM	#13
zemuron114 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Pilgrim State (Mass) Posts: 4,039	yellow and blue assessors arent normally found in nature together believe it or not. A reef in australia will have 95% yellows or 95% blues. i talked to a collector and he said very rarely will he catch a blue and a yellow in the same area (and if he does its a freak happening) i have had a blue and a yellow in a holding tank together (for a week) and they didn't fight... however i have no idea once territory is established. I would recommend 3 yellows yellows are much more active and have better coloring and stay smaller. The Blue ones hide a lot and are rather pale. since space is an issue i would do a pair of flashers. Flashers stay smaller then fairies and are just as pretty. Look into the mccoskers or carpenters. i would skip the mandarin unless you have a BIG fuge... To risky with a smaller tank, and i hate watching these guys wither over time.. very sad. yasha goby pair w/ shrimp would be very cool as well. i have a tiger blenny which is the most peaceful blenny i have ever owned or seen. However they are not regularly available in the trade. in fact i dont think i've ever seen one for sale... lol i would do this list: pair of O. clowns/percs/black percs pair flashers (i like mccoskers) pair yasha gobies w/shrimp 2-3 yellow assessors (you could try both and see what happens) a blenny of some sort. that should max you out pretty much and you will have sweeeet fish tank!

10/31/2006, 07:37 AM	#14
lovelylinda Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Tucson,Az Posts: 299	My vote is for a midas blennie, swims out in the water collumn all the time like Elvis. Beautiful colors.

10/31/2006, 12:18 PM	#16
Illuminati Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Des Plaines, IL Posts: 3,986	I have a blue assesor and mine is to dark of a blue for my tastes. I'd get the yellow assesor if I could go back and do it over. FWIW I got my Assesor at www.marinecenter.com, arrived in great condition. They will have most of the fish on your list in stock. __________________ RC nTOTM creator Future nTOTM winner :) Current Tank Info: Biocube 16 LED

10/31/2006, 04:02 PM	#17
fishermania Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 785	Here are a couple of websites to get blue or yellow assessors. http://www.petsolutions.com/Basslets-C-16213-C-.aspx http://bluezooaquatics.com/livestock...ry=122&man_id= http://www.marinedepotlive.com/fish--basslets.html

10/31/2006, 04:25 PM	#18
cokemanmark Moved On Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: GA Posts: 56	i have two lawnmower blennys in my 55 and they are so fun to wacth

10/31/2006, 06:23 PM	#19
zemuron114 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Pilgrim State (Mass) Posts: 4,039	assessors are relatively common so your LFS should be able to get them. blues are much more common so you may have to wait for a little while on the yellows.