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

[nickyeager]

125 Gallon with 120lbs of rock. Planning on softies and leathers. Did a bunch of research to find a mix of colorful fish that will get along and not have too many problems. Would love to hear what you guys think.

Fish
2 Firefish
4 blue chromis
2 Ocellaris Clownfish
1 Tailspot Blenny
1 Dispar Anthias
1 Orange Stripe Prawn Goby
1 Purple Tang
1 Foxface Lo

CUC
3 Nassarius Snails
5 Trochus Snails
3 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Emerald Crab

 

[Maritimer]

Dispars might be happier in a group. Are you looking at blue/green chromis or blue reef chromis? Both can be fragile, but blue reef have a persistent reputation for not lasting as long as we'd like.

Probably add the tang last . . .

~Bruce

 

[Valkyrie]

I love gobies and blennies. If I could have a tank of just gobies and blennies, I would. My little clown goby is doing wonderful with my baby lightning clowns and baby chalk basslet. Right now they're living in a QT. In another QT is my beloved midas blenny. He's considerably larger than the other 4. Here's my dilemma:
Do I move the clown goby into the coral QT/grow out aquarium and the midas into the aquarium with the other 3?
or
I have a starry blenny living in another aquarium, would he fight with the midas if I were to put him in with it?
or
Can the clown goby and midas live in the same aquarium together?

Today my peppermint shrimp ripped off the snout of my pipefish and a few weeks ago, in a different aquarium, I lost a black-capped jawfish to something. He was pretty darn beat up and the only other critter in that aquarium that could have gotten to him was the starry blenny. So I'm really super nervous about who goes where now. I *thought* I knew what I was doing, but the suffering of my pipefish and jawfish say otherwise.

Thanks for the help.

 

[linus.chan]

Currently have a 120 "fat boy" running now for nearly two years and my fish list has been stable now for almost 18months. (Haven't lost a fish in that time). My list currently- watchman(Ora) w/pistol, diamond goby, 2 radial filefish (ORA), 4 Bangai cardinal, occ clownfish pair, orchid dotty (ORA).

Would like to add either leopard, Midas Blenny, red dragon scooter, Cori's wrasse or consider more orchids(?)

I really like the peaceful nature of my tank and don't want to mess with that.

My inverts are 2 sexy shrimp, 3 emeralds, mixed corals (mushrooms, zoas, gorgonians, etc etc) and 1 deresa clam.

 

[nickyeager]

Dispars might be happier in a group. Are you looking at blue/green chromis or blue reef chromis? Both can be fragile, but blue reef have a persistent reputation for not lasting as long as we'd like.

Probably add the tang last . . .

~Bruce

TBH i don't even need to get Chromis if there is a better alternative. I could get a group of Dispars (4 or 5?) and a Group of something else. Any suggestions?I am just looking for a few schools of colorful peaceful fish and figured the foxface and tang would be the feature fish. Would prefer a Naso blonde but i read my tank is not big enough for that.

 

[nismo_32]

Hey guys I have a 372 gallon display. . I want to do a school of Anthias. In your experience which Mathias have been the best to get to school with success and around how many would you consider to put. Tank will be mostly sps. Thanks

 

[Maritimer]

I love gobies and blennies. If I could have a tank of just gobies and blennies, I would. My little clown goby is doing wonderful with my baby lightning clowns and baby chalk basslet. Right now they're living in a QT. In another QT is my beloved midas blenny. He's considerably larger than the other 4. Here's my dilemma:
Do I move the clown goby into the coral QT/grow out aquarium and the midas into the aquarium with the other 3?
or
I have a starry blenny living in another aquarium, would he fight with the midas if I were to put him in with it?
or
Can the clown goby and midas live in the same aquarium together?

Today my peppermint shrimp ripped off the snout of my pipefish and a few weeks ago, in a different aquarium, I lost a black-capped jawfish to something. He was pretty darn beat up and the only other critter in that aquarium that could have gotten to him was the starry blenny. So I'm really super nervous about who goes where now. I *thought* I knew what I was doing, but the suffering of my pipefish and jawfish say otherwise.

Thanks for the help.

Pipefish are remarkably gentle, and invertebrates have zero empathy . . . The loss of the jawfish does surprise me, though. I have a starry who offers no harm to anyone. The only thing that occurs to me is that it's possible he saw the jawfish as competition . . .

I've also got a midas blenny in the same tank, and the two blennies have such different lifestyles that they completely ignore one another. Starry and midas should be fine together. Unless the clown goby is tiny enough for the midas to swallow, I don't see much trouble there, either.

Currently have a 120 "fat boy" running now for nearly two years and my fish list has been stable now for almost 18months. (Haven't lost a fish in that time). My list currently- watchman(Ora) w/pistol, diamond goby, 2 radial filefish (ORA), 4 Bangai cardinal, occ clownfish pair, orchid dotty (ORA).

