Thoughts on "reef safe" fish ?

[ThatsDeep!]

So, our 55 gal is looking like it is coming together pretty well. Many lessons learned since we started that is for sure. The latest snafu has been the fish. We thought it'd be nice to have 3 to 5 fish. Currently have a small six line wrasse, mandarin goby, a pygmy ? [red and white with a mohawk] and a hawkfish.

We went through the valencia puffer saga as it began eating our Derasa clam and got him out of the tank. Our clownfish had an anemone and that kept him busy. Then I went and found a black and yellow striped benign looking thing called a chromis and the LFS said "reef safe". So, short story long it took him no time to become a demon from hell and went after everything but the hawkfish and pygmy. Worst, he [have a photo] of him biting the clam from the inside, and then began fighting with the clown - much larger than him. He would circle it like a shark and to one side and I swear he bit and was stung and kept after the anemone as well.

Quarantined the anem, but he did not make it. BTW, small plastic QT box was the best $ we ever spent as we did not get nuked. Went to our FFG and he looked up the fish and asked if that was our chromis and said he does not sell them because they are really a damsel...lineage speaking.

My husband rigged the most bizarre looking trap I have ever seen [he is getting really good at this] and we caught the chromis/damsel in less than 48 hours. Tomato clown is pretty hostile w/0 anem and think we will remove him as well.

So, in all of your experience, what are the better fish you have in your reef tanks? I know there are lists but they include some of these and counting the diamond goby [crop duster] this will be 4 fish removals. Thank God for mandarin gobys

Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

 

[jahmic]

I'm partial to wrasses. I have a red velvet fairy wrasse, a yellow "coris", and a red-lined wrasse in my 85 gallon cube (24" x 24" footprint).

They all get along even with the minimal hiding places in my tank. The fairy wrasse just swims around displaying...the other 2 spend most of their day just hunting for pods. They're great for pest control as well, and the only aggression issue I ever had out of the 5 wrasses I've kept in the past was one that liked to snack on peppermint shrimp (a blue fairy wrasse).

That being said, the downside to wrasses is that they will probably compete with your mandarin for pods. Is the mandarin eating frozen at all?

 

[SynDen]

ya damsels can be terrors. But as for chromis. Bluegreen chromis and blue reef chromis are great reef fish. Maroon and Tomato clowns can also be pretty aggressive but ocellaris and perculas are generally very easy going. Fairy and flasher wrasses can be pretty good too, although many need larger tanks so research them before hand to ensure you get one that is good with your tank size. Jawfish are also one of my favorite fish, they do dig in the sand but generally make much smaller burrows then the diamond goby you had before. They are also very passive but inquisitive fish.

 

[sethsolomon]

stick with gobies, blennies, wrasses, dartfish, dragonettes, maybe 1 small tang (will need a bigger home later), anthias, basslets, dottybacks, and pseudochromis.


Note: some Haichliese and lunare wrasses can eat shrimp and hermits when they get larger. Try to stick with the fairy, flasher, and leopard wrasses

dottys and pseudochromis can be a bit more on the territorial side.


also if you plan on having shrimp any time soon get rid of the hawk fish. they will eat shrimp

 

[ThatsDeep!]

Thanks jahmic - this is just the kind of info I need. I do not think the mandarin eats frozen and we have tried to have some macroalgae in the top as well as I heard this increased the pod population. Is this true?

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond - appreciate it!

 

[ThatsDeep!]

Hey Syn! I will take a look at the fish you mention here. Our clown is a tomato, and looks like we got an aggressive one... I saw the blue chromis but liked the flashier one - it figures. Thanks, it helps so much to hear from those who have experience!

 

[ThatsDeep!]

Seth - thanks for adding to the list. I fell in love with a pair of dragonettes but thought they were pricey for our relatively new tank and learning curve. We won't get a shrimp, but love the little hawkfish so good to know not to add one.

Have heard we could add a tang as long as it was the last fish we added. I will research these and it really helps to know who is more territorial as well.

As always man, thanks!

 

[jahmic]

If you have macro in your tank, it does give them a place to hide. Is your tank drilled with a sump, or do you just have a self-contained display tank?

