Cbs W/ Blenny?

[Hobbit]

My aquarium is 12 gallons, and in it i've got a blue damsel, and a Scooter blenny, which is actually not a blenny, its a dragonet i guess. but anyways,i was wondering if a Coral Banded Shrimp could be put in there? Somday, i want to take my damsel back and get a pair of clown fish. The damselwas a spur-of-the-moment type thing, and i'd rather have clowns anyways. I know two clownfish and a bleny are pushing it for 12 gallons, but do you think they would be ok? If so, would they be ok w/ a cbs? I like cbs just as much as cleaner shrimp, but cbs are a third of the price over here, so i was just wondering..

thanks everyone.

 

[Lynden]

Should be fine. Beware that CBS are quite capable of killing smaller shrimp; they do not always do so. Get a mated pair of CBS if you can.

P.S.
try to set up a refugium (a 'hang on back' made of an aquaclear will be fine) to feed the scooter and help with the bioload... by the way is the scooter eating frozen foods?

 

[Hobbit]

well, when i asked at the store, the guy told me it was eating frozen brine shrimp, and a pellet kind called oraone or something. I asked him to show me, and it did indeed. But since i've gotten it,all its eaten are my pods and frozen brine shrimp. I havent tried any other frozens, but what should i do, because i understand the brine aren't sufficient.... right? I dont really think a hang on will work, because it's and eclipse 12, which has proven amaZINGLY DIFFICULT TO modify. sorry for that caps lock. I know cbs kill other shrimp, thats why i was wondering if it would be ok w/ my scooter, because if it is, then thats probably what i'll get.

can i get an answer on the clowns?

thanks btw

 

[SkiFletch]

12g is right on the edge for keeping a pair of clownfish IMO. Short-term it'd be OK but remember, clowns get bigger as they age and 12g isn't really suitable long-term

 

[Hobbit]

i was expecting to get flamed for even dreaming it on here. i though it wasn't possible until i read a few logs where some people kept pairs in 10 gals. what would you say is the best fish to put in there? i really would like a pair of black perculas though. i for sure wanna keep scooter the blenny though. no-one answered as to what i should feed him though.

 

[SkiFletch]

i was expecting to get flamed for even dreaming it on here. i though it wasn't possible until i read a few logs where some people kept pairs in 10 gals. what would you say is the best fish to put in there? i really would like a pair of black perculas though. i for sure wanna keep scooter the blenny though. no-one answered as to what i should feed him though.

Well, Scooters are a lot like Mandarins, difficult to get to feed. They are however not quite as bad and more likely to get to eat. Solution here is to make sure that the fish is eating BEFORE you take it home. Then, bring home whatever food it ate at the LFS

As to the clownfish, lemme ask the question this way. How long do you plan on keeping them there?

 

[Lynden]

I disagree, I think that percs or ocellarises could do fine. They stay small and because they and the dragonet ("blenny") occupy different areas they should do fine all in one. If they start to get "antsy"... then deal with it then. But most likely they should be fine in my opinion.

 

[Musho3210]

im with ski here, ive seen some pretty monstorous sized clownfish (percula types, dunno if it was a false or true).

 

[Lynden]

On fishbase the maximum size listed for both species is 11 cm (so around 4''). These records are typically of the giants of each species, and it is typically reasonable to expect them to grow at least 3/4 of this size. My cousin has had a pair for a few years and they are nearing 3'' in length. By that logic, if one were to buy very young specimens he/she could easily get a good few years out of them in a ten gallon before the need to be rehomed would become apparent. This is assuming that those particular specimens are not genetically predisposed to maximum size and/or rapid growth. So, I partially retract my earlier statement.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, its that 10-12g range that's really the gray area. Sure you can do it for a time, prolly even a couple years. After that they may get too big/territorial for such a small tank. And as its often hard to part with fish once attached to them, I rarely heartily reccomend dumping clowns into one of these gray area tanks. If the aquarist just wants to get his feet wet so to speak and has real plans for a tank upgrade, go nuts. Otherwise, I'll advise caution here.

 

[Hobbit]

yeah, see i doubt a tank upgrade will be coming anytime soon. I may go to either a 40b or a 75 gallon within a year or two, but im not counting on it. So i should count a pair out? How about a single? Or what else do ou reccomend?

 

[Donya]

I see people have homed in on the fish, but I'm going to ignore that and go back to the issue of the shrimp.

I like cbs just as much as cleaner shrimp, but cbs are a third of the price over here, so i was just wondering..

I'm sorry to add to the nitpicking, but this was the first thing that jumped out at me. I'm a noodle-eating college student so I'm all for doing things cheaply, but choosing an animal because its cheaper is a really, really bad way to go. If the less risky shrimp is too expensive, my response would be simply don't get a shrimp. Always look at factors such as max sizeand aggression first, because the two shrimp you're considering are definitely not equal in those regards so it's definitely not a matter of simply cutting cost. As others have made clear, you have a tank with a lot in it already. Depending on the species you get, the larger CBS (which are most common and the cheapest - Stenopus hispidus) need a lot of space as they grow. Larger shrimp can be kept in nanos, but they still need room to move freely. They get stressed and aggressive if they feel cramped, which can occur when they can't move far without their whiskers bumping into things. They don't like fish bumping their whiskers a lot either; I've seen some really stressed and unhappy shrimp in LFS 10-15g tanks that are overstocked with fish. Unless your tank dimensions and rock arrangements are such that there's an awful lot of open space and still room for the shrimp to hide under a rock or something, a cleaner shimp would be a much better bet unless you have some specific need for the CBS (e.g. bristleworm control) or can get one of the smaller CBS species.

Get a mated pair of CBS if you can.

Maybe one of the smaller species like Stenopus scutellatus. Two S. hispidus in 10g seems rather cramped to me considering the fish are already pushing the limit.

 

[Lynden]

Agreed. I suppose they do grow rather large, and though they probably wouldn't effect the bioload much, it may be best to go with a slight smaller genus/species of shrimp, such as sexies or a pistol. Sexies also give you the option of keeping a decent sized group.

 

[Musho3210]

with the sexy shrimp, you will probably recieve more visual stimulations, with the pistol, more hearing stimulations, my stupid pistol hides in a cave 24/7, all i see are antennaes every once and a while, but i do hear it.

 

[Hobbit]

no, it wasnt only the cost that made me like the cbs, i like them and the cleaner the same, but i couldnt decide which i wanted more, so i went with price. and i dont think my tank is over-crowded, all i've got is my blenny, and the damsel that will go back. I really, really like sexies, i wanted them, but they're kind of expensive for a group, which is what i would want. how many could i get? Would i have to get them at the same time? They dont sell them over here, so what website is most reliable? Im guessing liveaquaria..

thanks again so much everyone, you're helping me more than you realize.