Would like to add either leopard, Midas Blenny, red dragon scooter, Cori's wrasse or consider more orchids(?)

I really like the peaceful nature of my tank and don't want to mess with that.

My inverts are 2 sexy shrimp, 3 emeralds, mixed corals (mushrooms, zoas, gorgonians, etc etc) and 1 deresa clam.

Your tank sounds lovely ... but may not stay that way. Two of those banggai cardinals will probably pair off, and when they do, they'll want the other two outta the tank. I've heard of orchid dottybacks doing well in a "harem" situation, and breeding, but I can't guarantee how yours will react to a newcomer. Sounds like a job for a social acclimation box! Coris wrasse (assuming true Coris sp.) get pretty big, and aren't really reef-friendly. Halichoeres chrysus, sometimes called "yellow coris", _is_ a reef-friendly wrasse, but might cast a hungry eye on the sexy shrimp. I don't foresee a major issue with a midas blenny or scooter dragonet, so long as your 'pod population can handle the predation. (From the dragonet, not the blenny...)

TBH i don't even need to get Chromis if there is a better alternative. I could get a group of Dispars (4 or 5?) and a Group of something else. Any suggestions?I am just looking for a few schools of colorful peaceful fish and figured the foxface and tang would be the feature fish. Would prefer a Naso blonde but i read my tank is not big enough for that.

Three or five dispars should make an enchanting display! Another option to look at for shoaling fish might be the dartfish - zebra-bar (green with vertical pink barring), scissortail (grey through blackish with elegant form), or blue gudgeon (metallic sky blue with a pale yellow tail), added together as a group, will hang in the flow and wait for drifting plankton. I think you're right about the naso tang - I've got a 220 cycling, and there's no way I feel a naso would look comfortable in it. (Maybe that's just me . . . ) I'll just have to enjoy them in the 3,000 gallon tank at the Public Aquarium!

~Bruce

 

[linus.chan]

Thanks- hmm so should i try and take out the bangai ? about when should expect pairing off? And would the leopard be all right in this tank?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Thanks- hmm so should i try and take out the bangai ? about when should expect pairing off? And would the leopard be all right in this tank?

A leopard will be fine.

Once you see 2 of the bangaiis staying closer together to each other and mildly chasing the other two, remove the other two.

 

[nickyeager]

Three or five dispars should make an enchanting display! Another option to look at for shoaling fish might be the dartfish - zebra-bar (green with vertical pink barring), scissortail (grey through blackish with elegant form), or blue gudgeon (metallic sky blue with a pale yellow tail), added together as a group, will hang in the flow and wait for drifting plankton. I think you're right about the naso tang - I've got a 220 cycling, and there's no way I feel a naso would look comfortable in it. (Maybe that's just me . . . ) I'll just have to enjoy them in the 3,000 gallon tank at the Public Aquarium!

Thank you for the advice this is just what I needed to hear. Is it possible to choose two different types of dartfish will they all shoal together or will there be 2 different shoals? Would they all get along? I updated my list below to reflect the changes and the order in which I intend to introduce each species. Right now I have 2 fire fish.


Fish
2 Firefish
8 blue gudgeon
5 Zebra Bar
3 Dispar Anthias
1 Tailspot Blenny
1 Orange Stripe Prawn Goby
2 Ocellaris Clownfish
1 Foxface Lo
1 Purple Tang

Inverts
5 Nassarius Snails
5 Trochus Snails
3 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Emerald Crab

 

[Maritimer]

I had three zebra bar darts and two blue gudgeons for a while - they pretty much hung together as a single group. Be aware that they (along with the firefish) are capable of some pretty impressive aerial performances - you'll want a top on your tank.

~Bruce

 

[Koa]

hey I have a 10 gallon nano with a slight hair algae problem, I was wondering what type of fish would take care of that but be happy in that size of tank thanks.
Current stock
2x ocellaris clownfish
varied snails 4x
varied hermits4x

 

[Adam113]

hey I have a 10 gallon nano with a slight hair algae problem, I was wondering what type of fish would take care of that but be happy in that size of tank thanks.
Current stock
2x ocellaris clownfish
varied snails 4x
varied hermits4x

I accidentally learned that Rainford Gobies love hair algae. Cool little fish.

 

[Colton T.]

Ok , I have right now a 135 gallon reef tank witch currently holds one sailfin tang, yellow tang, two yellow tail damsels, one 3 striped damsel, and two clownfish.

I found an add on Craigslist and it's a yellow tang, flame angel, 2 yellow tailed damsels, and one clown fish. But he only wants to sell it all as one. Is there a problem with having the 2 yellow?

