Looking for input on my stocking plan!

[Eienna]

So...I had a flame hawk before and it was a sweetie, but I'm reading that they can be quite aggressive...anyone have experience with that? Not real keen on a bully.

 

[Eienna]

....after a quick google search on flame hawk aggression, that's a big NOPE. That's off the list.

 

[Cthulukelele]

So...I had a flame hawk before and it was a sweetie, but I'm reading that they can be quite aggressive...anyone have experience with that? Not real keen on a bully.

They can bully but it's relatively uncommon (though they def earn their semi aggressive tag). The more common complication is crustacean murder sprees.

 

[Eienna]

They can bully but it's relatively uncommon (though they def earn their semi aggressive tag). The more common complication is crustacean murder sprees.

That...still sounds like a pain in the butt...

 

[Eienna]

Welp...after ditching those, the list is almost the same as it was. LOL! Just the clam added now.

 

[Eienna]

For some reason I keep being drawn to the brownbanded sleeper goby (Amblygobius phalaena), but I'm not sure whether I want a sand sifter...

EDIT: Never mind, I just found out not to do that with a Mandarin in the tank...

 

[i cant think]

OK. I thought condei was on the list of either green or yellow aggression on the chart, not red - but I get it, and I don't want to push aggression limits either. I like my tanks fight-free if at all possible. I may get the pencil early on and train it to hand-feed so that I can be sure it'll get enough as the tank fills up. I do feed pretty heavily in general, too (mental note, gotta make sure I build the filtration to handle that.) I'm disabled, so I have the time to stand there and make sure everyone gets what they need. I have a trick I've used in the past, too - if you drop the food in two or three different spots regularly, they spread themselves out and while the biggest bully is concentrating on one source the others can move to another. It works especially well if you wait until he's fully absorbed to start the subsequent spots. I could make that the only wrasse, though, which would probably help. Maybe fill in the missing red with a little flame hawk instead.
I do like the bipartitus leopard, though...do you think the two could reasonably go together, if I did try a second wrasse? Betting the yellow coris wouldn't work here at all, being as...boisterous as they are. Obviously I'd have to watch the two carefully so I could separate and rehome one if it wasn't working out.

Thank you for your time <3 it's really appreciated!

Getting other slower feeders like Macropharyngodon should help as well, generally it’s not just the wrasses that outcompete with Pseudojuloides species though and other fish can do this too.

One thing you need to be cautious with if you plan for a clam is some fish do nip on their mantles and annoy them.

OK, so updated list (including something I forgot to add.)

1x Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus)
1x Black Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
1x Orange Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
1x Royal Pencil Wrasse (Pseudojuloides severnsi)
1x Bartlett's Anthias (Pseudanthias bartlettorum)
1x Chalk Bass (Serranus tortugarum)
1x Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
1x White Tail Bristletooth Tang (Ctenochaetus flavicauda) - with possibility of trading this guy out if he gets uncomfortably big. Some sites say 75g minimum, but not all.
1x Flame Hawk (Neocirrhites armatus)
1x Photosynthetic Clam (haven't decided species yet)

In this list, you shouldn’t have that issue however remain cautious with the Pseudojuloides as these can sometimes nip mantles (Although this is rare).

In terms of beginner Clam I would say either a Deresa or a Squamosa. These guys have lower PAR needs as they’re found in deeper waters. However the issue with all Tridacnids is they tend to grow large, Deresa is the second largest in the genus and gets to around 18-24” after a few years. Squamosa is close behind Deresa and gets to 16” after a few years. Both of these clams have growth spurts and are not slow growers when they do have spurts.
I have 2 clams in my collection - A T. deresa and a T. maxima. The deresa is beautiful but in the top photo you can just see the growth it’s had in the last 6 months alone. My Deresa as you can see is on the sand bed and these can be in a minimum of 250 PAR, but seem to grow best under 300-350 PAR.

With clams, their biggest need is light and flow. They don’t seem to enjoy low flow but also don’t like their mantles being constantly lifted. Mine seem to enjoy their mantles being lifted every so often but not at a constant rate.
This is my Maxima, he’s higher in the tank and under around 375-400 PAR.

The downside with clams is they can run through your nutrients at some speed as they grow larger. My two are currently around 2-3 inches and dont drain my nutrients in my nano yet however as they grow I will have to increase what I dose.

 

[Eienna]

Getting other slower feeders like Macropharyngodon should help as well, generally it’s not just the wrasses that outcompete with Pseudojuloides species though and other fish can do this too.

One thing you need to be cautious with if you plan for a clam is some fish do nip on their mantles and annoy them.

In this list, you shouldn’t have that issue however remain cautious with the Pseudojuloides as these can sometimes nip mantles (Although this is rare).

