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

[MombasaLionfish]

I am probably getting a fuzzy dwarf or a mombasa. I had a second maroon but it passed from ich. The maroon I have is still a male. The damsel is too big to get eaten the clown is a little small so might have to wait a little. I thought about triggers my favorite one is the clown trigger. Maybe a puffer but the ones I like my tank is too small for. What is a dottyback? Could I get a wrasse or mandarin to eat all my pods? her is my tank with lots of hiding places.

Also most of the crabs hide during the day.

 

[cracker]

Hello , Will a Harlequin Tusk munch on a tuxedo urchin?
How about the longer spined urchins?
Will a tusk eat a turbo snail?
Thanks ,Brian

 

[eatbreakfast]

What kind of lion? there are huge differences between the different species. I had a fuzzy dwarf lion in an aggressive tank, so I can tell you all about him. They stay really small. But a Volitian or other types will get really big and eat up your crustaceans and anything that fits in his (HUGE) mouth. The clown and damsel would be fine in my opinion, because they are both fast, aggressive and good at staying out of dodge.

From everything I've heard, a second maroon clown is maybe possible but could be very risky. No personal experience with multiple clowns, but I always wanted two so I did the research. Does your existing clown have a big host nem? Are you planning on upgrading your tank at come point when everyone gets bigger? Do you have a lot, like a LOT, of rockwork? Then maybe you could, with great care.

Also, watchout with the eel... I don't know about ribbon eels specifically, but eels do eat crustaceans and any fish they can catch. Also, if you add an eel to your system, you are not going to be able to get him out without removing every inch of rock, so make sure you're sure. That being said, I really loved my snowflake eel, and you're going to have a blast with a ribbon eel. They are beautiful and sassy little creatures. Of course they hide a lot in the beginning, but you'll win him over eventually and he'll come out to see you when he is really happy in this environment.

I would add suggestions for my favorite aggressive fish, but honestly I think you might start running out of space as they grow... I had a Valentini puffer, BUT puffers would eat your crustaceans for sure. I also had a trigger, but I advise against triggers in a tank that size... Oooo you could get a dottyback, but read up on those guys carefully because they are ******** (but can be okay for an aggressive setup). A hawkfish might be fun! They are fast, pretty and fun to watch. Personally I really loved anemones, but again, research and get the proper lights.

Have fun!!

I'm not worried about a dwarf lion eating the clown and damsel, but rather the clown and damsel nipping the much slower lion.

Ribbon eels are piscivores, and notoriously difficult.

Hello , Will a Harlequin Tusk munch on a tuxedo urchin?
How about the longer spined urchins?
Will a tusk eat a turbo snail?
Thanks ,Brian

Urchins should be fine with a tusk. A turbo snail is at risk.

 

[cracker]

Thank You ! I strongly suspect my Copper band is eating my medium sized snails so I went to turbo's & an couple of urchins.
Now I'm considering a tusk Just don't want the beast to munch my CUC !

 

[MombasaLionfish]

I'm not worried about a dwarf lion eating the clown and damsel, but rather the clown and damsel nipping the much slower lion.

Ribbon eels are piscivores, and notoriously difficult.

Urchins should be fine with a tusk. A turbo snail is at risk.

The clown won't nip he is very friendly to everyone unless it is the glass cleaner. the domino is very easy to catch if he is a nuisance. Thanks for the advice. I will watch the domino carefully.

 

[eatbreakfast]

The clown won't nip he is very friendly to everyone unless it is the glass cleaner. the domino is very easy to catch if he is a nuisance. Thanks for the advice. I will watch the domino carefully.

How long have you had the clown? Since you said it's still a male it is nowhere near it's potential aggression. Female maroons are notoriously aggressive. So while it may be friendly now, that will change as matures, moreso if you pr it up and they spawn.

 

[MombasaLionfish]

How long have you had the clown? Since you said it's still a male it is nowhere near it's potential aggression. Female maroons are notoriously aggressive. So while it may be friendly now, that will change as matures, moreso if you pr it up and they spawn.

I've had him for 3 months and I used to have a female with him.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I've had him for 3 months and I used to have a female with him.

These guys live decades, and usually don't start spawning until 18-24months in tanks. What you have seen so far is nowhere near the size and aggression level they attain.

 

[Iona Skye]

I am probably getting a fuzzy dwarf or a mombasa. I had a second maroon but it passed from ich. The maroon I have is still a male. The damsel is too big to get eaten the clown is a little small so might have to wait a little. I thought about triggers my favorite one is the clown trigger. Maybe a puffer but the ones I like my tank is too small for. What is a dottyback? Could I get a wrasse or mandarin to eat all my pods? her is my tank with lots of hiding places.

I'd expect the eel to eat the mandarin... Also I think he would be too peaceful for an aggressive tank. I've never kept a wrasse, but have heard that some kinds are fast & aggressive and some are more peaceful.... I'll have to learn more about those guys.

Thanks for the picture, your tank is beautiful!! Personally I would consider adding a lot more rock if you plan to have very many aggressive types together. Many aggressive fish will chase down anyone they see, and one solution is to have enough rock (or other features) to break the line of sight.

