fish list - what do you think?

I have a bicolor blenny still.

New ones I'm considering.
banggai cardinal pair
watchman goby/tiger pistol shrimp pair
white tail bristletooth tang http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+43+3130&pcatid=3130


Do you think they will get along nicely together?

I think so, like the choice in tang, only thing is none of those are really "flashy" or bright, maybe not an issue just something to think about.

I just want something different mainly and more interesting along the lines of behavior. I saw a yellow head jawfish at the LA tour this summer and it had so much personality! I am looking for that amount of character but also want fish that get along with the others, don't pick at my reef (or inverts) and don't dump sand on my LPS! That makes the list tough and rules out the jawfish.

I'm not sure about the cardinals except I thought my daughter (and I) would enjoy the mouth brooding thing and I have thought they add such grace in other people's tanks. They have other cardinals though...the yellow striped might be a nice change up.

I am pretty firm on the bristletooth and the watchman/pistol pair. Is a watchman jumpy? Like would I have to cover my tank? I think I've known two people who had them and found them in their sump.

Any suggestions for flash? I like the chalk bass they have on sale right now at LA not that I'm ready right now. They're cool looking and different! I thought the indigo dartfish was pretty neat looking too. I just don't know anything about them. I'm thinking the list above is light on swimmers so some water column swimmers would be nice.

I was checking around last eve and I might scratch the cardinals, cover the tank and add a wrasse. Holly was holding a flasher for me that I got from Melissa before she moved. Gorgeous fish. However, he dove, through egg crate, to his death.

Mind you, there's not even water in my tank yet so this is going to take a while. I just feel like a kid in a candy store from having a clean slate (almost) and we needed some discussion around here.

Hello, ]
Good idea for a fish list. I'm starting my 40 gallon, which mearsures out to a 45. It's too tall for a 40. Yeah!
I am thinking of moving my yellow tang over, as he is outrgrowing the 20 gallon. My Volitan lion will go too. And most of my mushrooms and zoanthids. I will leave the mandarin, yellow tail damsel, file fish and blue spot goby in the 20.
I would like some other kind of tang, a Hippo if possible, maybe pajama cardinals. My focus will be 'shrooms, zoa's, palys and soft corals, so I'm thinking dwarf angels are out. Maybe I should move the damsel too, so he can't bully the smaller fish.
Just beginning the cycling process. I will try to hook up a skimmer tomorrow.
Good topic, blennielvr.

+ on the chalk bass, I think they are cute.

Seapony - Is your mandarin eating frozen? I can't remember. If not, I worry for it in a 20 or 45g unless it's super well stocked with pods and there's a way to replenish them. I see they have pods for sale at the TCMAS swap if you want me to nab you a bag or if you're coming with! And, I'm glad you're moving the yellow over too. Those guys need room to roam. In fact, maybe you'd consider another fish than the hippo? If you read on Live Aquaria, they require a 180g tank.

Will take another look at the chalk bass before deciding on wrasse or bass.

Cammie, I am all for the flashy fish at this point too. I have the typical reef fish in mine, but I recently lost my wrasse due to jumping so I will be looking at the flashers for that one I think. I also like the jawfish, but my sandbed isn't deep enough for them. I could get away with a goby/shrimp pair though.

Seapony, the 40 is going to be too small for the yellow long term. I hope you have some plans in the future for an upgrade as if they get cramped they get mean. The hippo will not do well in a 40 as well. With that size tank I'd stay away from any more tangs.

[quote="cdness"] I will be looking at the flashers for that one I think. quote]

Do you mean flasher wrasses? They're jumpers too. That's what Holly was holding for me. Tight fitting egg crate wasn't enough. I'm leaning more toward the chalk bass for just that reason. However, I still need to know if watchman or prawn gobies need a covered tank. Anyone with experience? If I'm covering the tank anyway, I can open my wish list back up to wrasses.

watchman gobies should be no issue with jumping... I had a couple but lost them in the tank move to my current place.

I have a full canopy on my tank. My wrasse jumpped through a moving cooling fan. I guess I need to put some protective covers on those now too before my next wrasse. I am thinking a flame wrasse or maybe I'll just go with another Mystery wrasse if I ever see a well colored one again.