Chaeto will probably do the best job in giving the pods some place to hide; if you can see them crawling around on the glass (check the corners, especially at night) then you can confirm that you have a population in the tank. You might have to add some if the tank is relatively new...it sometimes takes a while from them to really establish, and if your mandarin isn't eating frozen he could quickly deplete your tank of pods.

Try feeding the mandarin with some small frozen food like Nutramar Ova, Reef Nutrition Oyster Feast, or some Argent brand Cyclop-eeze...the latter comes in a frozen bar; I don't think the mandarin would go after the freeze-dried stuff right away. If you can get him eating frozen you should have a lot more luck with keeping him healthy, especially if you do add some wrasses.

Only fish mentioned in the thread that I'd be careful about if you are worried about aggression are some dottybocks...they can be jerks. Spend some time on live aquaria and just browse through all of their "peaceful" reef safe fish. There are tons of options and you can always ask questions before going ahead and making a purchase

 

[SynDen]

Seth - thanks for adding to the list. I fell in love with a pair of dragonettes but thought they were pricey for our relatively new tank and learning curve. We won't get a shrimp, but love the little hawkfish so good to know not to add one.

Have heard we could add a tang as long as it was the last fish we added. I will research these and it really helps to know who is more territorial as well.

As always man, thanks!

In a 55g I would be wary of putting any tangs in it. Pretty much all tangs need at least 75g or larger to stay healthy. About the only tang that might do well in a 55 would be a tomini tang http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+43+334&pcatid=334
If you are planning to upgrade to a bigger tank in the future you might be able to get away with a bristle tooth but if it was me I would until you upgrades before getting the tang.

 

[jda123]

Anthias, fairy/flasher/leopard wrasses, X Triggers (some get a shrimp here and there) and Genicanthus angels are the only truly reef safe fish that I have ever had. I have seen many blennies, dottys, tangs, rabbits and dwarf/large angels get after coral and inverts.

 

[SkyShark]

If you have macro in your tank, it does give them a place to hide. Is your tank drilled with a sump, or do you just have a self-contained display tank?

Chaeto will probably do the best job in giving the pods some place to hide; if you can see them crawling around on the glass (check the corners, especially at night) then you can confirm that you have a population in the tank. You might have to add some if the tank is relatively new...it sometimes takes a while from them to really establish, and if your mandarin isn't eating frozen he could quickly deplete your tank of pods.

Try feeding the mandarin with some small frozen food like Nutramar Ova, Reef Nutrition Oyster Feast, or some Argent brand Cyclop-eeze...the latter comes in a frozen bar; I don't think the mandarin would go after the freeze-dried stuff right away. If you can get him eating frozen you should have a lot more luck with keeping him healthy, especially if you do add some wrasses.

Only fish mentioned in the thread that I'd be careful about if you are worried about aggression are some dottybocks...they can be jerks. Spend some time on live aquaria and just browse through all of their "peaceful" reef safe fish. There are tons of options and you can always ask questions before going ahead and making a purchase

+1
A purple dottyback I had once was ounce for ounce the meanest fish I have ever seen. Really pretty, but mean.

 

[ThatsDeep!]

If you have macro in your tank, it does give them a place to hide. Is your tank drilled with a sump, or do you just have a self-contained display tank?

Chaeto will probably do the best job in giving the pods some place to hide; if you can see them crawling around on the glass (check the corners, especially at night) then you can confirm that you have a population in the tank. You might have to add some if the tank is relatively new...it sometimes takes a while from them to really establish, and if your mandarin isn't eating frozen he could quickly deplete your tank of pods.

Try feeding the mandarin with some small frozen food like Nutramar Ova, Reef Nutrition Oyster Feast, or some Argent brand Cyclop-eeze...the latter comes in a frozen bar; I don't think the mandarin would go after the freeze-dried stuff right away. If you can get him eating frozen you should have a lot more luck with keeping him healthy, especially if you do add some wrasses.

Only fish mentioned in the thread that I'd be careful about if you are worried about aggression are some dottybocks...they can be jerks. Spend some time on live aquaria and just browse through all of their "peaceful" reef safe fish. There are tons of options and you can always ask questions before going ahead and making a purchase

Cool, I will check the glass tonight. Also will make sure the mandarin has a chance to try frozen food. Do have chaeto so glad to know that is a good place for pods.

