Candy vs Swissguard basslet

[NikkiPotnick]

Hello all,

I'm finishing up the stocking on my new 112-gallon Innovative Marine Lagoon and would appreciate some feedback.

Current fish:

• Tomini tang
• 2 ocellaris clowns
• Oreni tilefish
• Chalk bass

Planned additions:

• Yellow coris wrasse
• Foxface
• Rainford's goby
• Midas blenny

To round out the stocking, I'm considering either a Candy Basslet or a Swissguard Basslet.

For those who have kept both:

• How do their temperaments compare?
• Is one noticeably bolder or more visible than the other?
• Any concerns keeping either with a chalk bass?
• Any feeding differences or long-term husbandry considerations?

For reference, the tomini tang has shown essentially zero aggression so far, and the tank has plenty of caves and rockwork.

I'm also open to any other interesting fish suggestions that would complement this stocking list without overcrowding the tank.


Thanks!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

@i cant think

 

[PleaseThink]

On aggregate there is no behavioral difference between L. rubre and L. carmabi. They are both about the same size and occupy the same niche, and their natural ranges largely overlap. According to most sources, Carmabi is found slightly deeper and is more common towards the south, rubre more common to the north and slightly shallower.

I would be concerned about a large chalk bass eating a small liopropoma. I wouldn’t be too concerned about aggression otherwise, they occupy different enough niches, but I can’t say I would ever mix them, or have ever seen it done so YMMV.

Other compatibility wise, don’t see much that stands out to me as problematic. By rainfords goby I assume you mean Koumansetta rainfordi not Rainfordia opercularis. R. opercularis would also be a predation risk at full size. Overall your stocking is all bold out going more open water fish (for a reef aquarium) so the liopropoma will be very different from that and I would not expect to see it much in that type of setup. They will tend to shy away from activity, and seem to hide more in busy tanks. In tanks, setup specifically for their cryptic needs or where they are the only fish, I have seen them quite outgoing and inquisitive. In heavily stocked brightly lit active tanks they tend to make short swift appearances around feeding, if you see them at all. They are dark crevice specialists after all.