In terms of beginner Clam I would say either a Deresa or a Squamosa. These guys have lower PAR needs as they’re found in deeper waters. However the issue with all Tridacnids is they tend to grow large, Deresa is the second largest in the genus and gets to around 18-24” after a few years. Squamosa is close behind Deresa and gets to 16” after a few years. Both of these clams have growth spurts and are not slow growers when they do have spurts.
I have 2 clams in my collection - A T. deresa and a T. maxima. The deresa is beautiful but in the top photo you can just see the growth it’s had in the last 6 months alone. My Deresa as you can see is on the sand bed and these can be in a minimum of 250 PAR, but seem to grow best under 300-350 PAR.

With clams, their biggest need is light and flow. They don’t seem to enjoy low flow but also don’t like their mantles being constantly lifted. Mine seem to enjoy their mantles being lifted every so often but not at a constant rate.
This is my Maxima, he’s higher in the tank and under around 375-400 PAR.

Gorgeous <3 and okay....how hard are they, generally, to resell or trade in when they get too big?
Are Croceas on the smaller side? What sort of lighting are they OK with?

 

[i cant think]

Gorgeous <3 and okay....how hard are they, generally, to resell or trade in when they get too big?
Are Croceas on the smaller side? What sort of lighting are they OK with?

Deresa can be hard to resell however I know people out there will drop money for them.
As for Tridacna crocea, this species does stay smaller at 6 inch but it’s care is very close to that of Maxima if not just a bit harder.

 

[Eienna]

Deresa can be hard to resell however I know people out there will drop money for them.
As for Tridacna crocea, this species does stay smaller at 6 inch but it’s care is very close to that of Maxima if not just a bit harder.

Thinking about it, I'd probably best ditch the clam idea...at least until I've had a chance to upgrade the lights from my original plan. Looking at two Grow Blades. If I can get an exceptionally good deal on a Neptune SKY that's what I really want, though.

 

[i cant think]

Thinking about it, I'd probably best ditch the clam idea...at least until I've had a chance to upgrade the lights from my original plan. Looking at two Grow Blades. If I can get an exceptionally good deal on a Neptune SKY that's what I really want, though.

I wouldn’t completely ditch it, if you have a nearby LFS you can always ask if they would ever want it?
I know my dream tank plan has a large deresa in the centre of it.

 

[Eienna]

I wouldn’t completely ditch it, if you have a nearby LFS you can always ask if they would ever want it?
I know my dream tank plan has a large deresa in the centre of it.

That's true, I'll talk to them. They're about two hours away, though...which I guess wouldn't be too much of a problem for a clam delivery XD

 

[Cthulukelele]

The big thing with massive clams is they're hard to sell because well they're huge, but then you have long time hobbyists with big tanks who just have heart emojis floating around their head when they see one. I'd gladly pay another hobbyist at least 200 bucks+ for a massive derasa as the bigger the easier to keep generally for clams.

So the number you could get for resale is high, but finding a buy with a tank that can accommodate is the big issue.

Also as I cant think said, a lfs would jump on a big derasa since they can hit the markets that would be all over one easily.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Mainly I just miss my 16" derasa I had a filefish turn on and essentially eat overnight.

 

[i cant think]

That's true, I'll talk to them. They're about two hours away, though...which I guess wouldn't be too much of a problem for a clam delivery XD

You could always do a trade for another clam of a smaller size, I know that’s my plan (Although I don’t know if I’d want another deresa again until I get my dream tank, I know a squamie is on the list of clams I want to try out).

 

[Cthulukelele]

You could always do a trade for another clam of a smaller size, I know that’s my plan (Although I don’t know if I’d want another deresa again until I get my dream tank, I know a squamie is on the list of clams I want to try out).

Yeah they'd give you a new 3 inch derasa and a tasty chunk of store credit for an 8+" derasa if it's an lfs even worth going to

 

[i cant think]

Yeah they'd give you a new 3 inch derasa and a tasty chunk of store credit for an 8+" derasa if it's an lfs even worth going to

Well, I know where my deresa is going then haha, I just have a while to wait… I guess I could always measure him currently and see how long until he is 8”+.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Well, I know where my deresa is going then haha, I just have a while to wait… I guess I could always measure him currently and see how long until he is 8”+.

It's definitely hard to maintain nutrients when they get massive massive. I know I was essentially keep a swamp at some points running nearly 0 nutrients with that bad boy drinking up almost every drop of nitrate and phosphate.

 

[Eienna]

I don't know, though...I get very attached to my pets. I hate trading or selling them.

 

[Cthulukelele]

I don't know, though...I get very attached to my pets. I hate trading or selling them.

It'd technically fit in your tank. Would just need to move scape to accommodate it as it grows and be careful with its Bissal threads if you need to move it