Your question about the tank - we have a sump and lots of chaeto and other macros in there, but it is not a drilled tank so has an overflow on the back. Our water tests have been great for a while now and I really am glad we went with the refugium - wonder if add'l pods in there is wise? Anyway I will see what I am able to spot in the corners as far as pods. Thanks for your thoughts on the dottybocks - I am so over having tank carnage! This has really helped me put a research list together!

 

[ThatsDeep!]

+1
A purple dottyback I had once was ounce for ounce the meanest fish I have ever seen. Really pretty, but mean.

I will take them off the list - thanks for letting me know of your experience.

 

[ThatsDeep!]

In a 55g I would be wary of putting any tangs in it. Pretty much all tangs need at least 75g or larger to stay healthy. About the only tang that might do well in a 55 would be a tomini tang http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+43+334&pcatid=334
If you are planning to upgrade to a bigger tank in the future you might be able to get away with a bristle tooth but if it was me I would until you upgrades before getting the tang.

I was told that if we got a tang it should be the last fish to do in - realistically though we only have a 55 so you make a good point - I have seen some big, big tangs.

 

[ThatsDeep!]

Anthias, fairy/flasher/leopard wrasses, X Triggers (some get a shrimp here and there) and Genicanthus angels are the only truly reef safe fish that I have ever had. I have seen many blennies, dottys, tangs, rabbits and dwarf/large angels get after coral and inverts.

Thanks jda. At the end of the day it is so much more about the awesome corals and I would probably want to buy a grouper to take them all out if our coral was messed with

 

[SynDen]

Thanks jda. At the end of the day it is so much more about the awesome corals and I would probably want to buy a grouper to take them all out if our coral was messed with

Lol that would be one way to handle them

 

[zombie]

Your question about the tank - we have a sump and lots of chaeto and other macros in there, but it is not a drilled tank so has an overflow on the back. Our water tests have been great for a while now and I really am glad we went with the refugium - wonder if add'l pods in there is wise? Anyway I will see what I am able to spot in the corners as far as pods. Thanks for your thoughts on the dottybocks - I am so over having tank carnage! This has really helped me put a research list together!

With a tank the size of yours, I would add a booster of 500 pods every 3 months or so if the mandarin snacks on frozen or pellets. If it only eats live, then the mandarin will need lots more food. You can set up a pod culture with two 8×13 plastic cake pans filled 3/4 full with saltwater. Add half a bottle of pods to your display and split the rest between the cake pans. Top off with fresh rodi daily and a couple drops of phyto or a pinch of well crushed flake food. Once the population booms in about 2 weeks, you can harvest half of the pods from one vessel every week with a 50% water change. It should be self sustaining for at least 6 months if nothing gets introduced that wipes them out. Plus you will have tens of thousands of pods to keep your mandy FAT for the cost of 1 bottle of pods 2 cakepans and a little extra saltwater.

 

[rplank]

You can set up a pod culture with two 8×13 plastic cake pans filled 3/4 full with saltwater. Add half a bottle of pods to your display and split the rest between the cake pans. Top off with fresh rodi daily and a couple drops of phyto or a pinch of well crushed flake food. Once the population booms in about 2 weeks, you can harvest half of the pods from one vessel every week with a 50% water change. It should be self sustaining for at least 6 months if nothing gets introduced that wipes them out. Plus you will have tens of thousands of pods to keep your mandy FAT for the cost of 1 bottle of pods 2 cakepans and a little extra saltwater.

Can this be stickied somewhere? This is a great idea!

 

[ThatsDeep!]

With a tank the size of yours, I would add a booster of 500 pods every 3 months or so if the mandarin snacks on frozen or pellets. If it only eats live, then the mandarin will need lots more food. You can set up a pod culture with two 8×13 plastic cake pans filled 3/4 full with saltwater. Add half a bottle of pods to your display and split the rest between the cake pans. Top off with fresh rodi daily and a couple drops of phyto or a pinch of well crushed flake food. Once the population booms in about 2 weeks, you can harvest half of the pods from one vessel every week with a 50% water change. It should be self sustaining for at least 6 months if nothing gets introduced that wipes them out. Plus you will have tens of thousands of pods to keep your mandy FAT for the cost of 1 bottle of pods 2 cakepans and a little extra saltwater.

Thanks, this will be a big help. Much easier on the wallet as well as having control of the harvest!