thepotoo
Active Member
I have had mine for 4 or maybe 5 years now, no issues at all. I have read that they don't typically last beyond 5-8 years no matter what you do, but we'll see.
I saw a pair of these guys when snorkeling in Malaysia and they were massive - a foot long including the nose and tail. The fact that they don't get this big in captivity suggests food and/or water quality issues. If you keep an SPS tank, you don't need to worry about water quality, so that just leaves food.
I QT'd in hypo. White spots appeared - lympho, not ich - I am 100% sure due to the salinity being too low for ich. The fish was QT'd by itself in a 90 gallon tank with very low lighting. I hand fed it clams on the half shell - offered for a few days without interest and I would remove the clam to avoid fouling the water. Eventually it started eating.
I did not dose prazi or other meds as I saw no symptoms of parasites.
After a month, I raised the salinity over the course of a week, still offering clams from my hand a couple times a day. I then moved him to my main tank, which was at the time 125 gallons. I would not try to keep this fish (or a dragonet) in any tank smaller than that, they need to pick at pods all day. I now have a 220, and it seems to produce enough pods for a couple dragonets as well as the copperband. The lympho disappeared 2 days after moving him to the main tank and has never reappeared. I have seen the occasional nipped fin, but it always heals within a day or so.
I continued to hand feed him clams on the half shell daily to make sure he had enough to eat. I got pretty good at holding the clam with two fingers and using the other fingers to flick my clowns on the nose to keep them from stealing it.
I did once try to feed him flake food from my hand, and he took the flake, but immediately spit it out and - I swear - gave me the most reproachful look I have ever seen in a fish. After 6 months or so I realized I could feed whole clams every other day instead, because his nose could fit through the gap in the shell, allowing him to eat while the other fish could not. This strategy may have worked from the beginning, it just never occurred for me to try it...
He has done a great job with aiptasia control, and never touched any corals or clams. I couldn't ask for a more interesting fish.
I think I paid $25 for him, but it seems the times have changed with regards to pricing. When I lose this guy in a few years, I will pick up another one in a heartbeat. Next time, I might spring for one of the Australian ones from LiveAquaria that come around every once in a while. They are not cheap, but if I have a reasonable chance of keeping a fish alive for years, spending a few extra bucks to have a better chance of success is reasonable.
I saw a pair of these guys when snorkeling in Malaysia and they were massive - a foot long including the nose and tail. The fact that they don't get this big in captivity suggests food and/or water quality issues. If you keep an SPS tank, you don't need to worry about water quality, so that just leaves food.
I QT'd in hypo. White spots appeared - lympho, not ich - I am 100% sure due to the salinity being too low for ich. The fish was QT'd by itself in a 90 gallon tank with very low lighting. I hand fed it clams on the half shell - offered for a few days without interest and I would remove the clam to avoid fouling the water. Eventually it started eating.
I did not dose prazi or other meds as I saw no symptoms of parasites.
After a month, I raised the salinity over the course of a week, still offering clams from my hand a couple times a day. I then moved him to my main tank, which was at the time 125 gallons. I would not try to keep this fish (or a dragonet) in any tank smaller than that, they need to pick at pods all day. I now have a 220, and it seems to produce enough pods for a couple dragonets as well as the copperband. The lympho disappeared 2 days after moving him to the main tank and has never reappeared. I have seen the occasional nipped fin, but it always heals within a day or so.
I continued to hand feed him clams on the half shell daily to make sure he had enough to eat. I got pretty good at holding the clam with two fingers and using the other fingers to flick my clowns on the nose to keep them from stealing it.
I did once try to feed him flake food from my hand, and he took the flake, but immediately spit it out and - I swear - gave me the most reproachful look I have ever seen in a fish. After 6 months or so I realized I could feed whole clams every other day instead, because his nose could fit through the gap in the shell, allowing him to eat while the other fish could not. This strategy may have worked from the beginning, it just never occurred for me to try it...
He has done a great job with aiptasia control, and never touched any corals or clams. I couldn't ask for a more interesting fish.
I think I paid $25 for him, but it seems the times have changed with regards to pricing. When I lose this guy in a few years, I will pick up another one in a heartbeat. Next time, I might spring for one of the Australian ones from LiveAquaria that come around every once in a while. They are not cheap, but if I have a reasonable chance of keeping a fish alive for years, spending a few extra bucks to have a better chance of success is reasonable.
