Need help deciding on whether or not a fish is right for your tank? Post here and we'll help!

[Jesterrace]

A jawfish really needs 2"+ of sand.

Skip the 6line, they can be terrors most of the time. Go with the blenny/goby/cardinal instead.

Agreed with both. Can't tell you how many times I have seen people have to remove 6 lines after they tear up or kill other fish. IMHO they are right up there with Damsels and most Dottybacks in terms of fish NOT to add.

 

[Naoxyn]

Is the Hawaiian Black Arag sand ok for sand sifters? The BRS site has a Q&A portion stating it should be, but the grain sizes do seem kinda large.

 

[mta_morrow]

Agreed with both. Can't tell you how many times I have seen people have to remove 6 lines after they tear up or kill other fish. IMHO they are right up there with Damsels and most Dottybacks in terms of fish NOT to add.

I agree with 6 lines. Don’t do it!

I never had a dottyback.

I currently have 3 azure damsels in an otherwise totally peaceful tank. They are so focused on each other that they pay no attention to any other fish. And that’s nice because they are beautifully colored and active.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Is the Hawaiian Black Arag sand ok for sand sifters? The BRS site has a Q&A portion stating it should be, but the grain sizes do seem kinda large.

Its fine.

 

[Instigate]

My list has changed quite a bit and wanted to get an opinion again. Mainly worried about the CBB with the wrasses and damsels but I chose peaceful ones and the CBB is medium size and going in with this next batch before any of the wrasses or damsels so I think I'm OK but please let me know any concerns.

6' 135 Gallon LPS Dominant Mixed Reef

What I've got:
Tail Spot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura)
Banggi Cardinal - Male (Pterapogon kauderni)
Banggi Cardinal - Female (Pterapogon kauderni)
Saphire Damsel (Chrysiptera springeri) <-- In frag tank until all peaceful fish are established in the DT.
Copperband Butterfly (Chelmon rostratus) <-- In QT
Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) <-- In QT

2 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
1 Emerald Crab (Mithraculus sculptus)
9 Trochus Snail (Trochus sp.)
7 Nassarius Snail (Nassarius distortus)


What I want next:

Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto)
Yellow Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus)
Melanurus Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus)
Scribbled Rabbitfish (Siganus doliatus) or Foxface Lo (Siganus vulpinus)
Azure Damsel (Chrysiptera hemicyanea)

Once I have more pods:

Green Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus)
Ruby Red Dragonet (Synchiropus sycorax)


Maybe:

Yellow Multibanded Pipefish (Doryrhamphus pessuliferus) A pair maybe?
Pair of Two Spot Goby (Signigobius biocellatus)
Maxima Clam Blue (Tridacna maxima)
Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)
Pair Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
3-5 Blue/Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
Yellow Eye Kole Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus) or Two Spot Bristletooth Tang (Ctenochaetus binotatus) or Orange Stripe Bristletooth Tang or Squaretail Bristletooth Tang (Ctenochaetus truncatus)

 

[Chiefmaster30]

Need a good stock list for a 29 gallon biocube. Currently it has a small pair of clowns, a small ywg and pistol shrimp, and a small aptasia eating filefish that’s about to get moved to another tank. What else could be added?

 

[eatbreakfast]

My list has changed quite a bit and wanted to get an opinion again. Mainly worried about the CBB with the wrasses and damsels but I chose peaceful ones and the CBB is medium size and going in with this next batch before any of the wrasses or damsels so I think I'm OK but please let me know any concerns.

6' 135 Gallon LPS Dominant Mixed Reef

What I've got:
Tail Spot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura)
Banggi Cardinal - Male (Pterapogon kauderni)
Banggi Cardinal - Female (Pterapogon kauderni)
Saphire Damsel (Chrysiptera springeri) <-- In frag tank until all peaceful fish are established in the DT.
Copperband Butterfly (Chelmon rostratus) <-- In QT
Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) <-- In QT

2 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
1 Emerald Crab (Mithraculus sculptus)
9 Trochus Snail (Trochus sp.)
7 Nassarius Snail (Nassarius distortus)


What I want next:

Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto)
Yellow Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus)
Melanurus Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus)
Scribbled Rabbitfish (Siganus doliatus) or Foxface Lo (Siganus vulpinus)
Azure Damsel (Chrysiptera hemicyanea)

Once I have more pods:

Green Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus)
Ruby Red Dragonet (Synchiropus sycorax)


Maybe:

Yellow Multibanded Pipefish (Doryrhamphus pessuliferus) A pair maybe?
Pair of Two Spot Goby (Signigobius biocellatus)
Maxima Clam Blue (Tridacna maxima)
Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)
Pair Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
3-5 Blue/Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
Yellow Eye Kole Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus) or Two Spot Bristletooth Tang (Ctenochaetus binotatus) or Orange Stripe Bristletooth Tang or Squaretail Bristletooth Tang (Ctenochaetus truncatus)

No issues with wrasses and copperbands. The potential issue for a cbb is the kole tang and the maxima clam.

Melanurus and y ellow wrasses can outmpete dragonets and pipefish for pods. Budget 50g of system space for each major pod eater.

Need a good stock list for a 29 gallon biocube. Currently it has a small pair of clowns, a small ywg and pistol shrimp, and a small aptasia eating filefish that’s about to get moved to another tank. What else could be added?

There are a number of options. A few possibilities include: royal gramma, yellow assessor, stigmatura blenny.

 

[NY_Caveman]

No issues with wrasses and copperbands. The potential issue for a cbb is the kole tang and the maxima clam.

Melanurus and y ellow wrasses can outmpete dragonets and pipefish for pods. Budget 50g of system space for each major pod eater.

