stocking 55 gallon (2 foot cube) - fish suggestion

[potatocouch]

3 questions:

Question 1:
Do you see issues in keeping these in 2 foot cube tank:

• 
  1 x Randal Anthias
  1 x Sunburst Anthias
  1 x Dispar Anthias
  1 x Sunset Anthias
  1 x Orchid Dottyback

Question 2:
If you think the 5 fishes above work in 2 foot cube tank, in which order would you put them in?
If you don't think the above works, which would you eliminate and in which order would you put them in?


Question 3:
Do you normally care about gender when purchasing Anthias?

 

[40B Knasty]

The dottyback I would leave out. They can be nasty like a damsel. Awesome looking fish. Just a boss attitude. Anthies are pretty timid. Them being a fish that needs to be fed a lot throughout the day. If the dotty bullies them into hiding. Anthies die from starvation.
As far as mixing anthies or the sex. That part I could not tell you. I just speak from experience about having a bully Randall's Prawn Goby attacking a red saddle back anthies and it hiding till it starved to death.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Instead of one each of a few species, try instead a group of one species. Randalls and dispars in particular are happier and better colored with conspecifics.

Orchid dottybacks are a pretty mellow dottyback species, so will be fine. Just add toward the end of stocking.

 

[Mikedawg]

You would have some interesting behaviors to watch by following eatbreakfast's advice; schooling fish setting up their hierarchy and then the lone dottyback moving in and out of rocks and caves.

 

[40B Knasty]

I will disagree about the dottyback. I know what it says in the Liveaquaria site and other places with helpful info. Bottom line I had 2 trusted LFS owners and a friend that has been in the hobby for a long time say "stay away from them" "I had one just returned to me today, because it killed all the other fish in the tank of a customer" "return it now. They are devils!"
I have a supposed "mellow" Randall's Prawn Goby. That Liveaquaria calls "peaceful." Ask my swissguard basslet and red saddle back anthies how mellow he is at the LFS in heaven.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I will disagree about the dottyback. I know what it says in the Liveaquaria site and other places with helpful info. Bottom line I had 2 trusted LFS owners and a friend that has been in the hobby for a long time say "stay away from them" "I had one just returned to me today, because it killed all the other fish in the tank of a customer" "return it now. They are devils!"
I have a supposed "mellow" Randall's Prawn Goby. That Liveaquaria calls "peaceful." Ask my swissguard basslet and red saddle back anthies how mellow he is at the LFS in heaven.

Having kept about a half dozen orchid dottybacks over the years, as well as having taken care of numerous tanks with orchids in them, I can personally attest that orchids are one of the handful of peaceful dottybacks. Yes, there can always be an individual outlier, and yes, order of introduction matters, but orchid dottybacks are compatible with the op's list of fish.

 

[40B Knasty]

You

Having kept about a half dozen orchid dottybacks over the years, as well as having taken care of numerous tanks with orchids in them, I can personally attest that orchids are one of the handful of peaceful dottybacks. Yes, there can always be an individual outlier, and yes, order of introduction matters, but orchid dottybacks are compatible with the op's list of fish.

That's great. I will trust the guy that has seen over 1000s of them not 50 and the guy that won't sell them at his store, because he cares about his customers. If potatocouch goes with one, because you said so. That's fine.. It ain't my tank.
Also from what I am getting from what you said and thought myself was that even the list of anthies are not compatible. So the list is really not compatible at all. You agree to disagree. I just straight disagree.

 

[eatbreakfast]

You

That's great. I will trust the guy that has seen over 1000s of them not 50 and the guy that won't sell them at his store, because he cares about his customers. If potatocouch goes with one, because you said so. That's fine.. It ain't my tank.
Also from what I am getting from what you said and thought myself was that even the list of anthies are not compatible. So the list is really not compatible at all. You agree to disagree. I just straight disagree.

I've had many more pass through I work than just the ones in tanks I take care of.

I would take the advice of someone with 1st hand experience than 1 who 'heard from a guy'.

If he has seen 1000's that were aggressive, then I would question whether they were correctly identified as orchids or whether they were the similar looking, but significantly more aggressive purple dottyback.

I do care what potatocouch gets because I want him to have a successful tank that he enjoys.

What I said about the anthias, is that the species on the list all do much better with multiples of their own kind and will be happier and more colorful, rather than doing one each of a few species.

 

[40B Knasty]

I would have first hand experience with one, but I trust "the 3 experienced" and returned mine before it made it down the road, because the inexperienced Petco guy said the same thing you are saying about them. So it looks like I want him to be happy with his tank too.
Now can ya just let it go..