What fish to add??

Maritimer · Jun 27, 2017

Your tank is probably a bit small for a "classic" sea star - I suspect that a sandsifter would have your sandbed emptied of all living things in a couple of weeks or less - and then starve, as they often do.

A brittle star or a serpent star (just not one of the big green ones!) could work well for you though.

~Bruce

rockhead51 · Jul 8, 2017

You may want to make all these decisions up front, and then go about stocking. The order that you put things in matters a great deal (as you saw with your pseudochromis / goby issue.).
Just as a point of comparison, I have a BioCube 32 LED, and I run a mixed reef with 2 Ocellaris Clowns (I started with one plus a Davinci, but the designer and then his designer replacement both succumbed to an intestinal parasite; the 2nd Ocellaris is in great shape), a Yellow Watchman Goby/Tiger Pistol Shrimp pair, a Cherub Angel, and an Orchid Dottyback. They went in in that order. The only agression has been the Angel going after the Dottyback. But the Dottyback is tough and won't be pushed around. Had I did those guys in the other order, I suspect I'd have a dead Angel by now...

Gaines69 · Jul 9, 2017

rockhead51 said:
You may want to make all these decisions up front, and then go about stocking. The order that you put things in matters a great deal (as you saw with your pseudochromis / goby issue.).
Just as a point of comparison, I have a BioCube 32 LED, and I run a mixed reef with 2 Ocellaris Clowns (I started with one plus a Davinci, but the designer and then his designer replacement both succumbed to an intestinal parasite; the 2nd Ocellaris is in great shape), a Yellow Watchman Goby/Tiger Pistol Shrimp pair, a Cherub Angel, and an Orchid Dottyback. They went in in that order. The only agression has been the Angel going after the Dottyback. But the Dottyback is tough and won't be pushed around. Had I did those guys in the other order, I suspect I'd have a dead Angel by now...

Thanks for the info. I think I have decided to only add one more clown, a feather duster, and maybe a star. My new goby and pistol shrimp pair are doing great. They both come out of their caves all the time. ( I think they have tunnels under all of my live rock). My mandarin is doing great and my clownfish is growing well. I'm waiting for her to get bigger before I get another. I really don't want to over stock my tank. I know now that one tank will never be enough. Thinking about a 50 gal bio cube next. This has really become my new addiction. Lol

rockhead51 · Jul 10, 2017

Yeah. I wanted a star, but keep getting told that with a 30 gal and around 2 inch sand bed, it would just starve to death slowly. My Goby and Shrimp tunnelled so much that it caused my scape to shift significantly. I had to make sure it was grounded on the actual tank bottom and then move sand back in around it (they still have plenty of little caves through gaps and such).

Gaines69 · Jul 10, 2017

rockhead51 said:
Yeah. I wanted a star, but keep getting told that with a 30 gal and around 2 inch sand bed, it would just starve to death slowly. My Goby and Shrimp tunnelled so much that it caused my scape to shift significantly. I had to make sure it was grounded on the actual tank bottom and then move sand back in around it (they still have plenty of little caves through gaps and such).

I was told to get a brittle or serpent starfish. I might end up having to do that with my live rock as well. I notice that pieces fall quite often. Never thought about putting them in the bottom and then putting sand around them. Great idea.

rockhead51 · Jul 10, 2017

Yeah. I saw that post. I've had lots of tiny brittles, but they seem to have disappeared. My understanding is they all feed off detrius and pods- so they might compete with your Mandarin...
As to the LR, you can try epoxy or reef/super glue. If you are setting up from scratch, I think the best best is drilling and using plastic/plexiglass rods.

Gaines69 · Jul 10, 2017

rockhead51 said:
Yeah. I saw that post. I've had lots of tiny brittles, but they seem to have disappeared. My understanding is they all feed off detrius and pods- so they might compete with your Mandarin...
As to the LR, you can try epoxy or reef/super glue. If you are setting up from scratch, I think the best best is drilling and using plastic/plexiglass rods.

Well if they eat pods they are a no go. My mandarin, Kermit, is my favorite. I can live without a starfish. Lol.

Gaines69 · Jul 12, 2017

Ok. So I know another teacher that wants to set up and marine aquarium in her classroom. Problem is it will have to be a nano tank. Depending on what space she has available it will probably have to be around a 10 gal. Maybe a 16 gal bio cube (. I'm trying to talk her into the bigger tank). Her question is could she have a pair of clowns and maybe a goby/pistol shrimp pair? Looking for honest advice here. She works in a different town so I can only help via phone once tank is set up. Thanks in advance.

Maritimer · Jul 12, 2017

If she builds her bioload gradually, she may be able to pull it off. If the clowns go into breeding mode though, they may decide they want the goby out of their space.

~Bruce

Gaines69 · Jul 12, 2017

Maritimer said:
If she builds her bioload gradually, she may be able to pull it off. If the clowns go into breeding mode though, they may decide they want the goby out of their space.

~Bruce

Cool. I'll let her know I could always give her a piece of my live rock. Also will have her add live bacteria and proceed very slow. Thanks so much for the info.

Gaines69 · Jul 14, 2017

Ok. I'm really wanting to add another clown fish but I'm not sure I can find one smaller than the one I have now. I purchased her several weeks ago and she is still only about an inch long from nose to tip of tail. Would it be ok to add one that is a little bigger than her or should I wait until she gets bigger and add a smaller one?

Maritimer · Jul 14, 2017

Might be best advised to wait.

On their lonesome, clowns can sometimes change to female ahead of schedule. (Our schedule, anyway . . . )

~Bruce

Gaines69 · Jul 14, 2017

Maritimer said:
Might be best advised to wait.

On their lonesome, clowns can sometimes change to female ahead of schedule. (Our schedule, anyway . . . )

~Bruce

That's what I was thinking. My Princess Leia is a character and I don't want to do anything to stress her out.

Gaines69 · Jul 15, 2017

Picked up a feather duster tonight. He is drip acclimating now. Fingers crossed that he does well.

Gaines69 · Jul 16, 2017

Gaines69 said:
Picked up a feather duster tonight. He is drip acclimating now. Fingers crossed that he does well.

Feather duster is now in the tank laying on a rock. Waiting to see if he opens up. In the meantime I have a question. Should I pick up a bottle of phytoplankton and add to my tank once or twice a week. I have a FOWLR tank so it would be for my worm only. Will it be beneficial for my worm? Thanks in advance.

Maritimer · Jul 16, 2017

Worth a shot - but watch that the stuff doesn't take over!

~Bruce, dealing with a green tank

Gaines69 · Jul 16, 2017

Maritimer said:
Worth a shot - but watch that the stuff doesn't take over!

~Bruce, dealing with a green tank

I can always return it to the lps. Or I can keep it to feed to my brine shrimp. I just want my feather duster to be healthy. I did some reading up on them and found the info to be confusing. Will my worm thrive without it?

Maritimer · Jul 17, 2017

Maybe?

I had several that I thought were doing well - then over about a week or so, they retracted their fans, never to return.

~Bruce

Gaines69 · Jul 17, 2017

Well mine moved around a little and wedged himself between two rocks....laying down. He opens and closes so I'm hoping he will decide to stand up one day. Lol.

Oh I also picked up a fake anemone thinking maybe my clown would host there. Nope she won't go near it. Not even at feeding time. Lol. At least it doesn't look to bad.