There are a number of options. A few possibilities include: royal gramma, yellow assessor, stigmatura blenny.

I have read a yellow assessor needs a couple of feedings a day. Will they pick off pods in the tank?

 

[Instigate]

No issues with wrasses and copperbands. The potential issue for a cbb is the kole tang and the maxima clam.

Melanurus and y ellow wrasses can outmpete dragonets and pipefish for pods. Budget 50g of system space for each major pod eater.

There are a number of options. A few possibilities include: royal gramma, yellow assessor, stigmatura blenny.

Thanks, ya, that's why the tang and clam got put to the maybe section. May try a clam but probably not and I would only try the tang once the CBB is full size or close and I would get as small as a tang as I could find. I knew I was likely pushing it with pod eaters. Guess I'll have to slim up the lineup a bit. Why do they all have to be so interesting?! The damsels aren't considered major consumers of pods right? They eat flatworms so I assume they would go after pods as well.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I have read a yellow assessor needs a couple of feedings a day. Will they pick off pods in the tank?

No, yellow assessors are not major pod eaters.

Thanks, ya, that's why the tang and clam got put to the maybe section. May try a clam but probably not and I would only try the tang once the CBB is full size or close and I would get as small as a tang as I could find. I knew I was likely pushing it with pod eaters. Guess I'll have to slim up the lineup a bit. Why do they all have to be so interesting?! The damsels aren't considered major consumers of pods right? They eat flatworms so I assume they would go after pods as well.

Those damsels are not major pod consumers.

 

[mochaclownlover]

My tank is a 40 gallon nuvo black with a 10 gallon sump.
I currently have:
-Mocha Clownfish (occelaris)
-Black Clownfish (occelaris)
-Molly miller blenny
-Purple Firefish (In QT)
-Yellow watchman's goby(In QT)

I was thinking of adding next:
-Leopard Wrass
-Helfrichi Firefish
This last one is really pushing it, but I would love:
-Small yellow tang (Will trade back to store or upgrade)
I'm thinking these choices are going to be way over my tank size, but wanted to see if it was do able.

 

[eatbreakfast]

My tank is a 40 gallon nuvo black with a 10 gallon sump.
I currently have:
-Mocha Clownfish (occelaris)
-Black Clownfish (occelaris)
-Molly miller blenny
-Purple Firefish (In QT)
-Yellow watchman's goby(In QT)

I was thinking of adding next:
-Leopard Wrass
-Helfrichi Firefish
This last one is really pushing it, but I would love:
-Small yellow tang (Will trade back to store or upgrade)
I'm thinking these choices are going to be way over my tank size, but wanted to see if it was do able.

Firefish don't mix well.

No to the yellow tang in a 40. Just no.

 

[mochaclownlover]

No to the yellow tang in a 40. Just no.

Kinda figured that one would be a no, but had to ask.
Is the rest of the list fine? Any other fish you would suggest?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Kinda figured that one would be a no, but had to ask.
Is the rest of the list fine? Any other fish you would suggest?

Try and source a leopard wrasse that you can observe eating, this helps a lot with their success.

Zebra or scissortail dartfish, chalk bass, bangaii or pj cardinal, grammistes blenny, are a few options.

 

[Gweeds1980]

Im keen to see if i can keep a proper group of humbug damsels... i have 2 currently and would like to add another 20 or so, to reduce the aggression and hopefully see them thrive long term.

Current stock is:
2 x maroon clowns
Copperband
Heniochus
Vlamingii tang
Yellow tang
Mata tang
Sailfin tang
Orange shoulder tang
Regal tang
Jade wrasse
Yellow coris wrasse
Mandarin
Blue cheek goby
Coral beauty
Coral hawkfish
Caribbean blue bass

All the fish are adult sizes with the exception of the vlamingii and Mata who are 12 and 8 inches respectively.

320g mixed reef with all the usual cuc.
Monti caps and acros for them to dart into.

Further to the above, I may have the opportunity to pick up a blonde naso for free... he's adult at a little over 12"... concerned it may be one big tang too many...

 

[eatbreakfast]

Further to the above, I may have the opportunity to pick up a blonde naso for free... he's adult at a little over 12"... concerned it may be one big tang too many...

I would be a little concerned in how the vlamingi will react. I have had mature members of the genus behave pretty aggressively toward congenerics.

 

[mta_morrow]

I have the following live stock in my RSR 525XL, 108 gallon, 5 ft long:
3 zebra barred dart fish
3 yellow tail damsels
3 red striped cardinals
2 oscelaris clowns
1 tail spot blenny
1 purple firefish
1 blue chromis
1 pink spot goby

can I add a striped blenny, and a melanarus wrasse?

the tank is currently very peaceful with no issues and I want to keep it that way.

Thanks

 

[eatbreakfast]

I have the following live stock in my RSR 525XL, 108 gallon, 5 ft long:
3 zebra barred dart fish
3 yellow tail damsels
3 red striped cardinals
2 oscelaris clowns
1 tail spot blenny
1 purple firefish
1 blue chromis
1 pink spot goby

can I add a striped blenny, and a melanarus wrasse?

the tank is currently very peaceful with no issues and I want to keep it that way.

Thanks

The melanurus can be added. The blenny may or may not be allowed by the stigmatura.

 

[mta_morrow]

The melanurus can be added. The blenny may or may not be allowed by the stigmatura.

Thanks eatbreakfast. I wont risk the blenny. Is there any other blenny I CAN add with a tail spot?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Thanks eatbreakfast. I wont risk the blenny. Is there any other blenny I CAN add with a tail spot?

A blenny from the Grammistes genus.