My aggressive tank had tons of rock, and every fish established his own section of the aquarium. I also moved a rock every time I added a new fish, so that everyone was re-establishing territory while the new guy had a chance to hide and adjust.

I had an orchid dottyback (solid magenta-purple). They stay relatively small (3" I think). He was an anxious angry fellow, but he was tiny and worked out well for me. Always a flash of neon-bright purple poking out of a tiny den somewhere. Do note that you can only have one.

 

[Iona Skye]

I'm not worried about a dwarf lion eating the clown and damsel, but rather the clown and damsel nipping the much slower lion.

Ribbon eels are piscivores, and notoriously difficult.

Urchins should be fine with a tusk. A turbo snail is at risk.

You think a lion would get eaten or nipped? Despite being poisonous?

When I had a fuzzy dwarf, it cruised around non-chalantly and no one ever bugged or challenged him. I figured it was because he was so overtly poisonous, maybe it was also due to the relative sizes. He was teeny tiny at first, and shared the tank with a 1.5" clown, 1.5" damsel, niger trigger, snowflake eel and other aggressive fish.

 

[eatbreakfast]

You think a lion would get eaten or nipped? Despite being poisonous?

When I had a fuzzy dwarf, it cruised around non-chalantly and no one ever bugged or challenged him. I figured it was because he was so overtly poisonous, maybe it was also due to the relative sizes. He was teeny tiny at first, and shared the tank with a 1.5" clown, 1.5" damsel, niger trigger, snowflake eel and other aggressive fish.

Yes. Their venomous spines are a deterrent to larger, or similarly sized fish, but don't offer protection from smaller, more agile fish that are territorial.

 

[MombasaLionfish]

These guys live decades, and usually don't start spawning until 18-24months in tanks. What you have seen so far is nowhere near the size and aggression level they attain.

So what do I do to keep the aggression down?

 

[MombasaLionfish]

I'd expect the eel to eat the mandarin... Also I think he would be too peaceful for an aggressive tank. I've never kept a wrasse, but have heard that some kinds are fast & aggressive and some are more peaceful.... I'll have to learn more about those guys.

Thanks for the picture, your tank is beautiful!! Personally I would consider adding a lot more rock if you plan to have very many aggressive types together. Many aggressive fish will chase down anyone they see, and one solution is to have enough rock (or other features) to break the line of sight.

My aggressive tank had tons of rock, and every fish established his own section of the aquarium. I also moved a rock every time I added a new fish, so that everyone was re-establishing territory while the new guy had a chance to hide and adjust.

I had an orchid dottyback (solid magenta-purple). They stay relatively small (3" I think). He was an anxious angry fellow, but he was tiny and worked out well for me. Always a flash of neon-bright purple poking out of a tiny den somewhere. Do note that you can only have one.

Ok more rock. I was thinking about a 6 line wrasse IS that a good alternative.

 

[MombasaLionfish]

So what do I do to keep the aggression down?

They are in QT right now so I could put the lion in before them.

 

[Plauri55]

Looking for ideas for a 15 gallon nano reef tank. It's a cube tank and I know I am very limited in the amount of fish. I would like to have a bottom dweller, watchman goby or jawfish, A percher, Geometric pygmy hawkfish. And some one who spends time swimming thru water column, tailspot blenny or pygmy Wrasse.
Open to all suggestions. Trying to avoid any possible aggression and anything very cryptic.

 

[mta_morrow]

Looking for ideas for a 15 gallon nano reef tank. It's a cube tank and I know I am very limited in the amount of fish. I would like to have a bottom dweller, watchman goby or jawfish, A percher, Geometric pygmy hawkfish. And some one who spends time swimming thru water column, tailspot blenny or pygmy Wrasse.
Open to all suggestions. Trying to avoid any possible aggression and anything very cryptic.

A pair of hi fin red band gobies with a candy cane pistol shrimp, flametail blenny, and a long nose hawk fish

Give the flametail a barnacle cluster. Highly active blenny!

 

[Plauri55]

A pair of hi fin red band gobies with a candy cane pistol shrimp, flametail blenny, and a long nose hawk fish

Give the flametail a barnacle cluster. Highly active blenny!

Great ideas! Not sure about hawk fish, there will probably be some shrimp.

 

[mta_morrow]

Great ideas! Not sure about hawk fish, there will probably be some shrimp.

Only small shrimp like sexy shrimp are really at risk. If u have cleaner shrimp already in and a not babies they will be fine

 

[Plauri55]

Only small shrimp like sexy shrimp are really at risk. If u have cleaner shrimp already in and a not babies they will be fine

Ok. I'll put him on my possiblity list. Thanks!

 

[eatbreakfast]

So what do I do to keep the aggression down?

Give them more space or choose other fish.

Ok more rock. I was thinking about a 6 line wrasse IS that a good alternative.

No. Sixlines are notoriously aggressive and outcompete mandarins for pods.

They are in QT right now so I could put the lion in before them.

Nope. Territorial fish claim a territory.

Great ideas! Not sure about hawk fish, there will probably be some shrimp.

15g is too small for a longnose hawk.