 

[Maritimer]

Could very well be. Yellows can be pretty cranky lads, and may take exception to another yellow wanting to share their space. If you should decide to go for it, be sure to use some sort of social acclimation - either a box or a divider - and have an exit strategy in case it doesn't work out.

~Bruce

 

[n4s]

I'm not too familiar with cardinals behavior.
I have a single full grown banggai cardinal in 240 gallon tank for 6 months.
Recently got a very small captive bred banggai cardinal. It's currently in quarantine.
Will there be any aggression problems with the larger one when I introduce the small one?

 

[eatbreakfast]

I'm not too familiar with cardinals behavior.
I have a single full grown banggai cardinal in 240 gallon tank for 6 months.
Recently got a very small captive bred banggai cardinal. It's currently in quarantine.
Will there be any aggression problems with the larger one when I introduce the small one?

Once grown bangaii cardinals are quite intolerant of one another, unless they are a bonded pr. I think it will be unlikely for it to work out well adding a smaller, new bangaii to an existing one.

 

[foxt]

I worked up this 220g stocking list a while ago:

In the tank now:
Royal Gramma
Tiger goby
orange spotted goby
(2) snowflake ocellaris

In QT now (many tanks in the basement!)

lawnmower blenny
tailspot blenny
(3) blue/green chromis
Linespot flasher wrasse
longfin fairy wrasse
pink margin fairy wrasse
red head fairy wrasse
pygmy waspfish (called a red rooster waspfish on divers den - taking frozen mysis in QT)
McCosker flasher wrasse
(5) resplendent anthias
(3) scissortail dartfish
Midas blenny
Yellow headed jawfish

To be added perhaps at a future date:
Ruby red dragonet (will need a robust pod population)
Copperband butterfly
Longnose butterfly
bellus angel
Magnificent foxface
Yellow tang
Kole tang or Tomini tang

I am contemplating adding one or two blue star leopards to this list. They might replace the ruby red dragonet. Would they work with the rest of the list, and should I consider just a female, two females (and one will change?), or try for a male/female pair?

 

[Mombo]

I figured out the types of fish last time I posted but I figured I should ask this follow up question. So 29 Gal Biocube stock will be 2 clowns, Midas blenny, Royal gramma.

Is there a particular order we should add these fish into the tank?

We were planning on starting with the Clowns but I didn't know if there was a reason to start with another or if it doesn't matter at all.

 

[Maritimer]

I worked up this 220g stocking list a while ago:

In the tank now:
Royal Gramma
Tiger goby
orange spotted goby
(2) snowflake ocellaris

In QT now (many tanks in the basement!)

lawnmower blenny
tailspot blenny
(3) blue/green chromis
Linespot flasher wrasse
longfin fairy wrasse
pink margin fairy wrasse
red head fairy wrasse
pygmy waspfish (called a red rooster waspfish on divers den - taking frozen mysis in QT)
McCosker flasher wrasse
(5) resplendent anthias
(3) scissortail dartfish
Midas blenny
Yellow headed jawfish

To be added perhaps at a future date:
Ruby red dragonet (will need a robust pod population)
Copperband butterfly
Longnose butterfly
bellus angel
Magnificent foxface
Yellow tang
Kole tang or Tomini tang

I am contemplating adding one or two blue star leopards to this list. They might replace the ruby red dragonet. Would they work with the rest of the list, and should I consider just a female, two females (and one will change?), or try for a male/female pair?

I'm considering blue-star leopards myself, and would probably get two or three females, with the hope that one will transition. Males, from what I've read, don't always transport or adjust as well, and generally cost considerably more than females.

Looking at your QT population, I'd consider adding fish to your display in stages; dartfish and chromis early on, both perching blennies together or tailspot first (the midas shouldn't care much about the tailspot or lawnmower), flasher wrasses together and a week or three before the fairies, and so on ... and/or use a social acclimation box! I don't foresee a _ton_ of aggression among your group, but some of the wrasses could get a little uppity with one another from time to time. Saw a (grey/brown) waspfish in a 500 gallon reef over the weekend - _very_ cool to suddenly notice that guy in there.

I figured out the types of fish last time I posted but I figured I should ask this follow up question. So 29 Gal Biocube stock will be 2 clowns, Midas blenny, Royal gramma.

Is there a particular order we should add these fish into the tank?

We were planning on starting with the Clowns but I didn't know if there was a reason to start with another or if it doesn't matter at all.

I think most orders would work for you, as these fish all really inhabit different niches in the environment, but I might do clowns/gramma/blenny if the clowns are small yet, or add the clowns in later if they're larger.

If you do run into any aggression toward a newcomer, a mirror placed along one end of the tank for a day or three can help to diffuse it - the resident fish will try to drive away a member of its own species before chasing someone of a different family. (I have clowns, a midas and a gramma in my 65, and I'm not certain any of them really knows the other two exist . . . )

~Bruce