"Species-only" mangrove tank fish?

[afboundguy]

Looking for ideas for a "species" only mangrove tank I just plumbed in and looking to thoughts beside what I have come up with which is smaller gobies...

It is a 10 gallon rimless tank and will have just mangroves with minimal if any rockwork with a sandbed...

 

[KrisReef]

Dwarf seahorses?

 

[afboundguy]

Dwarf seahorses?

I had thought of that but it's plumbed into my main system and from all the research I've done they should be in a separate system.

My setup has low nutrients but I think the temperature might not be low enough. I keep maine system at 76/77 and dwarf seahorses need it to be between 70-74 as it helps a certain bacteria from growing and harming them. The tank does go from sump to remote fuge then to the new 10 gallon tank and I could check the temperature and see what it is as I have all my heaters after the pump that goes to the remote tanks

 

[vlangel]

I had thought of that but it's plumbed into my main system and from all the research I've done they should be in a separate system.

My setup has low nutrients but I think the temperature might not be low enough. I keep maine system at 76/77 and dwarf seahorses need it to be between 70-74 as it helps a certain bacteria from growing and harming them. The tank does go from sump to remote fuge then to the new 10 gallon tank and I could check the temperature and see what it is as I have all my heaters after the pump that goes to the remote tanks

You are correct in that a dwarf seahorse tank should be a stand alone. Seahorses are just too prone to bacterial infections plus hydroids could find their way into the 10g and dwarfs are killed by hydroids.

Have you thought about adding an easy macro like codium along with the mangrove and then a small goby and/or a couple chalk basselets? Chalk Bass like to hang in the mangrove roots or at least mine did.

 

[afboundguy]

You are correct in that a dwarf seahorse tank should be a stand alone. Seahorses are just too prone to bacterial infections plus hydroids could find their way into the 10g and dwarfs are killed by hydroids.

That's what I am leaning away from this option. When I get my dream tank I might tackle dwarf seahorses by using the current sump setup and just a stand alone tank for them.

Have you thought about adding an easy macro like codium along with the mangrove and then a small goby and/or a couple chalk basselets? Chalk Bass like to hang in the mangrove roots or at least mine did.

I have thought about smaller gobies and I like chaulk basslets as I've had them before but wasn't sure if 10 gallon tank would be too small.

I'm slightly hesitant for gobies as I keep reading even the small ones are jumpers and want to leave it rimless without a cover as I think it wouldn't look good with a mesh cover and mangroves.

 

[vlangel]

That's what I am leaning away from this option. When I get my dream tank I might tackle dwarf seahorses by using the current sump setup and just a stand alone tank for them.

I have thought about smaller gobies and I like chaulk basslets as I've had them before but wasn't sure if 10 gallon tank would be too small.

I'm slightly hesitant for gobies as I keep reading even the small ones are jumpers and want to leave it rimless without a cover as I think it wouldn't look good with a mesh cover and mangroves.

Uhhg, chalk bass jump too. I just lost one to jumping about 2 weeks ago and my tank has glass tops that cover almost all of it except where my mangrove is growing. My new plan is to keep the water low enough to be just above the the rim. When my chalk bass jumped i had the water as high as it could go.

That's gonna be a tougher one to figure out as I don't trust any fish not to jump except maybe a couple of Pajama or Bangaii cardinals.

 

[afboundguy]

Uhhg, chalk bass jump too. I just lost one to jumping about 2 weeks ago and my tank has glass tops that cover almost all of it except where my mangrove is growing. My new plan is to keep the water low enough to be just above the the rim. When my chalk bass jumped i had the water as high as it could go.

That's gonna be a tougher one to figure out as I don't trust any fish not to jump except maybe a couple of Pajama or Bangaii cardinals.

I am leaning towards threadfin/blue streak cardinals. I've tried a trio in my main tank and one died the next day and the other two were slowly picked on and killed by my clowns. I ordered a pair with the credit I got from the store credit and one died right away (couldn't find body for store credit) and the lone one looks beat up. I plan to try and capture him and throw him in the tank tomorrow with the two mangroves that have already been in my system...

 

[afboundguy]

I was able to capture the lone threadfin cardinal and transported it into the tank after I re-located two mangroves that were in the display fuge. The rest of the mangroves are in 1.009 salinity so hopefully they'll be good in a week!

I did throw in some rock for a hiding spot for the little guy until he'll have tons of mangrove roots to hide in!

 

[vlangel]

How long have you had the mangroves? I just ordered mangroves for the first time from KP Aquatics about a month or so ago. They sent me 2 since they were not quite in leaves yet, even though I only ordered 1. Now 1 has leaves and the other is close.

 

[afboundguy]

How long have you had the mangroves? I just ordered mangroves for the first time from KP Aquatics about a month or so ago. They sent me 2 since they were not quite in leaves yet, even though I only ordered 1. Now 1 has leaves and the other is close.

I've had those for about a year. Believe they started with only 1-2 leaves with not the best light. I bought a bunch and have been growing them in freshwater and they have been growing much faster...

I tried to find pictures from when I bought them last year at my local club's main event in early November 2024 but can't find any but they 100% had less than 2 leaves and might have had 0-1 on one of them.

 

[KrisReef]

How about a Rainfordii gobie(. I don’t know why I didn’t think about one before. One of the best chill fish with beautiful pin stripes.

 

[afboundguy]

How about a Rainfordii gobie(. I don’t know why I didn’t think about one before. One of the best chill fish with beautiful pin stripes.

I do like those guys just wasn't sure if they're too colorful for the look I'm going for. One of the reasons I don't want to put live rock in this tank is it will get purple with coralline algae and I want to try and keep it as realistic as in the real world.

That's part of the reason I put in some of the purple dry rock to see how it looked and it confirmed I wouldn't want too much color in the tank.

 

[KrisReef]

I do like those guys just wasn't sure if they're too colorful for the look I'm going for. One of the reasons I don't want to put live rock in this tank is it will get purple with coralline algae and I want to try and keep it as realistic as in the real world.

That's part of the reason I put in some of the purple dry rock to see how it looked and it confirmed I wouldn't want too much color in the tank.

Mine “hides” under the rocks, but has started to venture out more after a year of being cryptic about how it carries on. I think beneath the mangrove roots it will blend in and stay busy picking at pods, and occasionally swimming by, like nature?