Yeah I've had chalk bass to cool little guys.

As to the Tang, there are always plans to go bigger. I hope he doesn't grow too fast LOL. I'll drop the Blue tang too. As to the mandarin, he is doing well. I have gotten 4 "loads" of pods, from mail order and 2 from the mall store in Fargo. They seem to be multiplying as the mandarin is full bodied and I see him pecking at the rocks. He glides around and hunts all the time. I have a handful of chaeto algae and load that with the pods. I add supplements and phytoplankton every other week. Does that sound good? I had a mandarin back in the stone age and he DID starve to death.

Cammie, let me know when you want the goby pistol shrimp pair. You can have my watchman/tiger pistol pair. The goby rarely goes to the top of the water column and the back of my canopy is open. I've had the pair for five months or so. Just so you know pistol shrimp also like to bury things.

Will do, Debben. Thanks! I'm hoping to get my rock work scaped in a way that I can keep my LPS off the sandbed more. And, hopefully, I can restrain myself to have less corals this time which would also allow that.

They haven't had that tang in stock since I got the 75 gallon from you, that's why I went with the other one. Just to warn you you'll have a LONG wait ahead of you.

I've had to learn patience in this hobby so let's see how long I last.

LOL Did you see my new guy? I have fallen in love with the bristle tooth tang. He's awesome!

Cammie, look into a Tomini Tang vs. the white tail. Will stay smaller.

mpedersen wrote:Cammie, look into a Tomini Tang vs. the white tail. Will stay smaller.

Thanks Matt. Will do.

OK. I looked into the tomini tang. Several times. The one I was looking at sure is prettier. But, I have time to work this out in my head so we'll see where I settle out. It does say on LA that the bristletooth will do OK in a 70. Matt?

Other than that, my list hasn't changed much. I keep going back to the ones I first had on my list so I think I'm gonna run with it.

Now, if my cycle would just hurry!!!

Hey blennieluvr if you buy a bottle of bio-spira it will cycle your tank instantly, however you can only add 1 fish. The bottle you need for 75 gallon should be around $30.

I'm not sure I trust those rush it methods. Thanks for the info though. It's hard to wait but I really kind of do want to do this tank "right" which to me, means cycle it and then start adding stuff SLOOOOOWWWLLLLYYY. I haven't cycled a tank since I started in this hobby maybe 7 years ago and it's a good thing for me to experience again. Back then, I had no clue and just happened along things when they went right!

The hardest part is that I have corals farmed out that it would be nice to get back. I'm hoping my caregivers just recognize that more time means they grow out more and we each get bigger pieces when I'm finally ready. I do have a nano tank to satisfy my reef fix until my 75 is ready. Once my home tank is cycled and I can transfer stuff over, the nano will go up for sale.

You guys just have to read all my reef dreams in the meantime as I post them here on the forum to give ya'll something to read. LOL

I suppose I could do a build thread on this and keep all my posts in one place. I do have pics of it partially filled with water.

Don't cry cammie, but I think I lost the rose milli... I used to have such good luck with them and now I have been hitting issues The green pocci though is doing great and I bet I have other stuff to give you instead of the milli...

I have never been a fan of the "Cycle in a bottle" but I did try it once. It really didn't slow the cycle if you really did the testing and watched parameters. I think it is part bacteria and part ammonia detoxifier as there is still a spike like a normal cucle. I didn't add any fish right away due to the testing results so I don't know if anything would have survived... It was not Bio-Spira though and there are many newer products out there since I did it, but I'd rather let it be natural.

I added a Royal Gramma Basslet to my 46 gallon reef about a month ago. It's a really nice fish if you are looking for a little flash, peaceful and reef safe, and some nice personality. He will come to the glass if he thinks food is coming, he does not seem overly shy. The purple and yellow also supports the team (Go Vikes!).

Paul

I still have the rose milli frag I got! Its lost a little color, but its still big and growing, so when the time comes... And I also have some other little things I could make little frags off. Except for my awesome birdsnest. I want to see how big it gets before I start fragging of chunks.