New Tank Looming

Hey guys and girls,

Just started cycling my second marine system; a lido 120. Initially I am keeping it fish only with live rock because I want to go down the SPS route but don't have the money at the moment. I just wanted to throw out there my proposed fish list and wanted some opinions.

I was thinking:
1x maroon clown or clarkii clown (still undecided)
1x dwarf angel flame/ coral beauty/ lemonpeel
1x flasher or fairy wrasse ( depends on availability not seen them too often around my way)
1x mexican rock wrasse or cuban hogfish ( these are alternatives to the flasher or fairy wrasse)

Possible additions
1x six line wrasse
1x yellow watchman goby

Any queries on compatibility or stocking level wil be gratefully received as will any suggestions for other fish.


Regards

Crazy fishes said:

Hey guys and girls,

Just started cycling my second marine system; a lido 120. Initially I am keeping it fish only with live rock because I want to go down the SPS route but don't have the money at the moment. I just wanted to throw out there my proposed fish list and wanted some opinions.

Lucky you, wish I was in the same position

I was thinking:
1x maroon clown or clarkii clown (still undecided) I would have to have a pair, the maroon will get too big and tend to be aggressive
1x dwarf angel flame/ coral beauty/lemonpeel Lemonpeel is not reef safe and gets too big.
1x flasher or fairy wrasse ( depends on availability not seen them too often around my way) Oh this would be my choice too
1x mexican rock wrasse or cuban hogfish ( these are alternatives to the flasher or fairy wrasse) ok, sure you are aware that you can only have the one wrasse, sounds a good choice but I would hold out for the flasher
Possible additions
1x six line wrasse - again, hold out for the flasher
1x yellow watchman goby so cute

Any queries on compatibility or stocking level wil be gratefully received as will any suggestions for other fish.


Regards

Click to expand...

Seffie x



ps don't forget the photos

Hi seffie,

Thanks for the reply, it is really appreciated. I am aware of the reef compatibiity debate that has been raging since the dawn of modern fish keeping about dwarf angels and their reef safe/ non reef safe status, but plan to litter the tank with macroalgae. They nibble less on corals that way (apparently??) . The reason for one clown is because the tank is going to SPS eventually and the fish load would be too much. Think 2x maroon/ clarkii clowns, a wrasse, dwarf angel and yellow watchman goby that is a lot of waste being produced in a tank little over 30g. I do take on the point about the size and aggression though and was something I am having difficulty with. My plan is try to go without a skimmer just chaetomorpha and regular water changes. I do have much more flow in this tank 30x at present possibly more later. Arrgh it is so difficult to get that balance.. my other reef setup was a piece of cake 2x ocellaris clowns and 2x fire gobies done. The fire gobies fight but are getting better, they now eat the food instead of fighting at feeding time. Previously they got little of the food as they were fighting and the clowns loved it as they scoft the lot!! I am really liking the look of a mexican rock wrasse; beautiful pastel colours but again are considered to be non reef compatible. That is why I have been furiously looking for the flasher wrasse but the suppliers never get them so the local shops never get them. Frustrating....... Beauty and reef safe but impossible to obtain.

Regards

but plan to litter the tank with macroalgae. They nibble less on corals that way (apparently??)

Click to expand...

Heh, that's what I thought... Wrong I was. It's really just a lucky guess as to whether or not a certain individual will be a nipper or not. I have however noticed a trend in my readings around the net that the luck/success rate does seem to be tied to tank size. Big tanks (think 100g+), often successful in keeping a non-nipper, small tanks not so successful.

Never read anything about the mexican rock wrasse, but the cuban hogfish would ultimately get too big. I've seen them in the wild at 6"+, far too big for a little 30g tank...

And I too will agree about the maroon clown. Too aggressive even in a tank as big as 75g IMO

Ok so far we have ruled out mexican rock wrasse, cuban hogfish, maroon clown and dwarf angel, but the watchman goby is fine. What a splended stocking list I have LOL........ What about the Clarkii clown, are they ok?? I don't particularly want to keep cardinal fish they are beauty but just so boring to watch. That is why I picked the list I did; it is full of dynamic colourful fish. Are there any suggestions of suitable fish which match these criteria??

Also just some quick snaps of the now cycling rock work.....

Regards

You could probably get away with a pair of clarkiis for a long while if you bought them young, but they will get big on you eventually... How about wrasses or blennies (not scooters)?

SkiFletch said:

You could probably get away with a pair of clarkiis for a long while if you bought them young, but they will get big on you eventually... How about wrasses or blennies (not scooters)?

Click to expand...

Ok I will go down the route of clarkii for the clowns. As you can see from the list I have included a number of Wrasse but they were all shot down except the sixline. It is not that I don't like them its just I wanted a fish list that had something a little different. I really like the flasher wrasse but they are gold dust in my area. I did find a mexican rock wrasse but again you suggeted it wasn't suitable. What other vibrant dynamic fish are they in the wrasse family would be suitable for a 30g.

regards

Perhaps I should have clarified... Look for Fairy Wrasses. There are tons of species

I am absolutely OVER THE MOON with my recent find; recent as in yesterday. I was looking around for a maroon clown (yes I have decided to give the maroon a go as the clown guru seems to think it will be fine) ... any way as I looked across the display tanks scanning for what I was seeking there it was just swimming in circles around a rock ....... A FLASHER WRASSE woo hoo !! The new tank is just getting to the water change stage (ammonia 0ppm but the nitrite is 0.1ppm) and these wrasse aren't an ideal 'first fish' hence the search for the clown. He is temporarily living on 'the reef' but is actually looking really at home on in there. I think it may be Fred that I move as he is constantly harassing Ginger (or Ginge for short and both are N. Magnifica fire gobies). Slightly off topic this is why you should never listen to LFS workers/owners as they say one thing and the complete opposite happens; trust what you know and even gut instinct. The conversation went like this: could I add another fire fish? I would like to but I have read they fight like crazy?? No look at the tank full of them and no fighting you will be fine adding another? Stupidly forgot to 'THINK' and bought one. Poor Ginge looks depressed now, although he seems to eat most of the food which is not the norm for scared fish?? Anyway the new tank will recieve the maroon first then fred and what ever else follows.....

A quick picture of the new wrasse (he seems to be forming a relationship with the clowns?? Could be a clown in disguise )

Regards

Looks great CF

not too sure about the firefish part but from what i noticed, my firefish came out more often when i added another one. there wasn't fighting but instead both are never far from each other

nice find, he looks quite a yound one too
Mine used to chill with my clowns too, then he would have a mad five minutes zooming around showing off.

Oh you lucky thing, I am madly jealous

Seffie x

Thanks guys, I think he is an excellent find and even after few days of in the tank he is really taking to it. Looks like he is a permanent resident. Stradydum, I think you were lucky in that you individually managed to get a male and female or two females. I most probably have got landed with two male which usually ends in fights. Oh well things aren't too bad at the moment and the move is always an option.
The next piece of news is the tank has finished cycling and is now the home of Monty the maroon clown (yellow maroon). Pictures will be up soon .....

Regards